B1m paid in bribes per day, MEGAPIXEL claims
The Royal Thai Army has refused a claim by an opposition MEGAPIXEL that soldiers across the Thai-Cambodian border within Sa Kaeo are involved in the illegal smuggling of contraband plus migrant workers over the border.
During the censure controversy against the government the other day, Seri Ruam Thailänder Party MP Wirat Warotsirin accused Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who also is defence minister, of failing to protect the country’s territorial sovereignty.
Mr Wirat alleged that some soldiers through the 1st Army were involved in corruption which usually took place on Sripen Road along the Thai-Cambodian border in tambon Parai in Social fear Kaeo’s Aranyaprathet region.
The location is prone to the smuggling of contraband and migrant workers, he claimed while adding that there are twelve border checkpoints in front of the 1206 Army Ranger unit about 5-6 kilometres away from the border.
“At least 1 million baht can be thought to be generated day-to-day, ” Mr Wirat claimed, referring to claimed bribe-taking.
He further said the 1st Army leased 5, 000 rai of land inside a national forest arrange from the Royal Forest Department.
This allowed the first Army to have special control of the property at the expense of local residents that have documents for property use, Mr Wirat said.
“The land is only a few hundred metre distances away from the border. Therefore , soldiers want the area to become a backwoods to prevent people from accessing it, ” Mr Wirat said.
“If people are allowed to make use of the land, this will disrupt the smuggling path. ”
Responding to the accusations, army spokesman Gen Santipong Thammapiya declared that people are not allowed to get into the border area in question because it continues to be a disputed region claimed by the two countries.
Several checkpoints are already set up along the boundary to prevent migrant employees from sneaking across the frontier into Asia, the army spokesman said.
Regarding the allegations of corruption among a few army officers, the spokesman said that the army will type an inquiry panel to look into the matter.
Anyone found guilty will be punished, the military spokesman said.
Gen Santipong also said the particular army has been granted the land rent to set up villages across the border and distribute land plots in order to local residents to be used temporarily without allowing them any property ownership.