The Barisan Revolusi Nasional Melayu-Patani (BRN) rebel group has slammed the Thai government for delays in establishing a new peace negotiation team, calling on Thailand to show sincerity towards solving the problem.
The BRN issued a statement expressing concerns about the delayed setting up of the new peace talk panel following Prime Minister Paetongthan Shinawatra's official visit to Malaysia, where she met with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
One of the issues discussed was cooperation in building peace in the southern border provinces.
According to a source, no solid plan on the matter was mentioned during the discussion.
In its statement, the BRN questioned the Thai government's sincerity, saying it was ready for negotiations.
However, it said they must be based on international laws rather than the Thai constitution, and it would not accept any conditions that require the talks to abide by Thai laws.
The BRN also demanded that every step of the negotiation be transparent and made public and that the people be allowed to participate. If the peace discussion panel is not established promptly, it may cancel the negotiations, the BRN said in its statement.
Surachart Bumrungsuk, an expert in national security, recently published his analysis of the peace negotiation dynamic, focusing mainly on the Joint Comprehensive Plan Towards Peace (JCPP).
Mr Surachart suggested the government study the JCPP principle more thoroughly and be aware that negotiation is just a series of "political battlefields" used by the BRN for a broader political movement.
He said the Thai government needs to create a mutual understanding with the Malaysian government regarding the matter. Ignoring the BRN's reaction might put the nation in "continuous paralysis" for a long while," said Mr Surachart.
In Yala, a 50-year-old defence volunteer was shot dead in Bacho sub-district of Bannang Sata district on Thursday night. The murder was believed to be linked to the insurgency in the South.
According to Pol Lt Col Phuriwat Methinphonlasit, deputy inspector of Bannang Sata Station, Matopoh Ming was killed 500 metres from a Volunteer Defence Corps base while riding a motorcycle back to his home late on Thursday night.
A 5-10 minute gunfight between defence volunteers and the suspects then took place before the attackers fled the scene with Matopoh's AK-47 and bullet magazine. The motive for the murder is believed to be related to the region's insurgency situation, said Pol Lt Col Phuriwat.
