No peace talks will be held if violence lingers: PM

No peace talks will be held if violence lingers: PM BANGKOK, Aug 29 (TNA) -- Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha affirmed that there would be no peace talks if violence in the Thai far south remains. The premier said he has assigned Gen Aksara Kerdphol, the Royal Thai Army advisor and Chairman of the Southern Peace Dialogue Committee to join the delegation of Deputy Premier/Defense Minister Gen Prawit Wongsuwon during his official visit to neighbouring Malaysia to help discuss ways to stop attack in the violent-plagued region. He stressed that all violence must be put to an end first before any other steps for peace could be carried out. He said that everyone should not worry on when or where the peace talks will take place, as other neighbouring countries around Thailand which have similar conflicts had used as much time as 50 years to to solve the problem. Gen Prayut noted that the currently problem is that the insurgent groups who have planned to hold talks with the government could not still be united into one. There were divided into two parts- the main Part A group had already held talks while the Part B which were small factions have not join the peace negotiation. The premier said that as long these groups are not yet united, any problem solving method would fail for example, the government has earlier asked for the setting up of the safety zone and they still could not provide one. An earlier report said the government is expected to resume peace talks with groups believed to be behind the southern unrest on Sept 2. (TNA)