BANGKOK – The opposition People’s Party has issued an open letter urging the government to resume peace talks with insurgent groups and called on the insurgents to immediately halt attacks on civilians and vulnerable individuals.
Open Letter Addresses All Sides Amid Renewed Violence in Deep South
Published on the party’s official Facebook page, the open letter was addressed to three key stakeholders: the government, the insurgents, and the general public. It followed a surge of violent incidents in the deep South of Thailand, particularly since the beginning of 2025.
The party highlighted that violence has notably increased in Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and four districts of Songkhla, especially over the past fortnight.
Rising Civilian Casualties Highlighted
The People’s Party expressed grave concern over what it described as a shift in targets by Malayu Muslim insurgent groups, who now appear to be attacking civilians uninvolved in the conflict. Victims have included monks, women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.
The letter listed the following recent attacks as examples:
18 April: A former Islamic teacher was shot dead while returning home from a mosque.22 April: A blind mother and her daughter were killed.2 May: An elderly person and a child were injured and killed.4 May: A male civilian was shot dead in Yaring District, Pattani.
