NSC seeks rescheduled next-round peace talks with BRN

BANKGOK, August 13 (TNA) - The National Security Council (NSC) is asking Malaysia to reschedule the next round of peace negotiations with representatives of insurgent groups in the Thai far South, led by the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) insurgency movement. NSC Secretary-General Lieutenant General Paradorn Pattanatabutr told journalists on Tuesday that the the next round of the NSC-BRN peace talks would be postponed from its earlier schedule set on August 18, 2013 and he is coordinating the rescheduled date through Malaysia, the facilitator of the peace process. Lieutenant General Paradorn acknowledged Malaysia has confirmed that Hassan Taib would remain the BRN representative in the peace negotiations with the NSC and no other insurgency groups would be included in the peace talks. According to the NSC chief, Thai authorities have responded to the BRN's five demands, while the BRN has not answered any question of the Thai authorities. The NSC chief said he will meet members of the government's committee on policies and strategies on problems in the violence-plagued Thai deep South to discuss information and methods of communications with the BRN. The NSC chief reported that the number of violent incidents in the troubled southernmost Thai region during this year's Ramadan fasting month of Muslimss, which ended recently, was close to that of last year, but the damage of people's lives and property was smaller, showing that the overall situation in the southern border Thai region has improved. (TNA)