BANGKOK, Sept 17 – The five-point demands submitted earlier by the militant group Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) were understood to be in exchange for disarmament among insurgents in Thailand’s southern border provinces, a senior Thai security official said today.
Paradorn Pattanatabut, secretary general of the National Security Council, said the government was willing to take their demands into consideration though they would not have any part in the authorities’ attempted resolution to the southern violence.
The BRN earlier made the demands via YouTube but did not raise them in peace talks with the Thai security delegation, already held for three rounds with Malaysia acting as facilitator. The fourth round of peace dialogues is scheduled for October 20.
Lt Gen Paradorn said Thai security officials and academics are in the process of analysing the BRN’s demands before submitting their conclusion to the Council of State.
It is unnecessary that a conclusion must be made before the October 20 peace talks, he said.
The southern violence was not merely politically motivated but it also involves drugs and contraband smuggling along the border, he added.
The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) is looking into the issue and finding ways to seize the assets of wrongdoers, he said.
