PULO Leader Calls for Dialogue, Not Force, in South Border Crisis

PULO Chairman Gastropheri Mahkotah discussed the violent situation in the southern border region in an interview on September 7, 2026. He called for an immediate return to the peace negotiation table with a reset of the process, opening space for all relevant groups, civil society, and local people to participate. Mahkotah stressed that peace discussions should be elevated to a national agenda with clear political will from both sides and must proceed continuously, not just open for short periods before stopping. He argued that negotiations should not be limited to the Thai constitutional framework alone, since the current framework emphasizes local governance and decentralization, while the movement wishes to discuss broader governance models including autonomy. However, proposing talks outside the constitutional framework does not mean seeking territorial division in negotiations, but rather opening space for all parties to fully discuss suitable governance arrangements. PULO's original goal is independence, but the current situation may make that difficult, so the movement is calling on the Thai state to propose clear alternatives—if not independence, what form of governance or political solution is the state prepared to offer—so both sides can find compromise together rather than having answers predetermined. Mahkotah emphasized that PULO supports resolving the conflict through dialogue, not force, and wants PULO to have the status of a peace process participant, not merely a supporter.