Despite a spate of attacks rattling the restive far South over the past few weeks, the chief negotiator of peace talks in the region, Gen Udomchai Thammasaroraj, remains hopeful.
Many see the latest talks which began yesterday at a Bangkok hotel as a fresh start for the southern peace process. The Jan 4 date is tied to the 15th anniversary of the weapons heist at the 4th Development Battalion in Narathiwat's Cho Airong district in 2004 when insurgents overran the military outpost, signalling the re-emergence of the separatist movement in the region.
The Thai state has since spent more than 300 billion baht since in efforts to end the conflict which has claimed more than 4,000 lives and caused several thousand injuries, according to an Isra News Agency analysis.
There have been over 9,900 violent incidents since 2004, including bombings, ambushes and arson attacks while more than half of the slain victims were civilians, the agency said.
In an interview with Isra, Gen Udomchai, a former 4th army commander, said the Jan 4 date was symbolic and he promised substantial progress in the talks.
Gen Udomchai was appointed to the post in October, replacing Gen Aksara Kerdphol who led the peace talks team for more than four years. At yesterday's negotiations table he was to meet with Abdul Rahim Noor who serves as the coordinator of the talks, to sound out dialogue plans.
According to Gen Udomchai, his Malaysian counterparts want to see the southern unrest come to an end during the tenure of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad who returned to power last year after a historic election victory that toppled the long-serving government of Najib Razak.
The appointment of Abdul Rahim Noor, a former police chief, shows that Kuala Lumpur takes the matter seriously, he said.
Gen Udomchai said he met Abdul Rahim Noor late in Oct when he was a member of Dr Mahathir's team during an official visit to Thailand.
The two are no strangers. As middle-level officers, they coordinated successfully over conflicts involving the then Chinese Communist Party of Malaya when Bangkok lent support to its neighbour.
The peace negotiations took place in Thailand. "Both Dr Mahathir and Mr Abdul Rahim Noor were active figures at the time," said Gen Udomchai.
With regard to the Jan 4 talks, the Thai team was expected to face the tough task of negotiating with the Mara Patani, an umbrella organisation of insurgent groups in the deep South. Mara Patani consists of the Patani United Liberation Organisation (Pulo), the Gerakan Mujahedin Islam Patani (GMIP) and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN).
The recent attacks which drew public condemnation have been seen by many as attempts by some hardline elements to make themselves heard ahead of the Bangkok summit.
According to Gen Udomchai, the policy outlined by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is that the southern unrest is a domestic issue and Malaysia should merely serve as the facilitator for talks. This means there will be no signing (of any agreements) during the discussion.
The peace negotiator is also of the opinion that Dr Mahathir's previous comments on a form of administrative autonomy for the southern region are constructive for the negotiations process.
"Yet, independence is out of the question. Malaysia will never accept it, and Thailand will not either. It's not possible," he told Isra News Agency.
But an autonomous administrative entity which is not a separation can be discussed, said Gen Udomchai, adding "but in the end, the idea about administrative autonomy must be forwarded to local people for consideration".
He condemned the recent attacks and insisted those responsible, including the insurgents who recently seized a community hospital in Narathiwat's Rangae district to launch an attack on a nearby civilian defence volunteer base, must be brought to justice.
Ploenpote Atthakor is editorial pages editor, Bangkok Post.
