OPINION

Thailand's peace process needs external help for fresh start

Fifteen-year insurgency in Malay-Muslim south has cost 7,000 lives

Matt Wheeler

 

Security investigate the checkpoint which was attacked by insurgents in Pattani on July 24: any talks will face formidable hurdles.   © Reuters

 

After four years of fruitless talks, a peace dialogue to end a separatist insurgency in southern Thailand may be set to gain traction.

 

The new head of Thailand's peace dialogue panel announced on November 29 that the main Malay-Muslim militant organization behind 15 years of insurgency may soon come to the table -- a development that would give a new lease of life to the moribund process. Days later came a report that representatives of this group, Barisan Revolusi Nasional Patani Melayu, known as the BRN, recently met Thai officials in Berlin.

 

Direct dialogue between Bangkok and the BRN would revitalize efforts to find a resolution to the insurgency, which has cost 7,000 lives. But to tackle the causes of conflict, Thailand and the BRN will have to avoid past mistakes.

 

Full story: https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/Thailand-s-peace-process-needs-external-help-for-fresh-start

 

-- NIKKEI ASIAN REVIEW 2019-12-20

 

28 minutes ago, webfact said:

Malay-Muslim militant organization behind 15 years of insurgency

I don't like to see the Thai military government giving up and negotiating with these awful terrorist scum.

 

They should kill them all in my opinion.

1 hour ago, ukrules said:

 

I don't like to see the Thai military government giving up and negotiating with these awful terrorist scum.

 

They should kill them all in my opinion.

Sounds like you're just like them then,more into killing people than sorting out the problem.

First it has to be decided that a 'peace process' is really what the govt wants. If it is then it has to be taken out of the hands of people trained in violence to make war.

Peace is not achievable when religion is involved. Anyone still religious in the 21st century is so for morinic reason and gets no sympathy from me. People need to stop talking peace when this is not more than a barganing tool to give a group what they dont deserve. Enforce reform with a heavy hand and drive out stupidity or we will still face this rubbish in the 22nd century. Sad but true....

16 minutes ago, unamazedloso said:

Peace is not achievable when religion is involved. Anyone still religious in the 21st century is so for morinic reason and gets no sympathy from me. People need to stop talking peace when this is not more than a barganing tool to give a group what they dont deserve. Enforce reform with a heavy hand and drive out stupidity or we will still face this rubbish in the 22nd century. Sad but true....

It's not about religion though, it is about Thailand's claim and occupation of ethnic Malay provinces.

3 hours ago, unamazedloso said:

Peace is not achievable when religion is involved. Anyone still religious in the 21st century is so for morinic reason and gets no sympathy from me. People need to stop talking peace when this is not more than a barganing tool to give a group what they dont deserve. Enforce reform with a heavy hand and drive out stupidity or we will still face this rubbish in the 22nd century. Sad but true....

Yes, hooray for Thailand's forced annexation, colonization and assimilation of an indigenous people who have lived peacefully since the 1300's in a nation of their own making, with their own language, religion, culture and tradition. That goes beyond religion to the heart of an ethnicity that has NO Thainess - surely conflictive to the unity of the Buddhist kingdom.

That is the true nature of the insurgency.

It does not require outside help, just LOGIC, COMMONSENSE and INTELLIGENCE , none of those are high in Thai Skills, so it is a lose lose situation all the time 

 

8 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

I don't like to see the Thai military government giving up and negotiating with these awful terrorist scum.

 

They should kill them all in my opinion.

So you basically have the same Neanderthal mindset of a terrorist. 

1 hour ago, dcnx said:

So you basically have the same Neanderthal mindset of a terrorist. 

Or this bloke 'I was made victorious with terror' the prophet Mohammad from the hadith of Bukari

What about sitting them down and showing them that their own scripture doesn't advocate killing those of another faith, training them in artisanal skills and the Thai language and finding them work so that they can support their families in peace with full protection?

11 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

I don't like to see the Thai military government giving up and negotiating with these awful terrorist scum.

 

They should kill them all in my opinion.

That's the problem,  the military,  quiet obvious you don't know the history or the episodes with Thaskin Shinawatra, you'll never get peace in the South. 

5 hours ago, Traubert said:

What about sitting them down and showing them that their own scripture doesn't advocate killing those of another faith, training them in artisanal skills and the Thai language and finding them work so that they can support their families in peace with full protection?

Not possible as the Quran has several sura's urging the killing of unbelievers and trouble makers and describing them as the worst of people also as pigs and monkeys. If it was peaceful how come the extremists are not extremely peaceful? There is FAR more in the Quran about jihad than peace, unfortunately.

5 hours ago, Traubert said:

What about sitting them down and showing them that their own scripture doesn't advocate killing those of another faith, training them in artisanal skills and the Thai language and finding them work so that they can support their families in peace with full protection?

 

Or, better yet, try not driving them off the patches of land their families have lived on for generations.

 

The big problem with outside help is that they'd insist on justice and fairness.  Concepts not in vogue with the Thai elite.

 

 

Edited December 20, 20196 yr by impulse

Hello, my name is Tony, I am from the UK, I used to be a Prime Monster as well once and I have some time on my hands, perhaps I might be able to help, how much are you offering? I don't get out of bed for less than a million, 2 on Sundays.

A bit conspiratorial I admit but behind the conflict hides all sorts of evil. Human trafficking drug smuggling and who knows what else?

 

A convenient veil.

Hang on...

 

Didn't Prayuth say the Southern unrest would be resolved in 12 months?

 

And wasn't that 3 years ago?

 

What happened?

1 hour ago, Oziex1 said:

A bit conspiratorial I admit but behind the conflict hides all sorts of evil. Human trafficking drug smuggling and who knows what else?

 

A convenient veil.

 

Given the well-earned reputaion of the Thai Armed Forces, I'd be amazed if it didn't hide all sorts of chicanery. And still the Thai people don't wake up. Remarkable really.

Inflammatory post removed

On 12/20/2019 at 4:47 AM, ukrules said:

 

I don't like to see the Thai military government giving up and negotiating with these awful terrorist scum.

 

They should kill them all in my opinion.

 

One wonders why they got to be 'awful terrorist scum'. Presumably they weren't born like that...

On 12/20/2019 at 3:39 AM, Srikcir said:

Yes, hooray for Thailand's forced annexation, colonization and assimilation of an indigenous people who have lived peacefully since the 1300's in a nation of their own making, with their own language, religion, culture and tradition. That goes beyond religion to the heart of an ethnicity that has NO Thainess - surely conflictive to the unity of the Buddhist kingdom.

That is the true nature of the insurgency.

 

Yea lets take everything back 800 years because the world was a paradise of harmony then right ?  dont be ridiculous there was no "nation" in 1300, it was a jungle with minor villages and chiefs, best guess is at some point in that period it was named by some sultanate who staked a claim and it is a guess.. Thailand didnt even exist and nor did 90% of the now named countries in that region as they are today..

 

The world turns and a group who want to wind back the clock 800 years are kidding themselves. Malaysia rightly dosnt want the headache or dependence of them and the region would not be able to sustain itself, not to mention the location would be a headache for both Malaysia and Thailand re borders..

 

Separating after all these centuries is simply not going to happen and whining and bleating about the (false )  romantic past is both futile and childish. It reminds me of Thai stubbornness and living in its own bubble imo its mostly a lack of accepting reality as it is and moving forwards rather than what they think it should be and going nowhere.   

 

 

 

Call me a cynic but the words 'may' and 'soon' in line 2 of the the OP worry me a bit, as does the history of this conflict.