Thailand-Burma relations

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Description: "...Thus human flows continue to follow the same pattern: from the Kayin State into Thailand where Mae Sot remains a hub of international activity. This hub, however, seems to be losing importance as financial flows are changing direction. Organisations based on the Thai side of the border and working with the populations from Burma (in medical, humanitarian aid, human rights monitoring and other fields) complain of draining support. Foreign governments and donors are so excited about Myanmar?s ?opening up? that they are now bypassing the border areas and rushing to Yangon. There they still need to cut deals with the still predominantly (ex-)military government. But the wish to believe in the irreversible positive change in Burma (or profit from its untapped business potential) is stronger."
Creator/author: Indrė Balčaitė
Source/publisher: "New Mandala"
2012-09-01
Date of entry/update: 2014-07-17
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Sub-title: Maximum of one land checkpoint per border province will be allowed to remain open
Description: "...The Interior Ministry has ordered most border provinces to leave only one international checkpoint open as the country tries to block arrivals to contain the coronavirus outbreak that has caused a sharp jump in cases this week. Key checkpoints to temporary shut are the first Thai-Mayanmar Friendship Bridge in Tak, which will be closed until further notice. The Phu Nam Ron and Three Pagodas passes linking Kanchanaburi and Myanmar will be shut from Saturday to April 3. On the eastern front, Ban Khao Din in Sa Kaeo, opposite Cambodia, which will be closed from Monday to April 5. Checkpoints with Malaysia were already closed for all intents and purposes after the Malaysian government locked down the country for two weeks from last Monday. Malaysia has reported 900 Covid-19 cases, the most in Southeast Asia....."
Creator/author: Bangkok Post
Source/publisher: Bangkok Post
2020-03-20
Date of entry/update: 2020-03-21
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
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Description: A useful site focussing on helping Thai people to understand the situation in Burma. The main section is in Thai, with a set of articles from 2005-2007 translated into English... "SNN is a project focusing on information and media, working to produce news and information about Burma in Thai language. So far, no organization in Thailand is focusing specifically on this arena, despite the fact that Thai and Burma are neighbors and a large number of people from Burma have fled to Thailand.... Thailand and Burma are neighboring countries but most of Thai people are still not informed and not understand about situations in Burma. One of the reasons is that there is too little information about Burma in Thai language. Hence, Salween News Network was established to produce and to be a center of information about Burma in Thai language.... Main objectives: 1. To produce and collect information (news, articles ,features ,books etc.) about Burma for Thai society.... 2. To create a network among independent Burmese news agencies and Thai news agencies... 3. To train Burmese and Thai journalists to produce news, articles, features etc. about Burma in Thai mainstream media.... Main Activities: 1. Collect information and write news and articles 2. Publish newsletters and books about Burma in Thai language 3. Provide trainings for Burmese and Thai journalists. 4. Organise meeting for Thai and Burmese journalists.... Publication: 1. Salween News Network?s media 1.1 Listserve by [email protected] e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it 1.2 Newsletter ( every 6 weeks) 1.3 Website www.salweennews.org 1.4 Books.... 2. other media including Thai language newspapers and magazines.
Source/publisher: Salween News Network/
Date of entry/update: 2008-04-30
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Description: "On 6 October 2023, H.E. Mr. Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Royal Thai Government, presented a financial contribution of 3.6 million Thai Baht, or approximately 100,000 US dollars, to the UNICEF. The donation is aimed at supporting the UNICEF’s humanitarian programmes in Myanmar, especially on public health challenges in areas along the Thailand–Myanmar border. Ms. Kyungsun Kim, UNICEF’s Representative to Thailand, represented the UNICEF in receiving the donation. The ceremony was attended by senior officials from both sides, including H.E. Mr. Jakkapong Sangmanee, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Sarun Charoensuwan, Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Ms. Severine Leonardi, UNICEF Thailand Deputy Representative, and Mr. Trevor Clark, Regional Emergency Advisor, UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office. This financial contribution will support the UNICEF’s activities related to maternal and child immunisation, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene) programmes, and nutrition in the Kayin and Kayah States of Myanmar, which border Thailand. It underscores Thailand’s constructive role in supporting the works of the United Nations and Thailand’s strong commitment to supporting humanitarian efforts in Myanmar. It will also help strengthen the public health system along the Thailand–Myanmar border, which will benefit Thai people living in these border areas..."
Source/publisher: Government of Thailand
2023-10-06
Date of entry/update: 2023-10-06
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Description: "၁။ ထိုင်းနိုင်ငံ ဒုတိယဝန်ကြီးချုပ်နှင့် နိုင်ငံခြားရေးဝန်ကြီးအဖြစ် တာဝန်ယူထားသော Don Pramudwinai၏ လတ်တလော မြန်မာနိုင်ငံခရီးစဉ်တွင် နိုင်ငံတော်၏ အတိုင် ပင်ခံပုဂ္ဂိုလ် ဒေါ်အောင်ဆန်းစုကြည်နှင့် တွေ့ဆုံခွင့်ရရှိခဲ့သည်ဟု အာဆီယံ နိုင်ငံ ခြားရေးဝန်ကြီးများ အစည်းအဝေးနှင့် သတင်းမီဒီယာများအား ထုတ်ဖော်ပြောဆိုမှု များသည် အာဆီယံ၏ မြန်မာ့အရေး အခြေခံဘုံသဘောတူညီချက်ငါးရပ်နှင့် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံဆိုင်ရာ အာဆီယံအထူးကိုယ်စားလှယ်၏ အခန်းကဏ္ဍတို့ကို ကျော်လွန်စွက်ဖက် ရာရောက်သည်ဟု ရှုမြင်လက်ခံသည်။ ၂။ အထူးသဖြင့် မတရားဖမ်းဆီး၍ အကျဉ်းထောင်ထဲတွင် တစ်ဦးတည်းသီးသန့် ချုပ်နှောင်ခံထားရသောကြောင့် သတင်းအချက်အလက် မှန်ကန်ပြည့်စုံစွာ လက်ခံရရှိနိုင် ခြင်း မရှိသည့်အပြင် လွတ်လပ်စွာ ထုတ်ဖော်ပြောဆိုနိုင်ခွင့်လည်း ဆုံးရှုံးလျက်ရှိသည့် ဒေါ်အောင်ဆန်းစုကြည်၏ အမြင်သဘောထားများဟု ထိုင်းနိုင်ငံခြားရေးဝန်ကြီးက တဖက်သတ်ကိုယ်စားပြု ထင်ဟပ်ပြောဆိုမှုများသည် ယုံကြည်လက်ခံနိုင်ဖွယ်ရာ မရှိသော၊ တရားဝင်မှုအလျဉ်းမရှိသော ပြောဆိုမှုများသာဖြစ်သည်။ ၃။ မိမိတို့အနေဖြင့် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတွင် ရေရှည်တည်တံ့ခိုင်မြဲသော ငြိမ်းချမ်းမှု၊ တရားမျှတမှု၊ လွတ်လပ်မှုနှင့် ဖက်ဒရယ်ဒီမိုကရေစီ အနှစ်သာရများ ထွန်းကားစည်ပင်လာစေရန် အိမ်နီးချင်းနိုင်ငံများအပါအဝင် နိုင်ငံတကာအသိုင်းအဝိုင်း၏ စိတ်စေတနာကောင်းဖြင့် ကြိုးပမ်းဆောင်ရွက်မှုမှန်သမျှကို ကြိုဆိုသော်လည်း တရားမဝင်အာဏာသိမ်း စစ်ကောင်စီအား အရာသွင်း ထိတွေ့ဆက်ဆံ၍ ပူးပေါင်းဆောင်ရွက်ခြင်းနည်းလမ်းဖြင့် အဆိုပါရလဒ်ကောင်းများ မည်သည့်အခါမျှ ရရှိလာလိမ့်မည် မဟုတ်ကြောင်း အလေး အနက်အသိပေးလိုသည်။ ၄။ မြန်မာ့နွေဦးတော်လှန်ရေး၏ အန္တိမရည်မှန်းချက်ပန်းတိုင်သည် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတွင် နှစ်ပေါင်း(၇၀)ကျော်တိုင် အမြစ်တွယ်၊ ရှင်သန်၊ ဖိစီးနှိပ်စက်လျက်ရှိသော အာဏာရှင် စနစ်မှန်သမျှအား အပြီးတိုင်ဖယ်ရှားချုပ်ငြိမ်းစေပြီး အာဏာရှင်စနစ်၏ အငွေ့အသက်၊ အကြွင်းအကျန် အလျဉ်းကင်းစင်သည့် ဖက်ဒရယ်ဒီမိုကရေစီစနစ်သစ်ဖြင့် အစားထိုး ပြောင်းလဲရန်ဖြစ်သည်။ ၅။ ထိုရည်မှန်းချက်ပန်းတိုင်သို့ အောင်မြင်စွာရောက်ရှိနိုင်ရေးအတွက် ကိုယ်စားပြုမှု စုံလင်ကွဲပြားသော တော်လှန်ရေးအင်အားစုများ၊ အဖွဲ့အစည်းများအကြား တန်းတူ ရည်တူဖြစ်မှု အခြေခံ၍ စု‌ပေါင်းခေါင်းဆောင်မှု၊ စုပေါင်းတာဝန်ယူမှု၊ ခိုင်မာသော ကတိက ဝတ်ပြုမှုများဖြင့် တညီတညွတ်တည်း လက်တွဲပူးပေါင်း ကြိုးပမ်းဆောင်ရွက်လျက်ရှိ သည်။ ၆။ သို့ဖြစ်ပါ၍ အမျိုးသားညီညွတ်ရေးအစိုးရအနေဖြင့် ပြည်သူလူထု၏ လိုလားတောင့်တ ချက်နှင့်အညီ ချမှတ်ထားသည့် တော်လှန်ရေးပန်းတိုင်၊ အနာဂါတ်ဖက်ဒရယ်မျှော်ရည် ချက်နှင့် စံနှုန်းများကို ခိုင်ခိုင်မာမာ စွဲကိုင်ရပ်တည်၍ အောင်ပွဲရသည်အထိ မမှိတ်မသုန်၊ မယိမ်းမယိုင် ဆက်လက် အားထုတ်ကြိုးပမ်းသွားမည်ဖြစ်ကြောင်း ကတိပြု အသိပေး အပ်ပါသည်။ အမျိုးသားညီညွတ်ရေးအစိုးရ..."
