13 Myanmar Soldiers Killed In Ranong Border Clash

[webfact]

13 Myanmar soldiers killed in border clash
The Nation

RANONG: -- Thirteen Myanmar soldiers were killed and two others went missing in a clash with unidentified armed forces at the border area of southern Ranong province, the same location where 92 Thais were arrested last year, a Thai military officer said yesterday.

The incident took place at Ban Intaninkuang opposite Ban Klongkra Nai of Ranong's Kra Buri district, said Colonel Kriangkrai Srirak, the commander of the special task force of the 25th Infantry Department.

Myanmar's military earlier informed their Thai counterparts in Ranong that 13 members of the 592nd Rapid Deployment Company lost contact with their command post.

There was a report that a number of Thai nationals were admitted to a hospital in Chumpon after the clash, another Thai officer said, suggesting the injured Thai villagers might have been involved in the attack.

Myanmar authorities arrested 92 Thais in July last year in the area of Ban Intaninkuang for encroaching on Myanmar territory. Eighty-eight of them were eventually released but the rest have been detained on weapons and drug-trafficking charges.

The Thai military was unable to identify whom the Myanmar troops were fighting and were waiting for information from the Myanmar side, the colonel said.


-- The Nation 2013-04-06

[chainarong]

The only thing I have to say , Thailand you are running a cross boarder gas pipe line for power and you have this going on in your back yard plus major insurgency problems, risk assessment must be on the <snip> again.

[wired]

13 killed by an 'unidentified armed forces'?? Curious that Thai officers never know anything...

[chainarong]

13 killed by an 'unidentified armed forces'?? Curious that Thai officers never know anything...

Ballistic's would tell the story, it's also a high number, walk into a well set up ambush.

[Tomtomtom69]

OMG and I thought that area was safe?! Just as the Myanmar authorities were about to open up overland access from Kawthoung to Dawei...

Hopefully the authorities can get the situation under control and make sure it never happens again (at least not anywhere along the Thai border, due to the huge tourism potential on the Myanmar side).

[DLock]

So, the Thai Military is aware of a group of "unidentified armed forces" that are clearly armed and trained to kill 13 Myanmar soldiers without sustaining and injury? And they cannot identify them and need to ask the "Myanmar side" who they were? And tries to blame Thai Villagers?

Hmmmmmmm.....

Dear Yingluck,

You know that gas pipeline that you need for Thailand's electrical needs?

Well, consider it closed indefinitely.

Set your aircon to whatever you want. It wont work.

Regards

Myanmar Government.

[LarryBird]

America's fault.

[Banzai99]

I suggest a full ThaiVisa investigation into the matter.

[wotchit]

OMG and I thought that area was safe?! Just as the Myanmar authorities were about to open up overland access from Kawthoung to Dawei...

Hopefully the authorities can get the situation under control and make sure it never happens again (at least not anywhere along the Thai border, due to the huge tourism potential on the Myanmar side).

Don't kid yourself. The ceasefires with the ethnic groups (who generally live on the borders of Burma) is barely holding and the Burmese military is actively kicking people off their ancestoral lands as they please. Know for a fact that the Karen's (who I'm pretty sure live in that part of the world) are getting mighty pissed off with the Burmese. Wouldn't surprise me if one of local commanders had enough and decided to take action.

Burmese military launched another attack on the Kachin's yesterday, despite promises that it was all "peace and love" now.

If you think the fightings over in Burma, you're kidding yourself I'm afraid.

[webfact]

Foreign Minister confirms no clash or casualties at Thai-Myanmar border in Ranong; only a misunderstanding /MCOT

[Arkady]

Unidentified Thais crossed the border and murdered Burmese soldiers? No, not us. Please don't tarnish our image. Must have been those damned Rohingyas or perhaps just a misunderstanding or another honest mistake. Please tell the soldiers' families that they misunderstood that their loved ones died.

Edited April 6, 2013 by Arkady

[wotchit]

Soooooo.....we have a story where named Burmese military commanders are quoted and a specific figure on dead and "several missing" is cited and.......it's a misunderstanding?

That's some misunderstanding.

"&lt;deleted&gt;?" seems appropriate.

Edited April 6, 2013 by wotchit

[Locationthailand]

So Burma claims they lost some men against 'dark forces' - presumably on their side of the fence. So why are Thailand being accused of....? If the Burmese are on Thailand's side of the fence and some people disappeared, then perhaps the drug mafia's will be sleeping better tonight.

[Curt1591]

You mean that Burma has MIBs too?!

[Jiu-Jitsu]

Is the Foreign Minister lying when he claims that it was just a bushfire which produced crackling sounds like gunshots and the soldiers just got lost?

Edited April 6, 2013 by Jiu-Jitsu

[bunuel]

This post hits the nail on the head. Burma has been rife with ethnic and religious tensions and hostilities for decades, and these problems will not vanish just because President Obama and Hillary Clinton have given the rulers there a free pass from prosecution for their massive human rights violations. Clearly Burma is part of the Asian " Great Game" between China and America, and the people of that country are just pawns in the game.

