BRN wants troops out of far South
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Sets conditions for meeting in KL with Thai officials tomorrow
The Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) separatist movement has set nine conditions for peace talks in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow with the Thai government, a security source said yesterday.
The first is the Thai government should send only appointed representatives. Second, the Thai side should recognise the identity, race and language of the Melayu people.
Third, Thailand should withdraw its troops from the restive region and invoke its special security laws. Fourth, Thailand should let local security forces take over peacekeeping duties.
Fifth, Thailand should designate the South as a special administrative region. Sixth, Thailand and Malaysia should assign their Prime Minister’s Offices to carry on the dialogue to avoid disruption from any change of government.
Seventh, Thailand should ensure that the dialogue proceeds without intervention from the Office of Islamic Countries and the European Union.
Eighth, Thailand should offer amnesty to insurgents and ninth, it should model the southern administration on Aceh in Indonesia.
The National Security Council-led delegation is expected to sit across the table from a five-member team consisting of two representatives from BRN-Coordinate, one each from Pulo and BIPP (Barisan Islam Pembebasan Patani) and Hassan Toyib, who identified himself as the deputy secretary-general of the BRN-Coordinate, and as team leader.
Meanwhile, Yala mayor Pongsak Yingchoncharoen said local residents should have a greater say. “I expect the Thai delegation to convey and consult locals on any issues raised at the meeting,” he said.
Pongsak was unaware of any talks on introducing a new form of local government for the region.
In Pattani, police found banners yesterday with the slogan “Peace, Independence and Patani State” at 20 spots in five districts. On Monday, similar banners were detected at nine locations in Nong Chik and two locations in neighbouring Narathiwat.
Despite the talks, the violence continued unabated. Muhammadsata Dosama, 35, former deputy president of the Batong Tambon Administration Organisation, was wounded at 5.30am while riding a motorcycle to check the progress of a local school event. Men waiting in roadside bushes shot at him with an M16 assault rifle, then fled.
Matorhae Madeeyoh, 38, was wounded in a drive-by shooting in the morning on the Pattani-Yala Road at Ban Bukeh Kong in Pattani’s Yarang district.
