Three substantive issues related to peace in Southern Thailand, particularly in the ‘deep south,’ are expected to be confirmed in the Official Peace Dialogue Process Meeting between the Royal Thai Government’s Peace Dialogue Panel (PEDP/RTG) and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Patani (BRN) this coming August.

The three issues are the cessation of hostilities/reduction of conflict; public consultation; and discussions towards realizing a political solution.

The ‘deep south’ refers to the three southernmost provinces – Yala, Narathiwat, and Pattani, as well as four southern districts of Songkhla. The region has been in turmoil since the ‘Tak Bai Bloody Incident’ in October 2004 when more than 80 people were killed in a protest in the town of Tak Bai, Narathiwat.

The Southern Thailand Peace Dialogue Process between the Thai Government and armed groups is now entering its 10th year. The process began when then-Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra requested Malaysia to act as a mediator in resolving the conflict in Southern Thailand.

As a result, a General Consensus between the Thai Government and BRN was signed on February 28, 2013.

Malaysia acts as the facilitator for the Southern Thailand Border Region Peace Dialogue Process, led by former Armed Forces Commander, Tan Sri Zulkifli Zainal Abidin.

In a statement last night (June 25, 2024), Zulkifli, through the National Security Council (MKN), explained that the three substantive issues will be confirmed at the Official Peace Dialogue Process Meeting in August.

“As the facilitator for the Peace Dialogue Process in the Southern Thailand Border Region, I am pleased to announce the conclusion of the 11th Joint Working Group-Peace Dialogue Process (JWG-PDP) Southern Thailand Committee Meeting between PEDP/RTG and BRN,” he said.

The PEDP/RTG is led by Lt. Gen. Paramote Promin, while the BRN is led by Dr. Nikmatullah bin Seri. They held the last technical committee meeting from June 23 until yesterday (June 25, 2024) in Kuala Lumpur.

“This technical meeting reviewed and drafted a new framework for the Joint Comprehensive Plan towards Peace (JCPP) between PEDP/RTG and BRN, incorporating significant input from both sides.

“The technical meeting also agreed on a tentative timeline towards finalizing the JCPP.

“I believe the Official Peace Dialogue Process Meeting in August 2024 will pave the way for the confirmation of the JCPP by the end of September 2024, depending on the progress of the process.

“This ongoing peace process will lead to meaningful participation of the Patani community in the Southern Thailand Border Region,” he said.

In this regard, he expressed pride in the strong cooperation between both parties in addressing various controversial and sensitive issues in forming the JCPP framework.