However, some of these pawns know how to fight for their rights, and they shall continue to do so even if the international community chooses to declare " mission accomplished ". Situation has echoes of Yugoslavia - strong central power was keeping a repressive lid on things, and now the genie is out of the bottle.

Not much Thais can do here, I am afraid, except pray that things don't fall apart completely.

OMG and I thought that area was safe?! Just as the Myanmar authorities were about to open up overland access from Kawthoung to Dawei...

Hopefully the authorities can get the situation under control and make sure it never happens again (at least not anywhere along the Thai border, due to the huge tourism potential on the Myanmar side).

Don't kid yourself. The ceasefires with the ethnic groups (who generally live on the borders of Burma) is barely holding and the Burmese military is actively kicking people off their ancestoral lands as they please. Know for a fact that the Karen's (who I'm pretty sure live in that part of the world) are getting mighty pissed off with the Burmese. Wouldn't surprise me if one of local commanders had enough and decided to take action.

Burmese military launched another attack on the Kachin's yesterday, despite promises that it was all "peace and love" now.

If you think the fightings over in Burma, you're kidding yourself I'm afraid.

[Chopperboy]

Yeh, could have been Al-CIA-da again!

America's fault.

[webfact]

13 Myanmar soldiers found after going missing at Thai-Myanmar border near Ranong, apparently lost in forest, no clash involved /MCOT

[Tywais]

You mean that Burma has MIBs too?!

Of course - Myanmarese in Black

[ZhouZhou]

America's fault.

???

you mean the unidentified armed forces are freedom fighters from an oppressed minority or so?

[LarryBird]

13 families raised a boy only to have to bury them. Parents aren't supposed to see their kids die.

[market trader]

I suggest a full ThaiVisa investigation into the matter.

Good idea . Every expert on every world problem is on this site.

[OzMick]

How embarrassing! Remedial map-reading course coming soon to an army near you.

[soi41]

13 families raised a boy only to have to bury them. Parents aren't supposed to see their kids die.

Take it easy Mr Softheart, the boys didn't get killed, just got lost in the woods!

However it makes you wonder, how much of the stuff we get from the media, can be trusted if not verified?

[Johpa]

"Don't kid yourself. The ceasefires with the ethnic groups (who generally live on the borders of Burma) is barely holding and the Burmese military is actively kicking people off their ancestoral lands as they please. Know for a fact that the Karen's (who I'm pretty sure live in that part of the world) are getting mighty pissed off with the Burmese. Wouldn't surprise me if one of local commanders had enough and decided to take action."

Ranong is not a Karen region. The Karen leadership is in shambles at the moment. And even when it was more united, the KNLA rarely attacked Burmese military units in such a manner, rarely took the offensive as they prefered autonomy to independence. Apart from the Kachin, the minority groups have capitulated and the military is taking advantage of the various ceasefires by entrenching itself in the minority areas.

[wotchit]

"Don't kid yourself. The ceasefires with the ethnic groups (who generally live on the borders of Burma) is barely holding and the Burmese military is actively kicking people off their ancestoral lands as they please. Know for a fact that the Karen's (who I'm pretty sure live in that part of the world) are getting mighty pissed off with the Burmese. Wouldn't surprise me if one of local commanders had enough and decided to take action."

Ranong is not a Karen region. The Karen leadership is in shambles at the moment. And even when it was more united, the KNLA rarely attacked Burmese military units in such a manner, rarely took the offensive as they prefered autonomy to independence. Apart from the Kachin, the minority groups have capitulated and the military is taking advantage of the various ceasefires by entrenching itself in the minority areas.

Aha, I stand corrected. Yep, know the KNU are in a right mess, also know that elements of the KNLA are getting fed up with what's going on.

Still, all irrelevant, because it was all a mistake. Quite how you make such a mistake is a bit confusing - but that's Burma for you.

[Dap]

Foreign Minister confirms no clash or casualties at Thai-Myanmar border in Ranong; only a misunderstanding /MCOT

I guess I "misunderstood" the 13 dead!

[Dap]

Is the Foreign Minister lying when he claims that it was just a bushfire which produced crackling sounds like gunshots and the soldiers just got lost?

Kinda' like a "cooking fire" started the killer blaze at Mae Surin.

Edited April 8, 2013 by Dap

[wotchit]

Foreign Minister confirms no clash or casualties at Thai-Myanmar border in Ranong; only a misunderstanding /MCOT

I guess I "misunderstood" the 13 dead!

Also guess that the Burmese Army is a pretty bad mob to work for.

13 guys go missing for a morning and they're commanders immediately write them off by the sound of it.

No "Leave no man behind" with the Tatmadaw.

[diddums]

Think it was a dispute over the fire photos.