Source/publisher: National Unity Government of Myanmar
2023-07-14
Date of entry/update: 2023-07-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "On March 31, 2023, three members of the Resistance Forces from Myanmar were arrested by Thai authorities and handed over to the terrorist Myanmar military group, in violation of the international police procedures. This action threatens the life and safety of Myanmar citizens who have been displaced and sought a refuge in Thailand due to various reasons, including oppressive and atrocious acts of the terrorist Military Council. The National Unity Government, as the people’s government and with its inherent responsibility to protect the citizens, is paying a very close attention to these incident and similar incidents, and is continuously communicating and coordinating with the relevant organizations to reach to a solution..."
Source/publisher: National Unity Government of Myanmar
2023-04-07
Date of entry/update: 2023-04-07
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Description: "၂၀၂၃ ခုနှစ် မတ်လ ၃၁ ရက်နေ့ တွင် မြန်မာ့တော်လှန်ရေးတပ်ဖွဲ့ဝင် လူငယ် (၃) ဦးအား ထိုင်းနိုင်ငံ အာဏာပိုင်များက ဖမ်းဆီး၍ အကြမ်းဖက်စစ်အုပ်စုလက်အောက်ခံ လက်နက်ကိုင်အဖွဲ့ထံသို့ နိုင်ငံတကာ ရဲလုပ်ထုံးလုပ်နည်းများနှင့် ညီညွတ်မှုမရှိဘဲ လွှဲပြောင်းပေးအပ်ခဲ့သည့် ဖြစ်စဉ်ပေါ်ပေါက်ခဲ့သည်ကို တွေ့ရှိရပါသည်။ အဆိုပါ ဖြစ်စဉ် နှင့် လုပ်ရပ်သည် မြန်မာစစ်ကောင်စီ၏ အကြမ်းဖက် ဖိနှိပ်ရက်စက်မှုများအပါအဝင် အကြောင်းအမျိုးမျိုးကြောင့် ထိုင်းနိုင်ငံအတွင်း ရွေ့ပြောင်းခိုလှုံရောက်ရှိနေသော မြန်မာနိုင်ငံသားများ၏ အသက်အန္တရာယ်နှင့် လုံခြုံရေးကို ခြိမ်းခြောက်လာသည့် ကိစ္စရပ်ဖြစ်သောကြောင့် အမျိုးသားညီညွတ်ရေးအစိုးရအနေဖြင့် မိမိနိုင်ငံသားများအား ကာကွယ်စောင့်ရှောက်ရမည့် တာဝန်ရှိသည်နှင့်အညီ အဆိုပါဖြစ်စဉ်နှင့်တကွ အလားတူဖြစ်စဉ်များကို အထူးအလေးထားဦးစားပေး၍ သက်ဆိုင်ရာ အဖွဲ့အစည်းများနှင့် စဉ်ဆက်မပြတ် ဆက်သွယ်ညှိနှိုင်း၊ ဖြေရှင်းဆောင်ရွက်လျက်ရှိကြောင်း သတင်းထုတ်ပြန်အပ်ပါသည်။..."
Source/publisher: National Unity Government of Myanmar
2023-04-07
Date of entry/update: 2023-04-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai told the country’s media that Myanmar had promised to send a written apology to Bangkok for the incursion by a Myanmar Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet into Thai airspace over Tak Province’s Phop Phra district on June 30. Don met his Myanmar junta counterpart, Wunna Maung Lwin, during the 7th Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Bagan, Myanmar on Monday. The duo also discussed a number of issues including the intrusion into Thai airspace by the Myanmar jet, according to the Bangkok Post. The Thai minister said Wunna Maung Lwin expressed regret over the incident, saying it was unintentional and that his government would send an official letter of apology. Last week, the Royal Thai Air Force scrambled two F-16 jet fighters after an aircraft, believed to be a Russian-made MiG-29 of the Myanmar Air Force, intruded into Thai airspace over the western province of Tak while conducting an air strike against anti-regime rebels and anti-coup forces positioned near the border. For the past two weeks, Myanmar’s military regime has conducted massive airstrikes against resistance forces attempting to seize the junta’s strategic Ukayit Hta military outpost in Waw Lay in Karen State’s Myawaddy Township. On Thursday last week, the Myanmar jet fighter intruded into Thai airspace several times as it conducted a mission over Ukayit Hta to assist ground troops. The heavy air strikes have prevented ethnic Karen and joint resistance forces from capturing the strategic outpost, and according to Karen insurgent leaders, have effectively made it impossible for their forward forces to retreat. The Thai government has downplayed the incursion. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha said it was not a big deal as the Myanmar jet did not intend to intrude into Thai airspace but was merely trying to make a turn. Some Thai MPs have asked the government to clarify why the Myanmar jet fighter was allowed to enter Thai airspace while attacking resistance forces and civilians on the border. Don said his Myanmar counterpart had given him a guarantee that there would be no repeat of the incident. It is unclear how the regime intends to honor the guarantee, however, as its forces are still attacking and bombing ethnic insurgents, resistance forces and villages along the Thai border. Thai troops are now patrolling the area on the border where the incursion took place last week. Under an agreement reached by the Thai-Myanmar Township Border Committee, if artillery shells land on the Thai side of the border, Thailand will fire smoke grenades as a warning. If the shelling continues in a way that could endanger Thai people, the Thai side is authorized to return fire with live ammunition, the Bangkok Post quoted Don as quoted saying. Just a day before the incursion, coup leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing met with a Royal Thai Army general to discuss stability and anti-terrorism in border areas, among other issues. A Myanmar junta media mouthpiece said the Thai general “paid respect” to Min Aung Hlaing, who staged a coup last year and continues to face strong resistance to his rule. Junta-controlled newspapers said Min Aung Hlaing received the Thai military delegation headed by Lieutenant General Apichet Suesat in the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw. The delegation was in the country to attend the 34th meeting of the Thailand-Myanmar Regional Border Committee hosted by Myanmar. The meeting was held in the Shan State capital Taunggyi, but the Thai delegation was invited to meet Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyitaw. Lt-Gen Apichet is the commander of the Third Army Region (TAR), which encompasses border areas in northern Thailand neighboring Myanmar. The TAR has been one of the most active commands in terms of dealing with the fallout from the conflict in frontier areas inside Myanmar following last year’s coup, as well as dealing with illegal migrants from Myanmar who slip across the border into Thailand in search of work. Thailand shares a more than 2,400-km-long frontier with Myanmar. Since the coup, the Myanmar Air Force has effectively deployed jet fighters and helicopters to continue to bomb and attack civilian populations and resistance fighters. Over the past two decades it has purchased advanced fighters mainly from Russia and China. Since 2000, Myanmar’s military leaders have sought to replace the Air Force’s aging jet fighters with modern ones. Myanmar’s military acquired 12 Russian MiG-29 jet fighters in 2001, following clashes with Thai forces in northern border regions. The Thais at the time deployed US made F-16s jet fighters and apparently alarmed the Myanmar military leaders with their air defense capabilities. Last week, this publication also reported that Russia delivered the first two of six new Su-30 jet fighters to Myanmar in March. The Su-30 is a twin-engine, two-seat supermaneuverable fighter jet developed by Russia’s Sukhoi Aviation Corporation. It is a multirole fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and air interdiction missions. The multirole fighters were used by Russia in Syria in 2015. Russia agreed to sell six Su-30 fighter jets to the Myanmar military in 2018..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
2022-07-07
Date of entry/update: 2022-07-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "At a meeting with security officials in Singapore last month, US Department of State Counselor Derek Chollet said what most international observers think when he stated that there is “no chance” that elections, which Myanmar’s junta has pledged to hold next year, will be free and fair. On the contrary, he said, “it can be an attempt to just manipulate the region, the international community.” But a notable exception is Pornpimol “Pauline” Kanchanalak, Thailand’s newly appointed special envoy to Myanmar. Speaking at the same conference, she said that the international community must take the junta’s commitment to hold elections “at face value” and that “condemnations, sanctions, ostracization” of the junta “have reached diminishing returns.” It is hard to say whether Pornpimol really believed what she said or if it was merely an outcome of the notion that being kind to the junta and showing it some understanding would produce results. But, as last year’s coup clearly shows, the kind of “constructive engagement” that several outsiders, among them Western academics, diplomats and aid officials, pursued prior to the military takeover was severely misguided. As history has proved time and again, Myanmar’s generals do not listen to anybody but themselves. Pornpimol may also be a victim of another gross misunderstanding that is common among Thai policy makers: that they have a positive, special relationship with the Myanmar military that other outsiders lack. Therefore, the generals will listen to their “Thai brothers and sisters”, especially if they refrain from condemning human-rights abuses perpetrated by the Myanmar military. Troubled history But Myanmar’s generals may not be as easy to charm as Pornpimol and other Thai civil and military officials seem to believe. Behind the smiles and the handshakes often seen at official functions lies a long and troubled history of mutual distrust between the two Southeast Asian neighbors. Well into modern times, Thai schoolchildren learned little more about Myanmar than that its invading armies destroyed the old royal capital of Ayutthaya in 1767. Myanmar for its part had every reason to resent the Thais when they, in the early 1950s, became actively involved in sending supplies to renegade Kuomintang (KMT) forces that had retreated into northeastern and northern Myanmar following their defeat by Mao Zedong’s communist forces in 1949. The Myanmar military had to fight those unwelcome intruders while the US Central Intelligence Agency and its Taiwanese and Thai allies funneled weapons and other necessities across the border into the Shan States, where the KMT had its bases. Then, in October 1953, traditional atavistic Thai fears of Myanmar were reinforced when the Myanmar military was trying to block a KMT advance south towards today’s Kayah State—and a Myanmar aircraft strayed across the border and accidentally bombed a village in Mae Hong Son province, killing two people and injuring five. The specter of the destruction of Ayutthaya was raised in sensational reports in the Thai media and the then Thai prime minister, Plaek Phibunsongkram, publicly threatened to shoot down any Myanmar aircraft that violated the country’s airspace. Privately, however, he invited leaders of the Mon and Karen rebel armies to Bangkok, where, for the first time, secret negotiations were held between representatives of ethnic armed organizations from Myanmar and senior Thai officials. In March 1954, they arrived in the Thai capital. The Mon sent Nai Shwe Kyin, one of the founders of the Mon rebel movement, and Nai Hong Sa, who had a wide range of connections within Thailand’s ethnic Mon community. Saw Thra Din, a resistance veteran, represented the Karen National Union (KNU). They had a brief meeting with Plaek but negotiations were handled by Siddhi Savetsila, a young wing commander in the Royal Thai Air Force, and Charoentit Charunjamratromran, a prominent police colonel. Siddhi later became a politician and was Thailand’s foreign minister from 1980 to 1990 and, from 1991 to his death in 2015, served as a member of the Privy Council of the Thai King. New policy That clandestine visit of the Mon and Karen rebel leaders in 1954 marked the beginning of a new Thai policy towards Myanmar—one that would, to the chagrin of Myanmar’s military commanders, last for decades. For Thailand to police the porous, 2,416-km border with its historical enemy would have been a difficult and extremely costly undertaking. The solution was to encourage ethnic armed organizations from Myanmar to serve as buffers. While the Thai leaders pledged no direct support, the rebels were allowed to set up camps along the frontier, their families were allowed to stay in towns and villages on the Thai side, and they could buy arms and ammunition from dealers in Thailand. The first military coup in Myanmar in March 1962, and the subsequent introduction of a disastrous policy called “the Burmese Way to Socialism” made it possible for the ethnic rebels to strengthen their respective