Thai Army chief will end southern violence with peaceful solutions

[webfact]

Army chief will end southern violence with peaceful solutions
By Digital Content

BANGKOK, Oct 15 - Deputy Defence Minister/Army chief Gen Udomdet Sitabutr stressed that he is promoting peaceful solutions in southern border villages to end regional violence.

This will replace suppressive measures but he will not accept any attempt to separate the region as as independent state.

Gen Udomdet said that he would apply peaceful solutions pioneered in Pattani's Thung Yang Daeng district to expand his peace-oriented policy in the southern border provinces despite the recent arson at six local schools.

"People in Thung Yang Daeng district of Pattani province understand the government and have been cooperative but security at schools might be weak. That might {have led to] retaliation against government officials after the arrests of armed (insurgency) leaders. So measures and equipment must be increased. If the Thung Yang Daeng model is successful, it will expand to all other areas," Gen Udomdet said.

He assured students of the torched schools would have temporary buildings in time for their next school term starting November 3 and repair of the damaged school buildings would be done soon.

Gen Udomdet said he and Deputy Education Minister Gen Surachet Chaiwong would visit the far South.

"The transfer of local personnel and commanders has finished. Despite the transition, there is not a problem about their work. I would like the new commanders to have a chance to work. Now most local personnel are local people in the area under the jurisdiction of the 4th Army and only a small number of them came from outside areas," Gen Udomdet said.

He insisted that peaceful solutions would replace suppression measures at the village level and were aimed at convincing opponents to cooperate with the state.

"The Army will not tolerate the separation of the territory. That is impossible because the constitution makes it clear and local people do not want independence. Besides, other countries and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation understand the work of Thailand," Gen Udomdet said. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2014-10-15

[Thailand]

There you go, job done.

[Fat Haggis]

Couldn't manage it in the last 10 years and there's not a chance the Muslim insurgency will just stop it hasn't done so anywhere else there's an insurgency involving them !!

[Pib]

Seems like every new commander makes a similar statement...with so many such announcements over the years it seems this problem has been solved at least a dozen times already, but the problem still remains.

[trainman34014]

No; this can't be right, Chalerm already fixed it because he said he would have it all sorted in three months....have i missed something ?

[fobuff]

Yes but remember we have the great leader P who is infallible...

[Commerce]

The HEADLINE doesn't quite reflect what was actually said in the OP, so more misleading BS.

If anybody ends this violence with peaceful resolutions they will be the world's greatest leaders, and be advising the US and the UK for years to come.

Diabolical and very ill-educated headline at that!

[Tokay]

They just torched 6 schools down there last week.

There is but one solution here, give them what they want. Of course, that's never going to happen, so just hope your sons don't have their numbers drawn to be in the army.

[englishoak]

Just another Southern, "peace in our time" BS promise headline

[tbthailand]

What has changed in the last 10 years?

Hold your breath - these guys promised they would bring happiness to the Thai people.

On a serious note, however, why would anyone believe the military after the events of the last decade? They have a horrible record of abuse in the south and now, suddenly, they are going to use 'peaceful measures'. Please, people are not stupid. It would be great to resolve the issues in the south, but I personally have no confidence in the army to change tactics and find any solution at all, much less a peaceful one.

[rickirs]

Gen Udomdet, "The Army will not tolerate the separation of the territory. That is impossible because the constitution makes it clear and local people do not want independence.”

What is this constitution that he mentions? Did he not know that the 2014 military coup led by his boss Gen. Prayut abolished the constitution? Presently THERE IS NO CONSTITUTION. His reference is a fairy tale.

Did Gen. Udomdet get a Dusit survey showing that 95% of the population in Southern Thailand consisting of Malay-Muslims does not want independence?

These provinces were a semi-autonomous Islamic kingdom since the 1600’s before being forced militarily in 1902 under the imperial rule of Siam - now Thailand. These are conquered peoples with a Muslim culture going back hundreds of years whose very faith denies the authority of a Buddhist Head of State and the acceptance of Buddhism in their daily governance. All rudimentary peace talks have revolved around the concept of giving those people autonomy within the State and that is why the Yingluck regime excluded the military from negotiations, finding initial success to engage in preliminary peace talks with the insurgents. The military then and now has rigidly refused any concession of Thailand sovereignty.

Mr Don Pathan, an independent analyst based in Yala, said in June 2014, "With the coup d'etat, and with the Constitution gone, it is a clean slate for General Prayuth. There will be more coordination, but that's the only significant change. I don't see anything innovative or creative." (my bold emphasis)

Pathan predicted that “the army faction in control now was ‘old school’ and ‘hard line’ and seemed unlikely to make concessions to the Malay-Muslims. Today there is no clean slate.

[Tokay]

I think Chalerm should be put back in charge of this. 3 months, done!

[Halion]

Where does the new PM find these people who seem to have as much intellect as a bag of hammers. You can not fight terrorism not insurgency but terrorism, with rhetoric. I think the new regime is paralyzed by the fear that any escalation would bring unwanted focus on the fact that the certain areas in the restive south are basically in civil war. Not good for for the tourist drive or the image that the army is in control.

[rickirs]

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No; this can't be right, Chalerm already fixed it because he said he would have it all sorted in three months....have i missed something ?

You apparently miss Chalerm. Maybe it's time to move into 2014.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

Every new problem solving initiative should be greeted with a cheerful

"Good for you"

same as complimenting the special needs kid who just sort of tied his shoes with velcro

[rickirs]

"he will not accept any attempt to separate the region as as independent state."

I don't think that setting the stage for peace talks with unconditional demands or edicts provide any incentive for the insurgents to negotiate. I wouldn't expect anything less from the military that seems to have a mindset that the best defense is to attack. Never retreat, never give up the ShipState. Certainly complete cultural surrender of the Malay-Thais is a desirable peaceful solution for the nation's military rulers, but they shouldn't lose any sleep if it doesn't happen. Only a government that is not bound by historical precedence has a chance to achieve a peaceful solution to the Malay-Thai insurgency. Look at the recent peaceful political solution achieved by the Philippine elected civilian government with their own 40-year Muslim insurgency as a possible template for Thailand.

The Yingluck administration side-lined the military and removed military-backed Thawil Pliensri from any negotiations in its opening negotiations, and for the first time, the insurgents expressed a willingness to participate in peace talks. It's no wonder that today the Yingluck administration no longer exists as a result of a military coup, and Thawil has once again been placed back into the peace talks process. So how much faith would anyone today put into having successful peace talks with the Royal Thai generals at the table?

Happiness to All.

[brubakertx]

Islam is a very peaceful and tolerant religion. I'm sure everything will work out peacefully.

[Benmart]

Yes but remember we have the great leader P who is infallible...

Your words perhaps.

[ATF]

Fantastic news when he's finished I hope he goes on to solve the problems in the Middle East.

A Nobel Prize would be in order.