MAE SOT: Thailand’s foreign minister warned that his country would not tolerate any violation of its sovereignty, during a visit on Friday (Apr 12) to the border with Myanmar following days of clashes that have dislodged junta troops from their positions in the neighbouring country.
Fighting between Myanmar’s military and ethnic armed groups has rocked the border town of Myawaddy this week, sending people fleeing into Thailand, from where the boom of artillery shells and gunfire could be heard.
The conflict in Myanmar, sparked by the military’s 2021 coup, regularly sends people rushing across the two countries’ shared 2,400km border.
The recent clashes have raised concerns in Bangkok, with Thai Foreign Minister Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara visiting the border on Friday.
“Our soldiers are guarding along the border, showing we are ready to protect, and not let anyone violate our sovereignty,” he told reporters.
“Thailand has clearly stated that we will not allow anyone to violate Thai soil, we will not accept it,” he said.
The conflict in Myanmar has provoked a Thai response before, with the kingdom scrambling jet fighters in 2022 after junta planes breached the border during operations against anti-coup fighters.
“I have talked to the army chief, we can’t accept if our airspace has been trespassed,” Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin reiterated earlier on Friday.
