Thai government may switch peace talks with other insurgent groups

BANGKOK, June 1 (TNA) - The government might hold negotiations, aimed at ending violence and restoring peace in the Thai deep South, with other insurgent groups if its ongoing peace talks with the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) group did not bear fruit. Lieutenant General Paradorn Pattanathabutr, Secretary-General of the National Security Council (NSC), made the comments Saturday, amid continual violence in the troubled Thai far South after already-two round-peace talks between the Thai government, through the NSC, and representatives of insurgents, led by the BRN, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital. As the third round of such peace talks is scheduled to be held on June 13, 2013, Lieutenant General Paradorn quoted Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubumrung as saying if there was no progress after the upcoming round of talks, then the direction of the peace negotiations might have to be changed. Touching on Friday’s decision by the Bangkok-based Central Administrative Court to reinstate Thawil Pliensri as secretary-general of the NSC, Lieutenant General Paradorn said he is willing to obey his superiors’ order. Thawil was transferred from the NSC to become an adviser to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, the post he considered as inactive, on September 7, 2011 and he, thus, filed a complaint with the court in April last year, saying that his lighting transfer was unfair. (TNA)