The Royal Thai Army has denied reports that Thai soldiers admitted burning alive two Cambodian men in Sa Kaeo on Wednesday after they entered the kingdom illegally.
According to a source from the Burapha Force — which supervises the Thai-Cambodian border — Thai soldiers informed their Cambodian counterparts of the incident and insisted they were not involved in the killings.
"I would like to urge the Cambodian side not to give out such information to the media since it affects the image of our country.
The Thai-Cambodian relationship is currently going well. Please use reason and negotiations to solve the problem," the source said.
The RTA denial came after The Phnom Penh Post published a report quoting Battambang military officials who said Thai soldiers admitted to burning the men alive after four Cambodians illegally crossed the border with the intention of evading taxes on a smuggled motorbike.
The report said Cambodian military and police have been denied access to the site of the alleged killings.
Photos of two ash-covered holes in the earth were posted online by locals who claimed they showed the kill site.
The charred remains were sent to Bangkok for an autopsy, authorities said.
Thailand has yet to confirm the nationality of the men, the Cambodian newspaper said.
The article quoted Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman Koy Kuong, who said the government will take action if the two dead men are found to be Cambodian nationals.