Southern peace talks with BRN may move up to September

The chief negotiator for the southern peace talks has proposed bringing forward to next month the dialogue with the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) separatist group, originally scheduled for October, following the recent wave of unrest in Thailand’s southernmost provinces, according to Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, the prime minister’s chief adviser on peace-building in the South.

He said chief negotiator Thanut Suvarnananda had proposed that the talks initially be held at a technical level to determine the actual causes of the recent violence. He was speaking after a meeting with Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and security officials at Government House this morning.

More than 70 incidents, including explosions and arson attacks, rocked the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat over the weekend. The latest attack, which took place last night, damaged a convenience store in Pattani’s Mayo district.

Wan Noor identified the BRN as being behind the recent attacks, saying that once those responsible had been identified, the government should leave the door open for dialogue.

“They should not be shut out,” he said, adding that any talks must be conducted within the framework of Thai law and the Constitution and must benefit local residents.

Regarding reports that insurgents may flee across the border into Malaysia, Wan Noor said Malaysian authorities were willing to cooperate because unrest in southern Thailand also affected Malaysia.

Wan Noor stressed that all relevant agencies must work together to improve security and address the underlying causes of the unrest, adding that coordination among security agencies, the Interior Ministry, police, local communities, religious leaders and local leaders must be strengthened to improve intelligence gathering and prevent attacks.

“Previous methods may have helped to some extent, but we need new tools and approaches, such as AI,” he said, expressing concern that authorities might have underestimated the strength of groups opposed to the state.

He urged authorities to listen more closely to people on the ground, including local officials and religious leaders, rather than relying predominantly on information from central authorities. Without improved security, he said, investment and tourism in the region would not develop.

Wan Noor, a veteran Muslim politician from Yala and a former House speaker, said the unrest had several underlying causes and rejected speculation that it was linked to upcoming local or national elections.

He said that, while it was too early to rule out a political connection altogether, such a motive would make little sense for politicians because endangering local residents would ultimately harm their own political prospects. He said authorities should establish the facts rather than rely on assumptions.

He said the Interior Ministry should also consolidate its security role by bringing together sub-district heads, village headmen, assistant village headmen and territorial defence volunteers to work as a team, rather than allowing any single agency to take sole responsibility.