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BKK Post(16-10-99)Burmese to pay pr
- Subject: BKK Post(16-10-99)Burmese to pay pr
- From: mandalay@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 15 Oct 1999 20:23:00
Subject: BKK Post(16-10-99)Burmese to pay price for frosty ties
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<font size=5><b>Burmese to pay price for frosty ties<br>
</font><font size=4><i>Trader sees junta decision as unwise<br>
<br>
</font></i><font size=3>Nusara Thaitawat and Subin Khuenkaew<br>
</b>Businessmen should not be too concerned over Rangoon's closure of the
border because Burma depends heavily on Thai goods, a veteran trader said
yesterday.<br>
"We Thais tend to over-react in this kind of situation," said
Somkid Onmon, of Pookha Carving Ltd, Chiang Mai.<br>
"From my experience, in no time at all people from the other side of
the border will have to come and buy goods from us, whether it is
reopened or not."Border trade between the two countries is estimated
at tens of billions of baht a year.<br>
Burmese states along the northern border depend on Thailand for fuel,
construction material, food and other products. Goods from China's Yunnan
province are flooding Burmese markets, but are of lower quality.<br>
Mr Somkid said it was impossible to cut ties between Thailand and
Burma.<br>
"We share more than 2,000km of border. No matter what, we have to
live with each other and rely on each other," he said.<br>
Burmese leaders would not be affected by the border closure because they
could get the things they want from China or Singapore, but the people
would be hit, he said.<br>
Burmese ambassador Hla Maung has said a precondition for reopening the
border and renegotiating suspended fishing rights is the arrest and
prosecution of five students who took over the Burmese embassy in Bangkok
early this month.<br>
All were given safe passage to the Burmese border after releasing their
hostages.<br>
Burma has shut its border checkpoints on several occasions in the past.
The entire 2,180km stretch was sealed in 1995 after Burma accused
Thailand of giving direct support to drug warlord Khun Sa's Mong Tai Army
when it shelled Tachilek, across from Chiang Rai's Mae Sai.<br>
The border was closed for several months, but people from both sides
proved the frontier was very porous and maintained contacts.<br>
Since the embassy occupation, Burmese soldiers have reinforced positions
along the border. Thai border security sources said the Burmese had a
little earlier withdrawn forces from the area, only to send them back in
even greater numbers after the embassy occupation.<br>
Thai leaders and senior military officers are playing down the situation
on the border, but security forces are taking no chances. Armoured
vehicles have been patrolling and exerting their presence in border
villages known to have close contacts with ethnic minority groups on the
Burmese side.<br>
Mr Somkid's company suffered under the closure of the San Ton Du
temporary border crossing three months ago and is struggling to resume
trade in fuel and construction materials with Burma.<br>
He called on the two governments to settle their differences at the
negotiating table.<br>
He proposed that Thailand abolish all trading points along the border and
allow the mechanics of demand and supply to take over, regardless of
whether the Burmese government or a particular ethnic group has control
over the area across the border.<br>
This sort of trade could not be regulated by either country, because only
established trading routes would be used.<br>
"Anyway the Burmese government has links to most, if not all, ethnic
groups and is taking care of them, including the Wa," he said.<br>
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