armed forces. “Socialism” in a Myanmar context, as articulated by the new dictator, General Ne Win, meant that everything in sight was nationalized and handed over to about 20 military-run state corporations. But those were so badly managed that Myanmar’s own production of consumer goods collapsed. Official imports also came to a standstill, as no foreign traders knew how to deal with the military corporations and the officers who headed them had very limited business experience. Enterprising black marketeers and smugglers, however, soon made up for the shortcomings. Most of the goods were brought in from Thailand—and the KNU and other ethnic rebels set up a series of “toll gates” along the Thai border where the contraband was taxed. Links were established with Thai merchants and military commanders, whose interests often were intertwined. Consumer goods, textiles, machinery, transistor radios and tape recorders, machinery, spare parts for vehicles and medicine went from Thailand to Myanmar while teak, other forest products, minerals, jade, precious stones, antiques and opium flowed in the opposite direction. The total value of those unofficial transactions has never been thoroughly researched, but it is fair to assume that Thailand owes much of its rapid economic growth and development in the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s to the thriving black-market trade with Myanmar. The Myanmar government had to turn a blind eye to these smuggling activities along the Thai border, given a choice between contraband or no goods at all, which could result in political and social unrest. And, as an inadvertent result of Gen. Ne Win’s economic policies, the ethnic rebels were able to buy more, and more sophisticated, weapons and maintain control over most of the Thai-Myanmar border. It was not until after the 1988 pro-democracy uprising in Myanmar that the Thais began to re-evaluate their border-buffer policy. The protesters did not manage to dislodge the military from power, but the Burmese Way to Socialism was abandoned and free enterprise was allowed—albeit under the strict supervision of the then junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council. In the wake of the uprising, thousands of dissidents flocked to the Thai border, where they and their activities were tolerated—but then an unprecedented and very controversial deal was struck between Myanmar’s military authorities and the Thai army commander at the time, General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh. In December 1988, he went to Yangon and broke the international isolation that had been imposed on Myanmar after thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators had been massacred in the streets of the capital and other cities and towns. In return, Thai companies received lucrative logging contracts, fishing rights and deals in the hotel business. Chavalit also agreed to repatriate student activists who had fled to Thailand after the massacres, and that was not always done voluntarily. Direct links With direct business links being established between Thai and Myanmar interests, the old border buffer concept was becoming obsolete. It became more difficult, but not impossible, for the dissidents, and the ethnic armed organizations, to operate along the border. Many ethnic groups from Myanmar, among them the Karen, the Kachin and the Pa-O, still have contacts with Thai military officers and local government officials, which makes it difficult for the authorities in Bangkok to fully implement the new policies. And then there are groups like the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), which is armed by the Thais and is still functioning as a border buffer, but more to prevent the China-allied United Wa State Army from establishing a stronghold on the Thai border than to keep the Myanmar military at bay. But there are also occasional skirmishes between the RCSS and Myanmar junta forces. And some guns, hand grenades and explosives are even now reaching Karen guerrillas as well as the urban dissidents with whom they are allied. One should not be surprised to learn that the Myanmar military sees the Thais as duplicitous. Private discussions with former Myanmar army officers also reveal the disdain with which they see their Thai counterparts, who they say are weak and lack combat experience. And, not to be forgotten, the Myanmar military has a long memory and cannot ignore decades of Thai border politics—which were entirely in favor of Myanmar’s ethnic armed organizations—or that the Thais, at the same time, took advantage of Myanmar’s economic predicaments. That the Thais can be used, but not trusted, appears to be the consensus among Myanmar officers. Pornpimol may be correct in assuming that the Myanmar military has a very “special relationship” with the Thais. But it is not in the way she thinks, and it will not produce the results she expects to get in return for “being nice” to the generals in Naypyitaw..."
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Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
2022-06-30
Date of entry/update: 2022-06-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Myanmar refugees face arbitrary arrest, alleged extortion in Thailand
Description: "The Government of Thailand should investigate the recent destruction by its soldiers of a makeshift cross-border footbridge used by refugees fleeing deadly attacks in eastern Myanmar, said Fortify Rights today. Video footage filmed from the Myanmar side of the border and obtained by Fortify Rights shows uniformed Thai soldiers destroying a footbridge over the Wa Le (also known as the Waw Lay) River, a tributary of the Moei River, which forms part of the border between Thailand and Myanmar. New evidence also implicates Thai authorities in arbitrarily arresting and allegedly extorting refugees in the border town of Mae Sot. “The Thai authorities should ensure any investigation into the situation on the border is aimed at protecting refugee rights, not further violating them,” said Amy Smith, Executive Director at Fortify Rights. “Arbitrary arrests and the destruction of this footbridge demand urgent attention.” Video footage taken from the Myanmar side of the Thailand-Myanmar border, obtained and released today by Fortify Rights, shows two uniformed Thai soldiers destroying a small bamboo footbridge over the Wa Le River while another Thai soldier watches them. The footbridge connects Thailand’s Tak Province with Myanmar’s war-torn Karen State, where the Myanmar military has attacked and killed civilians, including children, in recent weeks and months..."
Source/publisher: "Fortify Rights"
2022-05-03
Date of entry/update: 2022-05-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Executive Summary: This report explores the current socio-political developments in Myanmar and how they affect Thailand. It also investigates Thailand’s perception of the Myanmar crisis and how the Thai government’s responses. This report provides insights into the effects of the 2021 Myanmar coup and subsequent crises on Thailand and helps us better understand Thailand’s foreign policy position and conduct. Our study is exploratory and descriptive, drawing insights from documentary research, in-depth interviews, participation in seminars and talks, and field visits to border areas between Thailand and Myanmar. We recognize three significant changes in the socio-political dynamics in Myanmar since the coup: • The perception of the Bamar people, the major ethnic group, toward minorities has become more positive. • The military as an institution is crumbling, losing its power grip in many areas, with a growing number of defections. • Myanmar people are united against the junta and have the new aspiration of turning their country into a federal state Our study also found that the ongoing crisis in Myanmar has affected Thailand in five areas, namely: migration, transborder security, economic affairs, diplomacy, and geopolitics. Specifically: • Thailand has experienced more migrants and refugees from Myanmar. We categorize them into three groups: 1) people who crossed into Thailand temporarily—mainly via the natural passes—before returning home; 2) economic migrants who hope to integrate into Thailand’s labor forces; and 3) activists and high-profile individuals opposed to the coup, some of whom would like to get resettled in a third country. • The 2021 Myanmar coup also posed threats to Thai nationals living along the border areas and inside Thailand. Cross-border gunfire affect the properties of residents who live in the border area. There were also concerns about the operations of the Myanmar military inside Thailand, the increasing drug activities, and public health challenges. • The ongoing Myanmar crisis disrupted cross-border trade and regular economic affairs. • The military coup in Myanmar significantly eroded the trust that the two countries have built over the years, leading to a new challenge of choosing who among the conflicting parties Thailand should engage with in the trust rebuilding process. • The Myanmar crisis led to potential geopolitical rivalry between major powers, putting Thailand in a strategic dilemma as it faced political pressures from these powers. In this report, we posit that Thai officials have followed the political developments in Myanmar very closely since the 2021 coup. The ‘burden of proximity’ makes the government mainly concerned about the influx of the displaced persons and Myanmar’s opposition parties. Thailand also acknowledges other security, economic, and international relations impacts. Since the coup, the Thai government’s responses to the Myanmar crisis—while being shaped by bureaucrats—are business as usual with an ad hoc feature. Thailand’s business-as-usual foreign affairs consist of dual-track diplomacy: military-to-military and government-to-government, led by the Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTAF) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) accordingly. Besides, local villagers also establish local mechanisms for cross-border collaboration with Myanmar people. We argue that the application of business as usual to conduct its foreign relations makes Thailand appear to support the junta though not announced openly. This practice puts Thailand at risk of being condemned by Myanmar people and the international community amid the growing opposition against the Myanmar junta domestically and internationally. Thailand has also used ASEAN as a platform to engage with Myanmar. However, the Thai government is reactive rather than proactive in dealing with its neighbour. To respond to the immediate effects of the Myanmar crisis—especially the influx of migrants and refugees, Thai officials have adopted ad hoc measures as an add-on feature to the business-as-usual model, including the management of the forcibly displaced and Thai civilians. This practice is planned for a short-period implementation until the situation in Myanmar stabilises. In conclusion, we believe that the Thai government’s policy position towards Myanmar is vague and calls on the Thai government to be more proactive. We propose a ‘flexible approach’ for Thailand to engage with Myanmar. Our policy recommendation consists of three core components: 2 • Assisting Myanmar refugees We develop a ‘flexible humanitarian model’ based on the humanitarian-development nexus, allowing Thailand to assist the forcibly displaced while protecting its national interest. • Pursuing flexible engagement with the junta We propose ‘flexible engagement,’ guided by the vision of the late Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, former ASEAN Secretary General, in which Thailand communicates its position towards Myanmar openly and reserves the right to put pressure on the junta. This approach also guides us to urge Thailand to be more forceful in pressuring the Nay Pyi Taw regime using the ASEAN platform. • Endorsing federalism in Myanmar Amid the ongoing civil war, we strongly recommend that the Thai government engage with other stakeholders inside Myanmar beyond the establishments, especially the National Unity Government (NUG), the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), who have increasingly supported federalism. We believe that Myanmar’s federalism should be in the interest of Thailand since it will potentially bring lasting peace to the country..."
