New Thai govt must continue peace talks with insurgents - Thai official

Move Forward Party leader Pita Limjaroenrat, holds hands with coalition party leaders during a press conference to announce the party's agreement with coalition partners in Bangkok, Thailand, May 22, 2023. REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/File Photo

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand's new government must continue engaging with insurgents in the country's south to ensure peace, a top Thai official involved in the talks said on Friday.

An alliance led by the progressive Move Forward party, which won this month's general election, says it will prioritise peace-building in the predominantly Muslim and ethnically Malay southern provinces, where conflict has flared on and off for decades.