DPM visits Myanmar, seeks release of Thai detainees

BNAKGOK, July 12 (TNA) - Thai Deputy Prime Minister General Yuthasak Sasiprapa, who supervises national security, is scheduled to visit Myanmar Thursday evening to attend a meeting of the Southeast Asian Games Federation and to have a secret talk to seek the release of dozens of Thai nationals who have been detained in Kawthaung province of the neighbouring country on charges of allegedly illegal entry and land encroachment. General Yuthasak told reporters that during his stay in Myanmar, he would seek an informal meeting with a Myanmar military top brass to solve the issue and to prevent it from becoming an international matter, acknowledging that there have been good developments on the issue after a recent visit to Myanmar by the Thai armed forces chief. The deputy prime minister said as he has been assigned by Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to welcome Myanmar President Thein Sein, who is scheduled to visit Thailand on July 22, he will also, thus, confirm Thailand's readiness to receive the Myanmar president and he hopes the Thai detainees who were not charged with illegal narcotic and firearm possession would be freed within this week. According to the deputy premier, Myanmar has not informed him of the exact number of the Thai detainees pending interrogations, but he believed the issue would be settled before the Myanmar President's upcoming trip to Thailand. (TNA)