BRN regrets ongoing violence in deep south, claims no policy to target civilians

The Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), an armed separatist group operating in Thailand’s southernmost provinces, has issued a statement expressing regret over the ongoing violence in the region, which it said has claimed lives and is causing considerable hardship for innocent civilians.

The group also claimed to bear no responsibility for the recent violence, stating that it has no policy to target civilians.

The BRN has been blamed for the latest attack in Narathiwat province, in which four civilians, including a nine-year-old girl and an elderly blind woman, were killed.

The group emphasised that its movement is committed to the struggle for freedom and the dignity of the “people of Patani Darussalam,” referring to residents of Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani and parts of Songkhla province.

The group also called on all parties, particularly the Thai government and armed groups, to avoid actions that harm civilians, while urging transparency in the investigation of the recent violence, in order to build trust and reduce tensions in the region.

“We insist that we will conduct our activities under the framework of international human rights principles and laws,” read the statement, written in Malay.