Abhisit - Far South peace talks 'must include all groups'

[webfact]

SOUTH CRISIS
Far South peace talks 'must include all groups'
PIMNARA PRADUBVIT,
NATHAPAT PROMKAEW,
PRAVIT ROJANAPHRUK
THE NATION



Abhisit says all obstacles to dialogue for ending insurgency must be removed

BANGKOK: -- DEMOCRAT PARTY leader Abhisit Vejjajiva and a former Muslim MP have voiced their support for continued dialogue between security authorities and insurgents based in the far South after the military's seizure of power in May.

However, clearer rules and preconditions and internal arrangements need to be agreed on and completed before both sides begin future rounds of talks and go public about the progress, the former prime minister said yesterday.

The three previous rounds didn't seem to run smoothly, probably because not all groups of insurgents were included. All groups active in the insurgency should be made to participate in forthcoming rounds, he said.

Jeh-aming Tohtayong, a former Democrat MP for Narathiwat, said he was supportive of further dialogues, regardless of the addition of the Patani United Liberation Organisation (Pulo), which threw its support for the role of General Akanit Muensawas as the new key negotiator, despite reported opposition by other groups of insurgents.

He also voiced support for Thawil Pliensri, secretary-general of the National Security Council, as another key negotiator who took over the role of Paradorn Patthanatabutr as the sole chief negotiator.

The earlier talks were not very successful possibly because not all groups of insurgents were at the table, he said.

Thawil last week went to Malaysia, which mediated all three previous rounds of talks and hosted all sessions, and held talks with his counterpart. He said upon return to Thailand that Malaysia agreed to continue the mediator's role and approved of further talks. No chief negotiators have been appointed from both sides, and both countries' prime ministers would soon meet.

While the focus after the coup has mostly been the human rights situation in Bangkok, human rights defenders said their work in the strife-torn deep South has only become more difficult after the military coup nearly four months ago.

"Personally speaking, it's harder to work in the areas," said Pornpen Khongkachonkiet, director of the Cross Cultural Foundation.

Holding human rights activities in the three southernmost provinces has become more difficult and even universities have to seek permission from the Fourth Army Area before organising any such activity.

"Nobody is holding [human rights] public events. We hold small private talks instead. Community radios have also been shut down," she said.

Talks about the peace process have become more difficult as a result, she said.

Although martial law has been in effect in the deep South for many years now, enforcement of restrictions under the law has become stricter and cases of soldiers and security officers surrounding suspected areas have increased.

"Violence has also increased," she said.

"There's a vacuum of hope."

Hara Shintaro, a lecturer of Malay studies at Prince of Songkhla University's Pattani Campus and an active advocate for human rights in the area, said since the coup, all community radios that served as some of the most important news channels for villagers have been closed, and some NGOs and civil society organisations' activities have to be altered so as not to provoke the junta.

"I must say that no harsh measures have been taken by the military to suppress criticism. We have been under martial law for more than 10 years, and the traditional security-related but still disordered detentions, enclosures enclosures of villages and other measures that might affect human rights of the local people continue to this day."

Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher for Human Rights Watch, said that since the coup, the government's approach to the issue of violence in the deep South is no longer a broad and comprehensive one that seeks to accommodate the grievances of Muslims.

"It reflects the National Council for Peace and Order's perspective that they're not happy with a participatory and inclusive approach. The new approach is top-down and military-oriented. It aims for a tactical ceasefire, not comprehensive peace," he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Far-South-peace-talks-must-include-all-groups-30243275.html

-- The Nation 2014-09-15

[halloween]

Community radios have also been shut down," she said.
Talks about the peace process have become more difficult as a result, she said.
"Violence has also increased," she said.
"There's a vacuum of hope."

Even though 18 people killed in southern insurgency in August: lowest in ten years

[IamNoone88]

Abhisit the Peacemaker. Whoever is running his PR is getting a little desperate.

[Baerboxer]

Abhisit the Peacemaker. Whoever is running his PR is getting a little desperate.

Indeed. Next he'll be saying a good water management system is needed, better education and more English speakers.

He's becoming as relevant as some of those old politicians in UK who tell everyone Tuesday follows Monday as they've nothing else to say.

