Abstract

The seminar aims to provide an in-depth analysis of the recent peace talks between the Thai government and the rebel group, Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), in Thailand’s Far South. With the latest round of peace talks held in February 2023, the seminar will shed light on the progress made so far, the challenges faced, and the prospects for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Thailand’s Far South. Dr Panitan will also discuss the challenges that current and previous facilitators have faced and how they plan to overcome them to advance the peace talks. In addition, the seminar will examine the various issues that have been raised during the peace talks, including autonomy, governance, and security. Dr Panitan will discuss how these issues can be addressed in a way that satisfies the demands of all parties involved.

About the Speaker

Dr Panitan Wattanayagorn is the Chairman of the Prime Minister’s Security Advisory Committee in Thailand. His responsibilities include assessing security situations that affect Thailand and submitting recommendations to the Prime Minister. He also serves as an advisor to the National Security Council (NSC), where he focuses on domestic and international security. Additionally, he is a member of the Government’s Special Envoy Group for the South, as well as the Project Leader of “CVE in Thailand’s Southern Border Provinces: Origins, Problems and Prospects”.

Dr Panitan is a member of several national committees and boards, including Thailand’s National Cyber Security Committee and the Thai National Assembly’s Research and Development Committee. He is also a member of the Drafting Committee for Thailand’s National Security Strategy and a member of King Prajadhipok’s Institute. He was previously a member of the National Committee for Reconciliation, the Military’s Reform Committee and the Prime Minister’s Eminent Persons Advisory Board. In 2007, Dr Panitan was on the parliamentary committee that drafted the Internal Security Act, B.E. 2551.

Dr Panitan was a Faculty Member of the Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University, between 1993 and 2021; a C.V. Starr Distinguished Visiting Professor at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), John Hopkins University, Washington D.C., in 2006; and the Director of the College of Politics and Governance at King Prajadhipok’s Institute between 2014 and 2018. From 2020 to 2022, Dr Panitan served as the head of a research project funded by Thailand’s National Research Council, which focused on countering violence and extremism (CVE) in Thailand’s southern border provinces.

Dr Panitan’s academic works have been published by Chulalongkorn University, Stanford University Press, Oxford University Press, East-West Center, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Journal of Strategic Studies and Pacific Review, among many others. Dr Panitan holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and two master’s degrees in public administration and international relations. He received a PhD in political science, specialising in comparative defence policy, from Northern Illinois University in 1993.