NARATHIWAT: Malaysia is committed to its role as the facilitator of the southern Thailand peace dialogue process, said deputy chief of mission at the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok, Bong Yik Jui (pic).
Bong said Malaysia remained committed to working with Thailand and all parties toward achieving a just and lasting solution for peace and stability.
"Malaysia regards the situation as Thailand’s internal matter and does not support any efforts to establish a separate state in southern Thailand," he told Bernama here on Thursday (June 13).
Bong said the agreement to develop a Joint Comprehensive Plan Towards Peace (JCPP), which aims to end conflict and achieve peace by the end of 2024, is a testament to the commitment to both negotiating parties.
"We are pleased with the ongoing discussions to finalise the JCPP document.
"The conclusion of the recent 10th Joint Working Group-Peace Dialogue Process on Southern Thailand (JWG-PDP) Technical Meeting that was recently held from May 19 to 21, 2024 in Kuala Lumpur has paved the way for sustainable peace in southern Thailand," he said.
Bong was among the participants in the Ambassadors' Visit to the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand 2024 programme from June 11 to 13, which was co-organised by the Southern Border Provinces Administrative Centre (SBPAC) and Thailand’s Foreign Ministry to showcase the strengths and development potential of Thailand's southern border provinces.
Thailand’s three southernmost provinces - Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat - are home to a predominantly Muslim population.
The visit, themed "Uplift the People's Quality of Life," included ambassadors from Brunei, Egypt, and Iran, and diplomatic officers from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives, Nigeria, and Uzbekistan.
In February last year, the Peace Dialogue Panel of the Royal Thai Government and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) agreed to develop the JCPP as a roadmap for 2023-2024 in seeking a solution to end the armed conflict in southern Thailand.
The JCPP, established during the 6th Official Meeting of the Peace Dialogue Process in Kuala Lumpur, has brought hope for resolving the regional conflict. - Bernama
