Travelling, Trade Across Thai-Lao Border Return to NormalCross travelling and trade along the Thai-Lao border have returned to normal, following clashes between Lao government's troops and an armed dissident group on Monday, the Thai News Agency reported Thursday.Businesses along the border was re-opened with increasing volumes of trade, as Thai and Lao people had continued their cross travelling via the Chong Mek checkpoint in the Sirindhorn district of the northeastern province of Ubon Rachathani, said the report. Travelling and trade were temporarily suspended on Monday after a group of armed Lao dissidents, claming to be members of the so- called White Lao Force, stormed a customs and immigration office in the Sirindhorn district. There was a deadly clash, resulting in five deaths and several deaths of the group. Twenty eight members of the armed group escaped into the Thai territory and were detained at a police station in the Sirindhorn district. The Lao government asked on Wednesday for the return of the detained to be tried in Vientiane. Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan said the same day that procedures to return the detained would be in accordance with the Thai extradition law 1929, and that he shared the view of Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai that the unexpected incident would not affect the sound relations between the sister countries. |
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