Thailand’s foreign ministry said Thursday that Myanmar has released all four Thai fishermen who were detained after a maritime clash in which Myanmar naval vessels reportedly fired on fishing boats.
The incident occurred on Saturday, with Thai authorities announcing that Myanmar boats had attacked Thai fishing vessels after they strayed about seven kilometres (about four miles) into neighbouring Myanmar’s waters.
One Thai fisherman had drowned after jumping into the sea during the incident.
A Myanmar junta spokesman later confirmed that a naval vessel had “chased” the boats, arresting 27 Myanmar nationals and four Thais.
On Thursday, the kingdom’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura told reporters that the Myanmar side had released all four Thais and taken them to a border checkpoint to be repatriated.
The Thai Foreign Ministry also conveyed its “best wishes to the families” of the released Thais in a statement, thanking the agencies involved for negotiating their release and “safe return home”.
Their release comes after Thailand had summoned the Myanmar ambassador on Monday, and sent the Thai ambassador in Yangon to raise the issue with Naypyidaw.
AFP has reached out to Myanmar’s junta government for comment.
The clash highlights ongoing disputes over illegal fishing and maritime boundaries in the Andaman Sea, off the southern point of the 2,400-kilometre (1,490-mile) land border Thailand shares with Myanmar.