ASSESSMENTS

Thailand and Malaysia Resume Their Pursuit of Peace in Patani

Aug 15, 2014 | 09:37 GMT

Thailand and Malaysia Resume Their Pursuit of Peace in Patani
A Thai bomb squad surveys the aftermath of an explosion outside a hotel in Yala province's Betong district on July 26.

(TUWAEDANIYA MERINGING/AFP/Getty Images)

Summary

One of Asia's most opaque and intractable insurgencies appears to be entering a new phase. Separatist militants have killed more than 6,000 people in attacks in Thailand's southernmost provinces, a Malay-speaking, predominately Muslim region known historically as Patani. On Aug. 9, however, Thai National Security Council chief Thawil Pliensri announced that Malaysia-brokered peace talks with insurgents would resume this month. The announcement followed calls Aug. 1 from leaders of the National Revolution Front, or BRN — believed to be the strongest of the myriad militant groups operating in the deep south — to reboot the dialogue. Though the Thai junta may be better positioned than previous governments to negotiate a shift in tactics or a temporary decline in violence, talks will be constrained by familiar underlying issues, particularly if Malaysia does little more than serve as host.

The sides have agreed to talks on Muslim separatism in Thailand's deep south, but the deep gulf between the sides remains....

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