Overcoming Collapsed Peace Processes: Why Negotiations Were Sustained in Aceh but Disintegrated in South Thailand

Ending a territorial conflict and bringing the warring parties to the negotiating table is a challenge. Keeping the negotiation on track is also a challenge. The Indonesian government and GAM (Gerakan Aceh Merdeka, Free Aceh Movement) needed five years to address the conflict in Aceh before finally reaching a peace deal in August 2005. During the five-year period of negotiation, the peace process was full of suspicion, accusation, and military assaults, but both sides were able to pick up the process from breaks. Such continuing process did not happen in South Thailand. The Thai government and Bersatu (United Front for the Independence of Pattani) met and negotiated since 2004, but both parties were unable to pick up the peace talks from which they left off. To explain why negotiations were maintained in Aceh but not in South Thailand, this thesis looks at the influence of reconciliatory moves by each party in both regions and leadership change on the Indonesian and Thai government side in the peace process.