More separatist groups to join peace talks
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SEVERAL OTHER separatist groups, apart from Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), have been chosen for the upcoming bilateral talks next month, a military adviser to the National Security Council said Friday.
Colonel Charoon Ampha said the BRN would no longer be the sole representative of separatists, adding that it would only be give four of the 15 seats.
Two seats have been assigned to Patani United Liberation Organisation (PULO), one to Barisan Islam Pembebasan Pattani (BIPP) and another eight to individuals representing unspecified groups, identified as “those with different stances”, he added.
He went on to say that the five original preconditions proposed by the BRN had been accepted in principle by Thai authorities and would be maintained in further dialogue with the new groups.
Though a definite date for the next meeting has yet to be set, authorities say it will certainly be held early next month and that the venue would still be in Malaysia, which will continue being the facilitator of the meetings.
The Thai side has insisted that the preconditions would only be implemented according to the Constitution and that separatism would, under no circumstance be allowed or, as the colonel put it “the dialogue is over for good”. The other precondition is that all signs of violence must cease or be cut down while the dialogue is ongoing.
