Resumed peace talks focus on safety zones

The joint technical panel including the two sides met to find a way to end the daily violence in the South. The Thai government side is led by General Aksara Kerdphol, with Malaysia acting as facilitator for the dialogue.
Mara Patani, or the Patani Consultative Council, was formed in March 2015 and consists of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, three factions of the Patani Liberation Organisation, the Gerakan Mujahideen Islam Patani and the Barisan Islam Pembebasan Patani.
A source described the talks as simple with the Thai side updating Mara Patani representatives on the establishment of a “front command cabinet” led by Deputy Defence Minister General Udomdej Sitabutr. The cabinet is a special representative team of the Thai government set up to resolve the South crisis.
The Thai government side said the new body’s duties are not meant to overlap with those of existing organisations and it places priority on the peace dialogue, which is reflected in the inclusion of Aksara as a cabinet member.
Referring to the establishment of a safety zone, another source said the topic had not been discussed yet by the joint technical panel.
However, the source doubted significant progress would take place immediately on the issue, as both sides had to study the details. “The Thai government wants the zone to be at a district level but that is viewed as difficult because the opinion of local people would have to be taken into account,” the source said.
There is a possibility that both sides might reach an agreement in principle on the issue before forwarding it to the full committee to work out the details.
Malaysian media reported that the Mara Patani network had several demands, including legal safeguards for Malay culture and Islam in Patani; making peace talks a part of the national agenda; and immunity for the negotiators. The top priority, however, was to create an avenue for self-determination for the people of the South.
Meanwhile, Udomdej yesterday chaired a meeting of the front command cabinet in Bangkok.
Among the items on the agenda was the plan to “Bring People Back Home”, which would allow people who had joined the insurgency to surrender without facing punishment.
Citing recent talks with Army chief General Chalermchai Sittisart and Fourth Army Region Commander Lt-General Piyawat Nakwanich, Udomdej said they had agreed there were still loopholes in their operations. He said the generals emphasised that they would continue to strive to prevent attacks, particularly in city and community areas as well as along main roads. 
He said they believed they should work to facilitate development of the region, which would help peace-restoration efforts while also ensuring the safety of the public and property. He said state officials had performed well and they would have to be more determined and thorough to close loopholes.