NEWS - Burma constantly expanding m

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Subject: NEWS - Burma constantly expanding military/ Thais need to remain ever vigilant

Bangkok post - Jan 07, 2000.
 
MILITARY LECTURE

Thais need to remain ever vigilant

Burma constantly expanding military


Thailand should remain vigilant with Burma posing a potential security
threat, the supreme commander warned yesterday.

Gen Mongkol Ampornpisit made the remark while delivering a lecture to
some 200 officers at National Defence College and Joint Staff College.

"Though posing no threat now, Burma could change in the future. While
most countries are downsizing their armed forces, Burma keeps expanding
its military capability," he said.

Gen Mongkol said such concerns had been voiced at a recent meeting of
supreme commanders from the Asia-Pacific region.

Neighbouring countries such as Malaysia, Laos and Cambodia are not a
threat to the region, despite an enhancement in Vietnam's naval
capability, he said.

Gen Mongkol also stressed the importance of maintaining good
relationship with Cambodia.

Relations with Rangoon have turned sour following the embassy siege by
armed Burmese dissidents in October last year.

While Thailand keeps a watchful eye on drug traffickers from across the
border, Burma harbours suspicions Thai authorities are giving support to
its minority groups. Burma could not accept the fact that those who
seized its mission were provided safe passage across the border in
exchange for hostage release. The supreme commander said the Thai
defence budget is the smallest compared to those of Singapore and
Malaysia.

The latter is meanwhile developing its air defence capability by
procuring fighter jets-F/A18, F-16 and MiG-29 models.

Malaysia's procurement of MiG-29 equipped with so-called Amraamskis from
Russia would likely make the United States sell its Amraams to other
countries in the region, Gen Mongkol added.