Paradorn tips fresh BRN team

Paradorn tips fresh BRN team

Rebel group's sincerity to talks seen facing test

National Security Council (NSC) chief Paradorn Pattanatabut Thursday confirmed the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) was considering changing its peace talks team.

Lt Gen Paradorn, however, said he did not expect the new line-up to affect ongoing peace negotiations.

Hassan Taib has been the face and voice of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) ever since he signed the official agreement last Febuary to hold peace talks with National Security Council chief Lt Gen Paradorn Pattanatabut, left. The third man in the photo is Malaysian facilitator Thajudeen Abdul Wahab. (Reuters file photo)

Isra News Agency quoted a government source as saying the BRN was expected to replace its team leader, Hassan Taib, and the changes would be a turning point in the peace talks.

The source, who is with an independent agency working to support the NSC's peace talks, also said the appointment of a new BRN team leader would indicate how seriously the separatist group is taking the peace process.

If Arwae Yaba, a close aide of Mr Hassan, emerges as the new leader, the message would be that the BRN wants to downgrade the importance of the peace talks or end them, the source said. The talks would be kept going, but only to save face for Malaysia, the facilitator of the talks, the source added.

Mr Arwae is a current member of Mr Hassan's team but does not hold a leadership role in the BRN, the same source said.

On the other hand, if more thinkers or academics are added and Mr Hassan is replaced with a better leader, it would signal the BRN intends to continue seriously with the peace talks and upgrade them to formal negotiations, the source concluded.

It should be known by next week when the next round of talks will be held and who the leader of the BRN team will be, Lt Gen Paradorn said.

It was also reported in the Thai-language press that BRN leaders and key figures had not really been willing to take part in the peace talks with the NSC, but had been forced by Malaysian authorities to participate in the process under an agreement reached between ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Lt Gen Paradorn dismissed this report, saying he had been assured by the BRN that the majority of the insurgent movement's members still wanted to pursue peace talks with the government while the minority, who are at the operational levels of the group, disagreed with the talks.

Sapae-ing Bazo, who leads a faction in the Dewan Pimpinan Parti, the BRN's executive council, was reportedly very disappointed with Malaysia's role in the peace talks and has strongly opposed them.

Lt Gen Paradorn said he did not have any clear information to either confirm or reject this report.

Gen Akanis Muensawas, a former head of the army's centre responsible for coordinating border affairs with Thailand's neighbouring countries, was quoted as saying that the 38-page document outlining the BRN's five demands in detail was actually prepared by Malaysian authorities rather than the BRN.

Lt Gen Paradorn said the document had to be translated into English from Malay by Malaysian authorities before being submitted to the Thai peace talks team.

Gen Akanis also confirmed reports that the Southern Border Provinces Administration Centre had recently sent a team to Sweden to conduct talks with a number of leaders of the Patani United Liberation Organisation.

While still focusing on the talks with the BRN, the NSC was willing to initiate talks with all rebel groups, he said.

Srisompob Jitpiromsri, a member of the Thai negotiating team, said he did not think the removal of BRN negotiator Hassan and some members of the BRN team would result in any adverse impacts upon the peace talks process.

Mr Srisompob, also a lecturer at Pattani-based Prince of Songkla University's faculty of political sciences and director of Deep South Watch, said the move would instead send out positive signals concerning the peace talks.

"Nothing is unusual. As far as I know, Mr Hassan and some members of the BRN peace talks team are being removed at the behest of the BRN council," he said.

Mr Srisompob said the BRN council wants to send new negotiators with wider knowledge and expertise to boost the strength of the BRN team in its negotiations with the Thai government.

He said Mr Hassan had talked to a community radio station in Pattani on Wednesday about the BRN's work on the peace talks process. Mr Hassan apparently confirmed his removal to the radio host.

Mr Srisompob said the BRN had earlier informed the Thai negotiating team of the planned change of chief BRN negotiator and some of the team members.

"The removal has nothing to do with the BRN's five demands. The BRN will still stick to the demands and is waiting for a reply from the NSC before the next round of talks, which has been tentatively set for the middle of this month," he said.

Mr Srisompob said as a member of the peace talks team, he had attended every meeting between the BRN and the Thai government, with the meetings conducted in three languages - Thai, English and Bahasa Melayu.

He said the past meetings had gone smoothly even though there were some arguments among the participants.

Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (13)