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Bangkok Post(13/9/99)
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<font size=5><b>Burma to free 67 Thai inmates<br>
</font><font size=5><i>Gesture to mark FM Surin's visit<br>
</i>B</font></b><font size=3>urma will release 67 Thai prisoners this
month "as a goodwill gesture" to mark the foreign minister's
visit to Rangoon last month, a foreign affairs spokesman said.<br>
Most were fishermen arrested for encroachment on Burmese waters. Some had
already been convicted and others were still awaiting sentencing, he
said.<br>
Rangoon said the biggest release of Thais this year was "to
celebrate the success of the fifth Thailand-Burma joint committee meeting
and as a goodwill gesture to mark Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan's visit
to the country".<br>
The Aug 24 joint committee meeting in Rangoon concluded with Burma's
endorsement in principle of a second bridge, between Mae Sai in Chiang
Rai province and Tachilek in Burma, and its strong commitment to help
Thailand fight narcotics trafficking.<br>
The release of jail inmates was agreed on the condition that they do not
violate Burmese law again.<br>
If arrested again the inmates would be punished for both old and new
offences.<br>
Thirty Thais being held in Rangoon's Insein prison, and 28 from six other
prisons will be flown back to Bangkok on Sept 25 at the expense of the
Thai embassy in Burma.<br>
Eight others will be repatriated from Kengtung via the Tachilek-Mae Sai
crossing and another will be returned from Moulmein via Myawaddy-Mae
Sot.<br>
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