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| Southeast Asia |
| Thai insurgent leader tells rebels to ease off |
| 2013-03-14 |
| Hassan Taib, the liaison office chief for the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), has told the group's fighters to scale down violence to create an atmosphere conducive to peace talks. "It remains to be seen if there will be less violence. Mr Taib is apparently trying to give assurances that he is really in control," said a source who was in the delegation of the National Security Council (NSC) which signed an agreement with Mr Taib to prepare the way for peace talks among insurgent groups on Feb 28 in Kuala Lumpur. The source said officials would have to hold talks with rebel leaders in charge of operations. However, they might not be able to proceed with them publicly. It is speculated Mr Taib will bring other groups including Pulo Bersatu to the talks when they open on March 28, according to the source. The source said Thailand's delegation, led by Lt Gen Paradorn, would sign the terms of reference for peace talks. The key points are that the talks must be in line with the constitution and must not advocate separatism. Lt Gen Paradorn on Wednesday revealed the plan after chairing a meeting of top security officials to prepare details for the March 28 meeting. He said the delegation will focus on reducing violence in the troubled region and preventing attacks on civilians. He said authorities believe they are on the right track because the BRN is the largest operational insurgent group in the region. The Isara News Agency (INA) reported that the new generation of southern rebels had no interest in the peace talks and did not know Mr Taib. According to the its report, the rebels were not interested in a special administrative zone and would continue the violence until their objectives were met. |
| Posted by:ryuge |