More insurgent groups in Thai far South seek peace talks with authorities

BANGKOK, October 1 (TNA) - The National Security Council (NSC) says that more insurgency movements have contacted Thai authorities for peace talks. NSC Secretary General Lieutenant General Paradorn Patanatabutr told journalists of the positive development, as the new round of peace negotiations between the Thai government, through the NSC, and representatives of insurgent groups in the Thai deep South, led by the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) insurgency group, will take place in the third week of this month with its exact date expected to be known next week. Lieutenant General Paradorn, however, declined to identify the two other groups, noting only that they were behind violent attacks in the troubled Thai far South. According to the NSC chief, the two insurgent groups have contacted Thai authorities for the first time; so, he hopes they will join the next round of peace talks later this month. The NSC chief said he views that the two groups' participation in the peace process should reduce violence in the Thai far South by a certain degree. The NSC secretary-general acknowledged, as the BRN still has five old demands and Thai security authorities are considering them, the NSC chief assured that negotiations on the five demands are to be done carefully, taking national interest into consideration. (TNA)