Thailand demands solution to killings

Thailand demands solution to killings

BANGKOK (AFP): Thai Prime Minister Banharn Silpa-archa
yesterday gave his Malaysian counterpart Mahathir Mohamad two
weeks to free three Thai fishermen and resolve a dispute
triggered by the killing of two others in Malaysian waters.

"Our prime minister has asked the Malaysian prime minister to
resolve the problem before December 28," Siraj Chavanaviraj,
deputy permanent secretary of the Thai foreign ministry, told
reporters after talks between Banharn and Mahathir.

Siraj said the two sides expected the problem would be
resolved by the deadline and there was no discussion about what
would happen if Malaysia failed to respond.

The talks were held on the sidelines of a summit of leaders of
the seven-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

Banharn told Mahathir that the death of the two fishermen on
Nov. 6 after a Malaysian navy patrol craft opened fire on a 20-
ton fishing boat had stirred a "serious internal political
problem" for the Thai government.