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Thai Press on Burma (r)
BANGKOK
SUMMARY OF THE THAI PRESS
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 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.
HEADLINES
1. Thai fishermen are meeting their fate with suffering
from a daily loss of 43 million baht as a result of Burmese water
closure.
- Manager (1)
2. The Burmese Ambassador blatantly intimidates SURIN
with pressing demand for unconditional arrest of the 'five rebellious
students'. - Siam Rath (1)
3. Burma agrees to reduce its conditions with border
reopening. - Thai Rath sub-headline (1)
II. EDITORIALS & COMMENTARY:
4. PHICHIAN KHURATHONG opines that the Burmese junta is
behaving like the former Khmer Rouge in deriding Thai democracy as
freedom
of flesh trade as the Khmer Rouge previously did to Western democracy.
If
so, the author warns the Burmese junta is tacitly following in the
footsteps
of the tyrannical Khmer Rouge and would eventually meet with extinction
like
the Khmer Rouge. After all, the author recommends Thai people affected
by
the retaliatory Burmese border closure and fishing concession lifting not
to
react to excess to avoid laying bare Thailand's weaknesses and their
exploitation by the Burmese junta to boost its bargaining power. He
comes
to the conclusion that the affected Thais could simply seek to resume
border
trade and fishing in the Burmese Water under the cloak of Burma's other
trade partners like Malaysia. - Matichon column
5. CHAP KRASAE upholds Burma's sovereign right to do
things in its own way with respect to its opposition to Thailand's
amicable
handling of five Burmese students over their recent seizure of the
Burmese
Embassy here. He feels the Thai Government has acted as if it has a
right
to interfere in the human rights problem in Burma in attempting to show
to
the world community its strong backing for a democratic rule and
opposition
to alleged human rights violation in Burma. The author speculates that
it
could be 3,5, 10 years or more before Burma would submit to mounting
world
pressure. He believes the affected Thais have expected the Burmese
retaliations and are thus resigned to them. - Krungthep Thurakit column
6. Sq Ldr PRASONG SUNSIRI downplays the Burmese
retaliation against Thai handling of the Burmese Embassy seizure by
Burmese
students and expects the Burmese Government to soon bury the hatchet in
recognition of Thailand's sincere assistance in making Burma an ASEAN
member
despite the fact that Burma is unacceptable to many other countries. He
believes the row and prevailing suspicions are removable through
negotiations for mutual gains. - Naeo Na column
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