Panu Wongcha-um

BANGKOK (Reuters] – The Ramadan bombings at Thailand’s Muslim majority deep South won’t derail peace negotiations with separatist rebels. That was Sunday, after a sidelined group of insurgents claimed responsibility.

Kasturi Mahkota told Reuters that two blasts occurred on Friday which injured three officers and killed a civilian.

PULO is now out of the negotiations between Bangkok (BRN) and Barisan Revolusi Nasional. They agreed on two weeks ago that violence would be stopped during Muslim holy months through May 14.

Since 2004, more than 7300 people were killed in fighting between government officials and shadowy groups that sought independence for Malay-Muslim Provinces Narathiwat Yala, Pattani, Pattani, and some parts of Songkhla. This area belonged to the Patani Sultanate, which Thailand annexed under a 1909 treaty.

The violence was condemned by government negotiators in an email that they sent to Reuters on Sunday. However, the truce agreement with BRN continues to be in force. They said that both parties were closely working together to ensure the peace of the talks.

The delegation from the government wrote that the bringing together groups of people for peace dialogue was an internal issue for one side.

BRN declined comment.

These talks are aimed at finding a political solution for the long-running conflict in Thailand within the context of the Thai constitution. The talks were first held in 2013 and have been disrupted numerous times since then. In 2019, the latest round of talks began.

Kasturi, a PULO member of the PULO said to Reuters that talks were not comprehensive enough and are moving too quickly. An agreement would not allow for independence from Buddhist majority Thailand, the insurgent group says.