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Malaysia Sun
29-05-2025
- Politics
- Malaysia Sun
Thailand: New Insurgent Attacks on Civilians Despite Pledge
(Bangkok, May 29, 2025) - Separatist insurgents in Thailand's southern border provinces should uphold their pledge and international legal obligations not to attack civilians, Human Rights Watch said today. Barisan Revolusi Nasional (National Revolutionary Front or BRN) insurgents have frequently targeted civilians, both Thai Buddhists and Malay Muslims, since the outbreak of armed insurgency in January 2004. On May 5, 2025, the BRN issued a statement expressing regret for recent attacks. While reaffirming the right to self-determination for Malay Muslims, the armed separatist group said that it "has no policy of targeting civilians" and "remains committed to international human rights and humanitarian law." Human Rights Watch has repeatedly condemned BRN laws-of-war violations. "The BRN took an unprecedented step by publicly pledging not to target civilians, after terrorizing people in Thailand's deep south for more than two decades," said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "But a pledge is not enough. The BRN needs to stop committing war crimes ." There were 57 insurgent attacks in April, resulting in 18 deaths and 50 injuries from the Buddhist Thai and Malay Muslim populations in Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and Songkhla provinces. On April 22, BRN insurgents shot dead Pongkorn Chumapan, 16, and wounded Pokanit Morasin, 12, in an attack on a pickup truck taking Buddhist monks and novices from Wat Kura temple to collect alms in Songkhla province's Sabayoi district. Pol. Lt. Wattanarom Chumapan, Pongkorn's father, told Human Rights Watch that his "son and his cousins were ordained as novices during their school break to study Buddhism and accumulate good karma. But they were targeted in this brutal attack." "I picked up my son, together with other novices and monks, from the temple to collect alms that morning," he said. "My pickup truck had just left the temple's gate when I heard gunshots coming from the roadside jungle. They sounded like M-16 assault rifles. I'm a police officer. I could tell." He said the bullets hit his son and another novice: "I grabbed my pistol and fired back at the two assailants until they retreated. I could see them escaping on a motorcycle, dressed as Muslim women and covering their faces." The BRN considers Buddhism emblematic of the Thai state's occupation of Malay Muslim territory. At least 23 Buddhist monks and novices have been killed and more than 30 injured during the conflict, most while collecting alms. Victims of the BRN's violence in May included teachers, police officers, older people, and children. On the morning of May 28, Pol. Sgt. Abdulloh Makaseng, 30, was shot dead when insurgents attacked the Chanae district police station in Narathiwat province. Later that day, insurgents opened fire into a community sport event in Narathiwat province's Tak Bai district, seriously wounding Muhammad Sukri Ha, 37, and Sainuddin Jehbueraheng, 34, both teachers. On May 2, in Chanae district, insurgents fatally shot Sa-Nga Saeng-Yoi, 76, a blind Buddhist Thai, and critically wounded her son while they were returning home from the hospital on a motorcycle. On the same day, in Tak Bai district, six insurgents opened fire with assault rifles into a Buddhist Thai neighborhood. They killed Sasita Jankong, 9, a Buddhist Thai, and two older relatives. Civilians have also been victims of BRN insurgents' indiscriminate shootings and bombings. The laws of war , applicable to the armed conflict in Thailand's southern border provinces, prohibit attacks on civilians and civilian objects, including reprisals, or attacks that fail to discriminate between combatants and civilians. Anyone who commits serious violations of the laws of war with criminal intent is responsible for war crimes . Abuses by both BRN insurgents and Thai authorities have long fed a cycle of violence and impunity, Human Rights Watch said. Phra Kru Kositasudabhorn, a prominent Buddhist monk and peace advocate from Pattani province, told Human Rights Watch that the April 22 attack on novices in Sabayoi district appeared to be in retaliation for the killing of an Islamic religious teacher, allegedly by Thai security forces, in Narathiwat province on April 18. "As long as that killing remains unresolved, Buddhist Thais will still be at risk," he said. "Buddhist novices and monks are especially vulnerable. Government officials should understand that insurgents use [state-sponsored] abuses and heavy-handed tactics to recruit new members and justify their violence." Claims by insurgents that attacks on civilians are lawful because the victims are part of