BANGKOK, March 13 – A delegation comprising 15 members will represent the Thai government in the first round of dialogue with Muslim insurgents under the peace process for Thailand’s far South in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur on March 28, a high-level security official said today.
National Security Council (NSC) secretary general Paradorn Pattanatabut said the Thai army will not be represented in the talks with core members of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) during which Malaysian officials will also attend.
No decision will be made in the meeting and the NSC will transcribe the conclusion of the dialogue in a guideline, or roadmap, not an agreement, he said.
Lt Gen Paradorn attended a meeting of related government agencies today to work out issues to be discussed and preparations for the March 28 dialogue.
He said the authorities joining the dialogue will have to communicate the conclusion with government agencies, civic and political groups, and local and international media.
The prime minister has not given any specific policy for the March 28 talks but stressed that the dialogue must be in accord with the Thai constitution, and that Thailand is a single state, he said.
The March 28 dialogue is a follow-up of an agreement under the peace process, signed by the NSC and BRN representatives in Kuala Lumpur on Feb 28.
