Myanmar to help 92 Thai detainees

BANGKOK, August 17 (TNA) - Thai Defence Minister Air Chief Marshal Sukumpol Suwanatat says that Myanmar President Thein Sein has promised to do his best to help 92 Thai detainees in Myanmar. Air Chief Marshal Sukumpol told journalists of the latest development on Friday, after returning from his official visit to the neighbouring country. The Thai defence minister also revealed that Myanmar has allowed relatives to visit the Thai detainees, and that the narcotic punishment for some of the Thai detainees should not be harsh, as it concerned marijuana, not heroin or methamphetamine. The Thai defence minister, however, declined to give any comment on the possibility of commutation, acknowledging only that the Myanmar top leader has already promised to help. The 92 Thai detainees was recently prosecuted for illegal immigration and some of them wer also charged with illegal possession of narcotics and war weapons. The Thai minister, meanwhile, noted that there was a piece of good news, as Myanmar has promised to lift its entry ban on 13 Thai journalists, including vocal Was-sa-na Nanuam, Thepchai Yong and Suthichai Yoon, after as long as 11 years of the imposition. (TNA)