More separatist groups want to join peace talks
Three more separatist groups want to join the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) in the next round of peace talks with the government to be held probably at the end of September or early October in Kuala Lumpur.
Informed security sources said that the BRN had recently notified Malaysia in its capacity as the facilitator that the BIPP group and two New Pulo factions, one led by Gustury Magota and the other by Samsuding Khan, have wanted to join the peace talks.
Meanwhile Lt-Gen Paradorn Pattanatabut, secretary-general of the National Security Council and head of the government’s delegation to the peace talks said that three Thai Muslims who were arrested at a restaurant in Kedah state of Malaysia early September with a large cache of war weapons might be linked to the New Pulo separatist group.
He said that Thai Special Branch police had been coordinating with their Malaysian counterpart in questing the three Thais who were suspected to have dual citizenships. He also praised Malaysia for its good cooperation in monitoring the activities of separatists who have taken refuge in Malaysia.
Thai security agencies have suspected New Pulo members of being responsible for most of the violent incidents that took place in the three southernmost provinces during the fasting month of Ramadan in order to attract the government’s attention so that the group would be included in the peace process.
Lt-Gen Paradorn said that Hassan Taib, head of the BRN’s delegation to the peace talk had informed Kuala Lumpur of its intention to keep the peace talks alive. The BRN has also submitted all of its demands in English to Malaysia and has insisted that none of its demands are in violation of the Thai Constitution.
According to military sources, the New Pulo is a group of separatists who have broken away from Pattani United Liberation Organisation or Pulo. The new group is divided into two factions both of which have been excluded from the peace process from the beginning. However, Pulo is represented in the BRN peace talks delegation by Lukman bin Lima.
Sources said that the New Pulo group could be the same with the PLA or the Patani Liberation Army which is made up of young warriors.
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Caption : Lt-Gen Paradorn Pattanatabut