Authorities will continue peace talks with the Majlis Amanah Rakyat Patani group, known as MARA Patani, which Thailand considered to be an umbrella organisation of separatists, including the BRN, he said. The BRN issued a statement on Monday reiterating its stance on peace talks and demanding an “impartial mediator” and international witnesses. With Malaysia’s help, Thailand’s negotiators met with Mara Patani officially in 2015 but talks since then have not yielded results on the ground. Violence in the predominantly Muslim deep South has killed more than 6,800 people since the insurgency resumed in 2004. However, Aksara said the BRN was part of MARA Patani but some factions in the group might want to draw attention away from the peace process.

Source: The Nation Bangkok April 11, 2017 18:00 UTC