Southern Thailand’s insurgent group wants power, not just peace talks — even with Malaysia at the table

In a rare interview, Nikmatullah Seri of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) reaffirmed the group's commitment to its ongoing insurgency in southern Thailand, stating that the struggle will persist until their goal of independence is met.

The BRN's conflict, aimed at establishing an independent Islamic state, has resulted in over 7,000 deaths since 2004.

Although peace talks mediated by Malaysia have been ongoing since 2013, they face frequent disruptions, with the latest Thai military fatalities prompting Bangkok to suspend dialogue.

Despite the unrest, Malaysia emphasizes the importance of a peaceful resolution while recognizing Thailand's sovereign jurisdiction.

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 — Two decades into an insurgency that has killed thousands in southern Thailand, the leader of the main Malay-Muslim separatist group vowed this week to keep fighting until its goals are achieved.

“This struggle will continue until the end of time,” Nikmatullah Seri, spokesman for the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) peace negotiation delegation, told AFP in a rare interview.

“As long as our objectives remain unachieved, we will continue to fight.”

Militants from BRN have fought for an independent Islamic nation in Thailand’s Muslim-majority south since the 1960s, although the current unrest began in 2004.

Thailand has been negotiating with the BRN under Malaysian mediation since 2013, with the most recent high-level talks taking place in December.

But the process has repeatedly stalled, and Bangkok suspended dialogue in July following an attack that killed five soldiers.

“The objective remains the same, which is the demand for independence,” Nikmatullah said in a hotel in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Syariah in the south

The southern region was once part of the former Malay-Muslim Patani sultanate, but was annexed by Buddhist-majority Thailand, then Siam, in the early 1900s.

Since 2004, more than 7,000 people – militants, Thai security forces and civilians – have been killed, according to monitor Deep South Watch.

Nikmatullah neither confirmed nor denied the BRN’s responsibility for a recent flare-up in violence, but said it was the “driving force behind a struggle”.

He said the group has proposed a power-sharing arrangement with Bangkok, and implied the BRN would take office without elections.

“We want political power. That is, the BRN should be able to govern” over the region, spread across four Thai provinces near the Malaysia border.

It would be administered by Syariah police and courts following Islamic law — although only for Muslims, he said.

There would be a “transitional period of five or 10 years during which we govern”, he said.

“After that, we will hand it over to the people to choose democratically.”

Checkpoints, curfews

Nikmatullah said ethnic Malay Muslims face “obvious discrimination” against their language and culture, and “have never felt safe” — something Thailand has rejected.

Bangkok’s lead negotiator, Thanut Suvarnananda, told local media in August there was “no talk of secession at the negotiating table”.

Instead, Thanut – appointed in April – said ceasefire zones and reducing checkpoints and other security measures that disrupted daily life were under consideration.

Since 2005, the region has been administered under special security laws allowing Thai authorities to detain suspects without charge and impose curfews, drawing criticism from rights groups.

Nikmatullah said the BRN’s military wing recorded 1,000 fighter deaths over the past two decades, but said “warfare was a last resort”.

“We do not target vulnerable groups — our target is the government,” said the negotiator, who was born in southern Thailand and joined the BRN aged 18.

Last month, scores of coordinated nighttime attacks injured several people and damaged government property and private businesses.

In July, five Thai soldiers died in a shooting and bomb attack at a checkpoint that also injured six civilians, according to Thai authorities.

Nikmatullah would not say if the BRN was involved: “We are not intelligence agents for the colonisers.”

But the soldiers’ deaths caused Thailand to put dialogue “on hold”, the foreign ministry told AFP, while stressing it remained committed to the process.

In a statement, it said it was focused on a three-pronged approach to the south, “namely socio-economic development, maintenance of security and peace dialogue”.

Wearing a black leather jacket and songkok, a traditional black cap worn by Muslim men, he was vague about where he lives.

But he claimed the BRN has the support of local people and was funded by member donations.

Weapons were taken from its “enemies”, he said.

“We take them for free, because they’ve come here and are wreaking havoc on our land.”

Nikmatullah said the peace talks had been hampered by the absence of a Malaysian mediator, but said the BRN could potentially go to “back-channel negotiations” with Thailand in October.

In a statement to AFP, Malaysian Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the appointment of a new mediator was “under consideration”. He said Kuala Lumpur’s priority was a peaceful resolution.

“Malaysia respects Thailand’s sovereignty and recognises that matters concerning its citizens are within Thailand’s domestic jurisdiction,” Mohamed Khaled said.

He declined to apportion blame for the unrest, but said Malaysia would not allow itself “to be used as a refuge or hideout by any party that resorts to violence or rejects the peace process”.

Nikmatullah said the BRN was playing the long game.

