PATTANI, March 2 — The Malaysian Government’s chief facilitator for the Southern Thailand Peace Dialogue Process, Tan Sri Zulkifli Zainal Abidin insisted that religion was not the cause of violence in the south of Thailand.

"The violence that occurred in southern Thailand was due to the radical actions of a few individuals who wanted to commit violence in the name of religion,” he said during a meeting with representatives of Buddhists from four regions in the south of Thailand at Wat Chang Hai in Khok Pho, Pattani today.

The former chief of the Malaysian Armed Forces is currently on a four-day working visit to southern Thailand.

This is Zulkifli’s first working visit after being appointed as the new facilitator for the peace dialogue process in southern Thailand with effect from Jan 1, 2023. He replaces former Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Mohd Noor as the Malaysian facilitator.

Zulkifli said Malaysia is always committed to facilitating the Thai government and the Patani community in Thailand’s southern border region via the negotiation table.

"Although the conflict in southern Thailand is an internal issue, Malaysia as a neighbour with close ties wants to facilitate and help resolve the conflict,” he said.

Zulkifli advised all parties to support the peace negotiation process between the Thai government and the National Revolutionary Front (BRN) which aims to find a solution to end the conflict.

The Southern Thailand Peace Dialogue process between the Thai Government and the militant groups is now entering its 10th year.

The process started when Yingluck Shinawatra, the Prime Minister of Thailand at the time asked Malaysia to be a mediator in resolving the conflict in southern Thailand. Following that, a General Consensus between the Government of Thailand and the National Revolutionary Front (BRN) was signed on Feb 28, 2013. — Bernama