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Reuters-Myanmar reopens Thai border

Subject: Reuters-Myanmar reopens Thai border after embassy siege 

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Myanmar reopens Thai border after embassy siege=20
03:31 a.m. Nov 24, 1999 Eastern=20
MAE SOT, Thailand, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Myanmar reopened its border with =
Thailand on Wednesday, nearly eight weeks after closing it to trade =
following an attack on its embassy in Bangkok by armed dissidents.=20

The reopening of the 2,400 km (1,400 mile) border came a day after Thai =
Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan went to Yangon for talks with top =
officials of Myanmar's ruling State Peace and Development Council =
(SPDC).=20

Thai officials said that after Myanmar soldiers allowed cross-border =
movement, hundreds of Myanmar people flocked to immigration offices at =
border towns to apply for passes and crossed into Thailand.=20

``Once the Myanmar side informed us that their border was reopened, =
Myanmar people rushed to cross into Mae Sot,'' Boonthiem Chokwatana, a =
border customs official told Reuters.=20

Immigration officials at Thailand's northwestern border town of Mae Sai =
in Chiang Rai and Ranong provinces also said border trading had resumed. =


``I don't want to see the border closed again because Myanmar people =
suffered during the closure. When it was closed the price of goods =
tripled,'' said Khin Chan, 52, a Myanmar trader who had crossed over to =
Mae Sot.=20

Myanmar was angered when Thai authorities agreed to demands from Myanmar =
dissidents who took over the Myanmar embassy from October 1-2 and =
allowed them to escape into the Myanmar-Thai border jungles.=20

Besides closing the border, it also revoked fishing rights in its waters =
to hundreds of Thai fishermen.=20

The fishing dispute remains unresolved and Thai fishermen have =
complained that they are losing millions of baht daily because of it.=20

Surin said on Tuesday that Myanmar had invited a Thai team to discuss =
the issue.=20

``Representatives from both sides will have to discuss details of =
overall contracts and sharing of interests before fishing can resume,'' =
a member of Thai-Myanmar border committee told Reuters.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT size=3D+1><STRONG>Myanmar reopens =
Thai border=20
after embassy siege</STRONG></FONT> <BR>03:31 a.m. Nov 24, 1999 Eastern=20
<P>MAE SOT, Thailand, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Myanmar reopened its border =
with=20
Thailand on Wednesday, nearly eight weeks after closing it to trade =
following an=20
attack on its embassy in Bangkok by armed dissidents.=20
<P>The reopening of the 2,400 km (1,400 mile) border came a day after =
Thai=20
Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan went to Yangon for talks with top =
officials of=20
Myanmar's ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC).=20
<P>Thai officials said that after Myanmar soldiers allowed cross-border=20
movement, hundreds of Myanmar people flocked to immigration offices at =
border=20
towns to apply for passes and crossed into Thailand.=20
<P>``Once the Myanmar side informed us that their border was reopened, =
Myanmar=20
people rushed to cross into Mae Sot,'' Boonthiem Chokwatana, a border =
customs=20
official told Reuters.=20
<P>Immigration officials at Thailand's northwestern border town of Mae =
Sai in=20
Chiang Rai and Ranong provinces also said border trading had resumed.=20
<P>``I don't want to see the border closed again because Myanmar people =
suffered=20
during the closure. When it was closed the price of goods tripled,'' =
said Khin=20
Chan, 52, a Myanmar trader who had crossed over to Mae Sot.=20
<P>Myanmar was angered when Thai authorities agreed to demands from =
Myanmar=20
dissidents who took over the Myanmar embassy from October 1-2 and =
allowed them=20
to escape into the Myanmar-Thai border jungles.=20
<P>Besides closing the border, it also revoked fishing rights in its =
waters to=20
hundreds of Thai fishermen.=20
<P>The fishing dispute remains unresolved and Thai fishermen have =
complained=20
that they are losing millions of baht daily because of it.=20
<P>Surin said on Tuesday that Myanmar had invited a Thai team to discuss =
the=20
issue.=20
<P>``Representatives from both sides will have to discuss details of =
overall=20
contracts and sharing of interests before fishing can resume,'' a member =
of=20
Thai-Myanmar border committee told Reuters. =
</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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