Thai government, separatists say Malaysia-brokered peace talks progressing well

Thai officials and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional representatives met in Kuala Lumpur this week to seek common ground to end the conflict in the kingdom’s Deep South

The two sides also agreed on a substantive part of the agenda including issues such as language, education and culture for upcoming discussions

Reading Time:3 minutes

A Thai soldier patrols the streets of Yala province in the country’s restive south. Photo: AFP

Published: 12:00pm, 14 Jan 2022Updated: 12:07pm, 14 Jan 2022

The Thai government and a key separatist group in the country’s south have indicated that their first face-to-face negotiations since the Covid-19 pandemic began has yielded positive results, raising hopes of concrete progress towards restoring peace in the region after nearly two decades.

The talks in Kuala Lumpur between Bangkok and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) is the latest development in a long-drawn out mediation process brokered by the Malaysian government.

The BRN represents factions from Thailand’s four southernmost provinces known collectively as Patani, after the pre-colonial Malay kingdom it was part of.

Malay is widely spoken in the region, which borders Peninsular Malaysia’s northern region.

The Thai government’s team led by chief negotiator General Wanlop Rugsanaoh said Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s administration hoped ultimately to create a conducive environment for peace in what it calls the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand.