ID :
378579
Fri, 08/28/2015 - 08:24
Auther :

PM downplays new southern insurgency group

BANGKOK, August 18 (TNA) Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha declined to comment on the report that Thai peace negotiators were talking with the Mara Patani group of southern insurgency. He said he wanted security authorities to be responsible for peace restoration in the far South and urging the media not to give any special attention to any new group of southern insurgency. Gen Prayut responded to a press conference of representatives of Mara Patani in Kuala Lumpur on Aug 27. They were calling for the resumption of peace talks with Thai authorities. The group claimed to be an umbrella of six southern insurgency movements namely Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), Islamic Liberation Front of Patani, Patani Islamic Mujahideen Movement and three bodies under the Patani United Liberation Organisation (PULO). Gen Prayut told reporters at Wing 6 on Aug 27 before leaving for official visit to the Philippines that security authorities were handling peace negotiations and the mass media should not attach too much importance to any newly formed group. The previous Thai government had peace talks with BRN but made no concrete achievements. The negotiation has stopped since a recent political crisis in Thailand and the May 22, 2014 coup in the country. Yesterday the Mara Patani group announced that it was seeking liberation in far southern Thailand and immunity from past violent incidents in the region and it was also open to negotiations with Thai authorities. (TNA)

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