1.
GV Thai soldier walking through burned buildings of Baranae
0.11

2.
SV & CU Smoking ruins
0.20

3.
CU PULL BACK FROM Villagers (one holding rifle) TO crater and debris
0.30

4.
LV Burned out houses TRACK IN TO household utensils
0.36

5.
CU Soldier hands Chinese made rocket to senior officer who inspects
0.48

6.
SV PAN Man leaving village with handcraft full of possessions
1.05

7.
SV PAN Man on bullock cart with possessions followed by villagers leaving on bicycles
1.26

8.
SV Villager with rifle watching as family passes on bullock cart (2 shots)
1.38

9.
LV PAN Deserted village huts
1.51

10.
SV & CU Soldiers with rifles ( 3 shots)
2.03



Initials BB/0105



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Residents of a village in north-east Thailand have been fleeing from the area after a new incident on the country's frontier with Cambodia. According to a military spokesman, about 200 Cambodian soldiers attacked the village with heavy arms before dawn on Tuesday (14 February), killing a policeman and three members of the militia.

SYNOPSIS: Thai soldiers were patrolling Baranae village, which lies in Laharnsai district of Buri Ram province. They were brought in after the attack in which the Cambodians also set fore to a number of houses and a school and abducted 50 inhabitants of a nearby hamlet.

The spokesman said the Cambodians used rockers and mortars during the attack. They withdraw after several hours of fighting with Thai government forces.

At the same time, the Cambodians also reportedly raided a nearby Thai base, which was abandoned after a brief resistance from government forces.

Authorities in Thailand announced a week ago that about 300 citizens were taken prisoner by Cambodian troops and Thai guerrillas during an incursion in Ubon Ratchathani, north of Buri Ram province. Most of the hostages were women and children.

Victims of the latest attack fled on whatever transport they had to carry themselves and their belongings away from the raided village. They had to negotiate a dusty road 25 kilometres (15.6 miles) long and sewn with landmines. Meanwhile, government troops were continuing their search for those captured by the Communists.

Thai authorities were pessimistic about their safe return. They said there were signs that all the hostages had been taken across the frontier onto Cambodia.

The border incidents came only a few days after a goodwill mission to Cambodia by Thailand's Foreign Minister, Mr. Upadit Pachariyangkun, and a party of senior government officials.

The visit was aimed at improving relations between the two neighbours. On his return, he said Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to forget the past, stop misunderstanding and normalise relations".