Administrative structural changes but no progress on peace talks
Deputy Prime Minister for Security Affairs General Prawit Wongsuwan will be the supreme authority in charge of resolving unrest problem and overseeing development affairs in the Deep South in the latest realignment of structural administration for the region.
The new structure will supersede the one created by the National Council for Peace and Order in accordance with order 96/2557 dated July 27. The order stipulated the setup of a steering committee comprising 20 members representing all relevant agencies under the chairmanship of General UdomdejSeetabutr, then deputy army commander-in-chief.
The steering committee is just a component of a big structure led by the NCPO chief with the forward command of the Internal Security Operations Command as the main player. Under this structure, the army and ISOC are the lead organization for both security and non-security affairs while the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre was downgraded to secondary role and answerable to ISOC.
The new steering committee chaired by General Prawit will oversee the coordination of 17 ministries and 66 governmental units involved in a myriad of works in the restive region. The first meeting of all these relevant agencies is scheduled on October 31 at the National Security Council.
The difference between the current steering committee and the one created by the government of prime ministerYingluckShinawatra is that under the old order, ISOC and SBPAC are co-partners with the former dealing with security matters and the latter involved in development. Former SBPAC secretary-general ThaweeSodsong is a good example of well-done job by the SBPAC as the organization has earned widespread trust of the local people.
Besides structural changes whose result is yet to be known, another issue of public interest, especially for people in the restive region, is the peace talk between the government and separatist groups which has been stalled for about a year and the visit to Malaysia by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha which has been postponed.
Peace talk will be the main issue of talks between General Prayut and his Malaysian counterpart and so long as such meeting has not taken place there is a slim chance that peace talk will resume.
Government spokesman Colonel VeerachonSukhonthapatipark said that the two prime ministers were busy with many other businesses and the visit to Malaysia has to be put off.
However, an informed source said that during the Asia-Europe summit in Milan early October a pre-arranged sideline meeting between General Prayut and his Malaysian counterpart, NajibRazak, also did not take place.
It was, therefore, speculated by some observers that Kuala Lumpur might not feel comfortable with the appointment of General AksaraKerdphol, advisory chief of the army, as the head of the Thai negotiating team in the peace talks.
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Caption : General Prawit Wongsuwan