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| Southeast Asia |
| Optimism expressed for restart of Thai peace talks |
| 2014-03-27 |
| Despite tremendous obstacles, participants in last year's Deep South peace talks hold out optimism they can resume and ultimately bring peace to the region. Three rounds of talks took place after Thailand's National Security Council and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) signed an historic dialogue deal in Malaysia in February 2013. But talks stalled in July, as both sides accused one another of violating a Ramadan ceasefire. They hit another snag in December when the government roundly rejected five demands that BRN negotiator Taib Hassan presented in a YouTube video. Since then, political uncertainty in Bangkok puts the peace process in jeopardy. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's caretaker administration lacks authority to schedule a fourth round of talks. Nonetheless, on the first anniversary of the Kuala Lumpur deal, National Security Council chief Paradorn Pattanatabut affirmed support for the peace process and suggested other Deep South He said, "We are always ready to talk. But at this moment we need to solve our internal political problems, too." For his part, BRN leader Abu Hafez Al-Hakim expressed a commitment to dialogue in an unprecedented video speech aired during the "Pattani Peace Media Festival" hosted by Deep South Watch on the one-year anniversary of the talks. He said, "We still come to the table to seek alternative means, other than armed struggle, for a just, comprehensive and sustainable solution of the Pattani conflict. We believe that through dialogues and negotiations, violence can be reduced or even stopped entirely. Islam has taught us to accept an offer for peace, even from an enemy." Separately, former Malaysian intelligence chief Ahmad Zamzamin Hashim, who facilitated the talks, said that the talks had produced "reasonable progress, although there is still mutual mistrust" among the two sides. Though Taib Hassan no longer serves as BRN negotiator, talks could continue with representatives of other groups, Ahmad suggested. He refused to give a date for when talks might resume, saying, "Only when both sides are ready." |
| Posted by:ryuge |