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NEWS-Thailand Concerned about Risin
Thailand Concerned about Rising Myanmar Tension
Reuters
08-JUL-98
BANGKOK, July 8 (Reuters) - Thailand said on Wednesday it
was
concerned about growing political tension in neighbouring
Myanmar
and urged restraint by all sides there to avoid violence.
``We are concerned about the developments there. We urge
restraint
by all sides to avoid violent confrontation between the
opposing
forces,'' foreign ministry spokesman Kobsak Chutikul told
Reuters.
``We as fellow ASEAN (Association of South East Asian
Nation)
member countries feel that any new instability in the region
could affect
efforts to achieve regional economic rehabilitation,'' he
said.
Political tension between the ruling military State Peace
and
Development Council (SPDC) and opposition National League
for
Democracy (NLD) party led by Aung San Suu Kyi has been
rising
since May.
Suu Kyi demanded in late May that the SPDC convene a
parliament of
elected representatives from a May 1990 election, swept by
the NLD
but ignored by the ruling junta. The SPDC rejected the idea.
Since then the SPDC has placed elected NLD representatives
under
increased vigilance, ordering those outside the capital
Yangon to
report to local authorities.
On Tuesday, the military prevented Suu Kyi and senior party
officials
from travelling to a northern township to meet some elected
NLD
representatives.
A Myanmar rebel group, the ethnic Karen National Union, said
this
week that the new curbs on NLD members could be politically
explosive.
The Thai foreign ministry spokesman said any instability or
unrest in
Myanmar could lead to problems along the common border
between
the two countries.
As a result of any unrest, there could be a spillover of
refugees, border
trade might be hampered and drug suppression activities at
the
border areas could be affected, he said.
``Any problems there could affect the economic prosperity of
all,'' he
added.