Thailand fears fresh violence in South after dubious 'ceasefire'

Bangkok: Thailand feared a spike in violence in its Muslim deep south on Friday after an unknown rebel group announced a "ceasefire" dismissed by some analysts as a hoax.

The surprise announcement by the so-called Thailand United Southern Underground on Thursday was rubbished by security experts and ex-army commanders who said its leaders had no influence in the region, where more than 3,000 people have been killed since 2004.

"It's a hoax and it could make matters much worse," Sunai Phasuk of Human Rights Watch said.

"People in the south are angry and depressed. They expect there will be more attacks because local rebel commanders will take it as an insult to their struggle," he said.

More attacks

Former army officers in the region said the "ceasefire", which an ex-defence minister said he had negotiated with eleven insurgent groups, expressed similar fears.

"Active groups may intensify their attacks on troops and civilians to show that they don't listen to this group," Kitti Rattanachaya, a former southern army commander, said.

The shadowy rebels have never revealed themselves publicly or claimed responsibility for the near daily bomb and gun attacks in the major rubber-producing region bordering Malaysia.

Three hours after Thursday's broadcast, rebels wounded one soldier in an ambush on an army patrol in Yala, one of three southernmost provinces where Malay Muslims make up the majority of the population.