Monday, July 23, 2012

Thais to be tried in Burmese court

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Monday, 23 July 2012 16:58 Mizzima News

Ninety-two Thais now held for trespass and encroachment into Burma opposite Ranong Province will appear in a Burmese court on July 27, Thai officials said on Monday.

A typical Burmese rubber plantation in Mon State. Photo: IMNA

The Thais, who were arrested on July 4, are charged with offenses ranging from illegal entry to illegal possession of firearms and drugs.

The spokesman said the court is expected to give its verdict on the same day, and he was confident the Burmese judicial system would ensure them justice.

Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul earlier this month raised the matter in discussions with his Burmese counterpart at a meeting in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra also raised the issue with Burmese President Thein Sein, who is now in Thailand on a three-day visit.

On July 10, Mizzima reported that the Thais were accused of setting up a rubber plantation inside Burmese territory.

The Burmese army arrested the Thais and seized a large cache of arms and ammunition and vehicles in an area of Kawthoung Township, Taninthayi Region, said the Burmese state-run newspaper, The New Light of Myanmar.

The newspaper said the Thais were involved in working on rubber plantations and had built a road connecting to Thai territory.

The Thai detainees were rubber farming on a commercial scale and held arms and ammunitions for their security, said the article.

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