the Thai state or that Islamic law, as they interpret it, has no justification under international law. The office of Sheikhul Islam, Thailand's central Islamic council, issued a statement on May 6, 2025, condemning the attacks on civilians "in the strongest terms" and stating that there is no justification for such heinous crimes, which are also serious religious offenses. Thai authorities have imposed special security legislation in the southern border provinces. Under the Executive Decree on Government Administration in Emergency Situations and under martial law, Thai security forces can arrest and hold suspected BRN members for up to 37 days without effective judicial oversight, which has led to deaths in military custody. On May 22, representatives of the Internal Security Operations Command, Region Four, which is responsible for counterinsurgency operations in the southern border provinces, told a Thai parliamentary committee that such arrests and detentions served as deterrence even when authorities did not have sufficient evidence to press charges. Jaringan Mangsa Dari Undang-Undang Darurat, a human rights group, reported at least 41 arbitrary arrest cases of Malay Muslims from January through April. The mother of Nasri Tugae, 22, told Human Rights Watch that her son was arrested under martial law on April 23: "Soldiers raided my house, accusing Nasri of being involved in the killing of a Buddhist novice [on April 22]. We tried to explain that my son was away on that day to apply for his passport in Yala province. But they did not listen." She said he was taken to Ingkayuth Camp in Pattani province for interrogation: "My son was scared when I told him that there were allegations about him all over social media, saying he was a murderer. My son was held for 26 days. Now he was released without charge. My son was treated unfairly. Where is justice? Something like this will only make Muslims trust officials less." There is an entrenched culture of impunity for state-sponsored abuses in the southern border provinces, Human Rights Watch said. There has been no successful prosecution of those responsible for extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, and torture of suspected BRN members. The 20-year statute of limitations of the Tak Bai crackdown, which left 85 dead and several hundred injured, ended in October 2024, preventing further legal action. "Insurgent atrocities and retaliatory government abuses have sowed distrust between the Thai Buddhist and Malay Muslim communities," Pearson said. "Both sides should end abuses, hold abusers accountable, and commit to respecting human rights as they negotiate an end to the conflict." Source: Human Rights Watch
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
Retirement news: Doctor shares Alzheimer's warning signs, treatments
One of the reasons we plan for retirement is that we know our health may not hold up. It's an ugly thing to think about, but while we plan for our golden years, we also have to be aware that not everyone gets to be healthy in their retirement. Broadcast Retirement News' Jeffrey Snyder dug into this unpleasant topic with Dr. Manisha Parulakar of Hackensack University Medical Center on the May 23 edition of BRN. And, while the topic is not roses and bubblegum, Dr. Parulakar shares a lot of useful advice and makes it clear that slowing down and serious illness are not the same thing. Subscribe to The Morning Pulse daily newsletter from BRN. BRN May 23, 2025 transcript Jeffrey Snyder: This morning on BRN Science, it's time to take your memory loss seriously and joining me now to discuss this and a lot more Dr. Manisha Parulakar of Hackensack University Medical Center. Dr. Parulakar, great to see you. Thanks for joining us in the program this morning. Dr. Manisha Parulakar: Thank you for inviting me. Snyder: Yeah, it's great. We're talking about memory and I guess my first question is, how do you figure out whether or not forgetfulness needs to be taken more serious and that it could lead to a potential Alzheimer's or dementia diagnosis? Parulakar: Before, I used to jokingly tell my patients that if you forget what you forgot, we have a problem and we need to get a formal assessment and formal evaluation. The topic has changed a little bit more now, especially because we do have the new treatment options available, which are for patients with mild cognitive impairment. So not necessarily the dementia diagnosis, the pre-pre-dementia stage of mild cognitive impairment. And what that looks like is if you are having difficulty doing your day-to-day task, something that you've been doing for years and had no problems, but now all of a sudden, you need a much longer time to complete that task. Maybe that's paying the bills, managing your calendar, managing