General Consensus on Peace Dialogue Process

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Country/entity: Thailand
Region: Asia and Pacific
Agreement name: General Consensus on Peace Dialogue Process
Date: 28 Feb 2013
Agreement status: Unilateral document
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
South Thailand Insurgency (2001 - )
The roots of the conflict go back to the early twentieth century, when Thai leadership began policies of forced assimilation of the local Muslim/Malay population. For over 200 years, the region had been under the nominal control of the Kingdom of Siam, but the Kingdom had not interfered much locally, as demonstrated by various regional legal exemptions for Civil Law and Islamic Law. However, the National Culture Act of 1939 institutionalized 'Thai-ification' practices begun five years earlier. Following the end of WWII, Patani people in the southern region of Thailand began campaigning for cultural and legal rights but were repressed in response. By the 1950s Patani nationalism began to gain currency among locals and in 1960s several separatist groups were established sparking a low-scale separatist insurgency. Violence escalated between Patani insurgents and national security forces in 2001 and by 2004, Minister Thaksin Shinawatra officially recognised fighting was not the mere product of 'bandits'. Separatist groups fought under several ideologies; however, the overarching goal was to assert regional autonomy. By the early 2000s, jihadism had also become prevalent which has made the conflict more complex. Violence continued and escalated again in 2010. Peace talks continue to be rejected by the Barisan Revolusi Nasional-Coordinate (BRN-C), one of the major opposition factions. A peace process was briefly started by Yingluck Shinawatra following the signing of a consensus document in 2013, but faced serious hurdles including the lack of support by the BRN-C. Separatist attacks against civilians in the deep South continue while Thai peace delegations urge for formal negotiation talks with the several separatist groups.
Stage: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Government/territory
Peace process: Thailand peace process
Parties: For Party A [The Government of Thailand] Lt Gen Paradorn Pattanatabut For Party B Ustaz Hassan Taib
For Party B [people who have different opinions and ideologies from the state] Ustaz Hassan Taib
Third parties: Witnessed by Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen bin Abdul Wahab Secretary of the National Security Council of Malaysia
Description: The parties agree to engage in a peace dialogue aimed at ending separatist conflict in Southern Border Provinces, and appointing a third party Facilitator.

Agreement document: TH_130228_GeneralConsensusPeaceProcess.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: No specific mention.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): No specific mention.
Elections: No specific mention.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: No specific mention.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: No specific mention.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: Witnessed by Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen bin Abdul Wahab Secretary of the National Security Council of Malaysia.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: No specific mention.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: UN Peacemaker
http://peacemaker.un.org/

General Consensus on Peace Dialogue Process

Kuala Lumpur, 28

February 2013

The Government of Thailand has appointed the Secretary-General of the National Security Council (to be referred to as party A) to head the group supporting favourable environment creation for peace promotion in the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand.

We are willing to engage in peace dialogue with people who have different opinions and ideologies from the state (to be referred to as party B) as one of the stakeholders in solving the Southern Border Provinces problem under the framework of the Thai onstitution while Malaysia would act as facilitator.

Safety measures shall be provided to all members of the Joint Working Group throughout the entire process.

Done and signed in Kuala Lumpur on the 28th February 2013

For Party A Lt Gen Paradorn Pattanatabut (Signed)

For Party B Ustaz Hassan Taib (Signed)

Witnessed by Datuk Mohamed Thajudeen bin Abdul Wahab Secretary of the National Security Council of Malaysia