The chief of a rebel group in Thailand’s Deep South stated the rebels is not going to have interaction in peace talks with the Thai government if the potential for independence in Thailand’s southern border area is off the table. Under the framework of Thailand’s current structure, the dominion remains indivisible.
The group’s chief Kasturi Makhota made the announcement days after his rebel group the Patani United Liberation Organisation – or PULO – took duty for a double bomb assault in Pattani, which killed a fisherman and critically injured bomb disposal officers. The assault broke the 40 day Ramadan/Songkran ceasefire within the area agreed by the Thai government and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional who are the most lively insurgent group within the conflict.
PULO mentioned they undertook the attack in Sai Buri district of Pattani province on Friday because they were excluded from the current peace talks between the Thai authorities and the BRN held in Malaysia. The assault was the first claimed by PULO since 2016.
The state of affairs highlights the discrepancy in demands of rebel groups. Separatist teams have traditionally fought for independence of the historic region of the Kingdom of Patani, which covers modern-day Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat and a few components of Songkhla province. However, the BRN is pleased to barter with Thailand under the framework of the trendy constitution underneath which division isn’t attainable, suggesting the group’s hopes for the area may have modified.
Whereas PULO “will not speak or negotiate beneath the framework of the Thai structure because PULO wants freedom from Thailand”, stated Kasturi, the group’s chief.
Find out what the violent southern insurgency is all about HERE.
A resident of Pattani, Hisbullah Muso, commented on the schism between the rebel groups…
“It seems two people’s organisations are fighting every other… They built forces to struggle one another, [which is] no good. There have been rifts among the rebels for a long time, despite the fact that they say they struggle for the people… the government, however, ought to speak to PULO should it need to achieve peace.”
The Thai authorities says they informally discuss to all rebel teams in the Deep South. However, two members of the Thai navy mentioned it was too quickly to inform if PULO would be invited to the subsequent round of peace talks held in Malaysia.
Thai Army Commander of the Deep South Kriangkrai Srirak said…
“Whether we are going to think about including PULO in the future, it’s as a lot as the Peace Dialogue Panel who, generally, wants to talk to all teams.”
The BRN and PULO used to be a half of MARA Patani, a panel which negotiated with the Thai authorities. Kickstart was considered one of PULO’s representatives on the panel. MARA Patani started partaking with the Thai government in Malaysia in 2015 however the talks fizzled out when the BRN started talking with the Thai authorities immediately in 2020.
The BRN says their negotiations with the Thais have no affect over other rebel groups. An nameless BRN consultant advised BenarNews…
“For different Patani actions that want to negotiate with the Thais, they will put ahead their terms and conditions to the Thais themselves… BRN never stops different Patani movements to negotiate with the Thais.”
Currently, there’s a forty day ceasefire in place, which covers each Songkran and the holy month of Ramadan agreed by Thai security forces and the BRN. However, military common Kriangkrai mentioned Friday’s assault was not a shock as security forces had been expecting an assault from a 3rd celebration regardless of the momentary truce of no violence.
The authorities condemned PULO’s bombings however mentioned the truce agreement with the BRN is still in impact and guaranteed the general public that the bombings won’t derail peace talks with separatist rebels.
More than 7,300 individuals have been killed in conflict between the Thai government and rebel groups in Narathiwat, Yala, Pattani and components of Songkhla since violence resurfaced in the space in 2004..