Thai Goverment Official's Comments

[reaproy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Thai Goverment Official's Comments re: Burma

Dear Burma Watchers, 

On Monday, October 23, Dr. Amnuay Virawan, one of the Deputy Prime Ministers
of Thailand, appeared at John Hopkins School of Advanced International
Studies (SAIS) and made a presentation which I attended.  During the
question and answer period that followed, he was asked about the situation
with Thai-Burma relations and also about ASEAN concerns of SLORC's closeness
to the People's Republic of China.  

He answered first of all that the SLORC/PRC ties are "not a matter of major
concern to ASEAN" -- the standard line to cover up significant concern,
privately expressed behind closed diplomatic doors, of course.   He then
added that the Thai Goverment is engaged with a "close dialogue with top
Burmese authorities" and that he expects the relations will be "normalized
soon".  He added that a draft "border trade agreement" will be finalized
"soon", mentioned that his invitation to Khin Nyunt to visit Bangkok had
already been accepted and finally, the Thai Prime Minister Banharn
Silipa-archa has decided to make an official visit to Burma sometime soon
after Khin Nyunt's visit to Thailand. 

Since the party that Amnuay leads -- Nam Thai -- holds the Minister
portfolio for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, he would certainly be in a
position to know much of this, esp. the Banharn visit.  Of course, much of
this may be old news to some, but coming from the source, it's worth noting
none the less.  

Cheers, 

Phil Robertson
reaproy@xxxxxxxx