Source/publisher: The University of Queensland
2022-04-00
Date of entry/update: 2022-04-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Excellency, On behalf of the Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw, the Myanmar People and on my own behalf, it is my great pleasure to extend my cordial felicitation and congratulation to you, Honourable Members and your friendly people, on the celebration of your National Day of the Kingdom of Thailand, December 5. The Kingdom of Thailand and Myanmar have shared strong cooperation and a warm relationship for decades, since diplomatic relations of our inseparable neighbors were established. I am confident that our close relationship is built on a solid foundation of people-to-people ties of increased understanding and cooperation between our parliament, people and countries. On this day of celebration, I wish Your Excellency and the Thailand people, peace, health, prosperity, and happiness in the coming year.....၂၀၂၁ ခုနှစ်၊ ဒီဇင်ဘာလ ၅ ရက်နေ့တွင် ကျရောက်သော ထိုင်းဘုရင့်နိုင်ငံတော်၏ အမျိုးသားနေ့အခါသမယတွင် ပြည်ထောင်စုလွှတ်တော်ကိုယ်စားပြုကော်မတီဥက္ကဋ္ဌ ဦးအောင်ကြည်ညွန့်က ထိုင်းအမျိုးသားလွှတ်တော်ဥက္ကဋ္ဌ H.E. Mr. Chuan Leekpai ထံသို့ ဂုဏ်ယူဝမ်းမြောက်ကြောင်း သဝဏ်လွှာပေးပို့ခဲ့သည်။ ပြည်ထောင်စုလွှတ်တော်ကိုယ်စားပြုကော်မတီဥက္ကဋ္ဌက “ခွဲခြားမရသော အိမ်နီးချင်းချင်း နိုင်ငံများဖြစ်ကြသည့် ထိုင်းဘုရင့်နိုင်ငံနှင့် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံတို့သည် သံတမန်ဆက်ဆံရေးတစ်ရပ် ထူထောင်ထားရှိပြီးချိန်မှစ၍ ခိုင်မာသော ပူးပေါင်းဆောင်ရွက်မှုနှင့် နွေးထွေးသော ဆက်ဆံရေးတို့ကို ဆယ်စုနှစ်များစွာကြာ တည်ဆောက်ခဲ့ပြီး ဖြစ်ပါကြောင်း၊ မိမိတို့၏ ရင်းနှီးသောဆက်ဆံရေးသည် မိမိတို့၏ လွှတ်တော်များ၊ ပြည်သူများနှင့် နှစ်နိုင်ငံအကြား နားလည်မှုများနှင့် ပူးပေါင်းဆောင်ရွက်မှုများ တိုးမြင့်လာခြင်း၏ အခြေခံအုတ်မြစ်ဖြစ်သော ပြည်သူအချင်းချင်းကြား ချစ်ခင်ရင်းနှီးမှုများအပေါ်၌ တည်ဆောက်ထားပါကြောင်း၊ လူကြီးမင်းနှင့်တကွ ထိုင်းနိုင်ငံရှိ ပြည်သူပြည်သားများအားလုံး နှစ်သစ်အခါသမယတွင် ငြိမ်းချမ်းခြင်း၊ ကျန်းမာခြင်း၊ ပြီးပြည့်စုံခြင်းနှင့် ပျော်ရွှင်ခြင်းတို့ဖြင့် ပြည့်စုံကြပါစေကြောင်း ဆုမွန်ကောင်းတောင်းအပ်ပါကြောင်း” ဖြင့် သဝဏ်လွှာ ပေးပို့ခဲ့သည်။ ..."
Source/publisher: Committee Representing Pyidaungsu Hluttaw (CRPH)
2021-12-04
Date of entry/update: 2021-12-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "1. Introduction “Myanmar has the potential to become Asia's rising star.” This quote came from the Asian Development Bank (ADB, 2012) that reported fast-growing economies and changing in Myanmar since the foreign direct investment (FDI) bringing a lot of money into an area of development. Dawei-Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is the most important one because it has considerably large-scale value of economic and this area is not only linkage of Southeast Asia but South China as well. My question is to examine how Myanmar’s developing institutions have democratized since Dawei- SEZ development in early 21st century. The paper argues that Myanmar has three new patterns of relations which are called institutional arrangements: governing-the market institution, democratic institution, and ethnic institution. The classical theorists of democratization debate modernization and development. On the one hand, Seymour Martin Lipset (1959, p. 75) argues that main condition of democracy is economic development, which he called modernization, that consists of urbanization, industrialization and mass media expansion. On the other hand, Samuel P. Huntington (1968, p. 5) argues that the primary problem of politics is the lag in the development of political institutions behind social and economic changes. The creation of a legitimate public order from political institutions is more important than economic development. Debate centers on the issue of whether democratization should come from either economic development or institutionalization. However, some scholars are still working to compromise theories on factors of democratization that economic development and political institutions are two independent variables having connection with democratization. This research is closer to Huntington than Lipset but institution was revised in more complexity by Marsh and Olsen (1989) work that “rediscover” institution to explain political life again. The paper uses the concept of new institutionalism. The meaning of institution is not only formal rule but it has informal rule also. Institution is the pattern of relation which consists of rule, norm and regulation around economic and political area. The new democracies, especially Myanmar, have to create institution to solve problems in the same way and every group of society accepts this institutional rules. The contribution of research tries to explain three new institutionalizations of Myanmar has arranged since Dawei-SEZ development. Larry Diamond (2012, p. 138) emphasized the transitional period of Myanmar have two types of contest: one is the substantive competition over power and policy outcomes that is minimum requirement of democracy and the other is the constitutional struggle to define rules and procedures to be the only game in town which determine winners and losers in the future. If Myanmar cannot establish one institutional relation in its political system, embedded democracy will not emerge that does not change persistence of political conflict. Analyzing the impact of Dawei-SEZ with in Myanmar institutionalization has two parts. First, the study begins with the new institutionalism concept that is historical institutionalism. Second, a critical juncture of institutional arrangement of Dawei-SEZ is illustrated that have shaped three patterns of relation: the governing-the market institution is the relational of union government and foreign business that government is steering investment. The democratic institution is the relation of National League for Democracy (NLD) and international civil society who move to the election, constitutional amendment and promoted political freedom. The ethnic institution is the interaction of politically ethnic group who is affected by economic development, especially Karen National Union (KNU) and Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA). These groups have capacity to create selfgovernment and autonomous administration that they want from substantially changing after Myanmar open to the world. This article was inspired from Robert H. Taylor (2001, p. 3) who noted that, “The economy is clearly linked to the other leading issues of the country at this time – the political role of the military; the future roles of the NLD and its leader, Daw Sang Suu Kyi; the future of the ethnic insurgencies following their recent ceasefires; … and Myanmar’s relations with its larger and more powerful neighbors.”..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: Weera Wongsatjachock
2016-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2021-07-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Thailand is concerned at the violence in many parts of Myanmar and wants to see the implementation of steps agreed by Southeast Asian leaders with the military junta to help end the turmoil since the Feb. 1 coup, the foreign ministry said on Sunday. Myanmar's junta has shown little sign of heeding the five point 'consensus' agreed among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in April - which calls for an end to violence, political talks and the naming of a regional special envoy. "We have been following developments in Myanmar closely with much concern, especially incidents of violence in many parts of the country," foreign ministry spokesperson Tanee Sangrat said in a statement. He reiterated a call for an end to the violence, the release of all detainees and the "concrete implementation of the Five-Point Consensus" as soon as possible. The junta has failed to impose control since seizing power from elected leader Aug San Suu Kyi, who is among more than 4,500 people detained since the coup. At least 847 have been killed, a rights group says. The army disputes that figure. Meanwhile, daily protests against the military have evolved in parts of Myanmar into armed insurrections while decade old ethnic conflicts have flared anew. Opponents of the junta have voiced frustration at the lack of tough action by ASEAN and say the meeting of two representatives of the group with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing on Friday gave him greater legitimacy but brought no benefit. Thailand has a longer border with Myanmar than any other country and fears the conflict could bring a flood of refugees. Its government is itself led by a former army chief who seized power in a coup before holding elections. "Much of what Thailand has done may not have been made public as we believe that quiet and discreet diplomacy between neighbours would be more effective and in line with traditional Thai diplomacy," Tanee said..."
