Thai delegation, BRN hope to clinch peace deal by year-end

Chief of Thai peace delegation Chatchai Bangchuad (left) with head of BRN delegation Anas Abdulrahman and Malaysian facilitator Gen Zulkifli Zainal Abidin during a press conference after the latest round of peace talks in Kuala Lumpur on February 6-7.

After 10 years of on-and-off dialogue, Thailand’s peace negotiators and representatives of the biggest separatist group in southern Thailand finally hope to be able to reach a peace agreement by the end of this year, according to the head of the Thai delegation.

Chatchai Bangchuad, deputy secretary general of the National Security Council, said the result of the latest session of peace dialogue hosted by Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur on February 6-7 gave him confidence that peace is returning to the troubled region.

He confirmed in a recent interview with Thai PBS World that the Thai peace delegation and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional…