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Bangkok Post News (15-2-99)





<bold>Navy ready to protect Thai fishing boats Trawlers attacked in Thai
waters

</bold>

Ekarat Mugem 

Hat Yai


The Second Fleet is providing Thai fishing boats with protection against
alien pirate boats both in Thai and disputed waters, the fleet's
commander Vice Adm Thavorn Pradapvit has confirmed.


"We are ready to use our armed ships and aircraft to decisively protect
Thai fishing boats if they are attacked in Thai and disputed waters," he
said.


The Second Fleet has launched surveillance missions to detect pirate
ships in the disputed waters and officials concerned were told to
suppress them at will, Vice Adm Thavorn noted.


"The suppression will be carried out swiftly when we have enough evidence
and information on the movement of pirate ships," he said.


Thai Fishing Association president Virote Channimi said the security
assurance has comforted fishermen whose requests for protection from navy
patrol ships were turned down last year due to budgetary constraints.


The country of origin of pirates preying on Thai fishing boats has
changed from Vietnam to Cambodia and many Thai boats were seized for
ransom last year, he said.


Most of the boats were from eastern provinces as well as Samut Sakhon and
Samut Songkhram.


"Most piratical incidents against Thai fishing boats happened right
herein Thai waters. Pirates in the guise of fishermen sail in armed
fishing boats and are difficult to spot," Mr Virote said.


The association has warned fishermen to take precautions when sailing and
to equip themselves with communication radios for their safety.


Sources among fishermen said the pirates were from the Cambodian minority
troops, and the ransom for each seized fishing boat runs at hundreds of
thousands of baht to almost a million.


Meanwhile, border patrol police operating along the Thai-Burmese border
in Tak province have been ordered to take armed action against any
foreign force intruding into Thai territory.


The order was given by BPP commissioner Pol Lt-Gen Kamron Leeyavanich who
yesterday visited BPP Company 346 at Ban Mae Konkane in Mae Sot district
and BPP Company 344 at Ban Huay Bong in Mae Ramat district.


The BPP personnel were also told to get tough against the smuggling of
narcotic drugs across the border into the country and cars out of the
country.



Pol Lt-Gen Kamron also visited four wounded BPP members at Mae Sot
Hospital and presided over the cremation of another BPP officer who was
killed in an explosion last week.


------------------------------------------------------------------


<bold>Observations on the military

</bold>

What is this country coming to? From an article reporting the replacement
of the current military spokesman by "... Lt-Gen Sanan Kachornklam, who
is said to be well versed in military affairs." Is that an implication
that there are Lt-Generals in the Thai army who are not well versed in
military affairs. If so, how does the army justify their promotions to
that high rank?


On top of that, the navy can't handle naval confrontations but wants the
air force to do the job? I suppose if it had its own aircraft carrier it
wouldn't need the air force's help. What? It has? Ah! No fuel, no crew
and no planes, eh? Or is this the Thai navy's way of telling us that it
is not as good as the Burmese navy?