A South African member of that country's Truth and Reconciliation Commission yesterday suggested a "Nelson Mandela model" for Thailand's efforts to achieve national reconciliation amid severe political and social divisions.
Howard Varney, a truth-seeking consultant for the International Centre for Transition Justice, said former South African president Nelson Mandela cleverly forged a sense of nationalism among white and coloured South Africans through the sport of rugby.
The mutual sense of nationalism led to reconciliation among the South Africans after abolition of the policy of apartheid, or racial segregation.
Varney suggested Thailand adopt a similar tactic, possibly using some cultural symbol to draw cooperation from different groups of people. He also said sufficient compensation and sympathy was necessary to achieve true reconciliation.
Varney once worked with the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission set up by that country's government of national unity to help deal with what happened under apartheid.
He was speaking at a brainstorming seminar at the Siam City Hotel hosted by Thailand's independent fact-finding committee for national reconciliation, which is headed by former attorney-general Kanit na Nakorn.
Kanit also presided over the seminar.
Varney called for the Kanit panel to be protected by a new law to give the panel's members immunity against possible legal action from those affected by their findings. He also suggested panel members show their transparency by disclosing details about their assets and proving they were politically neutral.
Priscilla Hayner, co-founder of the International Centre for Transition Justice, said a reconciliation committee was often set up in other countries after a civil war. But in Thailand's case, it was good for its people to be aware of the need to solve the conflict themselves.
However, she warned a reconciliation committee was not a "cure-all" and that there were cases when it failed, particularly when there was no political willingness for a sincere resolution to a conflict.
Retired diplomat Asada Jayana-ma, Thailand's former representative to the United Nations, suggested secret negotiations between the feuding sides in a bid to end the conflict.
In a related development, Foreign Affairs Minister Kasit Piromya met representatives from international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on human rights at the Foreign Ministry during lunchtime yesterday.
Kasit explained to his guests about Thailand's reconcilia-|tion efforts, said ministry spokesman Thani Thongphakdi.
Among the NGOs represented at the meeting were Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development and Transparency Thailand.