Give peace talks a chance

EDITORIAL

Published: 5 Mar 2013 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

The reactions to last week's historic decision by the government to sign an agreement with a separatist group were notable, and perhaps telling. From the South, where any progress will be felt directly, the response was mostly positive. From Bangkok, particularly the media and Democrat Party, it ranged from cynical to negative.

It is far from clear why influential voices felt that an agreement signed on Thursday would influence the conflict on Friday. When National Security Council chief Lt Gen Paradorn Pattanatabut shook hands with Ustaz Hassan Taib, it brought the southern conflict into brave new territory. But neither the Thai official nor the Malaysian chief of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) raised expectations of peace, let alone an immediate halt to hostilities.

First, it is strange that anyone can seriously call the Kuala Lumpur pact a "peace agreement". The document itself refers only to a consensus between Bangkok and a Muslim scholars' group that there should be talks about how peace might come about. Lt Gen Paradorn and Mr Taib agreed to a rational discussion of each other's views. No cease-fire or armistice was mentioned. This first signed document between Bangkok and separatists was a classic agreement to "talk and fight". Hundreds of large wars and small conflicts have ended on the basis of exactly such an agreement. However, not one has morphed into full-blown peace in 48 hours.

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peterl
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Discussion 4 : 05 Mar 2013 at 19.044
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The Democat Party leaders should read this editorial carefully and take note of what it says - that is if they want to remain relevant.
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whatajoke
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Discussion 3 : 05 Mar 2013 at 17.253
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What this article fails to explain is that no matter how sincere and well meaning the Yingluck govt are in setting the ball rolling, they have a track rcord of doing things for publicity, not thinking them through and ultimately falling short from rushing into quick results. Including Thaksin in the negotiations was quite inappropriate for a start. Furthermore the whole exercise should have been low key, to avoid instant reprisals from groups out to show they'll be damned .
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spiceman
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Discussion 2 : 05 Mar 2013 at 06.492
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Surrendering only works when you surrender to the right people, preferably, the ones who are doing all the killings and blowing things up. Reading between their bullets and bombs, I think they are saying "Get off our land, so you won't get killed." And I don't think that's a peace deal but a demand, OK?
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shopwow
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Discussion 1 : 05 Mar 2013 at 06.351
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Forgive me for I know not what I have done - I always looked down on those pretty starlets in the Channel 3 and Channel 7 serial programmes. They dress so scantily, almost like the producer borrowed them from some entirely different profession - not acting for sure. But now I know how much those babes suffer and sacrifice, just to do their bit to reduce global warming. Keep them coming Channel 7, Surayuth brings some of them to his early morning news show too. Nice commitment, although society takes a bit of decay over there. But who cares as long as it's making the planet a better place to live on.
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Give peace talks a chance | Bangkok Post: opinion