A Visit to the Malaysian Communist Party tunnels in Betong, Thailand
An important part of Malaysia’s history
In the mountains approximately 18 kms north-West of the border tourism town of Betong is where the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) 12th battalion were domiciled, after withdrawing from Malaysia during the 1970s.
The CPM was dissolved, with the Malaysian Communist Party (MCP) formed on 5th December 1983, through the merger of two CPM splinter groups, the CPM revolutionary faction, and the CPM Marxist Leninist faction. The Communist Party of Malaya head Chin Peng was denounced as a counter revolutionary by the new party.
The tunnels at Piyamit 1, in Tambon Tano Mae Ro were built in 1976 by a group of 40-50 cadres over three months, by hand. The tunnels stretch approximately over one kilometre, with originally 9 entrances with cavities up to 20 metres wide in some places. The complex could accommodate up to 200 people.
This was one of three guerrilla bases, the other two being at Khao Nam Kang, Sadao in Songkhla, where the 8th battalion was domiciled and Sukhrin District in Narathiwat, where the 10th battalion was domiciled.
The prime purpose of the tunnels was to act as an air raid shelter and a food, weapon, and ammunition storage. The guerrilla group lived in the jungle and walked through dense forests with supplies to carry out their insurgency missions into Malaysia. When looking around the area of the tunnels, its extremely hard to comprehend how difficult these hit and run missions would have been. The museum on site provides some insights.
The MCP didn’t have the strength to lay siege to towns and cities according Maoist tactics. Conditions in Malaysia were very different were MCP cadres were primarily Chinese, and the villages primarily Malays. The MCP relied upon support of the Chinese and Orang Asli. The aim of the MCP was to build a People’s Democratic United Front to bring down the ‘reactionary Kuala Lumpur regime.’ The party was opposed to bureaucratic capitalism, now known as GLCs, feudalism, and imperialism. The MCP wanted to create a People’s Republic of Malaysia, abolishing all reactionary laws, upholding freedom of religion, nationalising foreign companies, seizing lands occupied by big businesses, and redistribute those lands to landless peasants. The MCP also wanted the equality of all nationalities, and oppose what they saw as neo-colonialism.
Thai military authorities estimated the MCP had a force of approximately 800 guerrillas before their surrender to the Royal Thai Army in 1987. Of the 800 guerrillas who surrendered, 250 were women. There are a number of peace villages within the area, with the land a donation from King Rama IX of Thailand, who also granted those who stayed Thai citizenship.
Today the complex is a prime tourist attraction in Betong, near the hot springs. Pre-Covid, the attraction received around 200,000 tourists, mainly from Malaysia and Singapore. The attraction is very quickly becoming busy once again.
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