Talks with 80 separatists in South a success: Prayuth
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A talk between the Fourth Army region chief and 80 separatists in Narathiwat was considered a great success, Army commander General Prayuth Chan-ocha said Tuesday.
The meeting between Lt Gen Udomchai Thammasarorat and members of the RKK group was the result of coordination on both sides that had worked for sometime until the separatists began to trust the authorities.
“The talk had been prepared for a period of time but we could not reveal it to the public. The coordination was done through their families and society. The Army has always opened doors for them,” Prayuth said.
He believed the RKK members decided to start talking with the Army because they had seen the gruesome violence of the group. They disagreed with the use of violence, so they tried to surrender to the authorities while the group used all means to prevent them from doing that.
“What we want now is for them to surrender to the authorities while the punishment [they face] will be considered later but will be in line with the law,” Prayuth said.
The Army chief confirmed the 80 were the real RKK members, saying checks were done and the results confirmed their status.
