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Jobs and markets under threat
- Subject: Jobs and markets under threat
- From: mandalay@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 08 Oct 1999 21:27:00
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<font size=5><b>Jobs and markets under threat<br>
</font><font size=4>Cargoes queued up, fishing boats idled<br>
</font></b><font size=3>Tak<br>
The prolonged closure of the Burmese border has consequences reaching far
beyond local trade as it is putting people out of jobs and threatens
investment.<br>
Cargoes worth millions of baht were stalled at the border yesterday, six
days after Rangoon ordered its closure in the wake of the occupation of
the Burmese embassy.<br>
Burma denied it was displeased with Thailand's decision to release the
Burmese gunmen who commandeered the embassy last weekend and has shrugged
off claims that the border was sealed in retaliation.<br>
However, businessmen agreed that Burma's closure of all checkpoints in
Tak's Mae Sot district, Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district, and Ranong would
mar the investment climate. A large volume of food, fuel and spare part
consignments are reported to be in bonded warehouses, with no indication
how long it will be before they are cleared by Burmese customs.<br>
Pier coolies who normally earn 200-300 baht a day are temporarily out of
work, while ferry services on the Moei river, the natural borderline in
Tak, have stopped.<br>
A pier owner, who asked not to be named, said he had two truckloads of
fuel caught in the middle of the stand-off. They could not enter Burma,
and could not return to the depot because export fees had already been
paid. Cashflow had dried up because no goods were changing hands.<br>
Siripan Kiatkraikul, Mae Sot customs unit assistant chief, said the town
of Myawaddy, on the opposite bank, had barred passage and transport of
goods since last Saturday, the second and last day of the embassy hostage
drama.<br>
Transborder trade activities have steadily declined. During the first few
days, Burmese were allowed to cross into Thailand to shop but movement of
large cargoes was suspended. Mr Siripan said the restrictions imposed by
Rangoon grew stiffer by the day. The normally bustling border trade had
almost come to a standstill.<br>
Exports have fallen to less than two million baht a day, an eighth of the
normal value.<br>
Surapon Mankong, owner of a jewellery and fabric stall, said he had not
sold anything in three days. Industrial investors slammed Burma's
"inconsistent" border commercial policy. Shutting down the
channels would erode confidence in investment projects jointly undertaken
by Thais and Burmese.<br>
One investor said although Rangoon insisted it bore no grudges over the
embassy seizure and its resolution, the closure of the border and
subsequent suspension of Thai fishing concessions gave a contradictory
impression.<br>
The Commerce Ministry, meanwhile, fears the border inactivity could cost
Thailand its share of commercial interests in Burma to rivals such as
Singapore and China and is calling on the Foreign Affairs Ministry to
exercise diplomancy in order to resume the border link.<br>
Supachai Panitchpakdi, the commerce minister, said if the closure
persisted for another week or so Thailand stood to lose the bulk of its
market dominance in Burma. The Foreign Affairs Ministry has been asked to
talk Burma into loosening the current restrictions and resume the trade
connection as soon as possible.<br>
If Thai goods remained unavailable for too long, Burmese businesses would
turn to imports from other countries such as Singapore and China, Mr
Supachai said.<br>
Fishermen have demanded that Burma compensate them. They submitted their
demand in a letter to the committee on Thai-Burmese border fishing
yesterday. They said they had lost more than one billion baht in revenue.
So far, 200 trawlers have returned to Ranong.<br>
uReports page 3 <br>
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</font><font size=5><b>Surin expresses concern over Rangoon's border
decision<br>
</font><font size=4>Actions don't mirror Bangkok's sincerity<br>
</font></b><font size=3>Bhanravee Tansubhapol</font><font size=6> <br>
</font><font size=5><b>F</font></b><font size=3>oreign Minister Surin
Pitsuwan yesterday expressed concern to the Burmese ambassador over
Rangoon's decision to close border checkpoints and suspend fishing
rights.<br>
The minister said the measures did not "reflect" Burma's
appreciation of Thai sincerity and good intentions in solving the Burmese
embassy siege last week.<br>
He called for normalisation of the situation as soon as possible.<br>
Mr Surin said Ambassador Hla Maung had agreed a quick solution to the
problem would enable the two countries to take part in "joint
activities for mutual benefit".<br>
The ambassador, speaking through an interpreter, said the measures were
"temporary" and aimed at dealing with "security
problems" caused by the return to Burma of
"terrorists".<br>
Mr Surin said the ambassador cited Rangoon's concern about
"ill-intentioned" elements who might cross the border from
either side, threatening peace in the area and making matters
worse.<br>
The ambassador, who had been "invited" to the ministry, could
not say when the measures would be lifted but linked any move to this end
to an improvement in relations between the two countries.<br>
"The more bilateral relations improve, the sooner the temporary
measures will be lifted, " he said. At the same time the envoy
described the present state of relations as "good".<br>
Mr Surin told the ambassador that the measures did not conform with the
"spirit" of letters the government had received from Burma's
Prime Minister Than Shwe and Secretary One Khin Nyunt.<br>
Mr Surin emphasised the government's determination to guarantee the
safety of all embassies and international organisations in the country.
But he also pointed to constraints in terms of the law, staffing and
money.<br>
The government could not set up checkpoints all over Bangkok to search
"everyone", he added.<br>
The Burmese ambassador asked Thailand to consider the letters from Gen
Than Shwe and Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, as well as the verbal assurances given
by Foreign Minister Win Aung to Mr Surin on Monday, as the official
position of the Burmese government. <br>
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