a project. If you are having a harder time and you're requiring much longer time and many more resources to finish it, maybe there is something going on and you should talk to your doctor about it. Snyder: And so that takes some personal awareness. But what about a family member? I mean, is this something that a family member could check with their loved one to see if, hey, they're just not completing the tasks the way they used to complete the task? And also, doctor, we slow down a little bit as we age. I know I'm a lot slower than I was in my 20s. Parulakar: Absolutely. And those are two important points. And one is that some slowing down does happen to all of us. That's the loss of brain plasticity. And all of us are going to have that as we age. Being said that, it still should not interfere with our activities that we were doing so well. So we should still be able to pay our bills the same way that we were doing 10 years ago. I may have a difficult time figuring out setting up a new process. So if I was setting up a new account to do that, that may take a little bit longer. But if I was doing something like handwriting my checkbook, I should be able to do that in a timely manner. So if I'm taking much longer and if I'm asking many more questions, and that's something the family members can observe, is that the loved one, are they asking a lot of questions for their usual activity? Are they not able to do the cooking that they were doing without going back to the recipe or asking questions about recipe? Are they just repeating questions that they're forgetting the conversation that they had not that long ago? So those are all warning signs that, OK, there's something going on. Snyder: So, doctor, if you see something going on, what's the first, and you're a loved one, let's just say, or an individual, you feel something's not right. What's the first step you should take? Should you call your internist, your general practitioner? Or do you go directly to someone like yourself who's a specialist in cognitive functions and Alzheimer's and dementia? Parulakar: I would say it depends on what access you have. So if you do have access to a memory center around you, reaching out to them and making an appointment is a great idea because they have all the resources. And they can really, especially when it comes to mild cognitive impairment, which is a very, it's an accurate diagnosis. It does require a lot of multiple steps to get there. So if you have access, that would be great. But unfortunately, we don't have those many memory centers around. So talking to your primary care physician is a great first step. And they could start with some of the basic testing and then decide whether further investigation is needed. Yeah. Snyder: And then they would refer you to someone like yourself or someone else to help address and see what the root cause of it could be. Doctor, you mentioned as we age, the brain is not as elastic, I think is the term you use. But are there things that we can do to create better elasticity and improve the longevity of our thoughts, of our brains, of our memories? Parulakar: Absolutely. And I think that's the reason why it is so crucial for us to start thinking about our brain in our 40s and 50s. And not because we definitely know that Alzheimer's is a very long process. It's about, it's going on for about 10, 15 years before it starts producing those memory symptoms. So it really is important for all of us to work on the plasticity and to maintain our function of the brain. And the big threats for our brain health are our chronic conditions. So managing your high blood pressure, managing your diabetes, managing your cholesterol are really essential to maintain that brain health. The second big threat is our mobility. So not moving enough is an important risk factor. So just having any mobility is better than none, but continuing to move. And newer data is suggesting that we want to be mobile throughout the day. So not just hitting the gym for one hour, but then staying sedentary for the rest of the day, that doesn't help either. So staying active and not sitting at one place for too long is helpful. Managing our sleep, which is something else that we don't necessarily pay attention to. A lot of people will walk around saying, oh, I do fine with four hours of sleep. We know that's the time that our brain spends in managing our deep memories, creating new memories. So we need to have, that says, six to seven hours of sleep, ideally seven to eight hours of sleep to be able to recharge the brain for the next day. And then, of course, staying away from substances. We are finding more and more evidence that alcohol is really not good for us. Even small amounts of smoking, some other substances like marijuana, they all