A deputy junta head has revealed that the Thai government has set up a committee to discuss with Malaysia plans to build a wall along the Malaysian-Thai border. The wall would aim to counter transborder crimes and resolve dual citizenship issues.   

Gen Prawit Wongsuwan, deputy junta head and Defence Minister, announced the the Malaysian-Thai General Border Committee (GBC) discussed the possibility of building a wall along the two countries’ border, Post Today reported on 19 November 2016. The discussion took place during a meeting concerning peace talks in Thailand’s Deep South.

According to the Defence Minister, the wall could suppress transborder crimes such as human trafficking and the smuggling of illegal goods. It could also assist in solving problems about people holding both Malaysian and Thai citizenships.   

He said that a joint committee has been established to discuss the plan, adding the wall project would be jointly financed by both Thailand and Malaysia.

The plan to build a wall along the Malaysian-Thai border was proposed earlier in 2013 by the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) to counter the Deep South insurgencies.

In the last 12 years, the protracted conflict between the Thai state and Deep South insurgencies has killed at least 6,500 lives.

With Malaysia acting as a facilitator, the Thai government and MARA Patani, an umbrella group representing various insurgent groups and factions in the Deep South, are currently engaged in an ongoing peace talks. However, previous peace discussions have covered only the talks’ format and preconditions.