A senior statesman of Thailand has advised that ‘Thai identity’ could be used as a solution to the problems and conflicts of the Muslim south.

Gen Prem Tinsulanonda, a national statesman and President of the Privy Council, the King’s advisory body, on Thursday opened the 23rd forum of the ‘San Jai Thai su Jai Tai’ (Uniting Thai hearts to the hearts in the south) programme at the Thai Army Club in Bangkok.

This state programme brings young students from southern Thailand, most of whom are Muslims, to live with host families in central Thailand and other regions of the country. Initially, the aim of the program was to solve the conflict in Thailand’s restive southern provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat.

This year, the program has about 240 participants.  

According to Krungthep Turakij News, at the opening ceremony of the event, Prem mentioned that problems in the restive southern provinces can be solved by a process of fostering ‘Thai identity’, which would convince people do good deeds for the nation and be loyal to the King.

He also mentioned that education in many southern provinces is not standardised and that the military government together with Islamic religious leaders in the south should join efforts to solve this problem.

Religious and class segregation are not, as many understood, the causes of the problems of the south, the statesman added at the event.

Prem was rumoured to be the mastermind behind the 2006 coup d’état, which ousted out the elected administration of popular but controversial Prime MinisterThaksin Shinawatra. Prem served three terms as Thailand’s PM from 1980-88.

Prem was appointed as President of the King’s Privy Council in September 1998.