Thailand’s Parliament has agreed to reintroduce the Advisory Council of the Southern Border Provinces Administration and Development Center (SBPAC), which will be comprised of local residents from the southern provinces of Thailand.

This agreement was reached after the Parliament held votes in the second and third sessions to reintroduce the advisory council and abolish the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) Order [NCPO Order No. 14/2016].

Narathiwat Member of Parliament (Constituency 5), Kamonsak Leewamoh, stated that before the coup led by General Prayut Chan-o-cha on May 22, 2014, there was an SBPAC Advisory Council consisting of local residents representing various sectors.

“Before the coup, the SBPAC Advisory Council was made up of local representatives, such as village heads and representatives from educational, professional, and other groups.

“It involved a total of 49 council members who would meet and provide their opinions to SBPAC.

“The Advisory Council would also discuss issues and problems faced by the people and present them to the government.

“But when Prayut seized power, he abolished the advisory council by issuing NCPO Order No. 14/2016,” he said.

The NCPO Order also involved the assignment of power to the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) – a unit within the military – which had authority over civilian agencies, resulting in a power conflict.

For the record, Apa Khabar TV on June 4, 2024, had published an article related to NCPO Order No. 14/2016.

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Further commenting, Kamonsak Leewamoh, also known as Wan Johan, said all Members of Parliament, especially in the southern provinces of Thailand – Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla, and Satun – agreed that NCPO Order No. 14/2016 should be abolished.

However, he acknowledged that the effort is not easy because it requires approval from the newly appointed Senators.

“Yesterday, Parliament voted to reintroduce the SBPAC Advisory Council, and when it will start … maybe after the new Senators consider and agree.

“If the group of Senators agrees, we will select representatives from the residents to sit as members of the SBPAC Advisory Council,” added Wan Johan.

For the record, through NCPO Order No. 14/2016, many roadblocks and security posts were established throughout the region, leading local residents, 85 percent of whom are Malay-Muslims, to believe they were being ruled by the military rather than a civilian government.