Peace talk to start in earnest in KL

Formal peace talk between the Thai government and the Barisan Revolusi Nasionale (BRN) separatist organization is due to start this week in Malaysia following the signing of the historic peace dialogue process agreement in Kuala Lumpur on February 28.

          For members of the Thai government’s working group namely Lt-Gen Paradorn Pattanathabut, secretary-general of the National Security Council; General Nipat Thonglek, deputy defence permanent secretary; Pol Col Thawee Sodsong, secretary-general of Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre; and Pol Lt-Gen Saritchai Anekwiang, commissioner of Special Branch Police will spearhead the talk with the BRN representatives.

          A big question mark in the minds of many critics is:  Who will decide what concessions such as a special administrative zone for the deep South or the withdrawal of all the arrest warrants against suspected separatists that the Thai government will cede to the BRN in exchange for an end to the violence or peace?  Whether it is fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra who played a key role in arranging the peace talk or Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

          The other big question is: Is there any hidden political agenda in this peace process?

          It should not be surprising that several critics had viewed the peace dialogue process with suspicion that it might be just a carefully orchestrated political ploy to boost the image of Mr Thaksin.

          It began with Prime Minister Yingluck paid her first official visit to Malaysia on February 20 during which a bilateral cooperation agreement was signed between chiefs of the National Security Council of the two countries.

          Lt-Gen Paradorn, the NSC chief, followed up with his visit to Kuala Lumpur on February 22-23 as head of the Thai delegation to prepare the groundwork for the signing of the General Consensus on Peace Dialogue Process on February 28 with the BRN also in Kuala Lumpur with Prime Minister Yingluck and her Malaysian counterpart, Mr Najib Razak, witnessing the historic event.

          The credential of Mr Hassan Taib, the BRN representative who signed the peace agreement, was also questioned by several critics who doubted that he was just an imposter who has no influence over the militants in the deep South.

          It was pointed out that Mr Hassan Taib was involved in peace discussion with Mr Thaksin in KL in March last year.  But shortly after that event, one huge car bomb hit the Lee Garden Plaza in Hat Yai and another hit Yala’s Muang district causing several casualties.

          The question is:  Is there any guarantee that there will be no violence after the signing of the peace dialogue agreement?

          Critics also pointed out that the peace talk and Malaysia’s role as the facilitator could be a ploy to boost the popularity of Mr Razak in the northern states of Malaysia ahead of the forthcoming general election in Malaysia.

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