Dialogue to Foaster Harmony in the Southern Border Provinces

General Aksra Kerdphol
Head of the Peace Dialogue Panel

In the past 11 years, the Royal Thai Government has tried continuously to resolve the conflict in the southern border provinces though the use of military, police and civilian forces with a large amount of weaponry along with all types of legal measures, military operations, and civic action programs to end violence in the area. However, these various attempts still have not been achieved because perpetrators of violence still have “capability” and still retain their action as “initiator” to carry out operations on every occasion, thus, forcing government officials to be on the defence and result in the loss of life and properties of innocent people.

Therefore, the Peace Dialogue Panel for Southern Border Provinces, consequently, reached out to every group of people who have different opinions from the state, urging them to participate in dialogue. This is based on the belief that violence will not do any good for any side. Apart from this, when violent incidents occur, it results in a necessity of the government to increase a number of troops and weaponry and impose stricter law-enforcement measures, and tougher military operations such closed-area search and more arrests.

This is not a positive outcome for any sides and brings us to a conclusion that dialogue is the best solution for everyone. So far, we have witnessed cooperation from people with different opinions who tried to unite their 6 different groups to participate in an informal full-panel dialogue which up until now has been held for 3 times.

I, as the head of dialogue panel, would like to state that in the past the government side tried to resolve the problem in southern border provinces in a unilateral manner. But now, we see the situation where people with different opinions “cooperate” with us to mutually resolve the problem while the people sector closely monitor, support and take part as witness for this cooperation. This is a positive development for resolving problems in the southern border provinces which is unprecedentedly an important success.

Regrettably, there are still people who still have a conservative mindset and do not have confidence in the dialogue process by misbelieving that this development is an elevation of the group status paving ways towards territorial separation. This is not something which can be easily done nowadays as the people sector always keeps an eye on this. And in the future, I personally believe that not only that Party A and B will talk to each other, but this people sector will join in the dialogue and define a roadmap for sustainable solution to the southern border provinces problem together. However, at the first stage, the dialogue panel needs to build trust and cooperation from the group with different opinions and, consequently, that cooperation will result in the gradual reduction of violence in the area.

For the peace dialogue that the panel currently works on is the dialogue which aims to “reduce intention” to use violence from all groups of people with different opinions and turn to use their current capability in an “peaceful way” instead of opting for violence like in the past. This is contrary from what most people understand that there must be negotiation and agreement on what we can get and what they can get.

This concept, which concerns bargaining for advantages, is out of date and will only cause more and more paranoia from each side rather than trust. This is totally different from what are doing now which emphasizes trust and confidence building to seek “cooperation” to jointly resolve violent problems together. We have tried to point out that if the use of violence persists, there will be no side who has complete victory but only damage to the country, loss of our brothers and sisters, and dark future of our children. Therefore, dialogue to foster cooperation is in fact an important thing determining how we can work together on the issues of safety, development and fair justice for all.

In summary, at present the dialogue panel has already set up a working group to work on each issue for justice process, there will be classification of each offence and determine possible ways for exemption under Thai legal framework so that people with different opinions can choose whatever is right for each group or each individual. For the issue of development and safety zones, working groups have been set up to identify urgent priorities which serve the need of our brother and sisters and identify safety zones in urban community, rural areas, transportation routes, and border areas.

Discussion about which area, village, tambon, district or province will first be a pilot safety zone project depends on the capability and preparedness of the government side and also cooperation from people with different opinions who will need to consider and choose the most appropriate methods together in due course.

The latest progress of dialogue panel is that we can mutually agree with the facilitator and group of people with different opinions from the state (Party B) on the formation of joint technical working group consisting of Party A, Party B, the facilitator, and the people sector will participate in the future in order to work on details together to make sustainable peace and harmony in the southern border provinces.



Thailand's Dialogue Panel (negotiators)