[Myanmar] Thai Victims Of Land Scam Detained In Myanmar

[webfact]

Thai victims of land scam detained in Myanmar

RANONG, July 6 – Thai and Lao rubber workers being held in Myanmar by that countries authorities reportedly have been misled and victimized by brokers telling them the land—inside Myanmar—was in Thailand and that it was available for sale and settlement.

Talks between the Thai military and the Myanmar authorities in this border zone are continuing in an attempt to release 80 Thai and Lao nationals detained across the border for forest encroachment, but 18 of the group reportedly escaped.

The initial investigation found that the Thai and Lao workers were defrauded by brokers to buy plots of land at a cheap price but they did not realise that the land was Myanmar territory.

According to the report, three companies of Myanmar troops detained the Thai and Lao nationals who allegedly cut trees and were clearing the area to plant new rubber plantations in Myanmar territory.

An unknown number of workers are believed still hidden in the forest waiting to return to Thailand but some reports said there were hundreds.

The area was identified as Myanmar's Koh Song, opposite Ranong's Kra Buri district.

The workers were detained on Wednesday at 6.30pm. Three Thais escaped at that time and informed the Thai authorities.

The Tepsatree Task Force was negotiating with the Myanmar authorities to release the detainees and an answer is expected in several days. However, contact is being made hourly to track progress.

The negotiation group which entered Myanmar to observe the situation reported that the authorities there are taking good care of the detainees, whom they said were not under arrest. Myanmar authorities wanted to inform them that the area was not Thai territory and warned them earlier, but the warning was ignored. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-07-06

[geovalin]

When it happens at the Cambodian border and if the trespassers are Cambodian, Thai army shots them to kill. Fortunately Burmese army is more civilized and did not kill Thai workers yet.

[Cardiff1963]

Any one looking for the brokers?

[webfact]

Govt seeks release of more than 80 Thais captured in Myanmar

THE NATION

RANONG: -- Officials in Ranong province are seeking to negotiate the release of more than 80 Thai nationals caught by Myanmar authorities on Wednesday for encroaching into their land.

The first round of talks between the two military units, held yesterday afternoon via two-way radio, failed, turning the issue into a bilateral one.

News reports did not cite any reasons behind this failure other than that the matter is snowballing bilaterally. Thai authorities have been trying to talk their Myanmar counterparts into relocating the detainees to an area closer to the border, but have not received any replies yet.

Rations have been made available by the Kra Buri district office and were delivered to the detainees yesterday evening.

Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul said the detainees had been duped into planting rubber trees in a large plot of land and settling there by an unnamed person, who allegedly said that he had sought permission from Myanmar authorities. Surapong said the prisoners were safe and they should not be detained for much longer.

A number of ministry officials have been dispatched to Ranong to coordinate with Myanmar officials and help take care of the detainees' welfare, he added.

Commander of Fourth Army Area, Lt-General Udomchai Thammasaroj, said a senior Myanmar military commander would meet his Thai counterpart today to discuss the issue and find a solution.

Deputy Prime Minister General Yuthasak Sasiprapha said this issue had not affected bilateral ties and that Myanmar President Thein Sein would still visit Thailand on July 22-24 as scheduled.

Authorities believe that hundreds of Thai nationals are either stranded or hiding on the other side of the border after Myanmar officials cracked down on alleged encroachers on Wednesday afternoon.

Officials and Thai nationals, who have fled home, said more than 300 Thai families have cleared forests and set up a community in the area between the Thai-Myanmar border across from Ranong's Kra Buri district. They also said that about 800 Thai nationals were in hiding after the crackdown.

Colonel Pornsak Poolsawat, commander of the 25th Infantry Regiment's Taskforce, said Thai authorities were still waiting for a chance to negotiate the release of the detainees.

Ranong Deputy Governor Patthawee Paratkhajariya said Pornsak, who chairs the joint Thai-Myanmar Border Committee, was prepared to hold talks and was hoping to have the detainees released as soon as possble.

He said the Kra Buri district chief had been instructed to have a medical team on standby in case Thai nationals get wounded while trying to flee back home across the border.

-- The Nation 2012-07-07

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Detained Thais to face charges: Myanmar state media

YANGON, July 10, 2012 (AFP) - Dozens of Thai nationals will face charges in neighbouring Myanmar after they were held for illegally crossing the border to run rubber plantations, state media said Tuesday.

Nine women and 52 men detained during a Myanmar army sweep in a southern border region were "safe, but to face charges", according to a report in the state mouthpiece New Light of Myanmar.

The newspaper detailed weapons seized -- including nine assault rifles, 11 "homemade" guns and a landmine -- but said no shots were fired during the raids in the country's southeastern Tanintharyi region.

"The Thai detainees have encroached upon Myanmar's territory and worked rubber farming on a commercial scale and held arms and ammunitions for their security," the English language newspaper said, adding that Thailand had been informed through "diplomatic means".

One of Thailand's deputy prime ministers, Yutthasak Sasiprapa, put the number of detained at 49 and said officials from the Thai border province of Ranong would negotiate for their release.

But he said the task would be complicated because the Myanmar army had found both illicit drugs and arms.

"They trespassed onto Myanmar soil to work and planted marijuana, while Myanmar has also seized weapons. But I am convinced they will be freed before President Thein Sein's official visit," he said, referring to the Myanmar leader's previously delayed visit to Bangkok, now set for July 22.

Many poor Myanmar nationals stream across the porous 2,400 kilometre (1,500 mile) border between the two countries in search of employment in affluent Thailand. Movement by Thais into impoverished Myanmar is rarely reported.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-07-10

[Moruya]

Armed and growing ganja as well as trespasing on foreign soil.

Can't see this being a 5 minute fix - whatever Surapong might think