Myanmar Court To Rule On Thai Drug, Arms Suspects Monday

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Myanmar court to rule on Thai drug, arms suspects Monday

Nantida Puangthong

Boonleun Promprathankul

The Nation

RANONG: -- A Myanmar court is expected to rule on the cases of 10 Thais charged with carrying war weapons and engaging in drug trafficking in Myanmar on Monday July 30, an informed source said yesterday.

"Myanmar military officials are now preparing the investigation report and gathering more evidence," the source said.

According to the source, if the Thais are convicted of possessing war weapons, they will face up to 20 years in jail. If they are found guilty of resisting officials, they may face life imprisonment.

These 10 Thai defendants are among 92 Thais who were already convicted of illegal entry and encroaching on forestland in Myanmar on July 23. That guilty verdict came with a jail term of three years and six months for each of them.

"The Myanmar court has not yet issued a ruling on the drugtrafficking and war weaponspossession cases," Foreign Minister Surapong Towichukchaikul said yesterday, "We are closely monitoring the cases."

The Thai Embassy in Myanmar has requested permission to visit the 92 detained Thais but has not yet received approval, he said.

"We will assist the Thai inmates with the appeal," Surapong said.

Weeratham Yimwan, a resident in Surat Thani's Khirirat Nikhom, said he hoped the government would be able to retrieve tractors, pickups, motorcycles, saws, and all gardening equipment of the detained Thais too. All these tools had been seized since the 92 Thais were arrested, Weeratham pointed out.

The commander of the 25th Infantry Regiment Task Force, Colonel Pornsak Pulsawat, speaking as head of the Township Border Committee in Ranong, said officials would first focus on trying to secure the release and return of the 92, before dealing with the return of the seized equipment.

Pornsak was now pinning his hopes on Myanmar President General Thein Sein's promise to look into these cases and provide assistance to the Thais. The Myanmar leader was quoted as giving the assurances to Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

It is believed that Thein Sein might consider granting pardons to the convicted Thais after the court issued the rulings.

"But there are many cases involved. The process may take time," Pornsak said.

-- The Nation 2012-07-28