Wadah Group Says More Rebel Groups Keen On Peace Talks With Thai Govt

[webfact]

'Wadah' group says more rebel groups keen on peace talks with Thai govt
By Digital Media

BANGKOK, Mar 2 – A government-backed Muslim political faction has thrown its strong support to the Thursday’s agreement between Thailand and a southern rebel group on peace process to resolve the unrest in the country’s far South, according to a leading group member.

Members of the Wadah group, recently appointed by Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung as his advisor, met over two hours on Friday to discuss possible measures to tackle insurgency in Thailand’s three southern border provinces. Wadah is a faction from Muslim-predominant constituencies in southern border provinces.

Petchdao Tohmina, a Wadah member, said southern people have been waiting for such an agreement which, they believed, will eventually lead to peace in the region.

“We have to accept the fact that negotiations under peace process take time. The regular attacks and bomb blasts in the South should not be claimed as retaliations against the attempt to resolve the southern crisis,” she said.

She said the (Wadah) advisors agreed that enforcement of the Emergency Decree be abolished and replaced by the Internal Security Act (ISA) in six areas in the deep South including Betong, Kabang, Than To districts of Yala province, Mai Kaen district of Pattani province, and Sukhirin and Waeng districts of Narathiwat province.

The Emergency Decree will, however, remain intact in insurgency-infested areas, she added.

Ms Petchdao said Deputy Premier Chalerm will conduct an on-site visit to Yala province soon to directly get feedback from people, and not the authorities, on the southern situation.

Najmudeen Uma, a Wadah core member, said other rebel groups are keen on holding talks with the government in light of the agreement in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday between the Thai National Security Council and a Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) rebel group.

BRN, or National Revolutionary Front in Malay, is one of several groups blamed for the nine-year crisis in southern Thailand. The front itself reportedly has several factions.

He said the Kuala Lumpur agreement was a positive sign for the peace process which will take time since Thailand’s South has been plagued by insurgency and unrest for a century. (MCOT online news)


-- TNA 2013-03-02

[Pimay1]

I'm not a pessimist by any means and would like to see this idiocy end but I think it will be a big challenge to bring the people onboard when Thaksin's name is associated with the talks. Especially around where the Tak Bai and Krue Se massacre happened.

[AleG]

Repeating the same actions expecting different results is the definition of... a sound strategy, apparently.

[Pimay1]

Repeating the same actions expecting different results is the definition of... a sound strategy, apparently.

Not according to Albert Einstein.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

[AleG]

Repeating the same actions expecting different results is the definition of... a sound strategy, apparently.

Not according to Albert Einstein.

Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Pfff!, Einstein???

He couldn't hold a candle to Chalerm. (for fear of igniting the alcohol vapours)

[rkidlad]

Well, this wonderfully convenient for all involved. Even if they keep bombing and killing, etc, it won't matter because they actually wanna talk peace.

Words speak louder than action.

[hellodolly]

Whoopee ring a ding ding.

The rhetoric is fabulous problem is it is not coming from the terrorists. They don't talk they just shoot and blow up any thing and any one they have one point in mind. It is to install a religious set of laws in the three provinces.

Edited March 2, 2013 by hellodolly

[dighambara]

I'm not a pessimist by any means and would like to see this idiocy end but I think it will be a big challenge to bring the people onboard when Thaksin's name is associated with the talks. Especially around where the Tak Bai and Krue Se massacre happened.

I agree, but such processes are notoriously difficult.

An excellent example could be how the US handled the Indian crises. YES, I realize Europeans have no understanding of the reality that Indian tribes were in constant conflict for centuries before any Europeans arrived.

One comparrison only: Apache Chiefs made peace while renegades murdered people; Mexicans, Americans, other tribes, all across the SouthWest. Meanwhile, the Apache cousins, the Navajo, became Army Scouts, kept the peace and kept their ancestral lands.

My point - although some 'Chiefs' have made a pact, some of the factions will continue to create problems, so a stronger Government alliance, with the co-operation of local Muslim groups will be needed before all the baddies are put to pasture. Time heals all wounds.

[waza]

More political stunts by the PTP, its own political puppet the Wadah group who supported Thaksin's murderous activities in southern Thailand claiming it has any credibility with the southern insurgents. While the IED and assasinations continue the PTP claim a popular peace deal is on the table. I woner if they will continue this Thaksin wet dream after the Bangkok elections?

Edited March 2, 2013 by waza

[OzMick]

"The regular attacks and bomb blasts in the South should not be claimed as retaliations against the attempt to resolve the southern crisis,” she said.

She could have added "(Muslim) Boys will be (muslim) boys!"

[surangw]

more like all terr plans, stall to reenforce .

