Bumpy road ahead for new Malaysian facilitator in Southern Thai peace process

[webfact]

(FILE) In this photo taken on October 24, 2019, a Royal Thai Army soldier patrols the Tak Bai riverside market in Thailand’s restive southern province of Narathiwat across the Malaysian border.(Photo by Madaree TOHLALA / AFP)

Newly appointed facilitator for the Patani peace talks, Gen. Zulkifli Zainal Abidin, will arrived in Thailand on February 1stfor a two-day visit to introduce himself to Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and Gen. Wanlop Rugsanaoh, Thailand’s chief negotiator.

 

Zulkifli, a retired Army chief, is said to be a counter terrorism expert. He is expected to bring some degree of professionalism and integrity to the peace process between Thailand and Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), the long standing independent movement which, today, controlsvirtually all of the combatants on the ground.

 

While the BRN combatants see liberating their historical homeland as a moral obligation, the banner of struggle is very much one of nationalism, not Islam.

 

Zulkifli will be replacing Rahim Noor, the previous facilitator, who had disappointed many of his own people by not objecting to Thailand’s back-channels which painted Malaysia as the peace spoiler.

 

Full story: https://www.thaipbsworld.com/bumpy-road-ahead-for-new-malaysian-facilitator-in-southern-thai-peace-process/

 

-- © Copyright Thai PBS 2023-01-31

 

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[RichardColeman]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

the banner of struggle is very much one of nationalism, not Islam.

Pull the other one...........

[hotchilli]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Newly appointed facilitator for the Patani peace talks, Gen. Zulkifli Zainal Abidin, will arrived in Thailand on February 1stfor a two-day visit to introduce himself to Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and Gen. Wanlop Rugsanaoh, Thailand’s chief negotiator.

Thailand has no agenda in long term peace down south, they like it just as it is.

[simple1]

9 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Pull the other one...........

Read the content at URL below. Will explain by someone who actually knows what they are talking about.

 

https://defence.gov.au/ADC/Publications/documents/Shedden/2012/SheddenPapers12_120306_ConflictinThailand_Nurakkate.pdf