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31 crew of Thai fishing vessels held in Myanmar, one dead: navy

The boats were operating within Myanmar’s waters at the time of the incident, according to a Thai naval officer

More than 30 crew members of Thai fishing boats were detained in Myanmar waters on Saturday after an encounter with other vessels which left one person dead, a navy commander said.

Suwat Donsakul, a naval commander in the southern province of Ranong, told AFP one Thai fisherman drowned and “31 people were taken into Myanmar,” without specifying who had detained them.

Suwat said several Thai fishing boats were operating within Myanmar’s waters at the time of the incident on Saturday.

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

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

A spokesperson for Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told AFP that they would also engage in negotiations with the Myanmar side to secure their release.

AFP has reached out to Myanmar’s junta government for comment.

The. . .

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