KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 — The Thai government and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu Patani (BRN) have reached an agreement in principle on the Joint Comprehensive Plan toward Peace (JCPP), which will be endorsed in the near future.

The Malaysian Facilitator for the peace dialogue process in Southern Thailand, Gen (R) Tan Sri Zulkifli Zainal Abidin affirmed that the Thai side, represented by Peace Dialogue Panel for the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand (PEDP), expressed readiness to initiate necessary steps to establish a conducive environment for peace.

"In this regard, measures to foster such an environment will be discussed by the technical teams of both parties in February and March,” he stated during a press conference at the 7th Round of the Peace Dialogue Process Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Wednesday.

Zulkifli emphasised that the meeting from February 6-February 7 was conducted in a cooperative atmosphere, with both sides demonstrating strong commitment to achieving the JCPP, a pivotal roadmap in their negotiations for reconciliation in the Southern Border Provinces of Thailand.

During the meeting PEDP was led by Chatchai Bangchaud and the BRN delegation by Anas Abdulrahman.

The meeting, facilitated by Zulkifli and observed by international observers, aimed to advance the peace dialogue process.

Zulkifli assured that the Malaysian government ensured the meeting’s transparency and inclusivity, aiming to serve the aspirations of the stakeholders, the people of Southern Thailand.

The progress in the peace dialogue process, particularly the development of the JCPP, brings hope for resolving the regional conflict that has persisted since 2004, claiming over 7,000 lives, according to statistics by the independent monitoring group Deep South Watch. — Bernama