MOSCOW, November 27 (Sputnik) — In the July 2012 attack, 18 gunmen opened fire on six military patrol members amid separatist insurgencies in the Pattani province, mainly in Mayo district. About 80 percent of the district's population are Malay Muslims.
According to Andalou, police stepped up security around government buildings and schools in anticipation of protests by sympathizers after the four-hour trial came to an end.
Though progress in resolving the secessionist issue is slow, the Thai military, which currently rules the country, has expressed a willingness to commence a dialogue with separatist leaders, adding that the talks would be held in secret and not in view of the press, Anadolu reported.
Since January 2004, a separatist insurgency in Thailand has resulted in over 6,000 deaths, most of them civilian.