According to an opposition MP, Karen insurgents camped close to Tak villages prevented forces from returning.
12 September 2023 at 18:03 PUBLISHED
MP Kannavee Suebsang, a member of the Fair Party, is urging the government to look into reports of Myanmar soldiers carrying heavy weapons crossing the border into the Umphang region of Tak state.
If the reports are true, the authorities must inform the public of what took place, he said.
According to the opposition MP, the two incidents caused the Karen National Liberation Army( KNLA) to believe that Thailand was supporting the Myanmar military. This was based on conversations with some Myanmar – and Karen-language media.
Nearly 100 Myanmar soldiers’ violations of Thailand’s condition sovereignty, according to him, are a nationwide issue, not merely an issue at the border.
He stated that the problem should be looked into and handled as an international relations issue by the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Kannavee stated that on September 3, between 80 and 100 military Myanmar military entered Thailand through two borders villages, Ban Le Tong Khu and Ban Mo Ta Lua, citing data from activists working in the Thai-Myanmar border region.
A Myanmar village was surrounded by Karen-armed guerillas on the other side of the border, he claimed, while the soldiers were camped out in a grain field only one kilometer from the closest Thai community.
Later, he said, Thai villagers informed their village chief that Myanmar soldiers were present on Thai land.
According to him, Thai troops stationed outside resisted taking action against the invaders until a social media user announced their appearance on September 5.
According to a cause, the army’s Naresuan Task Force dispatched an army staff to deal with the Myanmar military and the KNLA until the latter agreed to stop obstructing the soldiers’ path.
However, the Myanmar troops persisted in refusing to leave, necessitating a second round of negotiations with the Thai government before they finally left.
The village chief received more information the following trip after people saw an additional 10 to 20 military Myanmar men returning to Ban Le Tong Khu to acquire food.
The village chief, Choku Rotsirichai, informed the Thai government of the incident, and they dispatched soldiers to communicate and secure the soldiers’ return to their home country.