Source/publisher: "Reuters" (UK)
2021-06-06
Date of entry/update: 2021-06-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Oil and Gas Firm PTT Should Cut Ties with Military Enterprises, Abusive Cronies
Description: "Thailand’s majority state-owned oil and gas company, PTT, is partnering with military-linked companies to expand its engagement in Myanmar, Human Rights Watch said today. This growth comes on top of the half a billion dollars PTT already pays annually to junta-controlled enterprises through its existing operations in Myanmar’s gas fields. A 2019 PTT joint venture is paying the military conglomerate Myanmar Economic Corporation (MEC) nearly US$1 million in annual rent for the construction of a fuel terminal on land seized from farmers. The United States, United Kingdom, European Union, and Canada have sanctioned MEC and the other military conglomerate, Myanmar Economic Holdings Limited (MEHL), for their role in generating vast revenues that help fund the military’s abuses and enshrine its impunity. PTT should end ties with Myanmar’s military enterprises and suspend all new investment in the country until a democratic government is established. Foreign governments should also adopt measures to block direct or indirect payments to the State Administration Council (SAC) junta from oil and gas projects operated by PTT and other companies. “By expanding business ties with the Myanmar military as it carries out a bloody crackdown, the Thai state-owned PTT has shown little regard for the lives and freedom of Myanmar’s people,” said Shayna Bauchner, Asia researcher. “PTT’s leadership should respect international sanctions and cut ties with the junta to avoid being complicit in its crimes.” Since the February 1, 2021 coup that overthrew the duly elected government, Myanmar’s military has responded with increasing brutality to nationwide pro-democracy protests. State security forces have killed over 820 people and detained an estimated 4,300 activists, journalists, civil servants, and politicians. PTT has conducted oil and gas exploration and production in Myanmar since 1989, paying Myanmar state-controlled entities billions of dollars for gas in fees, taxes, royalties, and revenues. But with production declining in recent years, the company has ramped up its midstream and downstream investments in the country, with the stated goal of becoming the “top Myanmar provider” of petroleum products. Human Rights Watch wrote PTT on May 11, inquiring about the company’s operations in Myanmar, but received no response. The Indian company Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone was recently removed from the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices due to “heightened risks to the company regarding their commercial relationship with Myanmar’s military,” following a campaign by groups Justice for Myanmar, the Australian Centre for International Justice, and Market Forces. Like PTT, Adani had acquired land from MEC. PTT and four subsidiaries are listed on the same sustainability index. Human Rights Watch contacted S&P Dow Jones Indices requesting that they review PTT according to the same standard as Adani. PTT’s plans for growth are outlined in part in a March 2017 memorandum of understanding, recently leaked by transparency collective DDoSecrets, with the military-aligned Kanbawza Group (KBZ). The company later announced plans to invest over $200 million in its partnership with KBZ. In 2019, PTT Oil and Retail (PTTOR, a PTT subsidiary) and KBZ began a joint venture to build a jetty, fuel oil storage terminal, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) filling plant in the Thilawa area of Kyauktan township, Yangon Region, with a stated investment of $150 million. The terminal will be largest in the country, according to PTT, with a reported capacity of one million barrels of oil and 4,500 metric tons of LPG. It was originally slated for completion in 2021. KBZ, a major Myanmar conglomerate owned by a longtime military crony, Aung Ko Win, runs the country’s largest bank and dozens of companies across mining, manufacturing, technology, trade, and other industries. KBZ maintains close personal, financial, and commercial ties to the military that benefit and enable the security forces. In 2019, the United Nations-backed Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar found that KBZ donated US$4.7 million to the 2017 security force operations against the ethnic Rohingya in Rakhine State, and concluded that KBZ officials should be investigated and prosecuted as appropriate for having “aided, abetted, or otherwise assisted in the crimes against humanity of persecution and other inhumane acts.” KBZ has also partnered with the military-conglomerate MEHL for over two decades in jade and gems mining ventures. The EU sanctioned Kanbawza Bank, Aung Ko Win, and his family members until 2012 for their engagement with the prior military junta. Human Rights Watch wrote KBZ on May 11 but received no response. To develop the fuel terminal, the PTTOR and KBZ joint venture, Brighter Energy, is leasing land from MEC and the Ministry of Defense under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) agreement, according to leaked Myanmar Investment Commission documents. PTT bought a 35 percent stake in Brighter Energy from KBZ in 2019. The BOT agreement covers 168.5 acres of land owned by MEC near its shipbreaking factory in Thilawa and is valid for 50 years following a two-year construction period, with the option to renew for two additional 10-year terms. Lease payments to MEC include a $1,685,000 land use premium fee and $808,800 annual rent, for a total of $42 million over the contract period. All fuel terminal structures and fixtures are to be transferred to MEC at no cost when the lease ends. The agreement is signed by Thant Swe, MEC managing director, who was recently sanctioned by the UK, and Brighter Energy directors. The authorities acquired the land in Kyauktan’s Thida Myaing ward by seizing it from farmers who had worked there for decades, nongovernmental organizations EarthRights International and Namati reported. In 2014, MEC filed a criminal trespass complaint against 33 farmers based on a 1996 illegal confiscation attempt by military government officials. The farmers were found guilty in 2018. That year, MEC filed land record forms of the area in an application to use 168.5 acres for “buildings and storage tanks.” PTT and KBZ will also pay a significant amount in taxes to the junta-controlled Internal Revenue Department. In an annex to the contract, the combined commercial and income tax over the first 20 years is estimated at $1.36 billion. Brighter Energy lists the terminal’s estimated net profit as $65.7 million in the first year of operation and $104 million annually after 10 years, with an additional $63 million per year from oil and gas sales. The fuel terminal project is just one example of PTT’s planned expansion in Myanmar. In December 2020, PTT signed an agreement to invest $2 billion in a new gas-to-power project for domestic use with the Ministry of Electricity and Energy, now led by SAC Minister Aung Than Oo, who was sanctioned by the EU for his role in the previous military junta. A PTT executive, Phongsthorn Thavisin, told reporters in March that the project was not affected by the coup and would move ahead, saying the company was politically neutral. PTT sought tenders in May for a drilling rig in the project location. PTT already pays Myanmar over $500 million a year through its projects with the Myanmar Oil and Gas Enterprise (MOGE) in three of the country’s four major gas fields. The company reported paying $125 million in taxes in 2019 to the Ministry of Planning, Finance, and Industry, now led by SAC Minister Win Shein, recently sanctioned by the US. PTT’s human rights standards state that the company is guided by international human rights treaties and other internationally accepted standards on human rights applicable to companies, including the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Since the coup, the State Administration Council has seized control of all government ministries and state-owned enterprises – as well as their bank accounts – including those involved in PTT’s projects. The junta has also overhauled the Myanmar Investment Commission, responsible for facilitating all foreign investment, installing as chair Lt. Gen. Moe Myint Tun, also a member of the junta. The US, UK, EU, and Canada have sanctioned Moe Myint Tun for committing serious human rights violations, both as a member of SAC and in his previous role as army chief of staff overseeing operations against the Rohingya in 2017. As with other military leaders, Moe Myint Tun is a director of both MEC and MEHL. Foreign governments should block payments to the junta and state-owned enterprises from foreign-financed oil and gas projects, such as those operated by PTT, Total, and Chevron. Such measures can be designed to target the junta’s access to foreign accounts while allowing for the continued production of gas and electricity. Thai financial authorities should cooperate with governments that have imposed sanctions and instruct Thai banks processing foreign currency transactions to comply with other countries’ economic measures and sanctions. Governments that have sanctioned MEC and MEHL should encourage Thailand, Japan, Singapore, and other countries with significant investment in Myanmar to adopt similar measures. “PTT’s investments in Myanmar provide hundreds of millions of dollars to the military,” Bauchner said. “Concerned governments should zero in on these sources of funds as a prime target for sanctions to make it much harder for coup leader Min Aung Hlaing, the junta, and other generals to benefit from their atrocities.”..."
