Thailand seeks sea patrols with Bur

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Subject: Thailand seeks sea patrols with Burma

Thailand seeks sea patrols with Burma
The Asian Age (24 December 1998)
Bangkok, Dec 23: Thailand wants joint naval patrols with Burma in waters
both nations claims to prevent another battle from breaking out between
them, a Thai foreign ministry spokesman said on Wednesday.

On Saturday, two Thai navy officers were killed in a skirmish with an
unidentified boat that sped away into Burma's territorial waters, the
ministry said. The Thai navy vessel had come to the aid of a Thai fishing
trawler that had been attacked in disputed waters. To prevent similar
incidents in the future, Thailand will propose the joint patrols to
officials from Burma, at meetings scheduled for January, said Kobsak
Chutikul, the ministry spokesman.

The ministry is also preparing guidelines that would serve as the basis for
demarcating the Thai-Burma border. The guidelines will be discussed with
Burma early next year, he said. The 2,401 kilometer border will be divided
up into ten sections, according to the Thai plan, with a disputed area in
each section. Seven disputed areas are in the Andaman sea, while only three
are on dry land. (AP)
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