THE NATION: (r)

[suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Politics 

      Sukhumbhand to visit
      Burma

      DEPUTY Foreign Minister Sukhumbhand
      Paribatra will visit Burma to mark the 50th
      anniversary of Thai-Burmese diplomatic
      relations on Aug 24. 

      Informed sources said minister is
      scheduled to meet Burmese officials during
      his three-day official visit starting on Aug
      23. 

      He will be the first foreign government
      official to visit Burma after the ruling military
      junta suspended the five-year sentence the
      18 foreign activists including three Thais
      had been given for handing out
      pro-democracy leaflets in Rangoon last
      week. 

      His visit will come just as tension builds up
      as the country approaches the Friday
      deadline opposition leader Aung San Suu
      Kyi had set for convening the parliament
      whose members had legitimately won the
      1990 general elections. 

      Even though Sukhumbhand has been a
      critic of the Burmese junta he stood against
      last week's campaign held by the 18
      activists. 

      Sukhumbhand helped craft a Thai proposal
      for flexible engagement with Burma which
      drew a serious debate at Asean ministerial
      meeting last month and finally sailed
      through in a less controversial version of
      ''enhanced interaction''. 

      Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Chettha
      Thanajaro meanwhile warned Thai activists
      to think before they attempt to enter Burma
      and campaign for democracy again. 

      ''It should be evident if such a move is right
      or appropriate. If they think it's right, then
      there is no problem with that,'' Gen Chettha
      said. 

      Chettha earlier had reproached the three
      Thai activists for the joining campaign in
      Rangoon. He said Thais deserved legal
      action if they had offended the law of the
      country they were in. 

      The Nation