Peace Talks Proceed Despite Continued Violence
In Feb. 2013, the government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra agreed to peace talks with leaders of the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN), one of the oldest and most formidable rebel insurgent groups operating in the country’s south. The provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat are ethnic Malays and form a Muslim majority. Resistance to Buddhist rule turned violent in 2004; since then more than 5,400 people have been killed.