Sihasak heads to Malaysia this Sunday as southern violence continues

Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow will visit Malaysia this Sunday to discuss the wave of unrest in Thailand’s southernmost provinces, as violence continued early this morning with a village headman’s assistant shot dead in Narathiwat province.

Sihasak said today that he will discuss security cooperation and efforts to resolve the unrest in Thailand’s southern border provinces during his visit to Kuala Lumpur on September 6.

He said the talks will focus on ways in which the two countries can cooperate to improve security, including the construction and expansion of border fences, which he said would benefit both countries.

The two sides are also expected to discuss insurgents operating across the border, some of whom are wanted on arrest warrants and hold dual nationality.

“Malaysia does not want to support anything that undermines security,” Sihasak said, adding that Malaysia has expressed its desire to see greater security along the border and to develop border areas for the benefit of people in both countries.

“Development cannot take place without security first,” he said.

Sihasak said he will be accompanied by Thanut Suvarnananda, former director of the National Intelligence Agency and head of the Thai peace dialogue team for the southern border provinces.

The foreign minister said he will introduce Thanut to Malaysia’s foreign minister and officials from the National Security Council during the visit.

Regarding the recent violence in Thailand’s three southernmost provinces, Sihasak stressed that Thailand is not suggesting that Malaysia was involved in the unrest.

“Whatever people may say, we need to improve cooperation, particularly intelligence sharing, so that information is received in time and decisions can also be made promptly,” he said, noting that stronger bilateral coordination is necessary as a younger generation has become involved in the unrest.

“We do not want this to become another chapter in the southern unrest,” he said.

Meanwhile, a village headman’s assistant was shot dead in front of his home in Rueso district of Narathiwat early today.

The incident was reported to a ranger unit at about 12.30am. The victim was identified as the assistant headman of Yalae Baho village. The motive for the attack is being investigated.