KUALA LUMPUR: Thailand yesterday held its first formal peace talks with a rebel group from its insurgency-racked south as a bombing killed three people in a stark reminder of the difficulties negotiators face.
The talks with representatives of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) insurgent group, expected to last one day, were to focus on reducing bloodshed, said Thai National Security Council chief Paradorn Pattanatabut, warning the overall peace process would take time.
“Today’s main focus is to reduce violence. Today we will focus on building mutual trust and good relations,” Paradorn told reporters before the talks in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.
“I am confident that they will communicate our message to their militants but because BRN is a large organization we have to give them some time.”
Several shadowy groups are waging the insurgency in Thailand’s southernmost Muslim-majority provinces bordering Malaysia.
