Southern Thailand Peace Talks Represent Hope For Peace, Order

BANGKOK, March 10 (Bernama) -- Peace talks in southern Thailand should not be taken lightly as they represent the nation's hopes for peace and order in the country. Head of the government team to the peace talks, Gen Aksara Kerdpol said achieving peace in southern Thailand through peace talks between the government and militant groups was an important agenda. "The deep south (southern Thailand) is an important agenda (for the government), it is the matter of the people. The southern problem is a matter of the country's peace and order and resolving it, is the hope for all in Thai society," he told the media at the Government House here Wednesday. The people, according to him, should support the peace talks and condemn violence which occurred in the region, but noted the situation on the ground had improved notably since the beginning of the peace process. Aksara noted that although the situation in the southern provinces had improved since peace talks were initiated, more time was needed to achieve more tangible results. Bangkok has been engaging in unofficial peace talk with Mara Patani, an umbrella body representing six militant groups in southern Thailand, to end decades-old violence in the region. Malaysia is the facilitator for the peace talk. Aksara said the government would publish a book in Thai and English languages, detailing the progress achieved by the peace talk since the process began more than a year ago, and distribute it to the public. He did not mention when the book would be published and distributed. -- BERNAMA