We don't know where they are: Laos says

"My counterpart in Xianghon district replied to our inquiry that he was not aware of the group of Thais or whether they went missing or were under the detention of a specific agency," said Toung Chang district chief Songsak Ditthan.

Nan provincial military commander Maj General Nithinant Chaiwattanaphan said the Thai authorities needed to use the mechanism of the joint boundary committee to submit a formal inquiry to Xayabouly province over the fate of the Thais. 

However, the military said that seven Rangers and a village headman led by Captain Somsak Phummarin, commander of Company 3203, had been detained by Lao authorities near Phu Sam Sao in Xianghon district, one kilometre from the border.

They left Thailand at 9am on Tuesday for Xayabouly to seek cooperation on anti narcotic activities along the border, he said. They were familiar with their Lao counterparts as they regularly visited the province, he added.

However, the Thai authorities have provided confused information. Nan governor Somphong Anuyuthaphong said on Wednesday that Laos had detained the Thais as they crossed the border into Xayabouly during a patrol on Tuesday night.

In accordance with a boundary agreement signed in Luang Prabang last year, Lao authorities were able to detain them for a week before beginning negotiations for their release, Maj General Nithinant said. He added that he hoped the group could return home soon.

Supreme Commander Gen Boonsang Niempradit described the situation as a "possible misunderstanding".

"Maybe Laos suspected our officials were somehow involved with their domestic affairs, so they detained them. It's possible that there was some misunderstanding," he said.

Boonsang said the Army has provided the Lao government with an official explanation the circumstances behind the "misunderstanding".

He said such misunderstandings could happen because "there are many groups of people along the border".

The ThaiLao border has long been a sensitive area with many areas remaining undemarcated. Moreover, a number of attacks by antiVientiane rebels are said, by the Lao government, to have been launched from the Thai side.

Meanwhile Army commander in chief Gen Sonthi Boonyaratglin echoed Boonsang's comments, saying the detention was caused by misunderstanding on the Lao officials' part.

The Third Army Region is talking with the Lao side to find out what really happened, Sonthi said. If the group was involved in any illegal activities such as smuggling, the Army will take legal action against them.

//The Nation