Myanmar navy fires at Thai fishing boats, detains 31 fishermen

BANGKOK: Myanmar’s navy opened fire on a group of Thai fishing vessels on Saturday, causing one fisherman to drown, and detained 31 crew members from one of the boats, a spokesperson for Thailand’s Defence Ministry said. Two of 15 Thai fishing ves sels were fired at after they operated 4-5.7 nautical miles (7.4-10.6 km) inside Myan mar’s territorial waters, spokesperson Thanatip Sawangsang said in a state ment. Three fishermen jumped into the water during the incident, one of whom drowned while two were res cued by the Thai navy, Tha natip said. One of the boats, with 31 fishermen on board, was detained by Myanmar’s navy during the encounter, Thanatip said, adding that the Thai navy was in negotiations to secure their release. Myan mar’s ruling junta did not im mediately respond to a tele phone request for comment. A spokesperson for the Thai Foreign Ministry, Nikorndej Balankura, said the ministry was also coordinating with au thorities in Myanmar to seek the fishermen’s release and evaluating whether any viola tions of international law had taken place. The fishery de partment in Thailand’s south ern Ranong province, which shares a maritime border with Myanmar, urged Thai fishing vessels to be careful when traveling near the boundary. Myanmar has been in crisis since 2021 when the military seized power, toppling an elected government and sparking an armed rebellion by crushing protests with lethal force. Rebels have mounted un precedented attacks, seizing control of border areas and making inroads into the coun try’s formerly peaceful heart lands. Thailand’s army last week played down local media reports of heightened tensions on the land border with Myanmar in an area where there is a longstanding dispute with the controlling ethnic armed group, saying the reports were exagger ated.