White Toyotas, White Faces: Justifying the Presence of INGOs in Thailand's Deep South

Context & Rationale
There is a substantial body of literature critical towards the efficacy of Western Human Rights/Humanitarianism, and its ability to provide meaningful assistance to people in complex emergencies (Hopgood, 2013; An-Na'im, 2012; De Waal, 2002; Kennedy, 2004; Brown, 2004; Krause, 2014; Marks, 2012; Posner, 2014; Mutua, 2017; Schloms, 2003). However, much of this literature works in the abstract, and neglects to look at how these failures materialise in practise, and what resolutory steps might be taken. As a result, this literature has difficulty engaging those pragmatist humanitarians that must be reached to affect change. Furthermore, there is limited focus on 'beneficiaries', and how communities perceive those international organisations working to help them. While much research on humanitarian action focuses on political and policy issues, work on the perception of these organisations by the local population is still lacking (Dijkzeul and Wakenge, 2010:1141).
The case of Southern Thailand is notably unexamined, beyond explanatory accounts (Helbardt, 2015; Gunaratna and Acharya, 2013; McCargo, 2011; Jerryson, 2011; Abuza, 2009; Askew, 2007). This PhD intervenes at this juncture, and seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of local, international, and state entities that aim to provide protection and assistance to those affected by the situation of unrest. By comparing community experiences of local organisations, state intervention, and INGOs, as well as localised coping strategies, this PhD will investigate how these critiques of international human rights and humanitarianism play out on the ground in Thailand's southern insurgency. This will be achieved collaboratively, learning directly from communities affected by conflict through fieldwork, as well as shadowing local NGOs, academic centres, and community activists. The insurgency's colonial roots provide an opportunity for broader application of my research, due to similarities to other protracted conflicts, for example, India-Pakistan (Mishra, 2016). This PhD will contribute the voice of local communities to academic literature on the Thai insurgency, as well as pragmatically expanding upon the literature critically evaluating humanitarian action, and promoting human rights research that is collaborative in nature.
Research Questions
* How are humanitarian efforts by local NGOs, international NGOs, and the state perceived by the local population on the ground?
* What examples of best practice can be found in meeting the needs of the local population and by which organisations? Additionally, how are organisations failing to respond to local needs and why?
* Do INGOs truly offer an 'added value' that is not a duplication of assistance offered local organisations or the state, and is their impact enough to justify their presence in Thailand's southern insurgency?

Impact and Collaboration
The research will collaborate with three local organisations, all with different functions and disciplinary approaches. This collaborative approach will provide an opportunity for knowledge exchange, as well as to produce briefing notes, seminars, workshops, and commentary pieces for active local humanitarian organisations. The project also focuses on conducting semi-structured interviews with local communities, bringing their voices to a discourse which has to this point primarily taken place in academic and policy-maker circles. By working to fill this literature gap, I hope my research will improve how multi-agency humanitarian action is implemented, both in the region of my case study, as well as in other regions experiencing complex emergencies.