Thai government-BRN peace talks to continue

BANGKOK, July 11 (TNA) - Deputy Prime Minister Police General Pracha Promnok has confirmed that peace talks between the Thai government, through the National Security Council (NSC), and representatives of insurgent groups in the Thai far South, led by the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) insurgency movement, will continue despite continual violence in the Thai deep South. Police General Pracha made the confirmation on Thursday, noting that the peace talks will be carried on for the assessment of developments in the troubled Thai far South, and that the government is waiting for further developments after the BRN group has delayed its truce announcement. Meanwhile, violent unrest has continued in the Thai far South although the Ramadan month of Muslim fast entered the second day on Thursday, with a roadside bombing injuring eight soldiers in Yala province. The eight soldiers were patrolling a road on their GMC truck to secure a transport route for local teachers in Yala's Raman district when a buried bomb was detonated, damaging the military truck and wounding the eight officers. An Interior Ministry inspector, Nisit Jansomgwong, acknowledged that his ministry has increased the number of territorial defence volunteers in the southern border Thai region by 2,700, in compliance with the Cabinet's resolution on February 12, 2013, to replace soldiers who have been withdrawn from areas where violence is relieved to be in line with the government's policy on having administrators and police to take charge of security operations while soldiers will play back-up roles. (TNA)