Peace in deep South will take time, Thai analysts say

[webfact]

Peace in deep South will take time, analysts say
Wattana Khamchu
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- Academics and security experts believe peace in the deep South cannot be achieved soon despite ongoing efforts to hold a peace dialogue with a coordinating insurgent group.

This belief was expressed at a seminar organised by the Thai Journalists Association yesterday. Panellists were Gen Samret Srirai, a special adviser to the Defence Ministry; Srisompop Jitpiromsri, director of Deep South Watch at Prince of Songkla University; Col Thiranan Nanthakwang, an academic on security; Hamad Somboonbualuang, an independent researcher on peace processes; and Sunai Phasuk, from Human Rights Watch.

Sunai told the seminar holding talks with BRN-Coordinate would not result in peace because Hassan Taib was only a coordinator with no authority to represent insurgent groups.

Sunai said the insurgents did not want to participate in peace talks but they were forced by the Malaysian government to join the talks. He said insurgents acted inhumanely against innocent people so the Thai government had justification to enforce the law to suppress them.

The Thai government and communities in the deep South should help to try to create peace by accepting the Malay identity, he said, and try to minimise causes of conflict cited by insurgents in their campaign of violence.

But Samret said he hoped the next round of talks with BRN-Coordinate on Thursday would lead to a clearer picture on how to create peace in the deep South.

He said it would require talks to be held both at higher and lower levels to try to achieve peace.

Srisompop said the BRN-Coordinate was initially doubted as to whether it really represented insurgent groups and whether they could talk to the insurgents and represent local people. But later BRN-Coordinate was accepted by both the Thai and Malaysian governments.

Srisompop said he believed BRN-Coordinate had mechanisms for coordinating with insurgent groups in southern border provinces.


-- The Nation 2013-06-12

[gl555]

We need the best and the brightest handling and negotiating to get that peace. We get Chalerm instead,

[Halion]

Another example of the Thai political culture. Have meetings and issue press release but do absolutely nothing positive.. They are so stupid they are dangerous.

[bigbamboo]

It's difficult to see how anything will be resolved as long as the most hated man in the south is running the country.

[bunnaag]

It's difficult to see how anything will be resolved as long as the most hated man in the south is running the country.

sooner or later they have to allow the 3 provinces some self government

[hellodolly]

I have no idea of the cost of that meeting but for 10% of it I could have given out those details.

Peace to be started will require the death of the Shinawatra Dynasty.

Then and only then if the government truly wants peace the process can begin.

[cup-O-coffee]

'Didn't even bother reading the OP. Once I saw "Thai" and "Analyst" in the headline I was put off by the sheer irony which is suggested.

[manarak]

It's difficult to see how anything will be resolved as long as the most hated man in the south is running the country.

sooner or later they have to allow the 3 provinces some self government

I don't think so, and even if they do it, it will not solve the problem. the people down there don't want "some degree of autonomy", they want another religion and another language taught at school - will never happen (fortunately).

The muslims there have everything they need to live a peaceful and prosperous life. They can do everything they want, can have a business, can study, can go to the mosque, can study islam, etc. same as the other Thais.

The problem is that they want also the right to tell other people what they should do.

Edited June 12, 2013 by manarak

[Thai at Heart]

Wow. They needed a brains trust to come up with this?

How many years have the problems been going on down there? 50 years?

[Chrisswe]

Sure this kind of problem can't be Solved through "Just in time" Thai policy.

[johnlandy]

Another example of the Thai political culture. Have meetings and issue press release but do absolutely nothing positive.. They are so stupid they are dangerous.

Took the words out of my mouth. Several weeks ago it was reported that the crisis was over.

Then they were going to build a 600 km fence

Now it's gonna take some time. Is the estimation 'of time' Thai time or wot?

[surangw]

they plan to keep it going for at least 2 more changes of administrations .

[mrtoad]

I thought Chalerm was now involved, he normally takes 90 days to get things completed. Has he been moved away from this, after his ear medicine overdose in Malaysia a few months back?