have negative effects on your brain. So staying away from substance use is another great way to maintain your brain health and managing. A lot of times the substance use is related to behavioral health issues. So managing the behavioral health issues by getting the right help. Meditation, yoga are great ways to help almost all behavioral health issues as a basic step. So addressing all of them together, we can technically push the risk of dementia to a much, much later part of our life. Snyder: And last question for you, doctor. In terms of treatment, are we further along in terms of the research and medications that maybe can delay or even reverse some of the effects of this disease? Parulakar: So a lot of, yes, we do have new medications, especially for Alzheimer's or mainly for Alzheimer's, that can be used in that mild cognitive stage of the disease or very early dementia disease. And it does have potential of slowing down the progression to some extent. We don't have anything right now that actually reverses the disease, so we're still working on that. And a lot of studies are showing that the non-pharmacological interventions that we just talked about, the exercise, the sleep, the brain exercises, can be equally helpful in slowing down the progression. And sometimes even maybe reverse it, especially if you're in the mild cognitive phase. And if you address all of those, that can be potentially helpful. Snyder: Yeah, I mean, and Alzheimer's, it sounds like, doctor, Alzheimer's, if you take the right steps, Alzheimer's doesn't have to be the end result of aging. It doesn't have to be the thing that ultimately we all get. Parulakar: Absolutely. And there are people telling us that that's true. If you look at the blue zone, where people are living to be 100, and a lot of them have their memory intact. So that tells you that following those non-pharmacological interventions, socializing and having that support structure can protect our brain health and potentially help us prevent or at least push it to a much, much later part of our life. Snyder: Well, doctor, you talked about treatment. And I want to ask you about maybe the, ask you about the blood test where we look at biomarkers. How successful is that blood test? And should I go run out to the store and take it or to the doctor and take it and get it? Parulakar: Okay. So yes to first question, no to the second question. So yes, we have done significant progress in helping in building biomarkers in Alzheimer's. And now we're using similar knowledge to look at Lewy body and other types of dimensions as well. So we have much more, we have gotten much more sophisticated to have that accurate diagnosis. And yes, we have moved from doing the cerebrospinal fluid to now blood to able to help us with those, with the accurate diagnosis. But those blood tests should be ordered in the context of if somebody has memory issues, has had some workup and there is a possible diagnosis of Alzheimer's. So it's not a screening test. We should not be just going and getting it. And we should not definitely be asking our doctors to say that, hey, you're doing my blood work. Can you add that screening test for Alzheimer's as well? Snyder: Yeah. It's not going to be showing up on the LabCorp menu anytime soon, I guess. Parulakar: It is on the LabCorp and Quest menu. And that's the reason I'm making a point even further that please don't ask for it just because it's on the menu. Snyder: Yeah. Very, very smart. Well, doctor, thank you so much again for joining us. And we look forward to having you back on the program again very soon. Thank you so much. And don't forget to subscribe to our daily newsletter, The Morning Pulse, for all the news in one place. Details, of course, at our website. And your subscription supports all this great BRN content, including the show you were just watching. And we're back again tomorrow for another edition of BRN. Until then, I'm Jeff Snyder. Stay safe, keep on saving, and don't forget, roll with the changes. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Muscat Daily
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Muscat Daily
Lasting peace eludes Thailand's deep south
