A Malaysian go-between announced on Wednesday that an agreement had been made, in principle, between the Thai government and Muslim separatist rebels in southern Thailand. If it stands, it will end a Muslim insurgency that has persisted for decades.
The talks took place over two days in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur. The sides will meet again over the next two months to smooth out the details of the peace plan, says facilitator Zulkifli Zainal Abidin.
"It is a major breakthrough after the dialogue was stalled the past year due to the Thai election," he told a news conference.
"The (peace plan), if the technical teams agree, will be signed as soon as possible. ... There is light at the end of the tunnel. Both parties are willing to put pen on paper. Previously there was no talk of signing any documents."
What Does The Malaysian Prime Minister Have Say?
Speaking at a meeting in Bangkok last year, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said his country is committed to assisting Thailand.
"It is unfortunate because these small skirmishes have led to a lot of tensions, some sort of resentment and distrust, so we have to appeal to all forces both in Thailand, and in the south and even some in Malaysia, to understand and appreciate that peace must be paramount, of paramount consideration," he said.
"I come here with a very clear, categorical message that the government of Malaysia will not condone any sort of violence to resolve any conflict," Anwar said. "We will exercise our right as friends ... to express our concerns, our legitimate concerns, whilst acknowledging that south Thailand is purely an internal issue within Thailand. But it is our duty as good neighbors and family to do whatever is required and necessary to facilitate the process."
Though Malaysia has hosted talks between the warring factions for more than 10 years, according to AP, little progress had been made.
Thousands of people have lost their lives in the insurgency, which is largely concentrated in Thailand's southern provinces-which are the only ones with Muslim majorities. Separatists have been accused of drive-by shootings and bombings while the central government has been accused of torture and other human rights violations.
Thailand is a country with a Buddhist majority, but Thai Muslims are ethnically and culturally different, they also speak a different dialect. They believe that they're treated as second class citizens.
