The government is ready to engage in dialogue with all insurgent groups in the deep South to achieve lasting peace along the border, says the chief of the Southern peace negotiation team, Gen Somsak Rungsita.
Speaking at Sirindhorn Camp in Pattani’s Yarang district on Sunday, Gen Somsak said the formal order to establish a new negotiating body is imminent.
Once the order is signed by the prime minister, the panel, which will mirror the structure of past panels, can start drawing in experts and representatives from security, justice and civilian sectors.
“We must synchronise the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4, the armed forces, police, the justice system and the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) and several other parties, so the negotiation process has real substance and leverage,” Gen Somsak said.
He said his team would mainly concentrate on international and regional aspects of the negotiations, while Isoc Region 4 would manage domestic affairs and the military would cover overlapping border zones.
On Malaysia’s role as facilitator, he urged continued cooperation but signalled a desire for a stronger Thai presence in managing the negotiations, noting past tendencies to defer excessively to external partners.
Asked whether the talks will involve Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), Gen Somsak said the government will engage all insurgent groups, including the BRN, but cautioned that talks must be held with authentic representatives who hold real authority.
“If we talk to the wrong people, nothing will change,” he said.
Sen Chaiyong Maneerungsakul, spokesman for the Senate’s military committee, on Sunday said BRN operatives are sticking to their strategy of attacking state infrastructure, undermining the local economy and striking symbols of the Thai state.
He blamed persistent intelligence failures for past security lapses, citing planned cross-border strikes and coordinated robberies that were not detected in time. He urged better local integration and use of provincial leaders for intelligence gathering.