Prayut needs Malaysia on board for deep South peace efforts
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Ever since he was endorsed as prime minister in August, Prayut Chan-o-cha has been keen to make an introductory visit to Malaysia.
It is quite understandable, really.
The Thai prime minister is aware of Malaysia’s leading role among Asean countries and the security and trade concerns shared between the two close neighbours.
More importantly, Malaysia is the facilitator of the peace effort between the Thai government and insurgent groups under Barisan Revolusi Negara, comprising the Pattani United Liberation Organisation (Pulo) and Barisan Islam Pembebasan Pattani (BIPP).
So when Prayut made his trip to Putrajaya on Monday, among the first things he made known when he met Najib Razak was that he recognised the Malaysian prime minister’s leadership in the region.
When the Thai military executed a coup d’etat in May and Prayut became de facto leader, one of Malaysia’s concerns was for the peace talks, which started last year under the then-government of Yingluck Shinawatra.
Prayut delivered uplifting news at Monday’s talks – that Malaysia would be the sole facilitator.
There were reports earlier that other parties might also be given the task, but Prayut confirmed his faith in Malaysia as the only facilitator.
So serious was he to show his government’s commitment to the peace process that he brought along General Aksara Kerdpol, the new chief negotiator and introduced him to the Malaysian delegation.
So far, four rounds of talks have been held in Kuala Lumpur, with the last being in September last year.
Several informal ones were also held because the peace talks are still at the initial stage and, according to one insider, this will be a long process.
“Not everything can be smooth sailing as many things need to be addressed. People are not certain of each other.
“Generally, people in southern Thailand don’t trust the military because they feel that they have been badly treated by the military for so many years,” said an official.
This deep mistrust will make negotiations tougher.
The Malaysian government is well aware of the lack of trust on the ground.
But officials said it was important to continue engagement among the parties involved in the peace talks, especially as Malaysia had been accepted by them.
“We are not against a multi-track approach but the Thais prefer only us. They realise our support is vital,” said a Malaysian official.
On his return to Bangkok, Prayut was quoted by the Thai media as saying he had asked Najib to ensure all groups would take part.
“We are now waiting for Malaysia to contact the insurgent groups to make sure that all groups will join the talks.
“Otherwise, those who have been left out may resort to violence to seek to join the table,” Prayut said.
The question is: how fast can all the parties go back to the table.
An official reckoned it will take at least three to four months for the Malaysian facilitator Ahmad Zamzamin Hashim to get things organised.
Prayut’s half-day trip was obviously to build rapport and to show Bangkok’s commitment to reinvigorate the peace process.
According to reports since the outbreak of the insurgency about a decade ago, the conflict between Malay Muslims and the Thai state in southern Thailand has left more than 6,000 dead and countless others wounded.
But it is a complex matter that will obviously take time to resolve as mistrust can lead to all kinds of unnecessary actions, especially in the deep South of Thailand.