Bangkok, Thailand – Since January 2004, Thailand's deep south has seen ongoing conflict between Thai military forces and separatist groups seeking greater autonomy. The violence is largely confined to the country's three southernmost provinces, Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala – home to a Muslim Malay majority in the predominantly Buddhist nation. The region, located along the Thai-Malaysia border, has seen over 23,000 violent incidents, leading to more than 7,000 deaths, according to Deep South Watch, a local think tank. The Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), the dominant separatist group, has been implicated in attacks targeting civilians, including Buddhist monks and schoolteachers, according to Human Rights Watch. Deadly attacks escalate conflict Between January and early May this year, 38 violent incidents were recorded – almost as many as in all of 2024. Don Pathan, a Thailand-based security analyst, points to two attacks as key escalations. The first came after Thailand's National Security Council and the BRN failed to reach a Ramadan ceasefire agreement in March, after which Thai Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai insisted that all violence must stop before talks resume. The BRN responded with a March 9 attack on Narathiwat's Sungai Kolok District Office, wounding 12 people and killing two volunteer defence officers. The second major incident came after the April 18 killing of senior BRN member Abdulroning Lateh, which saw the insurgents escalate beyond the rules of engagement in conflict by targeting civilians. A brutal attack came on May 2 when a gunman shot dead at least three people in a residential area of Narathiwat province, including a 9-year-old girl, a 75-year-old man and a 76-year-old blind woman. In response, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra deployed more troops to the region to bolster security. Last week, Deputy PM Phumtham Wechayachai said that the Thai government is willing to engage in peace talks. Thaksin vows to achieve peace Tita Sanglee, an associate fellow at Singapore's ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, believes both politicians' efforts are symbolic rather than practical. 'Paetongtarn and Phumtham's peace efforts are more symbolic than substantive. We all know that the situation on the ground is not really conducive to peace,' she told DW. 'Phumtham's stance, at least early on, was quite tough. He was basically saying, 'we won't engage in talks unless the BRN proves its legitimacy by ending violence on the ground'.' 'I see this largely as a way to shift scrutiny onto the insurgents – and ultimately to shield the young and inexperienced prime minister,' Sanglee said, suggesting that controlling the narrative seems to be the government's priority. Thaksin Shinawatra, who was Thai PM when the insurgency renewed in 2004, has also become involved to help find a solution. He visited the region in February and said that he expects to see a complete end to the unrest by next year. Malaysia's role in finding peace Thailand's ruling Pheu Thai party, which is strongly influenced by Thaksin, has since faced pressure to act. Tita said the former PM's pledge has pushed the government to respond. 'In light of Thaksin's public pledge to end the Deep South's unrest by next year, there's a real need for the Pheu Thai government to demonstrate that it is taking the issue seriously and is actually doing something,' she told DW. Thaksin is an informal adviser to ASEAN chair Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the prime minister of Malaysia, which has been urged to take a greater role in peace efforts. The last official meeting about a peace solution between Thai government representatives and the BRN was in June 2024. But in a post on social media this month, Paetongtarn said Malaysia is now crucial for any upcoming rounds of peace talks. Anthony Davis, a Bangkok-based security analyst, said Malaysia could have more of an impact on reducing the hostilities. 'The Malaysians could arguably be doing more in terms of reining in BRN. Some elements almost certainly knew in advance that a Ramadan offensive was coming and apparently did nothing to head it off,' he told DW, adding that Malaysia's role as 'facilitator' limits its actions. 'There are also questions as to how far PM Anwar is focused on the Patani issue and whether he could afford the domestic political blowback of hard-knuckle moves against BRN leadership inside Malaysia when ultimately this is a Thai problem,' he added. Don Pathan believes Thailand should look at the BRN proposal, rather than relying on Malaysia. 'Malaysia is not exactly an honest broker; Malaysia is a stakeholder. The country shares the same border and the same religious and cultural similarities as the Malays of Patani,' he told DW. Pathan suggested that the Thai government should take seriously the BRN's counterproposal made in February, which included 'setting up a negotiating team, releasing political prisoners, and allowing international observers to monitor a ceasefire'. 'The BRN has said it is willing to negotiate under the Thai Constitution. BRN and the Patani Malays are willing to be part of the Thai state. But it has to be on their terms,' he added. DW
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Will Thailand's deep south ever see lasting peace?
