Elephant Injured By Thai-Myanmar Border Landmine

By Khaosod Eng.

TAK — Medical workers have come to the aid of an elephant that stepped on a landmine along Thai - Myanmar border in northern Thailand.

Plai Puu Cha, 17-year-old elephant, was helping construction workers build a reservoir in Tak province when he accidentally stepped on one of thousands of landmines buried along the border between Thailand and Myanmar.

The elephant’s owner, Arkom Kiricharoen, said it took reservoir workers six days to transport the elephant from the far-flung construction site to an elephant hospital in Lampang province operated by the Thai Elephant Conservation Center.

Elephants are routinely used as draft animals in northern Thailand’s mountainous regions.

Sitthidej Mahasawangkul, the director of the elephant hospital, said medical workers have been working to heal the infection in Plai Puu Cha's right leg since the elephant was admitted to the hospital on 10 December.

Source: http://www.khaosodenglish.com/detail.php?newsid=1418539563

-- Khaosod English 2014-12-14

landmines on the myanmar-thai border???who???when???why???

Google info says they were laid/placed from 1999 to 2001. Guess to was leading this country at that time? The mines are reported on the Thia side of the border numbering in the 1000's. True to form Thialand under a different insisted to our neighbors that they are responsible for demining as they (the Burmese) are the ones who planted them.

Its no wonder Thailand and certain ex leaders have met so much distrust/hostility by other countries of the region.

For those that don't know about the landmines and other dangers along the Myanmar-Thai border, read the entire story here:http://english.cntv.cn/program/asiatoday/20130405/100255.shtml. Where Thailand meets Myanmar – a 2,000 kilometer-long border - it’s estimated 70 per cent of the ground has been sown with mines.

Equally important, afaik, the ban on using elephants in the timber industry applies to the construction industry too.

Video of the elephant.

Apparently the foot became infected and started to smell by the time vets got to it so they had to cut away the bad flesh and wash the wound daily. It's also on antibiotics.

They hope it'll make a recovery and not need to to be amputated.

One of the border patrol fellows attached to Fang district told me the loggers etc usually put a couple of people (cannon fodder) to preceed the working elephants as the elephants are given more value than the people (many are Burmese). He also figured most mines were dropped from the air so little info on placement via location maps or gps. Just general areas, like over toward that big tree on yonder hill.

Guess someone forgot the route and stumbled into a hot zone.

Edited December 14, 201411 yr by slapout

landmines on the myanmar-thai border???who???when???why???

News to me too --- learn something (and sometimes sad) new every day

'...Thai-Myanmar Border Landmine': the Thais, as usually, denying their responsibility... Who has put the landmines there? 'We deny any knowledge about landmines, besides, it all happened long time ago'. Yeah, OK...! Didn't Thailand in fact undersign the memorandum prohibiting the use of landmines? 'Thainess' at work?

'...Thai-Myanmar Border Landmine': the Thais, as usually, denying their responsibility... Who has put the landmines there? 'We deny any knowledge about landmines, besides, it all happened long time ago'. Yeah, OK...! Didn't Thailand in fact undersign the memorandum prohibiting the use of landmines? 'Thainess' at work?

While the exact extent of landmine pollution throughout Myanmar is unknown, the army and at least 17 non-state armed groups (NSAGs) have used antipersonnel mines in conflicts over the past 14 years, according to the Geneva-based International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL). http://www.irinnews.org/fr/report/97768/myanmar-s-landmines-hinder-return-of-displaced

The mines are the legacy of 60 years of fighting between the government forces of Myanmar and rebel groups seeking independence. In recent months, a new eras begun, and the guns are now silent. But the unmarked landmines remain. And the dying and the maiming goes on." http://english.cntv.cn/program/asiatoday/20130405/100255.shtml

Landmines have been laid here by both sides, government and rebels - in jungle, villages and rice fields. Its one of the few places in the world where theyve continued to be used. Fifteen years ago more than 150 countries banned landmines, but Myanmar was not amongst them. http://english.cntv.cn/program/asiatoday/20130405/100255.shtml

Edited December 15, 201411 yr by JohnThailandJohn

I don't understand the "guess who was leading the country then" poke at one of Thailand's leaders nor the dismissal of Thailand not being responsible. Of course there is the Google reference which validates all claims...

Most references I have seen seem to have this as a Burmese v rebel situation. Could this not actually be the case?

Meanwhile in Lampang an elephant has to recover.

Edited December 15, 201411 yr by alant