FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Authorities open to offers from South's Mara Patani

Authorities open to offers from South's Mara Patani

Separatist group makes several demands, negotiators willing to make adjustments

THE GOVERNMENT is willing to accept proposals from the separatist umbrella group Mara Patani, Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) spokesman Colonel Banpot Poonpien said yesterday.
The peace negotiations are expected to be lengthy, but the authorities are confident of easing violence in the restive deep South, he quoted General Aksara Kerdpol as saying. 
The Mara Patani group has issued several demands, such as the setting up of joint security zones, making peace talks part of the national agenda, and granting immunity to its peace talks representatives or guaranteeing their safety.
“The peace team is willing to adjust to the demands of Mara Patani. We can arrive at agreements on the negotiation table,’’ Banpot quoted Aksara as saying.
Aksara is in charge of overseeing peace talks with Muslim separatists in the South.
Mara Patani is a self-proclaimed umbrella group comprising six southern insurgency movements: Barisan Islam Pembebasan Patani (BIPP), Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), Gerakan Mujahideen Islam Patani (GMIP) and three factions of the Patani Liberation Organisation (Pulo).
Aksara pointed out that the government was no closer to achieving peace in the restive region after nearly a year of military, police and civilian intervention with an array of weapons and military equipment, operations and psychological warfare to end the insurgency. He said the insurgents were well enough equipped to continue their attacks, while officials are forced to be on the defensive, Banpot said.
The general opted to engage in dialogue with six groups of insurgents under the umbrella of Mara Patani. They have met three times so far for unofficial talks.
Meanwhile, Banpot said “people with different opinions” were helping the government cut down on violence. 
“It is a pity that there are also people who are not confident in the peace talks and want to upgrade their struggle into a separatism movement, which is not easy because civil groups are monitoring the move,’’ Banpot said.
In the future, peace talks would include civil groups who would join the government and insurgents in writing a road map to peace, he said.
Aksara also said that the government’s peace negotiation teams would change their methodology in the talks. 
“We always understand talks mean negotiating, bargaining or working out what the other side will gain and what we will lose. This is not the way to do things, because it is about outwitting the other side, which creates distrust,” he said. 
The way to go, according to Aksara, is to make them understand that resorting to violence will not lead to victory for any group, but will bring a great loss to the country and dim the future of the younger generations. 
Three panels have been appointed so far, to work on the justice system, development and security. 
The justice panel would classify security cases and set guidelines in relaxing regulations in handling these cases in accordance with law.
The development panel would prioritise urgent projects that meet the demands of the locals, while the security panel would help ensure security in both urban and rural areas as determined by Mara Patani and the government.
 
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