Source/publisher: "Human Rights Watch" (USA)
2021-05-26
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Thai government instructed authorities to block refugees from Myanmar
Description: "The Government of Thailand should protect refugees from Myanmar from being forcibly returned and establish protection mechanisms in line with international human rights law, Fortify Rights said today. On March 19, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha instructed government agencies to prevent “illegal immigration” from Myanmar, according to government meeting minutes. In line with this order, a Thai provincial official confirmed to Fortify Rights that Thai authorities this week returned to Myanmar at least 2,000 refugees fleeing violence in Myanmar’s Karen State. “The Thai government should be preparing to protect refugees rather than prevent border crossings,” said Amy Smith, Executive Director at Fortify Rights. “Thailand has made positive commitments and taken steps to establish procedures to recognize and protect refugees during the past several years. Now is the time for Thailand to put those commitments into action to protect refugees fleeing the ongoing crisis in Myanmar.” According to meeting minutes of the Thai Center for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA), dated March 19, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha instructed the Ministry of Interior, CCSA, and other concerned agencies to “monitor and prevent illegal immigration” along the Thailand-Myanmar border and instructed the Immigration Bureau to “enforce strict inspection of border crossings.” The government has also deployed Royal Thai Army troops and patrol boats to “monitor illegal entry along the western borders both by land and sea,” according to the meeting minutes. The Thai Government does not recognize refugees and considers undocumented or unauthorized entry or stay in Thailand as “illegal immigration.” A Thai government official speaking on the condition of anonymity told Fortify Rights that the Ministry of Defense is responsible for coordinating the government’s response to refugees from Myanmar. Among those responsible for this coordination is the Naresuan Force of the Royal Thai Army. The Naresuan Force is a special unit designated to protect the borders of Tak and Mae Hong Son provinces by “interception, retaliation and pushing back foreign forces deemed to violate Thai sovereignty.” The Naresuan Force held more than 2,100 refugees in makeshift shelters in Mae Sariang District of Mae Hong Son Province after they crossed into Thailand last week to flee attacks in Myanmar. Less than 100 remain in Thailand as of May 11, according to a Thai provincial official. Civil society actors in Karen State told Fortify Rights that Thai authorities also forced back to Myanmar most of the 5,000 refugees who crossed into Thailand in March and April. The official also confirmed that the army continues to restrict humanitarian organizations and U.N. agencies, including the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), from accessing groups of newly arriving refugees from Myanmar, citing security and COVID-19 health concerns. “Ensuring protections for refugees is first and foremost a humanitarian issue that demands an appropriate response from the Thai authorities to prevent the loss of life,” said Amy Smith. “Public health concerns due to the COVID-19 pandemic and national security can be addressed and managed through proper screening mechanisms. Rather than restrict and sideline U.N. and humanitarian organizations who are ready to assist, Thai authorities should draw on their technical expertise and resources to facilitate a coordinated response.” According to the Thai government’s meeting minutes, the prime minister called for “effort” to be made to “prepare an area to host the influx of migrants into Thailand, quarantine facilities and field hospitals.” However, the Thai authorities have yet to announce the construction of facilities for refugees or that refugees will be provided access to quarantine or medical facilities. On May 6, Thai officials, including Mae Hong Son Governor Sithichai Jindaluang, the Commander of the Special Unit 7thInfantry Regiment, Colonel Sujin Subsin, and Permanent Secretary of Mae Hong Son Province Chanathip Semyam met with UNHCR-Thailand to discuss potential refugee influxes into Thailand and responses. At the time of writing, Thai authorities have yet to approve UNHCR operations to assist new refugees from Myanmar. UNHCR’s Key Legal Considerations on Access to Territory for Persons in Need of International Protection in the Context of the COVID-19 Response provides that “[d]enial of access to territory without safeguards to protect against refoulement cannot be justified on the grounds of any health risk.” Myanmar military attacks on civilian areas and clashes between the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups have displaced more than 55,000 people in Kachin, Karen, and Shan states in Myanmar since February 1 , according to the latest figures from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) Myanmar. A majority of the displaced, approximately 40,000, were forcibly displaced following renewed clashes between the Myanmar military and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), as well as airstrikes, “indiscriminate attacks,” and “shelling of civilian areas” by the Myanmar military, according to OCHA Myanmar. Since taking power in a military coup d’état on February 1, the Myanmar junta has continued to kill, arbitrarily arrest, and commit other crimes against political leaders, human rights defenders, peaceful protesters, and others in Myanmar. In a document seen by Fortify Rights and provided by the Myanmar junta to members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ahead of a controversial summit to discuss Myanmar last month, the junta claimed that it detained 9,848 persons, released 4,511, and charged 5,070 between February 1 and April 15. Forcing refugees back to Myanmar violates the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the “rejection at the frontier, interception and indirect refoulement” of individuals at risk of persecution. While Thailand has not ratified the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention nor its 1967 Protocol, the principle of non-refoulement is part of customary international law and is therefore binding on all states. Under this principle, all countries are obligated to protect people from being returned to where they face danger or persecution, including through informal returns. The Thai government has repeatedly expressed a commitment to protect refugees, including by adopting the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration and endorsing the Global Compact on Refugees during the U.N. General Assembly in December 2018. The Thai government also affirmed a commitment to “humanitarianism and to take care of various groups of irregular migrants” during the U.N. Human Rights Committee review of Thailand’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in March 2017. On December 24, 2019, the Thai Cabinet endorsed regulations to establish a national screening mechanism to identify and potentially protect refugees. However, the mechanism has yet to be implemented and has come under criticism from human rights groups for failing to meet international standards. Thailand currently hosts more than 100,000 refugees, most of whom are protracted refugees from Myanmar living in temporary shelters along the Thailand-Myanmar border, as well as refugees from various countries living in Bangkok and surrounding provinces. All refugees in Thailand lack formal legal status and are at risk of arbitrary detention and being forcibly returned to countries where they may face persecution. “Thailand still views refugees primarily through a national security lens, but the only real threat to regional peace and security is the Myanmar junta,” said Amy Smith. “If Thailand wants to protect its own security, it should protect the people of Myanmar and work with the international community to deprive the junta of its weapons and financial resources..."
Source/publisher: "Fortify Rights"
2021-05-12
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Responding to news of the arrest of five individuals from Myanmar, including three journalists from the Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) news outlet, by the Thai authorities in Chiang Mai on 9 May, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for Campaigns, Ming Yu Hah, said: “It is imperative that the Thai authorities do not forcibly return these individuals to Myanmar. To do so would place them at real risk of arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and other ill-treatment, and death. “It would also put Thailand in breach of its obligations under the principle of non-refoulement under international law. “There have long been credible reports of torture and other ill-treatment in detention in Myanmar. These have intensified since the coup. Several people detained in recent weeks have died in detention in unexplained circumstances. “For years DVB has been a leading, outspoken outlet holding the authorities to account. If returned to Myanmar, these journalists will be at exceptionally grave risk. “Thailand has long played host to displaced and exiled communities from Myanmar. Whether they are targeted for their brave journalism work, escaping air strikes or evading other forms of attacks by the military, people in Myanmar are fleeing again today. We urge the Thai authorities to give sanctuary to those seeking safety, in line with international law.”.....Background: According to a statement from DVB’s Editor-in-Chief, Aye Chan Naing, three senior DVB journalist and two activists were arrested by Thai police on Sunday 9 May in Chiang Mai (Thailand). They were reporting the anti-coup protests in Myanmar until 8 March, the day the military authorities revoked DVB’s TV license. Amnesty International has confirmed that the five are currently in police custody. Since the military coup on 1 February, the Myanmar military has also revoked media licenses of several other media outlets and dozens of journalists are currently in arbitrary detention, facing charges or fearing arrest. Many more have gone into hiding. Amnesty International opposes refoulement, which is prohibited under international law, in all cases without exception. Non-refoulement is an international legal principle that prohibits the transfer of individuals to another country or jurisdiction where they would face a real risk of serious human rights violations or abuses. It is part of customary international law, making it binding upon all states regardless of whether they ratified the relevant treaties..."
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Source/publisher: Amnesty International (UK)
2021-05-11
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Three senior reporters who fled Myanmar for Thailand after the brutal military coup "face certain arrest and persecution" if they are deported following their arrest in Chiang Mai on Sunday, journalist groups say. The three are prominent journalists with the independent Burmese news agency Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) and were detained in the northern Thai city after a random police search, their editor said in a statement Monday. They, along with two unnamed activists, have been charged with illegally entering the country. The case could be the biggest test yet for how Thailand decides to treat those fleeing persecution from Myanmar in the wake of the coup. "DVB strongly urges the Thai authorities to not deport them back to Burma, as their life will be in serious danger if they were to return," said Aye Chan Naing, executive director and chief editor of DVB, who used another name for Myanmar. "They have been covering the demonstrations in Burma until March 8 — the day the military authority revoked DVB's TV license and banned DVB from doing any kind of media work." Thailand Police Captain Duangrit Wannarit, who filed the charges, told CNN Business the five arrested were Burmese passport holders and had not gone through the immigration system. On Tuesday, a Chiang Mai court adjourned the case until May 17 so the five could seek legal representation, Duangrit said. They will be held at the San Sai district police station until the hearing. As well as being charged for allegedly entering the country illegally, Duangrit said the "prosecutor will consider if they have also breached the communicable disease act." Duangrit declined to give more details, saying it was a "highly sensitive" case. However, he told CNN Business the five would not be sent back to Myanmar immediately after the court proceedings, and would remain in the custody of immigration police. Thailand's foreign ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat said in a tweet Tuesday "Thai authorities concerned are coordinating to find humanitarian solution(s) to the recent case of journalists from Myanmar." In this photo released by the San Sai District Administrative Office, a Thai officer checks the temperature of journalists working for Democratic Voice of Burma, at San Sai District in Chiang Mai province north of Thailand Sunday, May 9, 2021.....100 days since coup: Tuesday marks 100 days since Myanmar's military seized power in a coup on February 1, ousting the civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party. Since then, the military junta has brutally cracked down on any perceived opposition to its rule. Mass street protests have been suppressed with deadly force, with more than 780 people killed by security forces and almost 5,000 arrested, according to advocacy group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The junta, led by Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, has attempted to silence independent media. Journalists across the country have been attacked and detained merely for doing their jobs. More than 80 reporters have been arrested since the coup, with more than half of those still in detention as of May 3, according to a statement from Western embassies in Myanmar. The military has also revoked the licenses of prominent independent broadcasters, online news outlets and newspapers, including DVB, so working for them is considered illegal. On May 4, the junta banned the use of satellite dishes — an order aimed at DVB and banned independent news agency Mizzima, which continued to broadcast by satellite into the country. Offices of newspapers and online media have been raided, and a nightly news bulletin on state TV broadcasts the names and images of those sought by the junta, including journalists. Many are being held on charges under section 505a of Myanmar's Penal Code — a law amended by the military that makes it a crime punishable by up to three years in prison for publishing or circulating comments that "cause fear" or spread "false news." There are fears if the five are deported to Myanmar, they will face certain arrest and the possibility of torture. Media and rights groups are calling on Thailand to ensure they remain in the country on humanitarian grounds. "Thai authorities should uphold the country's proud history as a sanctuary for journalists fleeing military repression in Myanmar, and on humanitarian grounds should not deport three Democratic Voice of Burma journalists recently arrested for alleged illegal entry," said Shawn Crispin, senior Southeast Asia representative of the Committee to Protect Journalists. "Myanmar's military regime has repeatedly abused and detained journalists, and Thai authorities should not force these members of the press to face potentially severe retaliation for their work.".....Big test for Thailand's position on coup: The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand (FCCT) said in a statement it was "seriously concerned" about the arrests. "These five individuals would face certain arrest and persecution, if not worse, for their work and association with the DVB, and under no circumstances should they be deported back to Myanmar," the statement read. "Rather, the DVB journalists and their associates should be released from detention, urgently offered protection, and granted the right to remain temporarily in Thailand." DVB's Aye Chan Naing also urged the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Bangkok "to intervene to help guard their safety." "We request the international community to help call the Thai authorities to waive their deportation," he said. For years, Thai authorities allowed exiled Burmese media organizations like DVB to operate within its borders. Thailand has also hosted tens of thousands of refugees in nine main camps along its border with Myanmar for three decades, following armed conflicts, human rights abuses and persecution of ethnic minorities by the Myanmar military. Thailand, however, has not ratified the UN refugee convention. Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha also seized power in a coup in 2014, and held onto his leadership following 2019 elections that opponents said were not free or fair. His government has arrested dozens of pro-democracy protesters who turned out on masse demanding his resignation and accusing him of engineering the election. Prayut has denied the election was flawed and allegations of interference. Prayut has previously declined to make a strong statement on the situation in Myanmar. Last month, the international community had hoped Southeast Asian leaders would be able to reach a breakthrough on stopping the violence in Myanmar at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting, but Prayut had skipped the summit, sending his deputy prime minister in his place. "Regarding the situation in Myanmar, it is a highly complex issue," he had said at that time. "The government is currently working at various channels in order to find peaceful solution, as a duty of being member state to AESAN." Thailand has agreed to support the plan that emerged from the ASEAN meeting, which includes ending violence in Myanmar and a constructive dialogue among all parties. The FCCT warned "the world is watching" how Thailand proceeds, adding it was an "important case for press freedom in Myanmar and the region, and for the protection of those fleeing the junta's brutal crackdown on independent media and civil society."..."
