FORMER parliament president and current chief adviser to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul Wan Muhamad Noor Matha said today (May 25) that peace talks between the government and insurgents in the Far South will likely resume in Malaysia late next month after a two-year hiatus, PPTVHD36 said this afternoon.
He revealed this significant move after holding talks with Malaysian Ambassador Datuk Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah and his delegation who had paid a courtesy call to congratulate each other on their new appointments. They discussed the good relations between the two countries, noting that Malaysian tourists are currently the number one group visiting Thailand, surpassing China.
Malaysia is facilitating negotiations between the Thai government and representatives of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) and the talks should progress towards better understanding and peace provided there is cooperation, he said.
There is now greater clarity on holding the peace talks with technical preparations having already been discussed and will continue early June, before the delegation-level discussions, chaired by Mr. Thanat Suwannanon, director of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), take place late June in Malaysia.
When asked about Malaysia’s stance on the new head of the delegation, Wan Noor said, based on discussions with the Malaysian ambassador, he believes Thanat will bring significant progress to the negotiations. This is Malaysia’s view, as Thanat has likely met Malaysian representatives before.
The new delegation will continue discussions from the previous one, as there have been changes in personnel on both sides. However, given the circumstances, progress is expected. Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, also the Interior Minister, wants the talks to conclude and peace achieved during this administration because the insurgency has been dragging on for almost 20 years, resulting in significant losses of lives, property and funds, with Wan Noor believing all parties want peace.
Wan Noor added that Malaysian Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu will also be meeting him personally to discuss joint agricultural development as he sees that Thailand is more advanced in fruit, vegetable, fertilizer, cattle and poultry farming than Malaysia, while Malaysia is a large market for Thailand. Following this, Malaysia will bring food and agricultural business leaders, along with relevant ministers, to discuss further opportunities.
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Top and Front Page – Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s chief adviser Wan Mohamad Noor Matha. Both photos – PPTVHD36
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