Peace talks on the conflict in the South will continue despite the fact the Thai government has not accepted the Barisan Revolusi Nasional's (BRN) five demands, Deputy Prime Minister Gen Pracha Promnok said on Friday.
Officials from Malaysia, which is facilitating the peace talks, and the BRN's Hassan Taib have agreed that the negotiations must continue, in particular to discuss the detail of the BRN’s demands for curbing violence, said Gen Pracha.
Last week, Malaysia told government that the BRN separatist group wanted to postpone the next round of peace talks until Thailand established a clear position on the group's demands, which were originally issued in April.
The deputy premier for security affairs said some of the demands are acceptable, but others must be discussed with related state agencies, given that they carry broad implications.
Thai officials are in the process of studying the BRN’s five demands and are expected to report back on their assessment of the requests sometime next week.
On the demand that detained prisoners facing charges of violating internal security laws in the deep South be released, Gen Pracha said all legal action taken against offenders had been in line with the law.
Consideration of whether to release prisoners will have to follow legal procedures, he said, insisting that any action taken will be fair and just.
On the demand that the Thai government accept the rights of the BRN as a liberation movement, Lt Gen Paradorn Patanathabut, secretary general of the National Security Council, has contacted the group asking for a clear explanation of exactly what this would entail. The NSC is now waiting for the BRN's reply, Gen Pracha said.
Gen Pracha said he will on Saturday, Aug 17, meet with members of the Wadah group and Islamic leaders to listen to their opinions on ways to bring about peace to the far South.
He said believed the BRN will also consider the demands of the Thai government.
The BRN's five demands call on the Thai government to recognise them as a liberation movement instead of a separatist group, that all detained suspects be released, that outsiders including other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and non-governmental organisations be invited to witness the meeting, and that Malaysia be acknowledged as a mediator in the talks, not a facilitator.