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THAI PAPER ON AUGUST 15-16, 1997



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THAI PAPER ON AUGUST 15-16, 1997

1. TOP OFFICIAL PULLS OUT OF OPENING DAY
2. BURMESE SKYJACKER TO BE HANDED OVER TO SLORC
3. ONE BRIDGE, TWO DIFFERENT VIEWS
4. PUBLIC USE OF FRIENDSHIP BRIDGE TO BE DELAYED
5. REBELS A HURDLE TO TRADE SUCCESS
6. BRIDGE OPENED BUT STILL 'CLOSED'

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THAI-BURMESE BRIDGE
Top official pulls out of opening day
Bangkok Post/15.8.97
Khin Nyunt unhappy

Slorc First Secretary Khin Nyunt will not be present at the opening of the
Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge.

This follows Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh's decision not to take part.

Instead, Deputy Prime Minister Korn Dabbaransi will represent Thailand.

And Maj-Gen Saw Tun, Burma's construction minister, will represent Slorc.

A security source said Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt was reportedly upset about Gen
Chavalit's non-participation. 

The source said Army Commander Gen Chettha Thanajaro was reported to be
unhappy over the latest development and has not yet decided 
whether to take part. 

Around 200 Burmese actors and musicians were rehearsing yesterday in Myawaddy.

Thai forces will step up security.

The Karen National Union issued a statement denying it will attack the ceremony.

It said it was not a terrorist organization and did not kill innocent  people.

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Burmese skyjacker to be handed over to Slorc
Bangkok Post/15.8.97

A Burmese skyjacker who was arrested and detained in Thailand several years
ago is expected to be handed over to Slorc this month, according to a
military source.

In exchange some 100 Thai prisoners, mostly fishermen, will be returned, the
source said.

The handover of 28-year-old Ye Thi Ha, also known as San Naign, will occur
sometime after today's opening of the friendship bridge linking Mae Sot and
Myawaddy.

Ye Thi Ha, along with another Burman, Ye Yint, were first arrested in
Thailand on October 18, 1989.

They had hijacked a Fokker-28, which was on a domestic flight between Mergui
and Rangoon, to Utapao.

They were released two years later. It was found that they had used washing
powder to threaten passengers, claiming it was explosive.

During the court case, the two were allowed to live at the home of Gen
Thienchai Sirisamphan.

Ye Yint later got a scholarship to further his education in the United
States, where he has settled.

Ye Thi Ha was rearrested in 1993 in possession of arms and ammunition.

His prison term expires this month and Slorc has asked the Thai government
for his repatriation.

Representatives of Burmese students in Thailand are to appeal to the
government for his release.

They have also written to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. 

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One bridge, two different views
The Nation/ 15.8.97

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 par-take 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 that 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 pas sage 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 why 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. 

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THAI-BURMESE BRIDGE
Public use of i friendship bridge to be delayed

Bangkok Post/16.8.97

The Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge, which was officially opened yesterday,
will not be available for public use until the two nations finalise border
crossing procedures, a senior government official said yesterday. 		

Tak Governor Pongpayome Wasaphuti yesterday said he hoped the public would
be able to use the bridge across the Moei river by next week after a meeting
of the Township Border Committee (TBC) scheduled for tomorrow.

The governor confirmed that once official measures went into effect, Thais
and other nationals would not be allowed to go beyond Myawaddy, while
Burmese travellers would not be allowed beyond Mae Sot.

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Rebels a hurdle to trade success
Bangkok Post/16.8.97
Thailand to 'help' in settling insurgency
Nussara Sawatsawang
Mae Sot, Tak Province

Thailand will step up efforts to bring together the Burmese government and
the Karen ethnic insurgents in order to promote ThaiBurmese cooperation
along the newly-opened Friendship Bridge, a senior Thai military official
said yesterday.

"They [Burmese] may find it difficult to say when they will be able to
totally suppress the Karen National Union, [but] we will try to get them to
reach a negotiated settlement by coordinating contacts between them," Third
Army Commander Lieutenant General Thanom Watcharaput said.