“This is not a short-lived struggle. It will take a long time.” — AFP

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在一次罕见的采访中，民族革命阵线（BRN）的尼克马图拉·塞里重申了该组织对在泰国南部持续进行的叛乱活动的承诺，并表示这场斗争将持续下去，直到实现他们的独立目标。

自 2004 年以来，BRN 旨在建立一个独立的伊斯兰国家的冲突已造成 7000 多人死亡。

尽管马来西亚自 2013 年以来一直在斡旋和平谈判，但谈判经常受到干扰，最近泰国军方人员伤亡事件促使曼谷暂停了对话。

尽管局势动荡，马来西亚仍强调和平解决的重要性，同时承认泰国的主权管辖权。

吉隆坡，9 月 18 日——在泰国南部持续二十年的叛乱已造成数千人死亡，主要马来穆斯林分离主义组织的领导人本周誓言将继续战斗，直到实现其目标。

“这场斗争将持续到世界末日，”民族革命阵线（BRN）和平谈判代表团发言人尼克马图拉·塞里在接受法新社罕见采访时表示。

“只要我们的目标没有实现，我们就会继续战斗。”

自 20 世纪 60 年代以来，BRN 武装分子一直在泰国穆斯林占多数的南部地区为建立一个独立的伊斯兰国家而战，尽管目前的动乱始于 2004 年。

自 2013 年以来，泰国一直在马来西亚的斡旋下与 BRN 进行谈判，最近一次高级别会谈于 12 月举行。

但这一进程屡次陷入停滞，曼谷在7月发生造成5名士兵死亡的袭击事件后暂停了对话。

“我们的目标依然不变，那就是争取独立，”尼克马图拉在马来西亚首都吉隆坡的一家酒店里说道。

南方的伊斯兰教法

南部地区曾是马来穆斯林北大年苏丹国的一部分，但在 20 世纪初被佛教徒占多数的泰国（当时的暹罗）吞并。

据监测组织“深南观察”称，自 2004 年以来，已有超过 7000 人丧生，其中包括武装分子、泰国安全部队成员和平民。

尼克马图拉既没有证实也没有否认 BRN 对最近暴力事件的爆发负有责任，但他表示 BRN 是“这场斗争背后的驱动力”。

他说，该组织已向曼谷提出权力分享安排，并暗示BRN将无需选举即可上台​​执政。

“我们想要政治权力。也就是说，BRN应该能够统治”这个横跨泰国四个府、靠近马来西亚边境的地区。

他说，这项措施将由伊斯兰教法警察和法院按照伊斯兰教法进行管理，但仅限于穆斯林。

他说，将会有一个“五到十年的过渡期，在此期间我们将进行执政”。

“之后，我们将把权力交还给人民，让他们以民主的方式选择。”

检查站、宵禁

尼克马图拉表示，马来族穆斯林因其语言和文化而面临“明显的歧视”，并且“从未感到安全”——泰国对此予以否认。

曼谷首席谈判代表塔努特·苏瓦尔纳南达 (Thanut Suvarnananda) 8 月份告诉当地媒体，“谈判桌上没有谈到分裂问题”。

相反，今年 4 月上任的 Thanut 表示，政府正在考虑设立停火区、减少检查站以及其他扰乱日常生活的安全措施。

自 2005 年以来，该地区一直实行特殊的安全法，允许泰国当局在不提出指控的情况下拘留嫌疑人并实施宵禁，这引起了人权组织的批评。

尼克马图拉表示，BRN的军事部门在过去二十年中记录了1000名战士死亡，但他表示“战争是最后的手段”。

“我们不以弱势群体为目标——我们的目标是政府，”这位谈判代表说道。他出生于泰国南部，18 岁就加入了 BRN。

上个月，数十起有组织的夜间袭击造成多人受伤，政府财产和私人企业遭到破坏。

据泰国当局称，7月份，五名泰国士兵在检查站遭遇枪击和炸弹袭击身亡，另有六名平民受伤。

尼克马图拉不愿透露BRN是否参与其中：“我们不是殖民者的情报人员。”

但泰国外交部告诉法新社，士兵的死亡导致泰国暂停了对话，同时强调泰国仍然致力于这一进程。

声明中称，其对南方采取三管齐下的策略，“即社会经济发展、维护安全与和平对话”。

他身穿黑色皮夹克，头戴穆斯林男子佩戴的传统黑色帽子宋谷帽，对自己的居住地含糊其辞。

但他声称BRN得到了当地民众的支持，并且是由会员捐款资助的。

他说，武器是从“敌人”那里缴获的。

“我们免费接收它们，因为它们来到这里，正在破坏我们的土地。”

尼克马图拉表示，由于马来西亚调解人的缺席，和平谈判受到了阻碍，但他表示，BRN有可能在10月份与泰国进行“秘密渠道谈判”。

马来西亚国防部长拿督斯里穆罕默德·卡立·诺丁在接受法新社采访时表示，任命新的调解员“正在考虑之中”。他表示，吉隆坡的首要任务是和平解决问题。

“马来西亚尊重泰国的主权，并承认涉及其公民的事项属于泰国的国内管辖范围，”穆罕默德·哈立德说。

他拒绝就动乱的责任归属做出评判，但表示马来西亚不会允许自己“被任何诉诸暴力或拒绝和平进程的一方用作避难所或藏身之处”。

尼克马图拉表示，BRN 正在进行一场持久战。

“这不是一场短暂的斗争，它将持续很长时间。”——法新社

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