'Safety zone' proposed for Thailand's troubled South

Thai military and Muslim militants mull initiative, locals sceptical

Scene of a motorcycle bomb attack in Thailand's southern province of Narathiwat.

MARWAAN MACAN-MARKAR, Asia regional correspondent

February 26, 2018 13:00 JST

PATTANI, Thailand -- After five years of intermittent and fruitless secret talks to end a Muslim insurgency in Thailand's southernmost provinces, the latest round in Kuala Lumpur in February has produced an agreement in principle between Thai military and Muslim militants to create a pilot "safety zone" to build mutual confidence.