When ustaz Hassan Taib led the BRN into the 2013 talks with the Yingluck government, the group was obviously unprepared. However, many critics see the BRN as a key instigator of the decades-old troubles in the Muslim-majority south of Thailand. Some analysts suggest they could even "kill" the peace talks, which are progressing and now at the stage of working on "safety zones" to build confidence and trust. Abdulkarim Khalid, a BRN delegate in the 2013 peace dialogue, told the BBC's Indonesian-language service that the group urgently wants international involvement. Having withstood the Thai military forces for the last 13 years, the BRN's military strength is beyond doubt.

Source: Bangkok Post April 17, 2017 22:07 UTC