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The Nation - Thais told to heed Bur

Subject: The Nation - Thais told to heed Burma ethnic groups

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The Nation - Nov 18, 1999.
Headlines=20

Thais told to heed Burma ethnic groups

THAILAND should take into consideration the various ethnic minorities of =
Burma in the formulation of its future policy toward the neighbouring =
country.=20

Pornpimon Trichot, a researcher from Chulalongkorn University's =
Institute of Asian Studies, said Thailand needs to gain more information =
and familiarise itself with the different ethnic groups to foster =
long-term development of peace and security with its western neighbour.=20

Speaking at a seminar on the Thai border and national security at =
Thammasat University, Pornpimon quoted Burmese Foreign Minister Win =
Aung, who told Time magazine last month that such deliberations on =
autonomous rule were taking place.=20

Win Aung said the Burmese government is working towards confidence =
building and to explain to all rebel forces that have reached ceasefire =
agreements with the government that they must share administrative power =
with the regions. However, ethnic minority groups should show sincerity, =
he said.=20

Seventeen armed groups have signed ceasefire agreements with the =
government, but a few still remain at large.=20

Win Aung was reported in Time as saying that the country's fundamental =
programme was national unity, after which they would move towards =
national reconciliation.=20

Because of diverse races living in the country, Win Aung said priority =
would be to unite all the different groups or the country would not =
survive. ''The programme of democracy will be secondary,'' he said.=20

The Burmese government has formed a new ministry that deals with =
developing areas of its national minorities to expedite efforts to unite =
the country.=20

Win Aung also pointed to the problem of lack of consensus which is =
affecting progress in talks on establishing the autonomous regions or =
''self-administered areas'' as they will be called.=20

He said the Was and Kokangs and others are entitled to have =
self-administered areas and will have their own parliaments, but the =
difficulty is that there are interest groups who want more power than =
the union is ready to give. So they cannot reach a consensus on how to =
share power between the states and the federal government, he said.=20

Army Chief-of-Staff, Gen Montrisak Boonkong, told the same seminar that =
to ensure peace and stability along the border with neighbouring =
countries, Thailand will need to be proactive to tackle the problems, =
including deforestation, illicit drugs and illegal migrants.=20

He said total defence of the country depends not only on the role of the =
military and police, but also on cooperation of the people.=20

Montrisak said the role of the army is changing and although it's =
personnel will be reduced in the coming years, it will be more =
effective.=20

Montrisak said the Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and concerned agencies, =
including the National Security Council and the Defence Ministry, are =
considering the establishment of a new body to tackle problems along the =
northern border areas, which are now handled by different agencies.=20

He said since the problems along the Thai-Cambodian border have receded =
so the army's next year budget will focus more on the Thai-Burmese =
border.=20

Thailand shares a 2401-kilometre common border with Burma.=20

BY RITA PATIYASEVI=20

The Nation


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><FONT face=3Darial,Times size=3D2>The Nation - =
Nov 18,=20
1999.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT=20
size=3D+1><STRONG>Headlines</STRONG></FONT> <FONT =
face=3Darial,Times><FONT=20
size=3D+2></DIV>
<P>
<H2><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D4>Thais told to heed Burma ethnic=20
groups</FONT></H2></FONT><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT size=3D+.5>
<P>
<P>THAILAND should take into consideration the various ethnic minorities =
of=20
Burma in the formulation of its future policy toward the neighbouring =
country.=20
<P>Pornpimon Trichot, a researcher from Chulalongkorn University's =
Institute of=20
Asian Studies, said Thailand needs to gain more information and =
familiarise=20
itself with the different ethnic groups to foster long-term development =
of peace=20
and security with its western neighbour.=20
<P>Speaking at a seminar on the Thai border and national security at =
Thammasat=20
University, Pornpimon quoted Burmese Foreign Minister Win Aung, who told =
Time=20
magazine last month that such deliberations on autonomous rule were =
taking=20
place.=20
<P>Win Aung said the Burmese government is working towards confidence =
building=20
and to explain to all rebel forces that have reached ceasefire =
agreements with=20
the government that they must share administrative power with the =
regions.=20
However, ethnic minority groups should show sincerity, he said.=20
<P>Seventeen armed groups have signed ceasefire agreements with the =
government,=20
but a few still remain at large.=20
<P>Win Aung was reported in Time as saying that the country's =
fundamental=20
programme was national unity, after which they would move towards =
national=20
reconciliation.=20
<P>Because of diverse races living in the country, Win Aung said =
priority would=20
be to unite all the different groups or the country would not survive. =
''The=20
programme of democracy will be secondary,'' he said.=20
<P>The Burmese government has formed a new ministry that deals with =
developing=20
areas of its national minorities to expedite efforts to unite the =
country.=20
<P>Win Aung also pointed to the problem of lack of consensus which is =
affecting=20
progress in talks on establishing the autonomous regions or =
''self-administered=20
areas'' as they will be called.=20
<P>He said the Was and Kokangs and others are entitled to have =
self-administered=20
areas and will have their own parliaments, but the difficulty is that =
there are=20
interest groups who want more power than the union is ready to give. So =
they=20
cannot reach a consensus on how to share power between the states and =
the=20
federal government, he said.=20
<P>Army Chief-of-Staff, Gen Montrisak Boonkong, told the same seminar =
that to=20
ensure peace and stability along the border with neighbouring countries, =

Thailand will need to be proactive to tackle the problems, including=20
deforestation, illicit drugs and illegal migrants.=20
<P>He said total defence of the country depends not only on the role of =
the=20
military and police, but also on cooperation of the people.=20
<P>Montrisak said the role of the army is changing and although it's =
personnel=20
will be reduced in the coming years, it will be more effective.=20
<P>Montrisak said the Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and concerned =
agencies,=20
including the National Security Council and the Defence Ministry, are=20
considering the establishment of a new body to tackle problems along the =

northern border areas, which are now handled by different agencies.=20
<P>He said since the problems along the Thai-Cambodian border have =
receded so=20
the army's next year budget will focus more on the Thai-Burmese border.=20
<P>Thailand shares a 2401-kilometre common border with Burma.=20
<P>BY RITA PATIYASEVI=20
<P>The Nation</P></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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