24 February 2017

News Story: (Thai) Army claims breakthrough 'safe zone' deal

The army has reached a breakthrough pact with the separatist supporters Mara Patani to create a "safety zone" in the deep South, the lead negotiator said on Wednesday

Whether such zones can actually be safe is questionable, since Mara Patani is based in Malaysia, and none of the groups on the ground has participated in talks.

Mara Patani officials were not immediately available for comment.

The government has been negotiating with Mara Pattani, a self-styled umbrella group that claims to speak for the insurgents but is based in Kuala Lumpur and consists of older separatists.

"Both sides have agreed to the creation of a safety zone in one of the three southern provinces to show their good faith," negotiator Maj Gen Sithi Trakulwong said Wednesday.

Read the full story at BangkokPost