BANGKOK, 26 June 2013 Internal Security agencies have unanimously expressed their rejection of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional’s (BRN) new proposal for Thai authorities to withdraw security forces from the southern border provinces in the month of Ramadan.
BRN figurehead Hassan Toyip’s new video clip posted on YouTube made 7 additional proposals in exchange for the group’s promise to tone down the level of violence in Thailand’s Deep South.
Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung asserted that Thailand did not need to respond to every aspect of the BRN’s proposals, and locals in the Deep South did not agree with the pull-out of security personnel from the area. According to him, the BRN has so far been unable to command the insurgent groups in the Deep South to reduce violence, and thus even more security personnel would be required in the area during the month of Ramadan.
Defense Minister Sukamphon Suwannathat and Army Commander-in-Chief Prayut Chan-o-cha also voiced their objections to the BRN’s proposal for a withdrawal of soldiers from the area. Air Chief Marshal Sukamphon and General Prayut indicated that the proposal reflected a lack of sincerity, and local residents in the Deep South did not want a pull-out.
Academic Panithan Watthanayakon viewed that the BRN was exploiting an advantage offered by problems with Thailand’s internal politics to make additional proposals. He also viewed that although the internal security sector objected to the proposals, Thailand’s talks with the BRN must go on.
Sunai Phasuk, advisor to Human Rights Watch, viewed that Thailand need not heed the new demand from the BRN, because the latter had so far failed to express its sincerity. He asserted that responding to the demand would make local residents feel abandoned, and this would not bode well for future talks in the peace dialogue process.
