Insurgents angry with attitude of delegation chief, want him replaced

[snoop1130]

Insurgents angry with attitude of delegation chief, want him replaced

By Nakarin Chinworakomon 
The Nation

 

File photo: Shukri Hari Head of the Mara Patani discussion team.

 

Mara Patani, an umbrella organisation of insurgent groups in the deep South, has announced its decision to suspend peace talks with the Thai government and called for the replacement of the Thai delegation head General Udomchai Thammasarorat with someone “more credible”.

 

Shukri Hari, head of the Mara Patani discussion team, said that the group saw Udomchai’s refusal to confront the group’s dialogue panel on Sunday - but to meet Shukri personally and separately - as unacceptable and suspected “a hidden agenda”. 

 

The group only learned about Udomdech’s change of plan when they and the Thai dialogue team arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday for the introductory meeting.

 

Later they said they were “disappointed with the attitude shown by the head of the Thai peace panel” and that his behaviour contradicted his earlier statement that he would hold respectful talks with all groups and stakeholders. 

 

Mara Patani thus refused to join the Sunday meeting, suspended all talks until after the conclusion of Thailand’s March general election, and suggested the Thai government replace Udomchai with someone “more credible” if it wanted to find solutions to the unrest in the region.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30363503

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-02-04

[yellowboat]

Not a surprise.  It is probably better to see if more moderate, nimble minds present themselves after the election.   

[Lungstib]

I fail to see how it is at all possible for a govt based fully on the concept of "Monarch, Military and Religion (Buddhism) can have talks with a separatist organisation. There is no room or possibility for manoeuvre. 

[metisdead]

A hate speech post has been reported and removed.

[Srikcir]

2 hours ago, Lungstib said:

I fail to see how it is at all possible for a govt based fully on the concept of "Monarch, Military and Religion (Buddhism) can have talks with a separatist organisation. There is no room or possibility for manoeuvre. 

When you call it "a military govt," then yes. There is and never has been room or possibility for maneuver. 

But we have seen that a civilian elected govt (Yingluck) fared much better - until the military intervened.

[Srikcir]

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Shukri Hari, head of the Mara Patani discussion team

Mara Patani is "low hanging fruit" as it typically excludes the largest, most cohesive and violent insurgent group the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN). The Thai military has (in my opinion) promoted peace talks with MP to divide the insurgency. So for the MP to 

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

suspend peace talks with the Thai government and called for the replacement of the Thai delegation head General Udomchai Thammasarorat with someone “more credible”.

is a serious FAIL for the military who seeks "piece" negotiations.

[Briggsy]

2 hours ago, Lungstib said:

I fail to see how it is at all possible for a govt based fully on the concept of "Monarch, Military and Religion (Buddhism) can have talks with a separatist organisation. There is no room or possibility for manoeuvre. 

Indeed and by ruling out any kind of autonomy I also fail to see how any sort of progress can be made. The position has remained unchanged for decades.

 

If, by any chance, any progress is made in any talks, once the proposal is reviewed by the Council of State, it is blocked as has always been the case in the past. The point being the government never sends a negotiator with any real power to negotiate and so for this reason, and many other reasons, the situation is continually decided by the latest violence and suppression.

[chama]

I doubt that either side is negotiating in good faith and both fully expect that they are smarter than the other party which will lead them to complete victory in negotiations.

[Rimmer]

A couple of inflammatory posts have been removed