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The Nation - Army warns junta to ke

Subject: The Nation - Army warns junta to keep rebel war off Thai territory

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The Nation - Nov 29, 1999.
Headlines=20
Army warns junta to keep rebel war off Thai territory

MAE HONG SON -- The Army yesterday warned its Burmese counterpart not to =
encroach on Thai territory during a dry-season suppression of =
dissidents, a senior border official said yesterday.=20

The Army will counter by all means any violation of its territory by =
Burmese soldiers, who routinely resort to hot pursuit of the dissidents, =
said Col Charnchai Nakprapa, commander of the Seventh Infantry Division =
which oversees Mae Hong Son province.=20

''Cracking down on Burmese dissidents is their internal affair. But we =
will not tolerate it if the Burmese soldiers cross the border on to Thai =
soil during the operation. It is nonsense to claim that the boundary is =
not clear,'' Charnchai said.=20

The Army has already installed anti-aircraft artillery as a preventive =
measure in case the fighting between Burmese government troops and the =
dissidents spills over the border, he said. ''We are ready to protect =
the sovereignty of Thailand and provide protection to our people.''=20

The colonel was responding to a report that Gen Maung Aye, Burma's =
deputy secretary-general of the State Peace and Development Council, had =
ordered a meeting of regional commanders, instructing them to shoot down =
any Thai aircraft found in Burmese airspace.=20

A border intelligence source said that Rangoon, too, had installed =
anti-aircraft artillery along the border.=20

''Gen Maung Aye has given orders that Burmese soldiers can shoot at Thai =
aircraft without any warning,'' the source said.=20

The Burmese general has also ordered his soldiers not to have any =
contact with Thai border officials.=20

Meanwhile, the chief of a holding centre for Burmese students in =
Ratchaburi is expected to be replaced as he could not control the =
residents.=20

The Interior Ministry is selecting a new chief for the centre to replace =
Chaitawat Niemsiri, although he took office just three months back.=20

''Chaitawat's replacement is likely because he could not keep the camp =
in order and he failed to control the Burmese students in the camp,'' =
the source said.=20

Since Chaitawat took the office in October, Burmese students in the =
holding centre have conducted a series of protests and acts of violence =
against Thai and UN High Commissioner for Refugees officials. A Burmese =
student was recently convicted of assaulting two Thai security guards.=20

Relations between Thai authorities and the Burmese students living there =
became tense after five students laid siege to the Burmese Embassy in =
Bangkok in early October.=20

After that incident, Thai agencies called for the students to go on to a =
third country to further their studies, instead of living here.=20

Chaitawat said that 21 students from the centre left yesterday for the =
United States.=20

About 2,000 students have moved on to third countries since the centre =
was set up in 1992. There are currently about 1,200 Burmese granted =
student status living in the centre.=20

The Nation


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><FONT face=3Darial,Times size=3D2>The Nation - =
Nov 29,=20
1999.</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT=20
size=3D3><STRONG>Headlines</STRONG> </FONT><FONT =
face=3Darial,Times><FONT=20
size=3D+2><FONT color=3D#000000 =
size=3D4></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT =
face=3Darial,Times><FONT=20
size=3D+2><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D4>Army warns junta to keep rebel =
war off Thai=20
territory</FONT></DIV></FONT><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT size=3D+.5>
<P>
<P>MAE HONG SON -- The Army yesterday warned its Burmese counterpart not =
to=20
encroach on Thai territory during a dry-season suppression of =
dissidents, a=20
senior border official said yesterday.=20
<P>The Army will counter by all means any violation of its territory by =
Burmese=20
soldiers, who routinely resort to hot pursuit of the dissidents, said =
Col=20
Charnchai Nakprapa, commander of the Seventh Infantry Division which =
oversees=20
Mae Hong Son province.=20
<P>''Cracking down on Burmese dissidents is their internal affair. But =
we will=20
not tolerate it if the Burmese soldiers cross the border on to Thai soil =
during=20
the operation. It is nonsense to claim that the boundary is not clear,'' =

Charnchai said.=20
<P>The Army has already installed anti-aircraft artillery as a =
preventive=20
measure in case the fighting between Burmese government troops and the=20
dissidents spills over the border, he said. ''We are ready to protect =
the=20
sovereignty of Thailand and provide protection to our people.''=20
<P>The colonel was responding to a report that Gen Maung Aye, Burma's =
deputy=20
secretary-general of the State Peace and Development Council, had =
ordered a=20
meeting of regional commanders, instructing them to shoot down any Thai =
aircraft=20
found in Burmese airspace.=20
<P>A border intelligence source said that Rangoon, too, had installed=20
anti-aircraft artillery along the border.=20
<P>''Gen Maung Aye has given orders that Burmese soldiers can shoot at =
Thai=20
aircraft without any warning,'' the source said.=20
<P>The Burmese general has also ordered his soldiers not to have any =
contact=20
with Thai border officials.=20
<P>Meanwhile, the chief of a holding centre for Burmese students in =
Ratchaburi=20
is expected to be replaced as he could not control the residents.=20
<P>The Interior Ministry is selecting a new chief for the centre to =
replace=20
Chaitawat Niemsiri, although he took office just three months back.=20
<P>''Chaitawat's replacement is likely because he could not keep the =
camp in=20
order and he failed to control the Burmese students in the camp,'' the =
source=20
said.=20
<P>Since Chaitawat took the office in October, Burmese students in the =
holding=20
centre have conducted a series of protests and acts of violence against =
Thai and=20
UN High Commissioner for Refugees officials. A Burmese student was =
recently=20
convicted of assaulting two Thai security guards.=20
<P>Relations between Thai authorities and the Burmese students living =
there=20
became tense after five students laid siege to the Burmese Embassy in =
Bangkok in=20
early October.=20
<P>After that incident, Thai agencies called for the students to go on =
to a=20
third country to further their studies, instead of living here.=20
<P>Chaitawat said that 21 students from the centre left yesterday for =
the United=20
States.=20
<P>About 2,000 students have moved on to third countries since the =
centre was=20
set up in 1992. There are currently about 1,200 Burmese granted student =
status=20
living in the centre.=20
<P>The Nation</P></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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