Thailand's Muslim separatists vow to fight to the end
Nikmatullah Seri said the group will fight on until its independence goals are met, as peace talks have stalled and more than 7,000 people have died since 2004.
- In a rare interview in Kuala Lumpur, Barisan Revolusi Nasional spokesman Nikmatullah Seri vowed the separatist group will fight until its objective of independence is achieved, stating "This struggle will continue until the end of time."
- Unrest began in 2004, though militants have fought for an Islamic nation since the 1960s; Bangkok suspended dialogue in July following an attack that killed five soldiers, stalling Malaysian-mediated peace talks ongoing since 2013.
- Since 2004, more than 7,000 people have been killed, according to monitor Deep South Watch. Nikmatullah claimed ethnic Malay Muslims face "obvious discrimination" regarding their language and culture, though Thailand has rejected these assertions.
- The group proposed a transitional power-sharing arrangement with a five or 10-year period of governance by Syariah police and courts. Nikmatullah stated that after this period, the group would hand power to the people to "choose democratically."
- Prospects for peace remain uncertain as talks are currently on hold, though Nikmatullah indicated the BRN could pursue "back-channel negotiations" with Thailand in October. Malaysia maintains it will not allow its territory to serve as a refuge for violence.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Southern Thailand’s insurgent group wants power, not just peace talks — even with Malaysia at the table
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 — Two decades into an insurgency that has killed thousands in southern Thailand, the leader of the main Malay-Muslim separatist group vowed this week to...
South China Morning Post
PressNewsAgencyThailand’s Muslim separatists vow to fight for independence ‘until the end of time’
Since 2004, over 7,000 militants, security forces and civilians have been killed in the region, once part of a Malay-Muslim sultanate.
Thailand's Muslim separatists vow to fight to the end
"This struggle will continue until the end of time," Nikmatullah Seri, the spokesman for the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) peace negotiation delegation, told AFP in a rare interview. "As long as our objectives remain unachieved, we will continue to fight." Militants from BRN have fought for an independent Islamic nation in Thailand's Muslim-majority south since the 1960s, although the current unrest began in 2004. Thailand has been negotiating…
KUALA LUMPUR/BANGKOK: Two decades after an insurgency that claimed thousands of lives in southern Thailand, a Malay-Muslim separatist group, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), vowed this week to continue fighting until its goal of establishing an independent Islamic state in southern Thailand is achieved. Nikmatullah Seri, a spokesman for the BRN peace delegation, said the group wanted political power that showed it would ...
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 ¶ Two decades into an insurgency that has killed thousands in southern Thailand, the leader...
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