The government has called on the
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation to condemn repeated acts of violence being
carried out by insurgents in the deep South. Continual acts of terror are
preventing constructive peace efforts from taking place, it says.
Speaking at a press conference
yesterday at the end of the OIC's visit to Thailand, Sihasak Phuangketkeow,
Foreign Affair Ministry's permanent secretary, said the government did not
create the conflict and if there is to be peace and reconciliation in the three
southernmost provinces, all sides must stop further acts of violence.
"Unless all parties halt the violence, peace talks will not be
realised," Mr Sihasak said. Adviser and Special Envoy of the OIC secretary-general
Sayed Kassim el-Masry, said while the situation has improved in general, he is
still concerned about the level of violence in recent months.
Mr Masry was on a one-week visit
to Thailand which took him to Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and Songkhla provinces.
Thailand and OIC share a common principle in the reconciliation process, and
the government is rightly addressing the root cause of the problem, he said. Mr
Masry hoped His Majesty the King's advice on solving the southern problems
would be fully implemented. He added that the OIC does not encourage
separatists and strongly condemns violence against civilians. He requested the
emergency decree be lifted as it was causing problems for people living in
trouble spots.
Mr Sihasak said the time is not
yet right to lift the law, adding that it is in place mainly to protect
civilians.
ที่มา : Bangkokpost
