No clashes near common border, says Myanmar

BANGKOK, April 6 (TNA) - Myanmar has officially confirmed that there were no clashes and no fatalities of Myanmar soldiers near the Thai-Myanmar border on Friday. Royal Thai Army Deputy Spokesman Colonel Wintai Suvaree told journalists on Saturday, quoting a latest Myanmar official report, that there were no clashes between Myanmar troops and armed rebels near the Thai-Myanmar border. According to the Myanmar official report, the misunderstanding, reported earlier, was caused by communication problems between Myanmar patrolling soldiers and its coordination officials who sent reports to their Thai counterparts. The deputy spokesman acknowledged that the latest report, disseminated by the Myanmar border coordination officials to Thailand’s Special 25th Infantry Regiment Task Force, explained that the misunderstanding erupted when 13 Myanmar soldiers who were patrolling near the common border, in Myanmar's Kawthaung Province, went astray and heard a sound like gunfire while in fact it was villagers burning forest trees. The deputy spokesman revealed that the confused Myanmar soldiers then reported to its coordination centre that clashes were in development and the latter forwarded their report to the Thai side. The Thai army deputy spokesman noted that the Myanmar side insisted it was a pure misunderstanding and there were no clashes in the area. Earlier reports said all the 13 Myanmar soldiers were killed and bodies were found in a forest area in Kawthaung.(TNA)