Outcome won't affect talks: negotiator
The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Whatever the outcome of today's general election in Malaysia, Thailand's ongoing peace talks with southern separatists are unlikely to be affected, said an academic who is part of the Thai team of negotiators.

Assoc Prof Srisompob Jitpiromsri said he was confident that whatever the election result, the Malaysian-facilitated talks would not be affected.

"The talks to restore peace in the southern border provinces, which take place in Malaysia, are prepared by Malaysia's permanent officials. These include the Malaysian Special Branch police and security council. The agreed framework and means will not change after the election. The peace process will continue whatever the election result," said Srisompob, who is a political science lecturer at Prince of Songkla University's Pattani campus and director of the Deep South Watch Centre.

He said that even if opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and his allies win the election, the talks would not be affected. In fact, he believed an opposition victory would be a positive development for the talks over the unrest in Thailand's deep South.

Srisompob explained that Anwar was known to be backing the efforts to solve the insurgency in southern Thailand. Moreover, the Malaysian opposition leader has many relatives who live in Thailand's South. "If he wins the election, the peace process will certainly continue uninterrupted," he said.

Malaysia acts as "facilitator" of the talks between Thailand's National Security Council and the separatist movement Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), or National Revolutionary Front.

The next round of talks is scheduled for June 13. Two rounds of talks have been held in recent months.

Meanwhile, ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra's spokesman yesterday rejected a press report that Thaksin was meeting with BRN's chief liaison officer Hassan Taib in Malaysia in preparation for the next round of talks.

Thaksin's legal adviser Noppadon Pattama was quoted by the Independent News Network as saying that the former premier was in China.

In a related development, many Muslim residents of the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat have been crossing the border into Malaysia to cast their votes in today's election. They hold dual Thai and Malaysian nationality.

A source said these people were offered 400 to 500 ringgits (Bt4,000 to Bt5,000) each to cast votes.

-- The Nation 2013-05-05

Bring Thaksin to the table in the south and he will receive his just deserts. Sooner the better.

He is right of course the talks have already been derailed by the BRN demands, see:

National Security Council Rejects B R N Demands At Peace Talks: Thai South

Just send a few planes to the US, load them up with gun lovers and bring them to the south for the ultimate gun down holiday package.

He is right of course the talks have already been derailed by the BRN demands, see:

National Security Council Rejects B R N Demands At Peace Talks: Thai South

Ah, it's all so one-sided, isn't it . . . those nasty Muslims

Just send a few planes to the US, load them up with gun lovers and bring them to the south for the ultimate gun down holiday package.

Expected.

Outcome won't affect talks: negotiator

Because the talks have no substance.