FORMER inspector-general of police Abdul Rahim Noor is baffled by Thailand representative General Udomchai Thammasarorat’s refusal to hold a meeting with the southern Thailand separatists in efforts to secure peace in the region.

Speaking to The Malaysian Insight, Rahim said Udomchai only wanted to hold a meeting with Shukri Hari who was appointed to head the delegation from the Majlis Syura Patani (Mara Patani).

“I am baffled by his attitude. This is very strange. He only wanted to meet Shukri Hari, when prior to this, both sides agreed to meet in a closed door meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

“Udomchai said he is only going to meet Shukri while the rest of his team will meet the southern Thai separatists. Of course the Southern Thai separatists have disagreed with the arrangement,” Rahim said.

Udomchai was appointed by Thai Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha in October to spearhead the peace talks, replacing long-time negotiator General Aksara Kerdphol.

Rahim said that Udomchai, as the chief panellist from Thailand, has to meet the entire delegation.

“Both sides have come here and he is the chief of the delegation for Thailand so he should know better.

“The meeting that was supposed to take place yesterday at 9.30am did not happen. Thailand has gone back. Shukri Hari told me he too was baffled by Udomchai’s decision. Perhaps he had made up his mind during his flight here,” he said.

Asked when the next meeting will take place, Rahim said he did not even bother to ask Udomchai that question.

“I didn’t ask him that. Maybe after Chinese New Year or maybe after their general election, I don’t know,” he said.

The introductory meeting, which was supposed to take place yesterday (February 3), was arranged by Rahim, who was appointed by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the Malaysian facilitator for the talks.

Since the conflict erupted in 2001, the four southern Thai provinces, namely Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkla, have seen more than 6,500 people killed. 

According to Armed Conflict Location and Events Dataset from 2016 to November 2017, 160 more people have died. 

Various reports also stated that the conflict in Southern Thailand originated in 1948 as an ethnic and religious separatist insurgency in the historical Malay Patani Region. – February 4, 2019.