Army has second thought about BRN’s demands

Army Commander-in-Chief General Prayuth Chan-ocha has hardened his stance towards the five demands earlier made by the Barisan Revolusi Nasional separatist group as a pre-condition for further peace talks with the government.

          "There will be no agreement whatsoever (regarding the five demands) if it will put the government in a disadvantageous position," said the army chief.

          His latest remark was a far cry from the one he made earlier.  "If any of the demands are acceptable then we will talk about it," he was quoted to have said on August 12 before the meeting three days afterward of a policy and strategy panel to resolve the unrest problem in the deep South headed by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

          An informed security source attributed the army chief’s sudden U-turn pertaining to the BRN’s demands to the emergence of the English version of the demands which bears the signature of Hassan Taib, BRN’s chief negotiator.

          The source claimed that the English-language document had been delivered to Lt-Gen Paradorn Pattanatabut, chief of the National Security Council and the government’s negotiating  team, but was never passed on to concerned agencies.

          The five demands first surfaced when they were posted on YouTube social media on April 26-27 by Hassan before the second round of peace talk in Kuala Lumpur on April 29.  The government’s negotiating team has asked for clarification of some of the demands such as the one calling for "recognition of the territorial ownership right of the Patani Malay people".

          The government’s request for clarification has never been responded by the BRN which, instead, made 7-8 more demands also through YouTube social media.

          Another security source, meanwhile, pointed out that details of the English version demands were different from those in Malay language which was translated into Thai and used by the government’s negotiating team.

          General Samret  Srirai, a special advisor at the office of defence permanent secretary, admitted that he had never seen the English version of the demands.

          The English version has shed the light about the BRN’s most controversial demand pertaining to the territorial ownership right issue.  It said the government must recognize the existence and sovereignty of Patani Malay nation in Patani territory.

          The source said that this demand is clearly beyond the authority of the government’s negotiating team to decide by itself and it needs the approval of the parliament.

          General Ekachai Srivilas, director of peace and good governance office of King Prajadhipok’s Institute, said that all the five BRN’s demands need parliamentary endorsement in accordance with Article 190 of the Constitution.

          Describing the demands as "top line", he said that the demands could be accepted for consideration.

          Lt-Gen Paradorn however denied the existence of the English version of the demands.  He also said that the demands did not qualify as a treaty which needs parliamentary endorsement.

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Caption : General Prayuth Chan-ocha

Thanks : Photo by Prasert Thepsri from The Nation newspaper