On the evening of 10 March, at 7:10 p.m., ten armed separatists belonging to the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) entered the government office in the Su Ngai Kolok district of Narathiwat province. During the attack, two defence volunteers on duty were killed and eight others were injured. Three additional individuals in close proximity to the site sustained injuries. Two explosive ordinances (EO) were placed on the railway tracks in the vicinity, with a further device being placed in the Big C shopping mall in the district. These attacks are in the deep South of the country probably because of the cultural difference of the district. Thus, there are many Thai security forces deployed to improve the security of the district. This armed group has been targeting ethnic Malay Muslims, for example by sending threats, because of their cooperation with Thai authorities. This behavior is perceived by the insurgents as 'munafiq' (religious hypocrites). Human Rights Watch reports that the BRN attack - primarily on civilians - because of their idea that the occupation by the Thai Buddhist majority is illegitimate. The legitimacy of these attacks is further reinforced by the group's interpretation of Islam.
The Diplomat reports that the insurgency can be traced back to January 2024, when the BRN led a raid on the military base in Narathiwat, resulting in the death of four Thai soldiers. As the attacks persisted, the first attempt to initiate peace negotiations between the Thai government and the BRN was made in 2013. However, it was not until February 2024 that the two parties reached an in-principle agreement on a Joint Comprehensive Plan for the Reunification of the Country. This agreement was not well received by the military wing of the BRN, and the attacks persisted, indicating the presence of significant impediments to effective collaboration even within the BRN. The insurgents' historical motivations, which include the aspiration for a "sovereign and liberated Patani," are a contributing factor to the ongoing conflict. The term "Patani" refers to the four southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and Songkhla, which are predominantly inhabited by Muslims. Conversely, other insurgents advocate for a reconfiguration of the autonomy of these territories.
The Prime Minister Paethongtarn Shinawatra reported that the number of guards deployed will increase but that could be just a short-term solution. Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch asserted that these attacks constitute a component of the strategy employed by separatist insurgents to engender an atmosphere of terror, thereby ensuring the absence of any form of resistance from civilians and enabling the destruction of government facilities and property. However, it is asserted that these attacks constitute war crimes, and that those responsible for them must be prosecuted under international humanitarian law (IHL). In order to achieve a sustainable resolution to the ongoing conflict in the southern region of Thailand, it is essential that the government of Thailand ensures the full and fair prosecution of officials responsible for human rights violations.
