“The government is not sincere in solving the fundamental problems facing the population. The population expects the government to recognize the differences in culture, language and human rights in the deep South, so that it can determine its own future.'
This is what Yasri Khan, son of Samsudine Khan, vice president of the Pattani United Liberation Organization (PULO), says from Sweden in an exclusive interview with PostToday.
Any attempt to broker a ceasefire is doomed, he says, until the government addresses the underlying problems, which allow violence to fester. The persons who signed the agreement cannot order their supporters to lay down their arms as long as the local population continues to be mistreated.
On Wednesday, Paradorn Pattanatabutr, secretary general of the National Security Council, and Hassan Taib, head of the BRN liaison office in Malaysia, signed an agreement in principle on starting peace talks. Three members of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) joined the agreement on Friday. The intention is that in two weeks the parties will sit down at the table with Malaysia as mediator.
Democratic party spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut is suspicious of the deal. He refers to negotiations for a ceasefire in 2008 initiated by then army commander Chettha Thanajaro. Taib, who signed on Wednesday, could have been there. Chettha said a ceasefire had been reached with a group calling itself Thailand United Southern Underground, which would represent 2008 groups. If Taib was involved, the current attempt is just as much of a hoax as it was in XNUMX, Chavanond said.
(Source: Bangkok Post, March 3, 2013)
The first paragraph was dropped. Has now been restored.