Thawi Urges Broad Peace Talks for South, Cites 12-Year Deadlock
The user wants a short summary of the article about Thawi Sodsong's speech on peace talks in Southern Thailand. Let me extract the key points: 1. Thawi Sodsong (Pol. Lt. Col.) spoke at Malaysian Alumni Association in Pattani on Oct 25, 2026
Pol. Lt. Col. Thawi Sodsong addressed the Malaysian Alumni Association in Thailand at Bukit Aland Resort in Pattani on October 25, 2026. He highlighted the value of Muslim intellectuals and Malaysian graduates, stating that retirement from civil service does not mean the end of their contribution.
Reflecting on the peace process, Thawi recalled Malaysia's historic role as facilitator starting February 28, 2013. As then-Secretary of the National Security Council, he realized that security-led approaches merely perpetuated vengeance, lacking genuine 'peace builders' on the ground. The conflict, rooted in centuries of history, saw past political efforts end in tragedy for local leaders like Hayi Sulong Thamina and the Duson Nyo incident, eroding trust in political processes.
Thawi noted that a breakthrough seemed reached in 2013, yet 12 years later no settlement exists due to policy discontinuity and mutual suspicion. He cited the national strategy targeting 2027 for conflict resolution, arguing that increased budgets or weapons are not the true path to peace. Instead, he insisted on inclusive dialogue where local people determine their future under the Constitution, involving not just armed groups but the wider community.
He pointed to the success of private Islamic schools like Darussalam and Thammathawit Foundation, which achieve Olympiad-level results despite receiving only 13,000–15,000 baht per student versus nearly 60,000 baht for state schools, as proof of local capacity.
