Thailand Signals Serious Push to End Southern Insurgency

Thailand says it has not closed the door to negotiations with separatist groups seeking to end more than 21 years of conflict in the country’s southern provinces.

Wan Muhammad Noor Matha, the government’s adviser and monitor for the Southern Thailand Peace Dialogue, said talks could include representatives of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Patani. He said any process must operate within Thailand’s laws and Constitution while safeguarding the interests and rights of Malay communities in Narathiwat, Yala and Pattani.

Wan Muhammad Noor Matha said the government remained committed to dialogue as a peaceful channel, but stressed that negotiations could not undermine Thailand’s sovereignty or security. He said that once the identity of separatist groups is known, they should have an opportunity to enter talks.

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The Thai government has never closed the door to negotiations in its effort to achieve peace in the three troubled provinces.

The government’s peace dialogue panel, led by Thanat Suwannano, is expected to hold a technical meeting next month. The meeting will examine the roots of the conflict using facts rather than speculation. Formal negotiations could begin as early as October or the following month.

The BRN has previously maintained that comprehensive autonomy remains its preferred solution. The renewed discussion follows reports of coordinated violence across the three provinces, including bombings, arson attacks on government offices and vehicles, telecommunications-tower explosions, robberies and injuries to civilians.

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Once their identity is known, the separatist groups must be given an opportunity for dialogue. However, these negotiations must be based on Thailand’s laws and Constitution.