Peace process to be sped up
BANGKOK: There is a new sense or urgency among Malaysian and Thai officials about accelerating the moribund southern-Thai peace process following the conclusion of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s two-day visit to Thailand.
After meeting his Thai counterpart, General Prayuth Chan o Cha, Dr Mahathir pledged that Malaysia would help its neighbour in “whatever way possible” to achieve peace in southern Thailand.
“To some extent, it is a new era in terms of direction and the push to quicken the peace process, which has been going on for six years,” said Malaysia’s newly appointed facilitator for the peace process, Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor.
Rahim took over from former facilitator Datuk Ahmad Zamzamin Hashim
He was talking to the media after meeting Thailand’s head of the peace process, General Udomchai Thammasarorath, here.
“There is better momentum for achieving peace in southern Thailand and there are calls for the process to be quickened.”
Rahim, 75, is a former inspector-general of police. He was part of Dr Mahathir’s delegation during the bilateral meeting in conjunction with the visit.
He expressed confidence that the cycle of violence, which had claimed more than 7,000 lives, in the provinces would end soon.
“Once you have seen the clarity of the whole issue, then it is how determined you are in tackling it . I have seen the clarity.”
Malaysia has been facilitating the southern Thai peace talks between Bangkok and Majlis Syura Patani, which represents several groups in the provinces.
During his time in the police force, Rahim was instrumental in the laying down of arms by the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) and the Hatyai Peace Agreement in 1989.
Prior to the signing of the peace agreement in 1989, the Malaysian government and CPM spent almost a year talking and negotiating in Phuket.
“I am confident that, given the correct momentum, peace in southern Thailand will be achieved sooner rather that later,” Rahim said, adding that Udomchai wanted to see things happen within the next four months, although it might be a tall order due to the complexity of the issue.
He said this was because besides talking to the Thai side, he would also have to communicate with Muslim separatist movements, comprising moderate and hardcore groups, which do not see eye-to-eye on certain issues.
Since assuming the post three months ago, Rahim had talked with both groups and was confident that the hardcore groups would be part of the peace process he was trying to forge with Bangkok.
The hardcore group refers to Barisan Revolusi Nasional, especially its military wing, which has been described as the most wellarmed and influential group operating in southern Thailand. Thai authorities have blamed them for much of the violence in the region.
He denied that the groups were seeking independence or extraordinary autonomy.
He said he found that the separatists wanted autonomy on religious, culture and language matters and to be recognised as “Thai Muslims”.
“All parties must have the political will to find solutions suitable for southern Thailand.”