Southern Thai Muslim separatists say they will fight to the end to establish an independent Islamic state

As a rebellion that has killed thousands in Thailand's deep south enters its second decade, the leader of the predominantly Malay Muslim group said this week that the fight would continue until its objectives were met. "This revolution will continue until time runs out," Nikmatula Siriy, a spokesman for the Barisan Revolusi National (BRN) peace negotiation delegation, told AFP news agency in a rare interview. "We will continue to fight until our objectives are met," he added. The current unrest began in 2004, but BRN militants have been fighting since the 1960s to establish an independent Islamic state in the Muslim-majority south of Thailand. Thailand has been in talks with the BRN since 2013, with Malaysia mediating. The closest high-level talks were held in December. However, the negotiation process has stalled numerous times. Thailand suspended talks in July after an attack that killed five soldiers. "The objective of seeking independence remains the same," Nikmatula told AFP at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital. The southern region was once part of the Patani kingdom of Malay Muslims, but was annexed by Buddhist-majority Thailand, then known as Siam, in the early 1900s. More than 7,000 people have been killed since 2004, according to the Deep South Watch monitoring group. Militants, Thai security forces and civilians have died. Nikmatula neither confirmed nor denied that the BRN was responsible for recent acts of violence, saying it was the driving force behind the independence struggle. The BRN has proposed to Bangkok an agreement on power sharing, saying it would rule the region without needing to contest elections. "We want political power. With that power, the BRN can rule the region. We can extend governance to the four Thai provinces bordering Malaysia," he said. While Islamic law is for Muslims, he said the region would be governed by Sharia police and courts that adhere to Islamic law.