Separatist graffiti seen on the road near Pattani, June 6, 2014, one of Thailand’s three southernmost provinces, where government troops have been fighting Muslim rebels since 2004. The graffiti reads “Hey, Siamese – give us back our rights” REUTERS / Andrew RC Marshall
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I’m registering
BANGKOK, April 16 (Reuters) – Thai rebels removed from peace talks on Saturday claimed responsibility for deadly Muslim-majority bombings in the country’s deep south that violated Ramadan, agreed between the main rebel group and the government.
The two blasts on Friday that killed a civilian and wounded three police officers were carried out by the G5, a joint group of the United Patriotic Liberation Organization (PULO), its president, Kasturi Mahkota, told Reuters.
More than 7,300 people have been killed since 2004 in fighting between government and shadow groups seeking independence in the Malay-Muslim provinces of Narathiwat, Yala, Patani and parts of Songhla. The region is part of the Sultan of Patani, which Thailand annexed in a treaty with Britain in 1909.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I’m registering
Mahkota said by telephone that the bombings in Pattani province were “business as usual” for PULO, left out of talks between the government and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), which agreed two weeks ago to end violence during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. May 14 read more
A spokesman for the Thai security forces in the south, Colonel Kiatisak Niwong, said, without naming PULO, that a group not involved in the peace talks was likely responsible for the bombings aimed at disrupting the ceasefire in Ramadan.
The Thai peace team and BRN declined to comment.
“The talks are not inclusive enough and are going too fast,” said Kasturi, whose group opposes an agreement that would rule out the possibility of independence from Thailand with a majority of Buddhists.
The talks seek a political solution to decades of conflict under the Thai constitution. Negotiations have often been suspended since early 2013. The last round began in 2019.
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com
I’m registering
Report by Panu Wongcha-um in Bangkok; Edited by William Mallard
Our standards: Thomson Reuters’ principles of trust.
Add Comment