Officials in southern Thailand advised reporters that Malaysia had delivered three suspected militants on Wednesday after Thai authorities and insurgent teams finished their negotiations. Reports say it was their first in-person peace talk in nearly two years.
The rare handover marked the primary official switch of convicts linked to the ethnic and non secular separatist insurgency in Thailand’s Deep South region close to the Malaysian border in almost 25 years.
According to the Internal Security Operations Command of Thailand, authorities had taken custody of three suspected insurgents who fled to Malaysia after perpetrating crimes in the Deep South. Reports say they have been caught by Malaysia’s sixth Infantry Division on unlawful routes close to Durian Burung, Kedah State final month.
Authorities mentioned the three suspects had legal information and identified them as members of Runda Kumpulan Kecil, a combat squad for the Barisan Revolusi Nasional insurgent group.
Further investigation has been launched by the police into the insurgents who converse Malay and have been identified to seek refuge over the border for a very long time.
The transfer happened on the Sadao border crossing in southern Songkhla province, on the Thai-Malaysia border. Gift claimed that the handover had nothing to do with the peace talks.
The president of a civil society group in Southern Thailand, The Patani, stated, “We don’t have any indication if the handover of the three was linked to the peace talks, or that the trio was opposed to the talks.”
According to sources, the final rebels that Malaysia turned over were three main commanders of the PULO insurgent group in 1997..