31 crew of Thai fishing vessels held in Myanmar; 1 drowns

BANGKOK – More than 30 crew members of Thai fishing boats were detained in Myanmar waters on Nov 30 after an encounter with other vessels that left one person dead.

Vice-Admiral Suwat Donsakul, a naval commander in the southern province of Ranong, said one Thai fisherman drowned and “31 people were taken into Myanmar”, but he did not say who detained them.

Vice-Adm Suwat said several Thai fishing boats were operating within Myanmar’s waters at the time of the incident on Nov 30.

The deceased “jumped into the water during the attack”, he said.

Vice-Adm Suwat said he instructed the local authorities to negotiate with their Myanmar counterparts to secure the release of the fishermen.

A spokesman for Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the ministry would also engage in negotiations with the Myanmar side to secure the men’s release.

The incident prompted the Ranong provincial fisheries department to issue a warning to fishers and boat owners to avoid areas near the Thai-Myanmar maritime border.

The fisheries department said in a statement that “Myanmar armed fishing boats” had attacked Thai fishing vessels around 20km west of Phayam island, off the Thai coast, without specifying the identity of the alleged attackers.

Its warning was to “all fishing operators and vessel owners to be cautious when navigating near the border”.

Thailand and Myanmar share approximately 2,400km of land and maritime borders, including in the Andaman Sea.

According to a notice on the website of Thailand’s fisheries department, Thai fishing boats have been illegally operating in Myanmar waters, raising tensions between the two countries. AFP