Anwar Can Help Resolve South Thailand Conflict Says Thai Analyst

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The conflict in southern Thailand has taken the lives of nearly 7,000 people since 2004, many due to bomb blasts. (Reuters pic)PETALING JAYA: Newly appointed Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim must work with his Thai counterpart as soon as possible to resolve the conflict in southern Thailand, says a Thai researcher and veteran journalist on regional affairs.
Kavi Chongkittavorn, in an opinion piece for the Thai public broadcasting service, said there had been very little progress in ending the suffering of the civilians living in the three southernmost provinces over the past decade, Bernama reported.
Thailand’s southern provinces in the Pattani region bordering Malaysia have a largely Malay-Muslim population. The region has suffered a decades-long separatist insurgency which has brought sporadic violence.
Chongkittavorn said neither side had demonstrated their goodwill and commitment, partially blamed on their internal politics, to attain an effective peace deal that would bring prosperity on the border.
“That time is now,” he wrote. “For the first time, Malaysia has a leader who has a universal outlook and is well known among the international community. It is hoped that Anwar’s leadership will further strengthen the Asian profile.”
Chongkittavorn said Anwar’s initial test will be to create trust and confidence among the governed Malaysian elite, both politicians and businessmen.
“The second hurdle is equally important. Anwar must win over public hearts and minds, which includes those of conservative Malays, among others. They will be an important group,” he said.
Chongkittavorn said Anwar should be the country’s magnet in generating a more positive image of Malaysia that will increase investment and business confidence. “The West will be happy with the new government in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya,” he added.
Chongkittavorn is a senior fellow at Chulalongkorn University’s Institute of Security and International Studies. He has been a journalist for over three decades and contributed opinion pieces for the Thai media. - FMT

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