Pattani: All civic groups with a stake in the restive South should play an active role in the peace talks between separatist rebels and the government, the Malaysian facilitator and the insurgent leader said yesterday.
Ahmad Zamzamin Hashim, the facilitator, and Awang Jabat, chairman of Mara Patani, the umbrella organisation for insurgent groups involved in the talks, made the call in video clips shown at the third Peace Assembly, held at Songkla University's Pattani Campus.
Twenty-two civic groups participating at the function also backed the attempt to renew peace talks to end the conflict in the southernmost provinces.
"NGOs, academics or any groups who think they have a stake in the Patani conflict should come forward and state your stand on the dialogue process and how it should proceed," Mr Zamzamin said.
Mr Awang called for all stakeholders to consider joining the Central Committtee of the Majlis Syura Rakyat Patani (Mara Patani) saying the peace process should not be limited to the negotiating table and all local groups with a stake in the South should express their views and make suggestions based on their needs.
He said the peace process remains challenging since both sides have some negative attitudes and issues to resolve before more progress can be made.
The government regards the conflict as a local issue, while Mara Patani is unconvinced the authorities can come up with fair and lasting solutions to the conflict.
Mr Awang dismissed the declaration of Narathiwat's Bacho and Cho-airong districts as safety zones, saying it was a unilateral move.
"It must be acknowledged by all of us that a positive outcome of the peace negotiations can be the solution to the suffering of the Patani people," Mr Awang said.
"At the same time, it can also be a strong and stalwart bastion for the security and defence of Thailand."
Mr Zamzamin said the road ahead was still bumpy due to a high level of mistrust between the two parties and vastly different views to the process of achieving peace.
"The government's idea of peace is the BRN [Barisan Revolusi Nasional] and other groups must cease their acts of violence before the government will concede to their demands," he said
"But at the same time, the BRN also insists the government must grant them their demands first," Mr Zamzamin said.
"Each armed group also has those who may not be sympathetic and may stand against the process and work to sabotage it."
He stressed the process need not wait for everybody to get on board, and should proceed as soon as possible.
"Fence-sitters will join once they see that progress has been made through the process," he said.
Establishing Mara Patani reflects that "armed groups, notably BRN, publicly accepted the peace dialogue is not the monopoly of any group but the issue of the Patani people as a whole", Mr Zamzamin said.