Thai army denies supplying rice to Myanmar forces

[rooster59]

FILE PHOTO: Protesters run during a crackdown of an anti-coup protests at Hlaing Township in Yangon, Myanmar March 17, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand’s army has denied supplying rice to units of Myanmar’s armed forces and said on Saturday any food being sent over the border was part of normal trade.

Myanmar's military is facing international condemnation over a Feb. 1 coup and bloody crackdowns on protests against military rule in which nearly 250 people have been killed.

Thailand has voiced concern over the bloodshed.

Direct Thai assistance to the Myanmar military would likely draw criticism from supporters of the ousted government that was led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The Nobel peace laureate has been detained in Myanmar since the coup.

Thai media reported that the Thai army had supplied 700 sacks of rice to Myanmar army units on Myanmar's eastern border, citing an unidentified security official as saying it was on the orders of the Thai government.

"The Thai army is not supplying the Myanmar army and there has been no contact from the Myanmar army requesting help or demanding any assistance from us because they have their own honour,” Major General Amnat Srimak, commander of the Naresuan Force, said in a statement.

"If there is anything, I think there is regular commerce at normal border crossings," Amnat said. "We are not blocking this if the conduct is not against the law and follows customs procedures.”

A Thai government spokesman did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Myanmar’s army did not answer calls seeking comment.

Thai media said the Myanmar army units being supplied near the border had been cut off by forces of the Karen National Union (KNU), an ethnic minority insurgent group that agreed to a ceasefire with the Myanmar government in 2012.

A KNU spokesman declined to comment. The KNU has thrown its support behind Myanmar's democracy movement and condemned the military's coup and crackdown.

The Myanmar junta has defended its coup saying a Nov. 8 election won by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy was fraudulent and its claims were ignored by the electoral commission. It has promised a new election but has not set a date.

Thai media showed pictures of what appeared to be bags of rice being loaded into trucks at the border. Pictures seen by Reuters showed men, some in camouflage uniform, crossing into Thailand and having their temperatures checked.

Movement between Thailand and Myanmar has been severely restricted since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, with limited trade. Residents told a Reuters reporter the crossing shown in the pictures was not a normal trade route.

(Reporting by Reuters staff; Editing by David Holmes and Christina Fincher)

-- © Copyright Reuters 2021-03-21

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

[YetAnother]

4 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Residents told a Reuters reporter the crossing shown in the pictures was not a normal trade route.

so another thai official , saying it was normal, was caught out in Another lie

[Thaiwrath]

4 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Thailand’s army has denied

As soon as you see the "D" word, you can't help but think it's true, which it probably is, sadly.

[ThailandRyan]

Add in the fact that the Myanmar Military is murdering protestors and now you have a new age Khmer Rouge and Serbia being rolled out.  Will Thailand give the Myanmar people who are fleeing the country true sanctuary and asylum, and what about those already here that can not return for fear of reprisals from the military.  Not like they have not already done this to the Rohingya that they are denying.  I guess the Military needs the rice to feed themselves because they have already rolled through the townships and confiscated all they can from the people.

[PatOngo]

14 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

Thai media reported that the Thai army had supplied 700 sacks of rice to Myanmar army units on Myanmar's eastern border, citing an unidentified security official as saying it was on the orders of the Thai government.

Nothing would surprise me! Despots supplying despots! Birds of a feather!

[herfiehandbag]

Interesting that the Karen forces have managed to cut off and isolate elements of the Myanmar Army.

Perhaps these are the ones which are being supplied.

Got to help your besties

[ezzra]

birds of a feather flock together... 'Nuff said...

[mtls2005]

I mean there are pictures...

 

But Thai authorities now say that this is "normal trade".

 

Lot's of gold said to be heading west as well.

[jollyhangmon]

Interesting article:

Myanmar coup: The shadowy business empire funding the Tatmadaw

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56133766

[Misterwhisper]

Every major news agency in the world reported on this independently. But of course they ALL got it wrong.

Or did they?

I mean, the Thai military does not exactly have a trustworthy historical record when it comes to denying things that later turned out to be fact:

- There were *no* snipers deployed during the 2010 Redshirt protests

- There will be *no* coup

- The navy is *not* turning back Rohingya refugees in their boats

- Military personnel is *not* involved in human trafficking in the south

- etc. etc. etc.  

Edited March 21, 2021 by Misterwhisper

[trainman34014]

One bunch of Military Thieves and Criminals feeding another is no big surprise is it; no doubt the Thai Junta will strike another medal for themselves for the  'bravery' in supplying food to 'Comrades in Arms' !

