The National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has vowed to continue peace talks with southern insurgency representatives, but said it will change negotiation processes and coordination with Malaysia.
Col Pramote Prom-in, spokesman for Internal Security Operations Command Region 4, announced NCPO chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha's orders for negotiations to continue to the press yesterday.
The NCPO would make changes to negotiation practices and coordination with Malaysia — the facilitator of past peace talks.
Gen Prayuth demanded future talks respect the principles of territorial sovereignty, the spokesman said.
On June 30 the NCPO's southern border provinces solution working group, headed by deputy army chief Gen Udomdet Sitabutr, decided current negotiation processes were satisfactory for working towards a peaceful resolution of conflict in the deep South, Col Pramote said.
Also yesterday, the NCPO allowed community radio stations temporarily back on air in Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat and parts of Songkhla.
Col Pramote said the temporary resumption of the community radio broadcasts — from last Saturday to July 27 — was to support religious activities during the current month of Ramadan.
The reprieve is granted to 48 stations across the three strife-torn provinces, as well as four violence-prone districts in Songkhla.
Community radio broadcasts nationwide were suspended after the May 22 coup to prevent them airing politically provocative content.
Meanwhile, troops from Narathiwat Special Task Force 31 were deployed to tambon Ko Sathon in Narathiwat's Tak Bai district yesterday on the lookout for suspects in the fatal shooting of two police on the Tak Bai-Jae He road on Saturday night.
The attack occurred about midnight on a road near Ban Taba in tambon Jehae during a patrol of the area by six officers on three motorcycles. The attack was believed to have been carried out by about 10 militants.
Pol Cpl Suvit Taweeta and his driver Pol L/Cpl Winai Khamsai were killed in the ambush. Two villagers, Aree Riabroy and Sitimariyae bin Buesa were wounded in the crossfire.
Officers said some of the militants were believed to be still hiding nearby, while others were suspected to have fled to Malaysia by sea.
In Pattani yesterday, police and the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units inspected an area in Ban Jabae Togu in Yaring district, where a member of staff at a department store was shot dead on Tuesday.
Somjai Chai-eiad, an employee of Diana Department Store, was gunned down while riding her motorcycle home in tambon Panare.
The perpetrators were believed to have stolen her motorbike after the killing.