Thailand offers to mediate Philippines muslim conflict
Updated
Thailand says it's ready to help mediate in the long-running separatist insurgency in the southern Philippines.
The Thai ambassador met last week with officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Thailand says it wants to help as part of its mission "to strengthen bilateral ties and good relations with its ASEAN neighbours. Thailand has also been battling separatism of its own, in the three southernmost Thai provinces, which have a muslim majority.
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speaker: Dr Steve Rood, the Asia Foundation's Philippine country representative
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LAM: Dr Rood, you've been following Mindanao for sometime now. How helpful is this Thai offer in the talks?
DR ROOD: Well, it comes as quite a surprise, because the discussion has been about the continuation of Malaysia as the facilitator of the talks into the last decade or a replacement of Malaysia by Indonesia. This is the first time that Thailand has emerged as offering a good opposite. The question would be whether either the government or the MILF is interested in this new initiative. The MILF has repeatedly said that it wants to stay with Malaysia and the government has repeatedly said that it wants to review the involvement of all international actors in the peace process, because the new government which took office this July sees that there are too many international actors moving around more or less independently.
LAM: Dr Rood, as you say, Muslim-majority Malaysia has been involved in mediation for years now. How do you rate the Thai credentials, given their record in southern Thailand had been quite dismal?
DR ROOD: I think that the problem with southern Thailand is often that there are basically no negotiations ongoing at all, because it is difficult to contact the leaders of the insurgency all of whom are underground. The record of Thailand is probably not going to be seen as in particular with the southern insurgencies, but rather as part of ASEAN solidarity. There is an argument that the problem with both Muslim majority Malaysia and Indonesia is that they are neighbours and that there is some direct interaction or they are geographically neighbours, whereas Thailand is far enough away that it might be seen as more neutral. Still, even given that, I see that it's less likely to happen because of all the doubts that have been raised.
LAM: Well, these ASEAN regional efforts aside, do you see reconciliation efforts growing stronger under the new Aquino administration?
DR ROOD: Yes indeed. The Aquino family going back to both the father and mother of the current president have a long history of reaching out to Muslim Filipinos to try to reach a reconciliation. And there have been a number of new ideas floated in the newspaper over the last week or so, which have generated heated debate. I think that the current government is indeed serious, but is looking for modalities that would allow it not only to reconcile with the insurgents, but to bring along the mainstream Philippine community to agree to that reconciliation.
LAM: Just finally, Dr Rood, what is the current status of the peace talks in Mindanao? How have things changed since they became an autonomous region?
DR ROOD: Well, the autonomy has been going on for quite sometime and as a particular governance arrangement, the autonomous region is not particularly successful. The negotiations with the MILF over the past year have resulted in a ceasefire and a general reduction in violence. They have been on hold during the transition to the new administration and are expected to resume again after the Eidl-Fitri, at the end of Ramadan.
