From someone who grew up in the south:The problem was not serious around 20 - 30 years ago. There were people tried to be free. Thai gov controlled them by hired people in that area (spy) to tell gov officers if there was someone want to do something bad. This organization worked really well. That's why the problem started 30 years ago but they were not success. In Taksin era he cut the support of this organization. so i closed down. Bad people killed many people (no one knew about their plan anymore). Taksin sent soldiers and polices who weren't people in that area. They cannot communicate, didn't understand eac other and soldiers captured many wrong one. Muslim loves each other so much. When their relative were killed without reason they thought gov didn't protect them anymore. It was easier to bad people to spread bad rumor about thai gov. Bad people Persuade and taught wrong doctrine to people there. The problem here there were origin and reasons but no end.

You may be quite right. But the problem goes much deeper than that.