He should be looking for a new career.

[rickirs]

Yes, listen to accused insurgent Abhisit.

The Thaksin administration failed to get Muslim insurgents to the peace table, largely because Thaksin together with the military endorsed the suppression of Muslim religious, ethnic and linguistic practices in an overtly hostile manner. The Abhisit administration continued to fail to get Muslim insurgents to the peace table, largely it seems because of a failed peace initiative under Thai Army General Akanit, a close friend of General Prayuth.

On Feb. 28, 2013 The Yingluck government signed a breakthrough deal with Muslim insurgents for the first time ever, with peace talks to be conducted "within the framework of the constitution" of Thailand to address the root causes of the unrest. The military had no role in the agreement. But with the disruption of anti-government protests against the Yingluck government beginning in September 2013, the September 2013 dissolution of the government for December 2013 elections, the delay of new elections until June 2014 by the EC and the Supreme Court, and by the military coup in May 2014, there was no further impetus for peace talks.

Now the military has again chosen Gen. Akanit of NLA and advisor to NSC to head the talks delegation. In response to Gen. Akanit's selection an insurgent spokesman said Gen. Akanit was known to oppose the talks, publicly expressed views against the peace process a year ago, and disagrees with Malaysia's role as facilitator in the talks. “He (Gen. Akanit) has an arrogant attitude and referrered to Patani Freedom Fighters as jone khaek (Muslim bandits) at a recent closed-door forum in Bangkok.”

With the selection of Gen. Akanit combined with the NCPO having absolute control over its appointed government and reform council, only an interim NCPO-dictated constitution in place, and no scheduled government elections, meaningful peace talks must have more than a dominant Thai military presence in all its creative shapes and forms. It's about creditability.

Panitan Wattanaygorn, a political scientist at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University and formerly a spokesman for the Yingluck government, feels the talks are more about "buying time" than setting out concrete proposals, such as greater regional autonomy.

"It’s time to talk about real proposals of the new governance in the South. There are several proposals already on how to decentralize the power from the center. And there is no real winning strategy on the ground for the military. The military really need to look deep into their strategy and come up with a much better one, …"

Abhisit says all obstacles to dialogue for ending insurgency must be removed. Unfortunately he, the Democrats, PDRC, and the military lack a track record for peacefully dealing with political conflict. Maybe the Thai peace talks delegation with the Malay-Thais should be led by a nonmilitary organization that can guarantee that any peace agreement won’t disappear with the next coup or the next constitution.

[halloween]

Abhisit: "All groups active in the insurgency should be made to participate in forthcoming rounds."

How does he expect to achieve this, threaten to shoot those who refuse? Isn't that what they are doing now?

[Thanet]

Abhisit the Peacemaker. Whoever is running his PR is getting a little desperate.

Right. After all the division that he has been part of, Abhisit should crawl into a hole and shit up.

I have no idea why the NCPO keeps giving him a forum. At a time of purported reconciliation, he's the last thing we need.

[Jim walker]

Talking at least it’s a forward move towards peace and reconciliation for the southern states makes a change from the usual military heavy handed attitude, with the solders desperate to get the big guns out, and all it takes is words to sort out the grievance, we all saw how the heavy handed attitude worked in the UK with Northern Ireland and the IRA with the religious extremist’s IRA and the UDA all the wasted lives and all it needed was constructive talks to sort it out.

[Baerboxer]

Talking at least it’s a forward move towards peace and reconciliation for the southern states makes a change from the usual military heavy handed attitude, with the solders desperate to get the big guns out, and all it takes is words to sort out the grievance, we all saw how the heavy handed attitude worked in the UK with Northern Ireland and the IRA with the religious extremist’s IRA and the UDA all the wasted lives and all it needed was constructive talks to sort it out.

Not underestimating the importance of the talks, the changes in attitudes of people like McGuisnness and Paisley Jim, but other factors may have had some bearing.

President Bush declared a "war on terrorism". As a terrorist group the IRA quickly twigged that NORAID and the support of some Americans was likely to end, but more importantly they would be a target for the American anti-terrorist operations, as well as the British. Helped them focus their thoughts a little.