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Bangkok Post(12/7/99)



Policy on Burma needs a rethink

Bravo to the Bangkok Post for its straight-forward and hard-hitting
editorial, "Asean fails to engage Rangoon", on July 11.

It's about time the Thai Foreign Ministry and the rest of the Thai
government faced the facts-their policy of engagement with the SPDC
dictatorship in Burma has been a total failure. This policy has caused
Thailand to lose credibility on the world stage as a country that cares
about human rights and democracy.

The Burmese junta has taken advantage of Thai compromises to invade Thai
territory and shoot up border police checkpoints, kill Thai villagers, and
flood the country with cheap amphetamines. These are hardly the actions of
a friend.

Meanwhile, the Thai government's response has been weak, bending over
backward to help the Burmese junta escape the criticism it so richly deserves.

In the last week of May, the Foreign Ministry and the Labour Ministry did
the bidding of Rangoon's generals by banning an international labour union
conference on Burma from being held in Bangkok-violating the freedom of
association clauses in the Thai constitution in the process. The EU
ministers in town at that time correctly criticised this violation of basic
human rights.

Then in June, the Thai government delegates at the ILO meeting in Geneva
took the lead in actively lobbying other governments not to sanction
Rangoon for its appalling and continuous use of forced labour, a modern
form of slavery. This is despite the fact that the ILO has produced
hundreds of pages of meticulously documented evidence of forced labour and
forced portering required by the Burmese army.

The Thai effort at the ILO was strongly defeated, leaving Thailand once
again looking foolish, stuck making excuses to an international audience
for the brutal behaviour of Burma's generals against their people. What did
the Thai government receive to compensate for its international loss of
face and reputation?

When is the Thai government going to wake up and smell the coffee? Someone
should tell them: "You're being played for fools by the SPDC"

The Ministry of Education's basic curriculum still teaches the exploits of
King Thaksin in rallying the Thai people to resist Burmese army aggression
in the 18th century. Maybe foreign ministry staff need to go back to school
and re-learn what worked historically with the Burmese army-strength and

determination, not bowing to intimidation. That means standing up for
principles and defending national sovereignty, not making excuses for a
brutal military dictatorship and promoting a constructive engagement that
only benefits corrupt politicians and Thai army officers with interests in
trading logs and gems.

The Bangkok Post editorial offered two good starting points for a new Thai
policy towards Burma's generals. The time is long overdue for a serious
re-think of the failed engagement policy with Burma.

A labour observer

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Rebel forces kill seven pro-Rangoon soldiers
300 Thais forced to flee border fighting


Supamart Kasem
Tak


Seven soldiers of the pro-Rangoon Democratic Karen Buddhist Army were
reported killed and four other people injured during an attack by rival
Karen National Union forces on their strongholds in Burma opposite Phop
Phra district.

During the fighting, more than 300 people living in a nearby Thai border
village fled their homes after a mortar shell landed on the house of a
former local leader. 

A border official said the battle between about 100 anti-Rangoon KNU troops
and about 150 DKBA soldiers took place after the KNU ambushed several DKBA
camps opposite Waleh village about 4am Saturday.

The KNU guerrillas pulled back after more than two hours of fighting.

The conflict claimed the lives of seven DKBA troops and four other Karens.

A girl was also injured.

During the battle, about 300 Thais living in tambon Waleh sought shelter
well away from the village after a mortar shell landed on the roof of a
house owned by former kamnan Prayoon Putsa. 

Thai security forces did not respond as they considered the explosion an
accident, according to a source.
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