Malaysia backs Bangkok’s efforts on southern unrest

[webfact]

Malaysia backs Bangkok’s efforts on southern unrest

By The Nation

 

Mahathir Mohamad (Left), Prayut Chan-o-cha (Right)

 

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Saturday (November 2) expressed delight over bilateral relations with Malaysia and assured his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad that his visit to Thailand would lead to even more practical collaborations.

 

They were meeting at the Asean Summit at Impact Form in Nonthaburi.

 

Prayut thanked Mahathir for supporting Thailand in its year-long turn as chair of Asean, government spokeswoman Narumon Pinyosinwat said on Sunday.

 

Mahathir reaffirmed his cabinet’s support for Thailand’s efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the violent unrest in its three southern border provinces and said Malaysia agrees that its neighbour should remain unified as a nation and free of separatist ambitions.

 

The countries have agreed to link infrastructure along the border and are prepared to sign a formal pact on cross-border logistics to facilitate the transport of goods between Bangkok and Penang, Johor Bahru and Singapore.

 

They also agreed to tackle smuggling and contraband on the border and manage tariffs so both sides benefit.

 

Prayut asked Mahathir to see if Malaysia can import more Thai products to improve the lives of people in the South.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30378026

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2019-11-04

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[leeneeds]

57 minutes ago, webfact said:

Malaysia agrees that its neighbour should remain unified as a nation and free of separatist ambitions.

Sovereignty  that will not be compromised, lets hope those words resonate with the local 

separatists. Pursuit of autonomy will not happen.

[Srikcir]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Mahathir reaffirmed his cabinet’s support for Thailand’s efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the violent unrest in its three southern border provinces

That's an ironic statement as Prayut appointed Malaysia as the Facilitator (or as Prayut termed Malaysia as "The One") for peace talks. So it seems that Mahathir is throwing "credit" back to Prayut for the complete lack of progress. 

6 hours ago, webfact said:

said Malaysia agrees that its neighbour should remain unified as a nation and free of separatist ambitions.

In December 2018 when Mahathir was in Bangkok to receive an honorary doctorate from Rangsit University in recognition of his statesmanship, he "urged Thailand to consider granting the Muslim-majority southern provinces more autonomy as a way to undermine separatist ideology in this historically contested region." http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30360613

Autonomy doesn't necessarily mean succession from the Kingdom of Thailand.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30372021

• At the heart of the conflict is the question of local people’s power to manage their own affairs according to their way of life. Some use the term “right to self-determination”, which has become controversial, as it is considered a euphemism for independence. In reality, self-determination can be either “internal” or “external”. It could range from some degree of autonomy, to outright secession. The latter is not a viable option under the Thai Constitution, which says the Kingdom is indivisible.  
• Prayut’s track record shows he has no intention to discuss any political grievances in the South or give any concessions. His approach is to focus on quelling the violence, while maintaining the status quo.