The Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) separatist group in Thailand’s southernmost provinces is urging the government of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra to accelerate the establishment of a peace dialogue team, to continue the peace talks between the two sides which have been on hold for a long time.
The team is still short of a leader, after Chatchai Bangchuad, who is now the secretary general of the National Security Council, was automatically removed following the fall of the government of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
A statement, issued on December 11 in Jakarta urged Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to talk to Paetongtarn during the Thai leader’s approaching visit to Malaysia about the need for a peace dialogue team, representing the Thai government.
BRN claim that the people of Patani (the area including the southern provinces claimed by the separatist movement) want peace and normality to be restored, after suffering the impacts of prolonged violent conflict, adding that BRN also expresses its sincerity in the search for a political solution.
BRN does, however, allege that the Thai government lacks continuity in the search for peace and the current administration has not declared a clear policy on the southern conflict or attached importance to the issue, “which is a disappointment to all parties concerned, particularly the people of Patani.”
The group also noted that the peace process began with the signing of the General Consensus in 2013, followed up by the so-called Berlin Initiative in 2019 and the General Principles three years later.
The separatist group claim that they and the Thai government have already agreed to restore peace within the framework of the Joint Comprehensive Plan towards Peace (JCPP), which encompasses all issues related to political means, consultations with the public and a ceasefire.
In the statement, BRN said it is committed to all these agreements with the Thai government and hopes that a meeting between the two prime ministers would pave the way for the restoration of peace in Patani and the implementation of a tangible policy by the Thai government. Failing that, it warns that the southern conflict may intensify and run out of control.