Thailand would act along the lines of the role it played last year towards
the surrender of Shan leader Khun Sa to the military government, he said,
without elaborating.

If this succeeded, Thailand would not have to shoulder the burden of
sheltering refugees in Tak, now numbering about 90,000, he said.

Lt Gen Thanom attended yesterday's ceremonial opening of the ThaiBurmese
Friendship Bridge across the Moei River which links Tak's Mae Sot with
Myawaddy, in Burma.

Ethnic insurgency and poor road conditions were among obstacles that dimmed
prospects for bridge users, observers said.

The Karen National Union, which remains active in the area, is the last
ethnic minority yet to enter cease-fire talks with the ruling State Law and
Order Restoration Council (Slorc).

Though Thailand and Burma effectively upgraded three temporary checkpoints
to permanent ones yesterday, their nationals are not allowed to go beyond
Mae Sot and Myawaddy towns because of security risks on the Burmese side.

Burmese Construction Minister Major General Saw Tun said the problem would
be tackled.

Lt-Gen Thanom quoted Burmese southeast commander Major General Ket Sein as
saying Burmese authorities would upgrade the road from Myawaddy to the
proposed deep seaport in Moulmein, as a priority.

Sources said traders in Tak were asking permission from the Burmese
government to develop a 350 km road from Kawkareik to Rangoon.

Thais and Burmese welcomed the opening as an historical event to mark
bilateral and regional cooperation.

Deputy Prime Minister Korn Dabbaransi, who represented Thailand at the
ceremony, said the bridge would encourage people-to-people contacts, trade
flow and investment and a plan to build the Asian Highway linking South Asia
and South-east Asia. 

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Bridge opened but still 'closed'
The Nation/16.8.97

MAE SOT, TAK - Some 3,000 enthusiastic spectators attended the opening of
the Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge yesterday, but were disappointed when
Burmese authorities refused to let them cross into Burma.

Thai authorities were informed by their Burmese counterparts that the ruling
junta had not yet authorised the use of the bridge, whose Bt79.2 million
price tag was picked up solely by the Thai government.

Burma's State Law and Order Restoration Council (Slorc) was not yet prepared
for the Thai public to enter the country at that point, the Thai side was told.

The Burmese decision greatly disappointed a large number of Thais who had
arrived hoping the auspicious occasion would allow them the chance for a
brief glimpse of the Burmese town of Myawaddy.

Local Thai security officers said Slorc was concerned that exiled political
dissidents and Karen guerrillas might sneak into Burma along with the bona
fide Thai visitors.

According to Burmese officials, the bridge would be open for public use only
when the 400-km road linking Myawaddy and Rangoon is completed. Thailand has
offered to help improve the highway which is part of the trans-Asian Highway
A1. 

Presiding over the ceremony yesterday was Deputy Prime Minister Korn
Dabaransi and Burmese Construction Minister Maj Gen Saw Tun. The event was
witnessed by Thai and Burmese deputy foreign ministers Pitak Intrawityanunt
and U Nyunt Swe and a large flag-waving crowd of over 10,000 Thais and Burmese.

During a luncheon, Saw Tun recalled how the bridge project had faced a
number of problems and was even stalled for a long period. He thanked
Thailand for funding the bridge and said it would help improve Thai-Burmese
relations.

Pitak said after the ceremony that after the inauguration, Thailand and
Burma would cooperate to resolve problems along the 2,500-km border which
had been dragging on for over 10 years, including territorial disputes.

He said the Burmese side would allow the public to use the bridge when the
Myawaddy-Rangoon road was ready.

Korn, also industry minister, said Burma was now "open", as evidenced by its
recent entry into the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

The country was no longer isolated and the ceremony yesterday was concrete
evidence that it had opened up, he added.

The Mae Sot-Myawaddy bridge, which spans the Moei River, is 420 metres long
and 13 metres wide. Its construction began with the foundation stonelaying
ceremony on Oct 20, 1994, and was completed in June this year after a nearly
two-year delay due to a bilateral territorial dispute. 

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