Sama-ae Tha Nam’s role in previous peace talks between PULO and the government
The release from prison of Hayi Sama-ae Tha Nam at the start of the Hari Raya festival on July 17 ahead of the end of his jailterm marked yet another step in the government’s efforts to resolve the unrest problem in the Deep South through peaceful means.
Although this former key member of the PULO movement wields little or no influence over the militant groups which have been battling against the government, his premature release represents a symbolic gesture from the government that it bears no grudges against its opponents and is willing to talk with them in order to find a solution to the unrest problem.
Sama-ae was not the first anti-government warrior released before the end of his long jailterm. Hayi Buedo Betong who was sentenced to life imprisonment was set free two years ago when he was 74.
Sama-ae used to be involved in peace talks between the government and PULO during 1992-93. He also played a role in trying to convince other separatist groups to turn to the negotiating table. However, he was later arrested during the Democrat-led government with Maj-Gen Sanan Kachornprasart serving as the interior minister and sentenced to long jailterm which he served for 18 years before his recent release.
The arrest of Sama-ae and other key members of separatist groups caused mistrust of the government’s sincerity toward peace talks among separatists. No peace talks were held until they were revived during the government of prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra.
While serving his jailterm, Sama-ae wrote a letter recalling the secret peace talks held between the government and PULO in which he was directly involved and the eventual conflict within the PULO leading to the breakup of the movement and the creation of a new faction called the New PULO.
According to Sama-ae, two rounds of secret peace talks were held between the government and PULO in 1992 – the first in Cairo of Egypt and the second in Dumsik, Syria. Representing PULO in the talks were Tunku Beeraw Kawtorneeror, Karbee Abdulrohman, Zamzuding Khan, Areepeng Khan, Ahmad bin Hadayma Perlis, Subae Hussen, Haji Sakareeya, Haji Ismael with Sama-ae as the coordinator.
In the letter, Sama-ae claimed that he met with a Thai government representative, an army officer from the Supreme Command in Malaysia of several occasions and he was asked to help solve the unrest problem.
Then, he said several exiled PULO members in Malaysia expressed doubt about the government’s sincerity and he managed to convince some of them of the government’s peace talk approach with others mistrusting the government.
It was then that Bersatu led by Dr Wankadae Jehmun was formed and the group was receptive to the government’s approach. Later on, Bersatu and PULO were invited by Malaysian Special Branch police to meet with Thai representatives in Kuala Lumpur.
In 1997, Sama-ae said he was arrested by Thai authorities on treason charges and sentenced to life.
Sama-ae said he used to write to former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2009 recommending talks with separatist groups. Thaksin, he added, sent someone to Kuala Lumpur to meet with Bersatu leader but was turned down.
After his release from prison, the former PULO key member said he would not get involved in any peace talks but would prefer to lend his support from the outside.