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| จาก อัลบั้มThe Straits Times |
BANGKOK - MALAY Muslim insurgents in southern Thailand announced they had unilaterally suspended attacks for a month on government targets and security forces in three districts, in what was described by a defense think tank as the first cease-fire of its kind in the six-year conflict.
The Pattani Malay Liberation Movement said in a statement it 'probably would be pleased to renew and extend the suspension of hostilities' that started June 10 if the Thai government indicated its 'commitment to a serious dialogue on the future of the southern provinces.'
The statement was sent to the defense consultancy IHS Jane's, which released a copy Monday. Thai officials reacted cautiously, saying they had no knowledge of any cease-fire. More than 4,000 people have been killed in Thailand's three southernmost provinces since an Islamist insurgency, apparently with separatist aims, erupted in 2004.
Government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said it does not recognize the insurgent groups but added that the government 'does not oppose any means that will mitigate the violence. We regard them as a good initiative.' However, he described the statement was 'nothing new.' In 2008, three little-known separatists exiled in Europe announced a unilateral cease-fire on behalf of an unknown group, but their claim was not taken seriously.
The Pattani Malay Liberation Movement was previously unknown, and purports to represent several insurgent organizations. Its statement was signed by Kasturi Mahkota, the Sweden-based foreign affairs chief for the Pattani United Liberation Organization - PULO - a long-established separatist group.
Much of the violence in the south has been attributed to newer organizations composed of loosely linked young militants, and it is unclear how much control PULO exercises over them. The insurgents inside Thailand have made no public pronouncements, but are thought to be fighting for an independent Muslim state. Their attacks target symbols of the state, including soldiers, government-run offices and businesses, as well as civilians. -- AP
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