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THAILAND/BURMA (VOA) By DAN ROBINSO



Subject: THAILAND/BURMA (VOA) By DAN ROBINSON/BANGKOK

DATE=5/17/95
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-178946
TITLE=THAILAND/BURMA (L-O)
BYLINE=DAN ROBINSON
DATELINE=BANGKOK 
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 

INTRO:  AUTHORITIES IN THAILAND CONTINUE TO GRAPPLE WITH PROBLEMS
ALONG THE BORDER WITH BURMA.  SEVERAL NEW INCIDENTS WERE REPORTED
THIS WEEK.  AS V-O-A'S DAN ROBINSON REPORTS FROM BANGKOK, THAI 
GOVERNMENT AND MILITARY LEADERS HAVE BEEN URGING BURMA'S MILITARY
GOVERNMENT TO COOPERATE TO SOLVE REFUGEE AND SECURITY ISSUES:

TEXT:  THAILAND CONTINUES TO BE TORN BETWEEN ITS POLICY OF 
PROVIDING HUMANITARIAN REFUGE TO PEOPLE FLEEING BURMA AND THE 
DESIRE TO SEE THE 80 THOUSAND OR SO REFUGEES IN THAILAND RETURN.

PRIME MINISTER CHUAN LEEKPAI HAS SAID SECURITY PROBLEMS RESULT 
FROM BURMA'S OWN INTERNAL DIFFICULTIES -- A REFERENCE TO 
RANGOON'S BATTLES WITH KAREN REBELS AND WITH GOLDEN TRIANGLE 
DRUGLORD, KHUN SA.

HE AND OTHER OFFICIALS SAY THEY HOPE DIALOGUE WITH RANGOON WILL 
LEAD TO A SOLUTION.  BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO MENTION OF WHEN OR 
WHETHER SUCH DISCUSSIONS WILL BEGIN.

BURMA DENIES ITS TROOPS CROSS THE BORDER.  HOWEVER, RANGOON IS 
KNOWN TO SUPPORT A KAREN BUDDHIST GROUP THAT HAS ATTACKED REFUGEE
CAMPS IN THAILAND AND, MORE RECENTLY, AMBUSHED THAI MILITARY 
PERSONNEL.

// OPT //  A RECENT BURMESE TELEVISION REPORT SHOWED RANGOON 
MILITARY OFFICIALS MEETING WITH MEMBERS OF THE BUDDHIST KAREN 
GROUP NEAR THE BORDER.  // END OPT //

MEANWHILE, MEMBERS OF THE MAIN ANTI-RANGOON KAREN NATIONAL UNION 
(K-N-U) ARE REPORTED TO HAVE ATTACKED A BURMESE ARMY POST EARLY 
TUESDAY.  THAI MILITARY SOURCES SAY TWO BURMESE SOLDIERS WERE 
KILLED AND AS MANY AS FOUR OTHERS WERE WOUNDED IN THE INCIDENT 
OPPOSITE THE THAI BORDER PROVINCE OF TAK.

THAI FORCES RECENTLY RAIDED SEVERAL REFUGEE CAMPS POPULATED BY 
FOLLOWERS OF THE K-N-U, IN WHAT OFFICIALS SAY IS AN EFFORT TO 
DEMONSTRATE THAI SINCERITY ABOUT STOPPING CROSS-BORDER ATTACKS.

// OPT //  AFTER THE LOSS OF ITS MAIN BASES IN BURMA, THE K-N-U 
LAST MARCH DECLARED A UNILATERAL CEASEFIRE.  BUT EFFORTS TO GET 
PEACE TALKS UNDERWAY WITH RANGOON FAILED.  // END OPT //

IN ANOTHER INCIDENT REPORTED WEDNESDAY, THAI BORDER OFFICIALS SAY
BURMESE SOLDIERS KIDNAPPED A THAI VILLAGER.  REPORTS SAY THE MAN 
WAS RELEASED AFTER AUTHORITIES MET WITH BURMESE COMMANDERS.

IN COMMENTS IN BANGKOK, A SPOKESMAN FOR BURMESE DEMOCRACY GROUPS 
(TIN MAUNG WIN) SAID THAILAND'S EFFORT TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS 
ALONG THE BORDER AS A LOCAL -- RATHER THAN REGIONAL OR 
INTERNATIONAL ISSUE -- IS WRONG.  A THAI ARMY SPOKESMAN 
DISAGREED, SAYING PROBLEMS SHOULD NOT BE INTERNATIONALIZED. 

            // REST OPTIONAL // 

THAILAND'S DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER (SURIN PITSUWAN) WAS QUOTED AS
SAYING THE THAI AND BURMESE MILITARY APPEAR TO HAVE BROUGHT THE 
BORDER SITUATION UNDER CONTROL AND RANGOON'S ATTITUDE HAS -- AS 
HE PUT -- IMPROVED.  (SIGNED) 

NEB / KK / WOD

17-May-95 6:51 AM EDT (1051 UTC)
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Source: Voice of America