A new peace roadmap for the Deep South from NCPO
Almost a full month since the coup on May 22, there seems to be clarity about the policy regarding the unrest problem in the three southernmost provinces from the National Council for Peace and Order – a problem which has been treated as a national agenda by successive governments in the last decade.
On Wednesday June 18, a meeting of representatives of all governmental agencies responsible for the unrest problem namely the National Security Council, the Internal Security Operations Command, the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre, the National Intelligence Agency and all relevant ministries was held at the order of the NCPO.
The meeting focused on two main issues: firstly, the administrative structure that deals with the unrest problem and, secondly, the framework and mechanism of peace talk process with the separatist groups.
The administrative structure is divided into three levels: the policy level is headed by the NCPO chief or General Prayuth Chan-ocha who will work closely with the National Security Council; the policy implementation level and the operational level.
Under the policy implementation level format, a panel will be set up to be headed by one deputy army commander in chief and comprises secretaries-general of the NSC and SBPAC as well as the director of the 5th coordinating centre of ISOC.
The operational level is led by the forward command of 4th region ISOC with the commander of the 4th army region as the key player. He is in charge of the police, military, paramilitary and SBPAC officials.
As for the framework and mechanism dealing with peace talk process, the prime minister will be in charge of the policy level. For the actual peace talk level, all the security-related agencies will be represented in the process and not just the NSC as was the case of the last peace talk process between the Yingluck government and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional.
Officials involved in the peace talk will be screened by the prime minister and the peace talk will be both open and secret. Also there will be another panel to work with the public sector.
The peace talk will focus on building an environment conducive to improving security and public safety. Self rule or anything which is close to self determination is completely ruled out.
Malaysia’s role as the facilitator will be retained and Malaysia will be invited to join the peace process in that role, according to informed sources.
In order to legitimize the peace talk process, the NCPO is mulling the possibility of issuing an announcement or an order to recognize the process to ensure its continuity and to assure the people in the restive region of the junta’s commitment to peace process.