Paradorn: The next round of peace talks may be in December
The next round of peace talks between the government and southern separatist groups may take place in December because the government will have to reset its negotiating team, according to Lt-Gen Paradorn Pattanathabutr, secretary-general of the National Security Council and head of the Thai team.
Meanwhile, the composition of the 15-member of the separatists’ negotiating team will also be changed with the inclusion of two more separatist groups namely the Pulo and BIPP in addition to the Barisan Revolusi Nasional.
Deputy Prime Minister Pracha Promnok who is in charge of security affairs said that two seats of the separatist team would be reserved for the Pulo – one for the Old Pulo and the other for the New Pulo and one seat for the BIPP. The BRN will have four seats.
As for the RKK which is the military wing of the separatists, Lt-Gen Paradorn said that the BRN was in the process of contacting the group to join the peace talks in the future. He believes that unrest problem in the deep South will subside once more separatist groups join the peace process.
The NSC chief disclosed that Thai authorities in the deep South were now capable of identifying which group of separatists was responsible for which violent incidents that occurred in the restive region.
For instance, he said the bomb explosion which killed Pol Sub-Lt Chaen Warongpaisit, a member of the explosive ordnance disposal squad, in Narathiwat recently was perpetrated by RKK separatists.
It was reported that the Malaysian facilitator, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zamzamin Hashimm, former director-general of the Prime Minister’s Department was in Bangkok on November 6 to hold talks with Deputy Prime Minister Pracha, Lt-Gen Paradorn and General Niphat Thonglek, the defence permanent secretary about arrangements for the next round of peace talks.
Violent attacks against military targets continued with a fatal bomb explosion at a trade fair held in Ra-nage district of Narathiwat on November 6. A police officer and his sniffer dog were killed after a bomber who was believed to be mingling among the fair-goers set off a motorcycle rigged with a bomb. Five other officials and a civilian were also wounded in the same incident.
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Caption : Lt-Gen Paradorn Pattanathabutr