Source/publisher: "CNN" (USA)
2021-05-11
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Three reporters and two activists from Myanmar have been arrested in Thailand for illegal entry and face possible deportation, the reporters' news organisation and local police said on Tuesday. Broadcaster DVB (Democratic Voice of Burma) said the five were arrested on Sunday in the northern city of Chiang Mai and it appealed to Thai authorities not to deport them to Myanmar, where the news organisation has been banned by the junta. "Their life will be in serious danger if they were to return," said Aye Chan Naing, DVB's executive director, in a statement, which also appealed to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for help. The statement said they had fled the army crackdown in Myanmar since the Feb. 1 coup, during which dozens of journalists have been among thousands of people arrested. DVB and several other independent media organisations had their licences revoked. Thapanapong Chairangsri, the head of police in the San Sai district outside Chiang Mai, told Reuters that five Myanmar citizens had been arrested for entering the country illegally and would be brought to court on Tuesday. He said they would be deported in accordance with the law, but added that because of the coronavirus outbreak they would be held in detention for 14 days before being handed to immigration authorities..."
Source/publisher: "Reuters" (UK)
2021-05-11
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: Health, Logistics and Telecommunications, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items
Topic: Health, Logistics and Telecommunications, Protection and Human Rights, Shelter and Non-Food Items
Description: "KEY DISPLACEMENT FIGURES: 10,000 Estimated refugee movements to neighbouring countries since 1 February 2021 980,000 Refugees and asylum-seekers from Myanmar in neighbouring countries as of 31 December 2020 50,000 Estimated internal displacement within Myanmar since 1 February 2021 370,000 Estimated internally displaced persons (IDPs) within Myanmar as of 31 December 2020.....HIGHLIGHTS:Since the military takeover in Myanmar on 1 February 2021, widespread violence against civilians across the country and the resumption and intensification of clashes between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) in border areas has forcibly displaced thousands of people within Myanmar and to neighbouring countries. Approximately 50,000 people have been displaced internally, these include an estimated 40,000 in southeastern Myanmar and 9,000 in Kachin and northern Shan states. Some 5,000 refugees crossed into Thailand in March and April, most of whom subsequently returned to Myanmar, and an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 refugees have sought safety in India. As those displaced since 1 February are fleeing persecution or generalized violence and events seriously disturbing public order, UNHCR calls on countries across the region to offer refuge and protection to all individuals from Myanmar seeking safety. Humanitarian actors should be granted access to them to assess and respond to their needs.....RESPONSE: In Myanmar, the deteriorating security environment has exacerbated the precarious humanitarian situation that prevailed even before the military takeover. It has impeded the ability of affected populations to seek safety and access urgent life-saving assistance, including the stateless or internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were already in need of protection and assistance prior to 1 February. Although UNHCR has been able to continue field activities in Rakhine, Kachin and northern Shan States—such as needs assessments, quick impact projects and distribution of core relief items (CRIs)—humanitarian actors face increasing security, logistics and supply chain challenges. In southeast Myanmar, for example, UNHCR activities have been curtailed by security constraints, though UNHCR and partners have maintained communication channels with IDPs through community-based mechanisms and have distributed CRIs to IDPs in Kayin State. In India, UNHCR estimates that 4,000-6,000 refugees from Myanmar have entered the border states of Mizoram and Manipur since early March. UNHCR does not have access to the border areas, but local charity organizations and individuals have come forward to provide life-saving assistance to new arrivals. Some 190 have moved onward to New Delhi, where UNHCR is assessing their needs and has begun registering and providing basic assistance to them. UNHCR has offered its support to the Government of India in protection and humanitarian coordination and response to new arrivals from Myanmar. In Thailand, following the arrival in late March of some 2,800 refugees in Mae Hong Son province and their subsequent return to Myanmar, some 2,300 people crossed again on 27 April due to an outbreak of fighting and are currently hosted in safety areas managed by the Royal Thai Army. UNHCR has advocated for access to the population and offered support to the Royal Thai Government’s efforts to respond to further displacement from Myanmar and address refugees’ protection needs. The Government is preparing “holding areas” for receiving new arrivals in provinces along the Thai-Myanmar border. UNHCR has not had access to new arrivals, but has undertaken preparedness actions, including the prepositioning of CRIs for up to 5,000 households, to help ensure that any Government-led response in those areas will be complemented in a timely and coordinated manner. The humanitarian community already present in the nine temporary shelters for some 92,000 Myanmar refugees who fled previous waves of displacement—UNHCR, IOM and a consortium of NGOs—has established a multi-sector coordination mechanism to respond to humanitarian needs for new arrivals..."
Source/publisher: UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Geneva) via Reliefweb (New York)
2021-05-06
Date of entry/update: 2021-05-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar’s coup has brought war back to a remote Southeast Asian frontier after 25 years, sending a new generation of villagers in both Myanmar and Thailand running for their lives from bullets and bombs. Ethnic Karen insurgents and the Myanmar army have engaged in heavy clashes near the Thai border in the weeks since the Feb. 1 coup, when Myanmar’s generals ousted an elected government led by democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi. The Karen and other autonomy-seeking ethnic minority forces based in frontier regions have supported the largely urban-based pro-democracy opponents of the junta, offering refuge to some, and tension with the military has boiled up into new fighting. Before dawn on Tuesday, Karen fighters attacked the Myanmar army's Thaw Leh Ta outpost on the west bank of the Salween River, which forms the border with Thailand as it cuts through steep, forested slopes on is way to the Bay of Bengal. "I've never heard gunfire like this, I've never seen people needing to flee like this," said Supart Nunongpan, 44, chief of the Thai village of Mae Sam Laep, a small river port of wooden houses and shops strung out along the Thai side of the Salween. The Myanmar army had held Thaw Leh Ta since 1995, the last time there was major fighting in the area when, after years of dry-season offensives, the Myanmar army captured the headquarters of the Karen National Union (KNU) guerrilla group, not far to the south. Divided and driven from most of its enclaves in eastern Myanmar, the KNU agreed to a ceasefire in 2012, ending an insurgency that began soon after Myanmar gained independence in 1948. Now war has resumed and the Myanmar military, equipped with more effective aircraft than it had 25 years ago, has launched repeated air strikes against KNU positions, sending some 15,000 villagers fleeing into the forest, with several thousand briefly seeking refuge on the Thai side of the border. Myanmar launched air strikes on Tuesday and again on Wednesday, with fighter jets and helicopters, Thai authorities on the border said. There was no word on casualties. About 100 villagers from Myanmar, most of them elderly, pregnant women or children, crossed to the Thai side on Wednesday to escape the air strikes, the Free Burma Rangers aid group said.....'STILL DANGEROUS': Hundreds of Thai villagers living too close to the border for comfort have also abandoned their homes and fled inland. One woman on the Thai side was wounded by a stray bullet on Tuesday, Thai authorities said. Thai villagers are sheltering in a school and a church in the settlement of Huay Kong Kad, a safe distance from the border. They think the fighting is far from over and it is only a matter of time before Myanmar's powerful military tries to take back the lost outposts. "I don't feel safe, it's still dangerous. I'm afraid of the air strikes," Amin, 40, another villager from Mae Sam Laep who goes by only one name, told Reuters. The Myanmar junta has not commented on the latest clashes but the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper blamed a rogue KNU brigade for the attacks, saying most of the KNU still backed the 2012 ceasefire. The head of foreign affairs for the KNU, Saw Taw Nee, rejected that as "nonsense", saying state media was trying to "divide and conquer". Thailand, which played host to more than 100,000 Karen refugees for decades, has said it wants to stay out of the latest surge of fighting but will provide humanitarian help if needed. For now, displaced Thai villagers wait. Several said they only dared slip back into Mae Sam Laep during the day to check on their homes, fearing more fighting at any time. “I’m afraid because we live on the border. The villagers are also afraid,” village head Supart said..."