[rubl]

The Wadah group with members appointed by Dept. PM Pol. Captain Chalerm. Wadah, a faction down South, a faction with some history it seems

2011-07-22
In general, Malay Muslim parliamentary candidates who openly supported political reforms came up short at the ballot box. The only Puea Thai incumbent, Sukarno Matha, lost in a very close race in Yala's constituency 2. Sukarno is the younger brother of Wan Muhammad Nor Matha, popularly known as "Wan Nor," a former interior minister under Thaksin and former head of the once-powerful faction of Malay Muslim politicians called Wadah. Like many other former Thai Rak Thai politicians, Wan Nor is banned from holding political office until 2012.
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/MG22Ae01.html

2011-07-13
What is interesting is that while there were many three horse races between the Democrats, Matubhum and one of either Bhum Jai Thai or Chat Thai Pattana, Pheu Thai put up a fight in only two constituencies, both in Yala the powerbase of the banned former Wadah leader and Deputy Prime Minister Wan Noor.
...
While the rather unsavory nature of the Matubhum party is likely to have put off voters who are close followers of political news, the majority of voters in the Far South will not have been aware of Matubhums background seeing only Gen Sonthi and old Wadah guys on the election posters.
...
It can also not be forgotten that the Wadah group first lost their seats back in 2005 for a reason they are widely perceived to be out of touch and ineffective, having achieved little for the region in their many years in office.
http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2011/07/13/democrat-dominance-in-the-deep-south/

[waza]

The Wadah group with members appointed by Dept. PM Pol. Captain Chalerm. Wadah, a faction down South, a faction with some history it seems

2011-07-22

In general, Malay Muslim parliamentary candidates who openly supported political reforms came up short at the ballot box. The only Puea Thai incumbent, Sukarno Matha, lost in a very close race in Yala's constituency 2. Sukarno is the younger brother of Wan Muhammad Nor Matha, popularly known as "Wan Nor," a former interior minister under Thaksin and former head of the once-powerful faction of Malay Muslim politicians called Wadah. Like many other former Thai Rak Thai politicians, Wan Nor is banned from holding political office until 2012.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/MG22Ae01.html

2011-07-13

What is interesting is that while there were many three horse races between the Democrats, Matubhum and one of either Bhum Jai Thai or Chat Thai Pattana, Pheu Thai put up a fight in only two constituencies, both in Yala the powerbase of the banned former Wadah leader and Deputy Prime Minister Wan Noor.

...

While the rather unsavory nature of the Matubhum party is likely to have put off voters who are close followers of political news, the majority of voters in the Far South will not have been aware of Matubhums background seeing only Gen Sonthi and old Wadah guys on the election posters.

...

It can also not be forgotten that the Wadah group first lost their seats back in 2005 for a reason they are widely perceived to be out of touch and ineffective, having achieved little for the region in their many years in office.

http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2011/07/13/democrat-dominance-in-the-deep-south/

Like everything the convicted criminal Thaksin touches The Wadah group has been corrupted, it once was a shining beacon of hope for the Muslim Thais of southern Thailand and and a king maker in Thai politics but is now a discredited party.

Wadah came into being under the wing of General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, and would eventually merge with the Thai Rak Thai Party of Thaksin Shinawatra to stand in the general election in 2001. But as its political star rose, relations between the Malay-Muslims in the deep South and the Thai state remained as shaky as ever. Playing both sides could only last for so long.

Wadah's moment of truth came in late 2004 in the Narathiwat district of Tak Bai. It was a protest that had gone wrong. More than 1,000 young Malay-Muslim men thought they could shame the police into releasing a group of village-defence volunteers who were accused of providing government-issued weapons to the insurgents. They didn't think that security officials would do anything drastic because they were unarmed. But they were wrong.Troops fired live rounds into the crowd, killing at least eight people. More than 1,000 others were loaded into the back of military trucks, one man on top of another. By the time they reached their destination in Pattani four hours later at least 78 of the young men had suffocated to death.

Wadah kept silent, possibly out of fear of upsetting Thaksin. Then it tried to justify why it had to stay with Thaksin. Some members tried to argue that the ruling party controlled the budget needed to develop their communities.

- See more at: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Government-falls-back-on-a-failed-peace-initiative-30201039.html#sthash.Zrw3QWLg.dpuf

Edited March 2, 2013 by waza

[khaowong1]

Whoopee ring a ding ding.

The rhetoric is fabulous problem is it is not coming from the terrorists. They don't talk they just shoot and blow up any thing and any one they have one point in mind. It is to install a religious set of laws in the three provinces.

I agree with you HD.. and knowing muslims and thier archaic religious laws, having a woman spokesman is the same as having no spokesman.. in sharia law, women have no voice in any matters.. and who's sponsoring all this unrest in Southern Thailand and Malaysia? lets lay the blame on where the support is really coming from. Saudi Arabia. They are the main suppliers of money and hate for a very long time. Nobody wants to make waves with them because of their oil. Someday, somebody is going to stand up to them and say, enough is enough.

[chainarong]

As we have found out this announcement was premature.

[Locationthailand]

The claim (by the headline) is the Wadah are saying more terrorists want to get into the peace talks. A bit hard to do whilst killings keep happening. How about a show of good faith and down arms, run a month without any acts and see if they are sincere. I doubt it. This is just Chalerm making claims trying to shore up his 'face'.

[waza]

All has gone quiet on the peace talks front now the Bangkok election is over.

[rubl]

All gone quiet? Not at all!

WE move into another mode
"Yingluck Asks For Patience In Resolving Southern Unrest"
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/624388-yingluck-asks-for-patience-in-resolving-southern-unrest/