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NEWS - The Junta's Tantrum Ends : B
- Subject: NEWS - The Junta's Tantrum Ends : B
- From: heiko@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 24 Nov 1999 07:20:00
Subject: Re: NEWS - The Junta's Tantrum Ends : Burma border opened, trade normalised
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Dear Friends,
what a action to earn international respect. I know many countries will
congratulate Burma for this step. And many countries will just forget,
that it was also Burma who closed the border.
Metta
Heiko
Rangoon Post Co-Editor wrote:
>
> THE NATION - November 24, 1999
>
> Headlines
>
> The Junta's Tantrum Ends :
> Burma border opened, trade normalised
>
> RANGOON has agreed to unconditionally reopen its border with Thailand
> today,
> ending nearly two months of strained relations triggered by what Burma
> saw
> as Bangkok's improper handling of the Burmese Embassy hostage crisis,
> Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan said yesterday.
>
> The Burmese military government also agreed to facilitate the safe
> return of
> illegal Burmese workers whom it earlier rejected, he said.
>
> The agreement was reached in Rangoon yesterday after a series of
> meetings
> between senior government officials and Surin, who was in Rangoon on a
> one-day trip.
>
> Surin said the First Secretary of the ruling State Peace and Development
> Council, Lt Gen Khin Nyunt, had instructed township border committees
> supervising four border checkpoints to meet their Thai counterparts
> today,
> signalling the normalisation of border activities.
>
> ''We have agreed that from Wednesday the township committees supervising
> the
> border at Ranong, Three Pagoda Pass, Mae Sot and Mae Sai will be
> meeting.
>
> ''Everthing will return to normal, including border trade and
> cross-border
> travel procedures,'' Surin said on his return to Bangkok.
>
> Earlier in Manila, Philippine Foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon said he
> planned to ask Surin how Southeast Asian countries could help ease
> tensions
> between Bangok and Rangoon.
>
> Siazon is to meet Surin this week during the annual Asean Summit in
> Manila.
>
> Siazon said he would ask Surin about Burma's decision to close the
> border.
>
> ''I'd like to know what way other Asean countries can help ease the
> tensions
> there,'' Siazon said.
>
> ''It seems to be natural that neighbours with a long border tend to have
> tensions. But any exacerbation could be dangerous and could further
> undermine Asean. We don't want to see that happen.''
>
> Surin said Rangoon has agreed that the future handling of border
> disputes
> would be based on international laws and practices.
>
> ''Any disruption of border activities will be informed in advance by
> both
> sides. From now on [Thai-Burma] relations will be on an equal footing
> and
> both sides will look forward to strengthen their ties through the spirit
> of
> Asean and neighbourliness,'' he said.
>
> He said Burma has not linked the resumption of border activities with a
> demand for the arrest of the five Burmese armed rebels who stormed the
> embassy in Bangkok and held more than 30 hostages at gunpoint on Oct 1.
>
> The siege ended peacefully after the gunmen were flown to the border in
> return for the release of all hostages.
>
> The Burmese military government, which branded the five as terrorists,
> closed the border, halting lucrative cross-border trade and excluding
> Thai
> fishermen from its territorial waters.
>
> Thailand in turn began an expulsion of Burmese workers who have flooded
> into
> the country from their own impoverished land in search of employment.
>
> However, in a related development yesterday, Foreign Ministry
> director-general of East Asian affairs, Veerasak Footrakul, quoted Khin
> Nyunt as saying that the embassy attackers should be handled in
> accordance
> with Thai laws.
>
> Responsible authorities of both sides are also set to negotiate the
> resumption of Thai fishing activities in Burmese waters.
>
> According to Surin, the Foreign Ministry would inform its counterparts
> of
> the date of the meeting.
>
> Surin said Burma wanted the fishing deals to be more regulated as Thai
> trawlers had often breached bilateral agreements by fishing outside
> concession areas, he said.
>
> Surin said Burma also agreed to take back Burmese illegal workers on the
> grounds that they should return to the areas they have left.
>
> According to Surin, Burma admitted that these people sneaked out of the
> country.
>
> In the past, Rangoon has declined to admit that the workers were Burmese
> nationals, thus, complicating the extradition process even further.
>
> Rangoon was earlier reluctant to take them back; arguing it did not know
> from where they originated.
>
> The Nation, Associated Press
--
+================== Burma Group Tuebingen ==================+
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| Beim Herbstenhof 42 | |
| 72076 Tuebingen, Germany | Tel: ++49 7071 55 25 54 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------+
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