New round of informal peace talk due in KL on Aug 25
The third round of informal peace talk between the government and a collection of six separatist groups known under the name of Mara Patani is scheduled to be held in Kuala Lumpur on August 25 with Malaysia acting as the facilitator.
The August 25 talk is a follow-up of two rounds of familiarization and trust-building meetings between the government led by General Aksara Kerdphol, advisory chief of the army and Mara Patani, an umbrella organization comprising the BRN, BIPP, GMIP and three factions of the PULO.
After the KL meeting, Mara Patani will hold a press conference with the Thai and foreign media on the following day.
Dr Srisompob Chitpiromsri, director of Deep South Watch Centre, said that the two parties would assess the recent situation in the restive region and would try to build an atmosphere conducive to further peace talk.
He said that the talk this time was still part of the trust-building process which might take up to two years during which the talk must be held continuously until mutual trust was built to set the stage to move up to the second stage – which is to consider the demands and counter-demands of the two sides.
Srisompob disclosed that the two sides would meet once every two months the first of which was held in April, the second in June and the third on August 28.
He claimed that up to 80 percent of people in the three southernmost provinces were support of the peace talk process.
An informed source said that Mara Patani would allow the media to take part in a round-table talk on August 27 at the same venue used for the peace talk with the Thai government in KL . Smart phones and photographing would not be allowed during the session. Later on, a press conference will be held by Mara Patani.
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Caption : General Aksara Kerdphol