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BKK Post, March 30, 1998. Editoria
- Subject: BKK Post, March 30, 1998. Editoria
- From: burma@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sun, 29 Mar 1998 21:31:00
March 30, 1998. Editorial
Trying to avoid border troubles
Thailand faces a number of risks as our neighbours battle for power. The
first is the danger to Thai citizens from the fighting. In recent
months, fire from both Burma and Cambodia has hit Thai territory, and
killed our citizens. Cross-border attacks by Rangoon-supported
guerrillas have become intolerably deadly. Our challenge is to deal with
our border problems realistically, but to avoid being sucked into the
internal politics or fighting of our neighbours.
On one side, there are the Karen forces raised by the Rangoon
government. They have joined a campaign against Karen rebels whose
dispute with Burma?s central government reaches back virtually to the
nation?s independence. This year the fighting has flowed into Thailand,
where it has killed Thai citizens and the innocent Karen refugees we are
sheltering.
Things are marginally better on the northeastern border, but potentially
far more dangerous. Cambodia remains incapable of settling its internal
problems. This continues to pose grave security risks to our country.
Thailand continues to shelter tens of thousands of Cambodians. But this
drain on our money and human resources may be the least of the problems
on the Khmer border. A confusing and menacing situation threatens to
draw Thailand in.
Prince Norodom Ranariddh returns to Cambodia today to establish his
presence for the July elections. Hun Sen supporters have raised tensions
by holding demonstrations against him. The kangaroo courts against
Prince Ranariddh in recent weeks have been totally unnecessary and
harmful to security. It is entirely moot whether Hun Sen, whose
reputation as the godfather of Cambodia is growing, will allow free
elections.
If that is not enough, there will be a memorial today for the dead in
last year?s terrorist attack on a political meeting in Phnom Penh. The
US embassy has issued travel warnings around the capital. It notes that
large crowds carry the potential for political violence.
Up on our Cambodian border, Thai forces and citizens face danger and
uncertainty, as do tens of thousands of Khmer refugees. A strong
propaganda campaign from Phnom Penh began last week to claim that the
Khmer Rouge base at Anlong Veng was in government hands. Although this
has proved incorrect, strong rumours continue to be fanned by the Hun
Sen team and its foreign advisers. As with a similar false campaign last
December, many of the rumours being spread from Phnom Penh centre on
Khmer Rouge leaders fleeing towards Thailand.
Thailand confronts the dilemma it has had to face so many times in the
past two decades. On the one hand, it is clear the country must defend
its borders from intruders. As Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai made clear
last week, there can be no further warnings or simple protests when
Burma?s so called Burmese Democratic Karen Army crosses our frontier. If
anything, it was time for the premier, who is also defence minister, to
take a stand on these outrageous border incursions.
If Thailand cannot welcome armed attackers, we always have tried to
welcome innocent victims of war. In the past two decades, well over one
million old men, women and children have sought asylum on Thai soil.
Today, the number of Cambodian and Burmese refugees is approaching
150,000. We continue to provide food and shelter to these casualties of
war, and must continue to do so.
Thailand must punish, quickly and violently, any further attack from
across the border. Our authorities cannot allow harm to come to our
citizens, nor to refugees. At the same time, we must not become directly
involved in the problems of Burma and Cambodia.
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