Malaysia's support for peace talks in Thai Far South remain intact

BANGKOK, August 30 (TNA) - Visiting Malaysian Chief of Defence Forces General Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Panglima Haji Zulkifli Bin Haji Zainal Abidin has confirmed that Kuala Lumpur's support for peace talks between representatives of the Thai government and those of insurgent groups in the Thai Far South remains unchanged. Thai Defence Ministry Spokesman Lieutenant General Kongcheep Tantrawanit told journalists that the visiting Malaysian chief of defence forces made the remarks during his meeting with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister General Prawit Wongsuwan at the Ministry of Defence in Bangkok on August 29. "The Malaysian government's policy on being ready to cooperate and render support for the Thai government's moves on solving problems remains intact, including the facilitator's role for peace negotiations between representatives of the Thai government and those of the insurgent groups in the Thai Far South", the spokesman quoted the visiting Malaysian chief of defence forces as saying. The spokesman stated that the Thai deputy prime minister and defence minister stressed on the Thai government's stance on finding the peaceful solution to the violent unrest in the Thai Deep South and respecting the diversity for lenient co-existence. According to the spokesman, both the visiting Malaysian chief of defence forces and the Thai deputy prime minister and defence minister also discussed on close cooperation between the Malaysian and the Thai governments on security issues along the common border, including their joint moves against illegal immigration, drug and human trafficking and transnational crime, as well as the dual Thai-Malaysian nationality problem of some people. (TNA)