South calm after BRN statement

The Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), which is believed to have authority over some insurgent groups in Thailand’s deep South, has issued a statement announcing a break in violence during the 40-day Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

Piya said the restive South normally witnessed intensified violence during Ramadan, with an average death of two people per day. However, the situation had been relatively calm this year, he said. “Whether the BRN can achieve what they have announced [in their statement] will become clear after 40 days,” he said. “Whatever the case, we will still have to try and resolve these local conflicts and find ways to achieve peace sustainably.”

Human rights lawyer Angkhana Neelapaijit, wife of missing lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit, said she was sceptical of the BRN’s announcement to curb violence. It was not credible, she said, because neither side had signed an agreement with representatives from both parties. She added that a former Malaysian official who played the role of a facilitator, not a mediator, also made the announcement.

Angkhana also urged the government to find a long-term solution to bring about peace and urged it to appoint a committee that could investigate cases of violence and establish the truth. This would prevent future miscarriages of justice in the conflict, she said.