The Thai Foreign Ministry has submitted an aide-memoire to Myanmar ambassador to Thailand U Ye Win, protesting the death of a Thai Army Ranger who was killed earlier this week during fighting between Myanmar government forces and anti-Myanmar government ethnic Karen fighters near the common border.

Anuson Chinwanno, director-general of the Ministry’s East Asian Affairs Department, Friday summoned the Myanmar ambassador to Thailand to the Foreign Ministry and submitted the aide-memoire protesting the death of the Ranger during the clash between Myanmar forces and Karen fighters near the Thai border district of Khun Yuam of Mae Hong Son province on Wednesday.

In the aide-memoire the Thai government called for a meeting of the Township Border Committee to investigate the incident, and urged the Myanmar government to strictly follow internationally recognised ‘Rules of Engagement’ before committing military forces to action.

Thailand also affirmed that it hopes that both sides could find ways to prevent a similar incident from occurring again.

Meanwhile, Col. Suthas Jarumanee, commander of the 7th Infantry Task Force in Mae Hong Son, told a press conference yesterday that three spent shells and a grenade were found in the area of fighting by Thai soldiers. One of the spent shells are made by Myanmar Armed Forces with some Myanmar characters on it.

Col. Suthas said his unit had submitted a protest through the Township Border Committee asking the Myanmar military to admit its guilt, a punishment must be imposed on every Myanmar soldier on the intrusion into the Thai territory and a compensation paid.
So far there has been no reply from Myanmar, Col. Suthas added.