BRN 'special area' call rejected

BRN 'special area' call rejected

Thailand has not accepted a Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) demand that refers to "a special administration area", National Security Council secretary-general Paradorn Pattanatabut says.

He was speaking yesterday after a meeting of the Centre for the Implementation of Policies and Strategies for Solving Problems in Southern Border Provinces.

Lt Gen Paradorn said the meeting was briefed on approaches to building peace in the far South based on the five-point demands put forward by the BRN in April.

He said Thailand insists there must be no secession and that the demands must comply with the constitution.

But the demand for a special administration area is a sensitive and delicate issue, so the meeting agreed it would not be raised in the next round of peace talks, Lt Gen Paradorn said.

The next round of talks with the BRN are expected to take place early next month.

He said peace talks will continue and are now making progress with several separatist groups wanting to join the peace process.

The BRN demands, which were posted on YouTube, are that the BRN lead the peace talks between the Thai kingdom and the Patani Malay liberation fighters; that Malaysia be accepted as the mediator instead of the facilitator; and that the peace talks are to be witnessed by representatives of Asean, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and NGOs.

The other demands are that the government recognise the existence and supreme power of the administration of the "Patani Malay" nation on "Patani" territory; and all detainees on security-related charges must be released.

Meanwhile, a learning centre in Pattani's Yarang district was damaged by fire yesterday.

A bomb disposal unit also found a fake bomb at the scene.

Security officials were called to the non-formal education centre in tambon Krado after villagers helped put out the fire, which caused minor damage to the building.

Police said local security guards reported seeing smoke billowing from the centre early yesterday morning.

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