New Malaysian mediator sparks hope for ‘more effective’ Thai peace talks with separatists

Peace between Thailand and separatists in its restive southern provinces continues to be elusive even after six years of negotiations, but a new facilitator appointed by mediator Malaysia with no police or military background has brought a sliver of optimism.

Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin is set to tour the provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat alongside Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in August as part of a mission to increase economic development in the region, including turning it into new tourism destinations for the kingdom.

Meanwhile, fatal bombings continue to break out despite a truce with the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), with the latest on June 30 outside a police flat in Yala which claimed one life and injured more than a dozen others.

On July 5, Malaysia announced the appointment of former National Security Council (NSC) director general Mohd Rabin Basir as the new facilitator in the Southern Thailand Peace Dialogue process, replacing former Chief of Army Zulkifli Zainal Abidin who had been mediating the process since January 2023.

In a statement, the current chief of the NSC Nushirwan Zainal Abidin said he hoped that Mohd Rabin, who led the NSC from 2019 to 2023, “will be able to play a more effective and constructive role in accelerating” peace in the restive region bordering Malaysia.

His appointment marks the third person assigned to the mediator’s chair since 2018, and the first who is not from a military or police background like his predecessors Zulkifli and, previously, former police chief Abdul Rahim Noor.

Abu Hafiz Al-Hakim, from the competing Islamic Liberation Front of Patani group (BIPP), said while Mohd Rabin’s performance as a facilitator was yet to be seen, it marked a refreshing