Third-round NSC-BRN peace talks make progress

BANGKOK, June 14 (TNA) - The third-round peace negotiations between the Thai government, through the National Security Council (NSC), and representatives of insurgent groups in the Muslims-dominant Thai far South, led by the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) insurgency movement, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital, on June 13 reportedly made progress, as both sides agreed to cooperate to reduce violence in the Thai deep South and to consider each other’s demands. After the latest peace talks, which lasted over eight hours, NSC Secretary-General Lieutenant General Paradorn Pattanatabutr told reporters in Malaysia Thursday night that the talks happened in a comfortable atmosphere as both sides intended to solve problems. Lieutenant General revealed that the Thai government side asked the BRN-led insurgent side to clarify its five demands as the language of its message is unclear, and that after the clarification, the Thai government will respond before the Muslims' Ramadan month of fasting this year, from July 7-August 7. The NSC chief acknowledged that his negotiation team asked the BRN-led insurgent group to reduce violent incidents during the Ramadan month; while the BRN side will respond to the demand before Ramadan. According to the NSC chief, the Thai government will then gather opinions from locals and concerned parties on the five demands of the BRN-led group and will wait and see whether the BRN side can really stop violent incidents during Ramadan. Representatives of both sides in the third-round peace talks remained the same persons, seven represented the BRN-led group and nine represented the Thai government. The schedule of the 4th-round peace talks will be announced after this year's Ramadan in August. (TNA)