Thais detained in Myanmar to receive visit from relatives again
Myanmar will tomorrow allow a second visit by relatives of the 92 Thais who were arrested on Myanmar soil in July on charges ranging from illegal entry, farming without permits and possessing war weapons.
However, Myanmar is permitting only one visitor per detainee for the visit, which will run from 9am and noon Myanmar time, a Thai official of Thai-Myanmar coordination office said.
The Thais were rounded up in Koh Song province, opposite Ranong province, on July 4 while they were allegedly farming in Myanmar forests without permission. Some of them were found to have marijuana and war weapons in their possession.
A Myanmar court have sentenced each Thai to three years and six months in jail for illegal entry. In a separate trail, the court sent nine of them to additional seven-year jail term for possessing war weapons.
Tomorrow’s visit will be the second. Myanmar allowed relatives to visit the Thai detainees for the first time on August 9.
The 92 visitors have been instructed to meet Myanmar officials at a pier in Tambon Paknum, Muang Ranong province at 7am to complete border paper work; they will then proceed to Koh Song at 8am.
Col Pornsak Poonsawat, chairman of the coordination panel of Ranong-Koh Song, said the second visit should be regarded as a very good news and that all parties were making every efforts to help the Thai detainees. He added the next move, including amnesty, would be in line with Myanmar law.
Weerathum Yimwan of Surat Thani said he was happy to have a chance to visit his relative in the detention again. He said six of his relatives were currently in jail in Myanmar.
“For the detainees, an opportunity to meet their relatives is the best thing. I will give them moral supports and tell them to be patient as all sides are working hard to secure their freedom,” he said.
Weerathum also begged the Thai authorities to help the detainees saying they unintentionally encroached on Myanmar soil.
Earlier reports said the Thai detainees were misinformed and lured into believing that Myanmar had given concession to Thais to farm on their land.
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