Will Thailand's deep south ever see lasting peace? Since January 2004, Thailand's deep south has seen ongoing conflict between Thai military forces and separatist groups seeking greater autonomy. The violence is largely confined to the country's three southernmost provinces, Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala - home to a Muslim Malay majority in the predominantly Buddhist nation. The region, located along the Thai-Malaysia border, has seen over 23,000 violent incidents, leading to more than 7,000 deaths, according to Deep South Watch, a local think tank. The Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), the dominant separatist group, has been implicated in attacks targeting civilians, including Buddhist monks and schoolteachers, according to Human Rights Watch. Deadly attacks escalate conflict Between January and early May this year, 38 violent incidents were recorded, almost as many as in all of 2024. Don Pathan, a Thailand-based security analyst, points to two attacks as key escalations. The first came after Thailand's National Security Council and the BRN failed to reach a Ramadan ceasefire agreement in March, after which Thai Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai insisted that all violence must stop before talks resume. The BRN responded with a March 9 attack on Narathiwat's Sungai Kolok District Office, wounding 12 people and killing two volunteer defense officers. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Pierce Brosnan's Wife Lost 120 Pounds - This Is Her Now Undo The second major incident came after the April 18 killing of senior BRN member Abdulroning Lateh, which saw the insurgents escalate beyond the rules of engagement in conflict by targeting civilians. A brutal attack came on May 2 when a gunman shot dead at least three people in a residential area of Narathiwat province, including a 9-year-old girl, a 75-year-old man and a 76-year-old blind woman. In response, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra deployed more troops to the region to bolster security. Last week, Deputy PM Phumtham Wechayachai said that the Thai government is willing to engage in peace talks. Thaksin vows to achieve peace Tita Sanglee, an associate fellow at Singapore's ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, believes both politicians' efforts are symbolic rather than practical. "Paetongtarn and Phumtham's peace efforts are more symbolic than substantive. We all know that the situation on the ground is not really conducive to peace," she told DW. "Phumtham's stance, at least early on, was quite tough. He was basically saying, 'we won't engage in talks unless the BRN proves its legitimacy by ending violence on the ground'." "I see this largely as a way to shift scrutiny onto the insurgents and ultimately to shield the young and inexperienced prime minister," Sanglee said, suggesting that controlling the narrative seems to be the government's priority. Thaksin Shinawatra, who was Thai PM when the insurgency renewed in 2004, has also become involved to help find a solution. He visited the region in February and said that he expects to see a complete end to the unrest by next year. What is Malaysia's role in finding peace? Thailand's ruling Pheu Thai party, which is strongly influenced by Thaksin, has since faced pressure to act. Tita said the former PM's pledge has pushed the government to respond. "In light of Thaksin's public pledge to end the Deep South's unrest by next year, there's a real need for the Pheu Thai government to demonstrate that it is taking the issue seriously and is actually doing something," she told DW. Thaksin is an informal adviser to ASEAN chair Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the prime minister of Malaysia, which has been urged to take a greater role in peace efforts. The last official meeting about a peace solution between Thai government representatives and the BRN was in June 2024. But in a post on social media this month, Paetongtarn said Malaysia is now crucial for any upcoming rounds of peace talks. Anthony Davis, a Bangkok-based security analyst, said Malaysia could have more of an impact on reducing the hostilities. "The Malaysians could arguably be doing more in terms of reining in BRN. Some elements almost certainly knew in advance that a Ramadan offensive was coming and apparently did nothing to head it off," he told DW, adding that Malaysia's role as "facilitator" limits its actions. "There are also questions as to how far PM Anwar is focused on the Patani issue and whether he could afford the domestic political blowback of hard-knuckle moves against BRN leadership inside Malaysia when ultimately this is a Thai problem," he added. Don Pathan believes Thailand should look at the BRN proposal, rather than relying on Malaysia. "Malaysia is not exactly an honest broker; Malaysia is a stakeholder. The country shares the same border and the same religious and cultural similarities as the Malays of Patani," he told DW. Pathan suggested that the Thai government should take seriously the BRN's counterproposal made in February, which included "setting up a negotiating team, releasing political prisoners, and allowing international observers to monitor a ceasefire." "The BRN has said it is willing to negotiate under the Thai Constitution. BRN and the Patani Malays are willing to be part of the Thai state. But it has to be on their terms," he added.
