CONFLICTING PARTIES IN SOUTH THAILAND MEET IN BOGOR

Jakarta, Sept 20 (ANTARA) - Representatives of the two conflicting parties in South Thailand met for the first time ever in Bogor, West Java, on Saturday, to discuss ways to solve their problem.
Before they began their talks in the Bogor presidential palace, the two delegations were welcomed by Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla whom the two parties had accepted as mediator.
Kalla met the delegations one after the other in a corridor separating the palace's Bung Karno meeting room and library.
The Thai government delegation which had been waiting in the right wing room entered the corridor first and shook hands with Kalla. Minutes later the delegation from the South Thailand community entered the corridor from the left wing room and also shook hands with Kalla.
The members of the five-strong Thai government delegation took off their jackets after seeing that Kalla was not wearing one, and the members of the South Thailand community delegation did likewise.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla chatted with them for a while before asking them later to shake hands with each other. After that they went into the Bung Karno meeting room.
Kalla sat in front of the delegations with the Thai government delegation members sitting on the left row and South Thailand community delegation members on the right row of a U-shaped table in the meeting room.
On the occasion Kalla was flanked by mediators from Indonesia namely Farid Hussein and Johermansyah Johan, who is his deputy for politics.
Seen sitting behind him were among others rector of the Paramadina University, Anis Baswedan, political observer Fachry Ali and Indonesian ambassador to Thailaind M Hatta.
The meeting was started with delegation members introducing themselves to each other and an opening speech by Kalla.