October 29, 2011
BANGKOK (AFP) - Police in Thailand have detained nine soldiers suspected of killing 13 Chinese sailors on the Mekong river in early October, authorities in the kingdom said Saturday.
The Thai troops are thought to have links to a Myanmar drug kingpin.
The soldiers surrendered on Friday in northern Chiang Rai province, Lieutenant General Wut Liptapanlop told AFP, declining to give more details because the investigation was ongoing.
National police chief General Priewpan Damapong promised a full investigation into the deadly raid on two Chinese vessels on October 5, saying the military was fully cooperating.
"Police will prosecute all nine soldiers," he told reporters. "Their actions have nothing to do with the Thai army."
China summoned diplomatic envoys from Thailand, Laos and Myanmar in the wake of the attack and asked them to speed up investigations.
Beijing also sent patrol boats down the Mekong to escort 164 stranded Chinese sailors and 28 cargo ships back home.
