Krungthep Thurakit: Timor is Preced

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Subject: Krungthep Thurakit: Timor is Precedent for Burma

(Krungthep means Bangkok and Thurakit means Business)

BANGKOK
SUMMARY OF THE THAI PRESS
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1999

(NOTE:  The following is an unedited summary of selected news, columns and
editorials from the Thai press.  It should be read in conjunction with the
Bangkok English language newspapers.  Items are selected for summary based
upon their interest and usefulness to US officials.  This press summary
should not be considered a balanced reflection of what appears in the Thai
press on any given day.  This is not an official document and the
producers assume no responsibility for accuracy of translations.) I.  
MAJOR HEADLINES:


II. 	EDITORIALS & COMMENTARY:

		1. The recent dispatch of an advance force comprising some
30 Thai soldiers to East Timor for peacekeeping via Darwin of northern
Australia gives quite a pleasing impression.  It is part of a UN
peacekeeping force inevitably established with Australia being spearhead
and ready to send 4,000 troopers to join it.  It is just too bad that the
Thai soldiers and those from several other ASEAN members are only playing
a secondary role.  They indeed deserve to play a leading role, not because
of their being part of ASEAN or complying with Indonesia's desire, but
because of ASEAN's need to start playing an overt and sincere role in
thrashing out regional problems on an equitable and righteous basis in
compliance with modern world requirements.

The dispatch of Thai soldiers to join the UN peacekeeping force may be
regarded as Thaland's first right step.  First, it is conducive to
peacekeeping and protection of the lives of innocent people in East Timor
from the peril of armed rivals.  Another reason is East Timor's
potentiality to be a new trade market for Thai rice and a major oil source
for Thailand.  At the same time, ASEAN's participation serves to
indirectly punish Indonesia and pressure it to display its sincerity and
readiness to restore independence to Timor in compliance with the results
of a recent public referendum conducted on last Aug 30, seeing a voting in
that respect by 78-pct of all the respondents, instead of finding faults
with Australia and duping the world community with partial withdrawal of
its special action force from Timor with no mention of its 20,000
remaining troopers blamed for recent riots there.  ASEAN's broadmindedness
in joining the UN peacekeeping force helps to restore credit to the region
which was formerly perceived to be overprotective of regional solidarity
with no heed to righteousness.  The main thing is that it could set a
precedent for settlement of the long-standing Burmese problem, which has
pitted ASEAN against trade partners like the European Union or the US.  -
Krungthep Thurakit editorial