Many groups 'left out of peace talks'

Some insurgent groups other than the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) might have stepped up violence in Thailand’s deep South lately in response to the Thai government’s failure to include them in the ongoing peace talks, a former chief of the National Intelligence Agency told a seminar yesterday.
“Peace talks are of course a must, but as far as I can tell, there are between nine and 12 groups operating in the South. So, when the Thai government has officially started peace talks with just one group, others may become dissatisfied,” Thawil Plansri said.
He was speaking at a seminar titled, “Lessons from the Thai Government’s Peace Talks with BRN”. The Thai Journalists Association and Isra News Agency jointly hosted the event.
Since the peace talks officially started late last month, several violent incidents have erupted. Last Friday, a deputy Yala governor was killed.
Speaking at the same seminar, Chulalongkorn University’s lecturer and former PM’s secretary-general Panitan Wattanayagorn said that with the peace talks having already started, Thailand must not give up.
“Review the situation, stay flexible and do what we can to achieve progress,” he said.
Panitan said peace talks must first focus on groups giving up their arms and then their separatist ideology.
“Then, we can talk about participation in the administration, new structure and new laws,” he said.
Although some panellists expressed doubts about the effectiveness of peace talks, Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre (SBPAC) deputy secretary-general Piya Kijthavorn said 67.17 per cent of people in the deep South had expressed confidence in the ongoing peace-building process. The survey covered 1,870 respondents.
Meanwhile, SBPAC secretary-general Tawee Sodsong and Deputy Narathiwat Governor Samart Waladisai met with 233 former suspects in security cases.
Authorities are trying to help these former suspects return to their normal lives in society. Since being accused, these people have found difficulty getting jobs. The problems for many remain, even if their names have been cleared.
Meanwhile, Army chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha headed to Pattani yesterday for a meeting with security chiefs there.
He will instruct local officials to step up security measures during Songkran. “I will also express Thai New Year wishes to my subordinates,” Prayuth said.
He shrugged off a report that Malaysia was postponing the next round of peace talks between Thailand and BRN indefinitely.
“My focus is on how to build sustainable peace and happiness and how to win local people’s approval,” the Army chief said.