Academic supports for Thai government, BRN talks

BANGKOK, March 15 (TNA) - A southern Muslim academic has voiced his support for negotiations between the Thai government, through the National Security Council (NSC), and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) insurgent group, suggesting that the government should have a clear and reasonable stance for the talks, first round of which was set on March 28. Assistant Professor Abdulrosa Wan-ali, deputy dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Yala Rajabhat University, on Friday gave his morale support to the Thai delegation, led by NSC Secretary-General Lieutenant General Paradorn Pattanatabut, expressing his hope that the talks will lead to peace restoration in the Thai far South. However, the senior academic recommended that the Thai delegation understand problems in the troubled southern Thai border region well, especially the issue of human dignity, airing his concern over recent reports on an idea to establish a Pattani State in the Thai deep South. Colonel Pramote Prom-in, Spokesman of the southern outpost of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), affirmed that the Thai military has supported the negotiations and is open to public opinions. Prasit Meksuwan, head of the Civil Society of the Southernmost Thailand, also expressed his support for the March 28 negotiation and urged all parties in Thailand to also offer their support, acknowledging that the agreed NSC-BRN talks are considered constructive. (TNA)