The Royal Thai Air Force yesterday said no Myanmar military aircraft have crossed into Thailand's airspace following reports of the deployment of aircraft by the Tatmadaw during clashes with ethnic minority fighters near the Thai-Myanmar border.
Napadej: Nothing to do with Thailand
ACM Napadej Dhuphtemiya, commander of the air force, said the kingdom's air defence system detected movement of military aircraft near the Thai-Myanmar border, but the jets never crossed the border.
He said it was best for Thailand not to get involved or take steps that could be seen as provocative. He was asked if the kingdom would issue a warning if a Myanmar military aircraft was spotted near the border.
He said the fighting in Myanmar had nothing to do with Thailand, and it was the neighbouring country's internal affairs. However, he insisted the air force was doing its best to protect Thailand's airspace and the national interest.
Meanwhile, the Karen National Union (KNU), Myanmar's oldest rebel force, wants international help to establish a "no-fly zone" near the Thai border, after warning there was a danger of clashes with the army resulting in civilians being targeted by airstrikes.
There's been an escalation in fighting recently between the Tatmadaw and KNU forces, prompting thousands of people to seek refuge in Thailand.
About 3,400 people have taken shelter in Thailand over recent days, Thai authorities said. Thousands more are stranded on the Myanmar side of the border, waiting to cross.
In remarks released this week, the KNU warned of a "high possibility" of military airstrikes on civilians.
"These airstrikes won't target military bases but civilian bases as in schools, hospitals, houses and villages," the head of the KNU's foreign affairs department, Saw Taw Nee, said, citing his experience from previous bouts of fighting.
A spokesman for Myanmar's military junta did not answer calls seeking comment.
The KNU urged the international community to identify a no-fly zone and sought an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
Last month, the council, in a rare statement that was agreed by its 15 members, expressed concern over violence across Myanmar and urged the military to exercise utmost restraint.
International efforts to end the conflict in Myanmar since a February military takeover have been limited to diplomatic initiatives and attempts to exert economic pressure through Western sanctions.
Since the military overthrew the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) says, more than 1,300 people have been killed by the security forces.
The Myanmar military, or Tatmadaw, has said the figures from AAPP, a monitoring group cited by the United Nations, are exaggerated.
