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BKK Post (14-10-99)General acrimony



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<font size=5><b>General acrimony<br>
</font><font size=3><i>Those dissident students might not have been
successful in bringing down the hated junta but they have brought to
light the rifts that exist between the hated generals. u Also right up
there in the public spotlight is our interior minister, who might not
have gone along for the chopper ride but still sees himself as man of the
moment. u Sukhavich wants to take a chomp out of the Halal food
market.<br>
<br>
</font></i><font size=5>T</font></b><font size=3>he churlish position
taken by the generals in charge of Burma in their dealings with Thailand
since Johnny and the Dissident Students toted their loaded guitar cases
into the Burmese Embassy on Oct 1 has the Burma watchers scratching their
heads over whether Prime Minister Gen Than Shwe or army chief Gen Maung
Aye is running things over in Rangoon.<br>
It is generally understood that there is no love lost between Gen Maung
Aye and Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, the first secretary who is very close to Gen
Than Shwe. However, it is not clear whether the acrimony has also
infected Gen Than Shwe who, just like our prime minister, doubles as
defence minister.<br>
The junta has issued a statement strongly criticising Thailand over its
handling of the embassy siege, but Gen Than Shwe, who wears yet another
hat as chief of the ruling State Peace and Development Council, wrote
thanking Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai for bringing things to a peaceful
end.<br>
Mr Chuan and his deputy prime minister, Maj-Gen Sanan Kachornprasart, are
said to be confused by Burma's contradictory response.<br>
&quot;In a democratic country, Gen Maung Aye would certainly be fired for
such behaviour (not toeing the government line by acting independently in
criticising Thailand) but inside dictatorial Burma this is unlikely to
occur,&quot; said one cabinet minister here.<br>
But both Mr Chuan and Maj-Gen Sanan know about the tiff between Gen Maung
Aye and Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt.<br>
One veteran Burma watcher said the latest developments were hardly
surprising; he has known for some time about the contradictions which
crop up whenever there are border problems with Thailand.<br>
&quot;This two-faced policy clearly demonstrates how sincere Burma is in
jointly resolving border problems,&quot; he said.<br>
The Burmese military has closed all border checkpoints and has suspended
fishing rights granted to Thai trawlers for &quot;security reasons&quot;
following the embassy siege.<br>
The sources say that former army Commander-in-Chief Gen Chettha Thanajaro
was caught off guard when his good pals among the Rangoon generals shut
the border.<br>
They say the general, who is now a security adviser to Maj-Gen Sanan, had
been told recently by Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, Burma's chief of military
intelligence, that any border closures would be limited to areas where
there were problems.<br>
But in the land where election results are cancelled because the bad guys
don't win, the army chief couldn't give two kyat about what his fellow
generals are telling the rest of the world. He just goes his own way and
shuts down the borders on a whim.<br>
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