NSC chief wants BRN to clarify one demand

Deputy Prime Minister  Pracha Promnog hosted yesterday’s meeting seeking solutions for unest in the deep South with religious leaders and the Wadah group, representing MPs and Muslim representatives in the area. It lasted over three hours.

After, Paradorn said they had exchanged ideas and discussed BRN’s five demands. Three sub-panels have been set up and assigned to cover developments in areas of justice and national security. He said they were unclear over the fourth demand, that the Thai government recognise “citizenship of Malayu Pattani”. Paradorn said he would ask the BRN for clarification and would also discuss issues surrounding the demands. He said a date for the talks would be set soon and would continue with Hassan Toib.

Another attendee, an adviser to the Chularajamontri and member of the Central Islamic Council, Preeda Cheuphudee, said renewed peace talks were a good sign but they could take years, so the government should be patient. He said there was a third party that didn’t want to see the talks succeed, while some groups were upset that they weren’t invited. He urged the government to be willing to make some sacrifices – not in terms of territory, because Thai Muslims didn’t want a separate state – but in terms of ensuring that the three people of the three-most southern provinces received justice and equality in areas of education and economic development. This was because many people there felt they were treated as inferior to other regions, he said. 

Meanwhile, national police chief Pol Gen Adul Saengsingkaew visited Narathiwat to follow investigations into Friday’s attack in which four policemen were killed by a group of insurgents who threw a hand grenade and fired on their vehicle in Rueso district. Police said they believed that this attack was in retaliation for the killing on August 9 of two leading insurgents in Reuso.