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Trade disrupted as Burma shuts bord
- Subject: Trade disrupted as Burma shuts bord
- From: ausgeo@xxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 13 Jun 1997 19:14:00
Subject: Trade disrupted as Burma shuts border passes
Date: 13 Jun 1997
The Nation
Trade disrupted as Burma shuts border passes
BURMESE officials closed all border passes opposite Mae Sot district in Tak
province yesterday, resulting in a disruption of cross-border trade.
Army Commander Gen Chettha Thanajaro said he was perplexed by the move, but
stressed that the closure was ''not a serious problem because we don't have
any conflict. A border dispute is a small incident. Don't exaggerate this
matter because that would affect trade and relations between the two
countries."
Burmese officials gave no warning of the impending closure. Even members of
the Joint Border Committee working closely with Burmese border officials said
they were mystified as to why it occurred.
Maj Rijirawat Vongsariyanarong, the head of the Thai-Burmese Coordinating
Committee, said Lt Col Sai Phone, the commander of Burma's 275th Infantry
Division, informed him of the reason for the border closure after it had
occurred.
Maj Rijirawat quoted Lt Col Sai Phone as saying security problems prompted the
move and that Burma would like to reorganise regulations concerning border
crossings and goods trafficking.
Maj Rijirawat said Burma had neglected to officially notify Bangkok of the
closure. According to the Thailand-Burma Treaty on Trade and Investment
Cooperation, if either country wishes to close a border pass, it must notify
the other country at least three months in advance.
Border officials said they believed the closure resulted from the dispute over
Burmese dredging of the Moei River, which Rangoon claims has changed course,
resulting in a loss of Burmese territory.
Gen Chettha said the Army will not take any action at present but will wait
for the results of the next round of talks between Joint Border Committee
representatives, scheduled in Rangoon at the end of the month.
Burmese troops set up dredging equipment in the Moei River opposite Ban Rim
Moei early last month, near Wat Phrathat Khok Chang in Tambon Tha Sai Luad.
They apparently intended to change the river's course back to where it was
before flooding altered it.
Both sides refused to give ground. Burma insisted that their dredging plan was
based on an aerial map and photographs taken in 1989, while Thai authorities
refused to accept a claim that had expanded from 150 rai to 300 rai.
Early attempts to resolve the dispute failed as both sides insisted on their
original proposals. The third round of talks, which took place on Tuesday,
ended with the Burmese delegation headed by U Aye Lwin walking out of the
meeting.
The spontaneous closure has affected Tak's cross-border trade, which consists
of 100 metric tonnes of consumer goods exported to Burma every day, Panithi
Tangphati, the vice president of Tak's Chamber of Commerce, said.
''Yesterday, around 50 trucks arrived at the border passes and were stuck
here. Many of them had to drive back because they don't have warehouses here,"
he said.
Panithi said the unexpected nature of the closure will shake the confidence of
Thai traders along the border, as well as foreign investors in Burma.