Thaksin, Phumtham to visit deep South on Sunday
Thaksin Shinawatra and Deputy PM Phumtham Wechayachai will visit Thailand’s deep South on Sunday to discuss security and peace efforts. Thaksin, an informal ASEAN adviser, will share insights from talks with Malaysia’s PM on resolving regional unrest.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said on Wednesday that he would travel to the southern border provinces with former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra on Sunday to hold talks with security agencies.
Phumtham said Thaksin would visit and meet with the southern army, the Provincial Police Bureau 9, and the Southern Border Provincial Administration Centre (SBPAC) in his capacity as an informal adviser to the ASEAN chair this year.
Thaksin has been appointed an informal adviser by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who holds the ASEAN chairmanship this year. Earlier this month, Thaksin visited Anwar for two days to discuss measures for restoring peace in the restive deep South.
Phumtham said Thaksin would convey the peace restoration ideas he had discussed with Anwar to a meeting with the three main agencies responsible for the southern border provinces.
As the minister overseeing the Fourth Army Area, the Provincial Police Bureau 9, and the SBPAC, Phumtham said he would also participate in the discussions to hear the proposed measures.
Phumtham said the planned visit to Sungai Padi district in Narathiwat, where Thaksin intends to make merit at a Buddhist temple, was part of Thaksin’s personal agenda.
When asked whether Thaksin’s proposed ideas and measures would be integrated into existing strategies for ending southern violence, Phumtham said the strategies had already been drafted to a certain extent.
He added that during his visit to Songkhla two days ago, he had also discussed these strategies with different levels of the army’s Forward Command.
Phumtham said he had informed the Forward Command of his intention to hold small group discussions with battalion commanders in an informal setting—not as their superior, but as a partner in efforts to resolve the ongoing violence.
Regarding reports that the National Security Council would propose measures similar to those under the 66/23 policy to address southern unrest, Phumtham said any effective measures could be implemented, but they would need to be adapted to the current situation.
The 66/23 policy was introduced in April 1980 by then-Prime Minister Prem Tinsulanonda to combat communism. The policy granted amnesty to members of the Communist Party of Thailand, allowing them to reintegrate into society, thereby ending the armed struggle.
Phumtham said some elements of the policy might be adopted, but not in their entirety.
He added that the draft strategy for ending southern violence was currently under review by the relevant agencies before being approved by the government for implementation.
Meanwhile, NSC Secretary-General Chatchai Bangchuad confirmed that the draft had been sent back to the NSC for review on several points. He added that the draft proposed measures similar to the 66/23 policy but would not seek to grant amnesty to southern insurgents.
