One bridge, two different views

[ausgeo@xxxxxxx]

15 Aug 1997 

The Nation 

One bridge, two different views 

Will the opening of the Moei River bridge which spans the Thai-Burmese border 
bring economic benefits to people on both sides of the divide? The Nation's 
Yindee Lertcharoenchok finds out. 

As Thailand and Burma jointly inaugurate the ''Friendship Bridge" across the 
Moei River today, they hope the structure will be strong enough to serve its 
prime objective of promoting lasting neighbourly friendliness. The new bridge 
will serve to link northern Thailand's Mae Sot district of Tak and the Burmese 
border town of Myawaddy. 

Although Thailand had intended to capitalise on today's celebration as a 
historic event for the two countries, Burma, on the other hand, was lukewarm 
in responding to the Thai proposal that the heads of the two governments be 
present on the occasion. 

Until last week, it was uncertain who would represent the Burmese military 
government at the half-day ceremony which will take place on 
the bridge. A Thai Foreign Ministry press statement dated two days ago did not 
name the Burmese leader who would partake in the event along with Thai Deputy 
Prime Minister and Industry Minister Korn Dabaransi. Thailand was informed at 
the last minute that Minister for Construction Maj Gen Saw Tun had been 
delegated to attend. 

Thailand had initially proposed that Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, who 
has strong personal connections with the Burmese junta, co-chair the event 
with Senior Gen Than Shwe, the chairman of the ruling State Law and Order 
Restoration Council (Slorc). The request from Thailand that another Slorc 
leader, Lt Gen Khin Nyunt, be represented was also politely rejected. 

Citing ethnic insurgency and flooding, Slorc also turned down a Thai request 
in July that Deputy Foreign Minister Pitak Intrawityanunt lead a 400-km Thai 
caravan rally from Mae Sot via Myawaddy to Rangoon, right after the opening 
ceremony. 

Thai government officials are unable to explain what prompted Burma's 
decisions. It appears, however, that Slorc and the Thai leaders do not share 
the same views and optimism over the ''friendship" bridge. 

The history of the Moei River bridge has not been a smooth one and relations 
between authorities on both sides of the waterway are often not pleasant. 

After several years of Thai persuasion, Slorc and the Thai government 
eventually signed an agreement on Oct 17, 1994, to build the bridge, whose 
total cost of Bt79.2 million was to be wholly shouldered by Thailand. Its 
construction began three days after the signing and was expected to be 
completed in less than 10 months. 

For Thailand, the two-lane 420-metre bridge will serve to strengthen mutual 
friendship between the people of the two countries, to promote stronger 
bilateral economic engagement and activities, and lastly to complete a link of 
the trans-Asian Highway A-1 that facilitates overland travel between Europe 
and Asia. 

However, Thai investors and businessmen have higher hopes. They believe the 
bridge will instantly help boost the tourism industry and allow them easy 
access to potential Burmese markets and to Burma's abundant natural resources. 
They also consider Burma as an economic land bridge linking Thailand and South 
Asia. 

Although Burma shares Thailand's economic aspirations, Slorc views the 
benefits from the bridge in another light. For over three decades, the total 
elimination of ethnic insurgency along the Burmese frontiers has always topped 
other political and economic agendas of successive Burmese military 
governments. 

To them, the establishment of internal peace, security, and stability, where 
the central authority in Rangoon could assert full control over the 
strife-plagued border terrain, was more crucial than economic activity. 

The Moei River bridge will allow Slorc generals a good opportunity to curb the 
black-market economy which has been the main source of income for the Burmese 
insurgency and to replace it with a new regulated border regime and the 
controlled passage of goods and people between the two countries. 

Burma also expects to have an equal say and to share equal benefit with 
Thailand in any economic activities along the common frontier. 

But while most Thai officials are optimistic that the Moei River bridge will 
benefit Thailand and Burma in the long run, many remain sceptical over its 
potential benefits and worth. 

They have expressed concern that the structure will be a mere concrete symbol, 
much like the Bt750-million Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge across the Mekong River 
which was opened in April 1994. Laos still refuses to allow Thai vehicles into 
the country, citing conflicting regulations, lack of road infrastructure and 
logistical difficulties. 

Citing Burma's record of unpredictability, Thai officials are worried that 
Slorc might close the frontier and the bridge at will. For example, the 
construction of the Mae Sot-Myawaddy bridge was delayed for nearly two years 
after Slorc ordered an abrupt halt to its work in June 1995 following 
allegations of Thai encroachment on the riverbank. 

The suspension of the bridge project along with the abrupt closure of the 
three existing border crossings at Mae Sai-Tachilek, Mae Sot-Myawaddy and 
Ranong-Kawthaung in 1995 severely affected Thailand. The total value of 
cross-border trade dropped sharply from nearly Bt8 billion in 1994 to Bt5.5 
billion in 1996. 

With the spiralling fall of both the Thai and Burmese currencies in the past 
few months, local Thai traders also doubt that bilateral trade volume will 
soon pick up. 

Although Thailand and Burma have already agreed to extend their sovereignty to 
the middle of the bridge, they have yet to negotiate and finalise an agreement 
on the crucial issues of jurisdiction and the free flow of goods and the 
extent of travel of their people and vehicles. 

As it looks now, the opening today of the Moei River bridge promises to be a 
symbolic but pompous occasion full of great expectations, which may or may not 
ever be fulfilled.