[Surelynot]

7 hours ago, ThailandRyan said:

Will Thailand give the Myanmar people who are fleeing the country true sanctuary and asylum

No....but they will certainly offer them back-breaking work at ridiculously low levels of pay.

[metisdead]

A post with a link to a questionable source has been reported and removed, the replies were removed as well. 

[ThailandRyan]

4 hours ago, jollyhangmon said:

Interesting article:

Myanmar coup: The shadowy business empire funding the Tatmadaw

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-56133766

Any difference between there and here with the Golf courses, boxing venues and others run by the Thai military is just a tiny bit of a coincidence 

[ChipButty]

Its bullets not rice he said

[Burma Bill]

8 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

see the "D" word

 One Junta Dictator assisting another in Burma???

[simon43]

8 hours ago, herfiehandbag said:

Interesting that the Karen forces have managed to cut off and isolate elements of the Myanmar Army.

Perhaps these are the ones which are being supplied.

Got to help your besties

Have you got any links to this news (about the Karen army recent activities)?  Thanks.

[Cake Monster]

If this is true, its a very damning report on the Thai Government and the Thai Army

 

[hotchilli]

9 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Thai media said the Myanmar army units being supplied near the border had been cut off by forces of the Karen National Union (KNU),

Being supplied, says it all.

[Burma Bill]

9 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Myanmar's military is facing international condemnation over a Feb. 1 coup and bloody crackdown

 

 An interesting "sideline" which I am sure the despot Generals were not expecting (quote from The Daily Asian Page 21 March 2021):-

 

"Since the coup, some protesters have launched an online campaign to denounce family members (including children) and associates of the junta in Myanmar and beyond - and spotlight those living comfortably in democratic nations far from the bloody chaos at home.

 

Organizers say it is a non-violent way to put pressure on the junta to reverse the coup and return Myanmar to democracy.

 

"The military understands one language. That is pressure," said ..................., a member of the Burmese community in Australia who was among a group that has gone to Canberra to urge the government to sanction people affiliated with the junta.

 

"Social punishment is effective as it shakes up the junta, getting them to rethink what they are doing."

[herfiehandbag]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

Have you got any links to this news (about the Karen army recent activities)?  Thanks.

The OP.

[metisdead]

A post containing content quoted from a news source without a supporting link has been removed. 

[ThailandRyan]

https://apnews.com/article/myanmar-india-immigration-asia-narendra-modi-91f8546a791c8ba14c27f939354f9155

 

The Myanmar police are also fleeing into India and asking for asylum.  

Edited March 21, 2021 by ThailandRyan

[Mavideol]

 

10 hours ago, rooster59 said:

Thailand’s army has denied supplying rice to units of Myanmar’s armed forces

nobody should expect them to say they did.... even when caught with their hand in the candy jar they still denying it

[Mavideol]

1 hour ago, Cake Monster said:

If this is true, its a very damning report on the Thai Government and the Thai Army

 

unfortunately they don't care about their image.... same same or very similar to Thai 2014

[Artisi]

Is there money in supplying rice to the Burmese military?

 

 

Is there any need for more discussion regarding the above? 

[Artisi]

1 hour ago, Burma Bill said:

 

 An interesting "sideline" which I am sure the despot Generals were not expecting (quote from The Daily Asian Page 21 March 2021):-

 

"Since the coup, some protesters have launched an online campaign to denounce family members (including children) and associates of the junta in Myanmar and beyond - and spotlight those living comfortably in democratic nations far from the bloody chaos at home.

 

Organizers say it is a non-violent way to put pressure on the junta to reverse the coup and return Myanmar to democracy.

 

"The military understands one language. That is pressure," said ..................., a member of the Burmese community in Australia who was among a group that has gone to Canberra to urge the government to sanction people affiliated with the junta.

 

"Social punishment is effective as it shakes up the junta, getting them to rethink what they are doing."

Social punishment directed at the Burmese junta will have exactly the same effect it has on the current Thai "government" - absolutely none. 

[Surelynot]

44 minutes ago, Artisi said:

Is there money in supplying rice to the Burmese military?

 

 

Is there any need for more discussion regarding the above? 

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data.

 

Einstein would have been shafted.......he never measured anything in his life!!!

[Artisi]

20 minutes ago, Surelynot said:

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data.

 

Einstein would have been shafted.......he never measured anything in his life!!!

Well it was a rhetorical question, was any data needed? ????

[Surelynot]

2 hours ago, Artisi said:

Well it was a rhetorical question, was any data needed? ????

Absolutely......Millikan spent  10 years trying to disprove his theory for the photoelectric effect and Eddington spent 10 years trying to 'prove' his theory of general relativity.......all based on data.