Thailand government and southern separatists agree to Ramadan truce

Thailand's government on Saturday praised "significant progress" in talks with the main insurgent group in the predominantly Muslim deep south, after the sides agreed to stop violence during Ramadan.

A Thai government delegation and representatives of the main rebel group, the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), met face-to-face in Malaysia this week for another round of talks after peace dialogue resumed in January following a two-year pause because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

More than 7,300 people have been killed in insurgency-related violence since 2004, when a decades-old rebellion flared up in the provinces of Narathiwat, Yala, Pattani and parts of Songkhla, a Malay-speaking Muslim area in majority-Buddhist Thailand.

The BRN said the two sides agreed to stop violence during Ramadan to "create a safe and prosperous atmosphere" for the community as a process of "confidence-building" to "establish meaningful peace".

A Thai government statement said the creation of an "environment conducive to peace" during Ramadan would allow people to "safely perform their religious practices" and boost public confidence in the peace dialogue.

Both sides have also agreed to established joint working groups in three areas — the reduction of violence, public consultations and a political solution, the Thai government said.

Shadowy rebel groups have called for independence for the southern provinces, which were part of a sultanate called Pattani and annexed by Thailand in 1909 as part of a treaty with Britain.

Separatists say Malay Muslims were forcibly assimilated by Thailand and accuse Thai security forces of atrocities. The Thai government has defended its operations in the area.

Talks between the government and rebel groups started in 2013 but have been disrupted frequently. Formal peace talks arranged by Malaysia began in early 2020 but were interrupted by the pandemic.