Thai government postpones peace talks with southern insurgents indefinitely after attacks

The Thai government has indefinitely postponed peace talks with southern insurgency groups following two attacks last week that killed five rangers and injured six civilians. A police officer was also slightly injured in a car bomb blast. Mr. Thanat Suwannanon, director of the National Intelligence Agency and head of the peace talks delegation for southern border provinces, stated that negotiations had begun well, but the attacks occurred unexpectedly, with a statement issued while the technical team was attending the talks. This situation is unusual, and due to the unclear circumstances, a formal meeting scheduled for September, with Malaysia acting as the facilitator, has been cancelled. Thanat emphasized that before any further discussions can take place, the insurgency groups must first answer questions about what happened and why they committed these acts. He noted that questions have just been sent and a response is still pending. “But when the incidents occurred, as we’ve seen, they were too violent for us to accept. We were having a good discussion, and then this happened. I understand that the insurgents might have acted instinctively, but we were talking, we had started talking. As this has happened, we have to start all over again,” Thanat said. Regarding coordination with Malaysia, Thanat mentioned that no approach has been made yet and that he has heard Malaysia might be changing the facilitator. The Thai team is awaiting Malaysia's next steps after traveling there for discussions. When asked if the Thai delegation would continue waiting if the insurgency groups did not respond, Thanat indicated that they could send a signal or questions through representatives, intermediaries, or any available channels to express their thoughts. Concerning whether the aggressive stance of the Thai security forces, particularly the military, would hinder dialogue, Thanat expressed that he does not believe so. He explained that each side has its own approach, and the crucial factor is for both sides to move in the same direction. “The military will pursue its strategies, and we will also pursue ours, but our approach will be peaceful, meaning we will first ask questions like, ‘What happened?'”, he added. Information source: Thai Newsroom