Rebel group ready to deal

BRN insurgents tipped to ink formal peace pact

The national security chief will sign a peace agreement with an insurgent group operating in the deep South during Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra's visit to Malaysia Thursday.

This will be the first formal engagement between the government and insurgents if both sides go through with the agreement.
National Security Council (NSC) secretary-general Paradorn Pattanatabutr refused to name which insurgency group or leader he will sign an agreement with, but said the person signing represents a group that Malaysia believes operates in the deep South.
"It's another attempt by the government to tackle the unrest. It does not mean the peace agreement will end the ongoing violence.
"While I can't guarantee the agreement will succeed, it must be better than letting the South burn on like this," Lt Gen Paradorn said.
He said the agreement is a result of the Thai-Malaysian Peace Dialogue signed after Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung met Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak in the Malaysian capital recently.
A security source said Lt Gen Paradorn will sign the peace agreement with Asae Yaba, private secretary of Asae Toyib, deputy secretary-general of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional, or BRN group.
The same source said that while the BRN operates in the deep South, it does not control all militant cells, especially those at the operating level who still do not want to negotiate.
The national security chief also said the government is expected to hold talks with other southern insurgent leaders after Ms Yingluck comes back from Malaysia.
Lt Gen Paradorn was in Malaysia Wednesday to prepare the ground for Prime Minister Yingluck's visit Thursday.
Ms Yingluck is scheduled to attend the Thailand-Malaysia annual consultation in Putrajaya and hold talks with Mr Najib on Thailand's request for Malaysia to help arrange for discussions with insurgents in the deep South.
Lt Gen Paradorn said before leaving Bangkok Wednesday that several rebel leaders had approached him for talks.
"I am verifying whether they are indeed based in Malaysia and whether talks are possible before I proceed and ask Kuala Lumpur for cooperation. We estimate there are fewer than 1,000 insurgency sympathisers in Malaysia," Mr Paradorn said.
The army has estimated that about 9,000 militants are active in the deep South.
Mr Paradorn said Mr Najib wanted to establish anti-insurgency cooperation not only with Thailand but with other countries in Asia as well.
The NSC chief is expected to sign an accord with his Malaysian counterpart that says the security chiefs will cooperate to tackle the insurgency.
He said the formal collaboration will allow authorities to monitor new areas and give the insurgents nowhere to turn but the negotiating table."The condition for the talks is that seceding is off the agenda. It's against our constitution," Mr Paradorn said.
If the issue of allowing a special administrative zone comes up, the NSC will look into details and see if it contravenes the charter, he said.
"The talks will let us know what they think and want so that we can design some solutions.
"Everything will be based on the rule of law and the constitution," Mr Paradorn said.
Security officials earlier voiced concern over Ms Yingluck's attempt to forge such a formalised "peace talk".
They said the government would be boosting the status of the insurgents if they enter into formal negotiations while weakening its own position.
Mr Paradorn said asking for help from Malaysia does not mean Thailand is upgrading its domestic problem to the international level.
Prime Minister Yingluck Wednesday denied reports that her government planned to appoint former prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh as a security adviser.
Ms Yingluck said Gen Chavalit had experience in dealing with the southernmost provinces but she has not had any discussions with him.
Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwannathat, who will accompany Ms Yingluck to Malaysia, said peace talks would be better than no talks at all.
"Any method or approach that will improve the situation in the South will be considered a good one. Negotiation is one option. It's nothing outrageous. How the discussion is arranged, whether we should have asked Malaysia to act as a facilitator, is a matter of detail," ACM Sukumpol said.
Democrat party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva said the government should exercise extreme caution before it enters into a formal agreement with any party.
"What is the role of Malaysia in this agreement? The government should be very careful because this is a very sensitive issue," Mr Abhisit said.
Meanwhile, in Narathiwat, two power poles on the Narathiwat-Pattani highway in Yi-ngo district were brought down by blasts late on Tuesday night. No one was hurt. Yingor police chief Pol Col Suthon Sukviseth said a 5kg improvised bomb was attached to each pole and then remotely detonated.

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