DW
20-05-2025
- Politics
- DW
Will Thailand's deep south ever see lasting peace? – DW – 05/20/2025
Conflict in Thailand's deep south has persisted for more than two decades. With violence surging again this year, can lasting peace finally be achieved? Since January 2004, Thailand's deep south has seen ongoing conflict between separatist groups seeking greater autonomy and Thai military forces. The violence is largely confined to the country's three southernmost provinces, Narathiwat, Pattani and Yala — home to a Muslim Malay majority in the predominantly Buddhist nation. The region is located along the Thai-Malaysia border, and has seen over 23,000 violent incidents, leading to more than 7,000 deaths, according to Deep South Watch, a local think tank. The Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), the dominant separatist group, has been implicated in attacks targeting civilians, including Buddhist monks and schoolteachers, according to Human Rights Watch. Deadly attacks escalate conflict Between January and early May this year, 38 violent incidents were recorded — almost as many as in all of 2024. Don Pathan, a Thailand-based security analyst, points to two attacks as key escalations. Why is Thailand expelling Uyghur asylum seekers to China now To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The first came after Thailand's National Security Council and the BRN failed to reach a Ramadan ceasefire agreement in March, after which Thai Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai insisted that all violence must stop before talks resume. The BRN responded with a March 9 attack on Narathiwat's Sungai Kolok District Office, wounding 12 people and killing two volunteer defense officers. The second major incident came after the April 18 killing of senior BRN member Abdulroning Lateh, which saw the insurgents escalate beyond the rules of engagement in conflict by targeting civilians. A brutal attack came on May 2 when a gunman shot dead at least three people in a residential area of Narathiwat province, including a 9-year-old girl, a 75-year-old man and a 76-year-old blind woman. In response, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra deployed more troops to the region to bolster security. And last week, Deputy PM Phumtham Wechayachai said that the Thai government is willing to engage in peace talks. Thaksin vows to achieve peace Tita Sanglee, an associate fellow at Singapore's ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, believes both politicians' efforts are symbolic rather than practical. "Paetongtarn and Phumtham's peace efforts are more symbolic than substantive. We all know that the situation on the ground is not really conducive to peace," she told DW. "Phumtham's stance, at least early on, was quite tough. He was basically saying, 'we won't engage in talks unless the BRN proves its legitimacy by ending violence on the ground.'" "I see this largely as a way to shift scrutiny onto the insurgents — and ultimately to shield the young and inexperienced prime minister," Sanglee said, suggesting that controlling the narrative seems to be the government's priority. Thaksin Shinawatra, who was Thai PM when the insurgency renewed in 2004, has also become involved to help find a solution. He visited the region in February and said that he expects to see a complete end to the unrest by next year. What is Malaysia's role in finding peace? Thailand's ruling Pheu Thai party, which is strongly influenced by Thaksin, has since faced pressure to act. Tita said the former PM's pledge has pushed the government to respond. "In light of Thaksin's public pledge to end the Deep South's unrest by next year, there's a real need for the Pheu Thai government to demonstrate that it is taking the issue seriously and is actually doing something," she told DW. Thaksin is an informal adviser to ASEAN chair Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the prime minister of Malaysia, which has been urged to take a greater role in peace efforts. Thaksin Shinawatra remains a central figure in Thai politics, exerting influence despite his ousting from power 19 years ago Image: Lillian Suwanrumpha/AFP/Getty Images The last official meeting about a peace solution between Thai government representatives and the BRN was in June 2024. But in a post on social media this month, Paetongtarn said Malaysia is now crucial for any upcoming rounds of peace talks. Anthony Davis, a Bangkok-based security analyst, said Malaysia could have more of an impact on reducing the hostilities. "The Malaysians could arguably be doing more in terms of reining in BRN. Some elements almost certainly knew in advance that a Ramadan offensive was coming and apparently did nothing to head it off," he told DW, adding that Malaysia's role as "facilitator" limits its actions. "There are also questions as to how far PM Anwar is focused on the Patani issue and whether he could afford the domestic political blowback of hard-knuckle moves against BRN leadership inside Malaysia when ultimately this is a Thai problem," he added. Don Pathan believes Thailand should look at the BRN proposal, rather than relying on Malaysia. "Malaysia is not exactly an honest broker; Malaysia is a stakeholder. The country shares the same border and the same religious and cultural similarities as the Malays of Patani," he told DW. Pathan suggested that the Thai government should take seriously the BRN's counterproposal made in February, which included "setting up a negotiating team, releasing political prisoners, and allowing international observers to monitor a ceasefire." "The BRN has said it is willing to negotiate under the Thai Constitution. BRN and the Patani Malays are willing to be part of the Thai state. But it has to be on their terms," he added. New Thai prime minister third in family to hold office To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Edited by: Keith Walker
