NARATHIWAT — The Thai military says it detained two members of the southern separatist movement following a gunfight in the border province of Narathiwat today.

More than 30 soldiers, police officers, and paramilitary rangers raided an outpost in the jungle behind Ipayae village at 6am this morning after receiving intelligence that insurgents were gathering there to prepare attacks during the holy Islamic month Ramadan, said Col. Ekkawuth Kongkhakhet, the commander of the operation.

The security officers reportedly encountered gunfire from the militants, prompting them to return fire. Col. Ekkawuth said the gunfight lasted for 10 minutes, and that eight insurgents managed to escape while two others were captured by security officers. No injuries were reported. 

The two suspects have been identified as Soma Samae and Ibrahim Uma. They are being detained at 48th Ranger Division for interrogation. 

According to Col. Ekkawuth, officers also found two handguns and ammunition at the camp, which consisted of three sleeping tents.

He said the evidence will undergo forensic testing to determine whether it was used in any previous "national security case."

The protracted conflict between Islamic insurgents and authorities in southern Thailand has claimed the lives of more than 6,200 people in the region, known as the Deep South. The separatists are seeking to secede the area, which borders Malaysia and was annexed by Thailand in the early 20^th century.

At least 60,000 security officers are posted in the region, and have often struggled to secure the trust of local residents because of the impunity granted to officers accused of excessive brutality and foul play. 

During a raid in Pattani province last month, security officers shot and killed four men who an investigative panel later determined were innocent and had no links to the insurgency. The military initially identified the victims as members of a militant group that regularly stages attacks in the region. 

BANGKOK — Thailand's military junta has instructed reporters not to ask any questions that will upset government officials and affect their reputations.

Lt.Gen. Suchart Pongput, a junta official in charge of media relations, told newspaper editors yesterday that reporters should only ask the Prime Minister and Cabinet members "constructive questions" that do not "incite" conflict or confrontation.

"Sometimes, reporters interview government VIP officials and put them in a bad mood, and then it results in a bad image," Lt.Gen. Suchart said. "So, I'd like to ask the reporters to ask appropriate questions. Exercise their judgement to avoid causing conflicts or any troubles." 

The officer continued, "I am not saying that the media distorts the news, but sometimes information [reported by the media] is not true. Please check and clarify the information first. Once the news gets published and mistakes are out there, you will have to spend time fixing them, and it causes the public to feel uncomfortable. I'd like the editorial boards to check every news before it’s published."

Junta chairman and Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, who seized power from an elected government last May, is known for his short temper with the media and abrasive talking style. The general frequently lashes out at reporters during press conferences – sometimes with swear words. 

[Read more: Thai Junta Leader Unleashes Fury on Reporters]

In one incident, which has been widely lampooned by critics, Gen. Prayuth threatened to throw his podium at reporters. In another, Gen. Prayuth quipped that he may simply "execute" journalists who challenge his government.

Lt.Gen. Suchart also reminded the newspaper editors at the meeting that they have to strictly follow previous orders issued by the military junta, such as a ban on news coverage that criticizes the regime "with malicious intention," mobilizes protests, or threatens national security.

Last month, a TV station operated by Thailand’s Redshirt movement was ordered off the air because its news coverage was deemed too "divisive" by the state’s media regulating agency.

Public protests and political activities of any kind remain banned by the junta, which says the restrictions are needed to promote "national reconciliation" between the country's divided political factions. Violators are often arrested and  some have been sent to stand trial in military court. 

In January, the US-based rights group Freedom House downgraded Thailand in its worldwide freedom index from "Partially Free" to "Not Free," citing "severe restrictions on speech and assembly" imposed by the junta. 

SA KAEO — A small-scale territory dispute broke out along the Thai-Cambodian border today over a plot of land that currently belongs to a Thai farmer.

The 61-year-old rice farmer, Subin Thiangsan, said Cambodian soldiers arrived on her fields in Sa Kaeo province today and claimed the land is Cambodian territory.

A group of Thai officials and Border Patrol Police later arrived and negotiated with the Cambodian troops. Both sides were unarmed. 

Pol.Col. Rerk Panitcharoen, a local commander of the Thai Border Patrol Police, said he instructed Subin to stop working on her plot of land for one week while the two sides negotiate a solution. 

Suhari Channok, a local administrator, told reporters that Cambodian authorities have been installing new border markings in recent months, and have been encroaching deeper into Khok Soong district, which borders Cambodia.

He said a barbed wire fence had been placed near the border by Thai authorities many years ago, but does not mark the exact border, and was only constructed to prevent illegal border crossings.

"So, as days go by, the Cambodians have claimed that the area beyond the barbed wire is their own territory," Suhari said, adding that some Cambodians had entered Subin's farmland and tried to plant rice in her fields.

Subin told reporters she had documents to prove her ownership of the land, and pays taxes to the Thai government every year.

Thailand and Cambodia have several long-running territory disputes along their border. The most prominent case involves the ruins of a stone temple, called Preah Vihear, located on a promontory near Si Saket province. 

Both Thai and Cambodian authorities have claimed ownership of the temple, but in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled in 1962 that Preah Vihear and its surrounding area belongs to Cambodia. However, Thai authorities have disputed the ruling and continue to post troops in the vicinity of the temple. Skirmishes occasionally break out between Thai and Cambodian troops, with latest gunfight taking place in 2011. 

In November 2013, the ICJ affirmed its 1962 ruling and ordered Thai authorities to withdraw from the area. No fighting between the two sides has been reported in recent years.