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Source/publisher: "Reuters" (UK)
2021-04-29
Date of entry/update: 2021-04-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, who himself first seized power in a coup, said on Wednesday (Feb 10) that he had received a letter from Myanmar's new junta leader asking for help to support democracy. Prayut, who overthrew an elected prime minister in 2014 and stayed in office after a 2019 election which his rivals said was badly flawed, told reporters in Bangkok that he had always supported democracy in the neighbouring country. Min Aung Hlaing's army overthrew elected civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Feb 1 and detained her, alleging fraud in an election last year that her party won in a landslide. The electoral commission had dismissed the army's claims. READ: Myanmar anti-coup protests resume despite bloodshed READ: Myanmar military raids Aung San Suu Kyi's party offices as UN slams violence "We are supportive of the democratic process in Myanmar, but what is most important today is to maintain good relations because it impacts the people, the economy, border trade, particularly now," Prayut said. "Thailand supports the democratic process. The rest is up to him to see how to proceed," he said. Since the coup, Myanmar has been convulsed by the biggest protests in more than a decade as Aung San Suu Kyi's supporters challenge the coup that halted a tentative decade-long transition to democracy..."
Source/publisher: "Reuters" (UK) via "CNA" ( Singapore)
2021-02-10
Date of entry/update: 2021-02-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Border opens to prevent Thais sneaking back in
Description: "The border district of Mae Sot is on alert for a large number of Thais working in a casino in Myawaddy to flee the continued spread of the coronavirus in Myanmar. Opas Kankawinpong, director-general of the Disease Control Department, expected hundreds of Thai workers at a casino in the cross-border town to move back through the district in Tak soon after the province temporarily reopens the checkpoint to allow them through. “We have estimated hundreds of Thais are stuck there. We don’t know how many of them have been infected,” a video clip posted on the department Facebook page on Sunday quoted him as saying. The latest batch of Thai returnees -- believed to number 40 -- arrived on Thursday. Seventeen of them tested positive and were sent to Mae Sot Hospital. They worked for the Sky Complex casino, just across the Moei River that separates Mae Sot and Myawaddy..."
Source/publisher: Bangkok Post (Thailand)
2020-01-10
Date of entry/update: 2021-01-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: A coronavirus outbreak in Tachileik has shone a rare spotlight on border-based hotels, KTVs and casinos with links to powerful armed groups, whose open flouting of pandemic restrictions has put Myanmar and Thailand in danger.
Description: "On November 25, Ma Nang, 18, lost her sense of smell. Known as anosmia, it is one of the most common symptoms of COVID-19. In hotspots across Myanmar, thousands of people have reported losing their sense of smell, and many have later tested positive for the coronavirus. But Ma Nang was not in a COVID-19 hotspot, and had neither travelled to an area with COVID-19 cases nor seemingly been in contact with any infected people. The resident of Tachileik, in eastern Shan State on the border with Thailand’s Mae Sai, had been working as a KTV singer at 1G1-7 Hotel until November 16, when she quit her job. She travelled north to Kengtung for a few days with friends but fell ill after returning to her hometown. “I went to a fever clinic but I wasn’t worried – there were no cases in Tachileik,” Ma Nang said. “I was shocked when the test came back positive.” Until her positive test, Tachileik, which is sometimes referred to as the capital of the Golden Triangle – the notoriously lawless area where the borders of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos meet – had seemingly escaped Myanmar’s “second wave” of COVID-19. Since the first cases emerged in Rakhine State and Yangon in late August, the virus has gradually spread across most of the country. Eastern Shan State is one of the few exceptions: it has recorded the lowest number of cases outside Kayah State, which only registered its first patient in October. In the week before Ma Nang tested positive, several other cases had been detected in Tachileik but they had all been among people undergoing quarantine, with no evidence to suggest the virus had spread in the community. In response to her positive test, the Tachileik District COVID-19 Prevention and Rapid Response committee issued a notice on November 28 advising residents to stay at home, to adhere to a curfew and not to hold gatherings. Restaurants were told to only sell take-away, and anyone with COVID-19 symptoms was advised to immediately visit a fever clinic. Residents needed little warning; the streets would be mostly deserted for the next two weeks. “Of course, I’m worried about the virus,” said U San Shwe Myint, owner of Happy restaurant. “In the circumstances I decided it would be better to close my restaurant completely.” By mid-December the outbreak was mostly under control, with few new cases of community transmission. But the emergence of COVID-19 in eastern Shan State raises serious questions about the enforcement of prevention measures, including the closure of high-risk venues, monitoring of overland travellers and control of international borders..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
2020-12-23
Date of entry/update: 2021-01-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The latest outbreak was first detected at a seafood market near Bangkok, prompting a flare-up in online hate speech.
Description: "“Wherever you see Myanmar people, shoot them down,” read one Thai comment on YouTube after a surge of coronavirus cases among workers from Myanmar. The outbreak, first detected at a seafood market near Bangkok, has prompted a surge in online hate speech as well as questions over Thailand’s treatment of millions of migrant workers.....“Myanmar people are being labelled for transmitting COVID-19, but the virus doesn’t discriminate,” said Sompong Srakaew of the Labour Protection Network, a Thai group helping migrant workers. Shifting sentiment has had real consequences, he said, with workers from Myanmar, previously known as Burma, being blocked from buses, motorcycle taxis and offices.....“Myanmar people are being labelled for transmitting COVID-19, but the virus doesn’t discriminate,” said Sompong Srakaew of the Labour Protection Network, a Thai group helping migrant workers. Shifting sentiment has had real consequences, he said, with workers from Myanmar, previously known as Burma, being blocked from buses, motorcycle taxis and offices..."
Source/publisher: "Al Jazeera" (Qatar)
2020-12-24
Date of entry/update: 2021-01-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Bangladesh is interested in joining the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) trilateral highway to enhance connectivity with Southeast Asia, which would open a new chapter in trans-border corridors in the Indo-Pacific region. Dhaka’s expressed interest to join IMT — at a time when Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar or BCIM has made scant progress — during prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s virtual summit with her counterpart Narendra Modi on Thursday. She sought India’s support to enable Bangladesh to join the initiative, according to the joint statement issued at the end of the summit. The IMT highways is aimed at opening land gate to ASEAN and boost trade and commerce. India has also proposed extending the highway to Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. India has undertaken two projects in Myanmar under the 1,360-km IMT project that starts from Moreh in India to Mae Sot in Thailand through Myanmar. These are construction of the 120-km Kalewa-Yagyi road sections to highway standard and upgrading of 69 bridges and approach roads on the Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa road section of 150 km. Bangladesh also wants trucks with its goods to enter Bhutan and Nepal through India and Hasina sought cooperation from Modi in this regard at the summit in what would promote Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) road connectivity as part of sub-regional cooperation, ET has learnt. At the summit Bangladesh and India discussed ways of cooperation to expand transportation solutions within BBIN region, apart from cooperation in cross-border energy trade. To facilitate better connectivity and simplify movement of passengers and goods between both the countries, both leaders agreed to an early operationalization of the BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement through expeditious signing of the Enabling MoU for Bangladesh, India and Nepal to commence the movement of goods and passengers, with provision for Bhutan to join at a later date..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "The Economic Times" (India)
2020-12-18
Date of entry/update: 2021-01-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Artisans in Sagyin have carved out a living from marble for generations but some fear the dust that cloaks the village.
Description: "The fine white dust that shrouds much of his northern Myanmar village also covers sculptor Chin Win as he leans over a half-finished Buddha statue. "We are blessed to carve Buddha," he said at his stone workshop surrounded by the seven white hills that give Sagyin village its name, which means "marble" in Burmese. For generations, artisans in this part of Buddhist-majority Myanmar have carved out a living from the marble, fashioning mostly colossal Buddha statues to be sold in the nearby city of Mandalay or exported to neighbouring China and Thailand. Many of the several thousand villagers here earn a modest living from the marble mines, hauling the slabs down the hill, carving them into statues, or exporting them overseas. Burmese marble, which ranges from pure white to bluish grey, is prized for its hardness and texture. A 45-tonne slab can sell for $40,000. In Sagyin, specks of the stone are used for everything from brushing teeth to washing clothes. "We grew up breathing the dust," said Chin Win, 35, who has been carving statues since he was 11 years old. "We use it as toothpaste, for soap powder, lipstick." The stone used to be chiselled by hand. Now, much of the work is done with machines. "I was born in this village and for generations, this is what we have done: the men work on marble carving and the women work in the marble mines or polish the marble statues," said 25-year-old Mya Lay, in a house fashioned from dry bamboo sheets, with a floor made of marble chippings..."
Source/publisher: "Al Jazeera" (Qatar)
2020-07-07
Date of entry/update: 2020-07-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The safe return of migrant workers from Thailand amid the pandemic has required an unprecedented degree of cooperation between the government and armed groups on policing the border.
Description: "The COVID-19 pandemic has put many people out of work in Myanmar, from garment workers and vendors to journalists and taxi drivers. Another group suddenly without income are the “brokers” who arrange for undocumented migrants to cross into Thailand at the many unofficial border gates run by ethnic armed groups in Myanmar’s southeast. During normal times, there is a steady flow of migrants at these crossings. People cross to access better-paid jobs in Thailand and return to check on families and farms, to invest savings in land, property and small businesses, and to pay off debts – all without having to comply with the cumbersome and expensive requirements set by the Memorandum of Understanding between Thailand and Myanmar on labour migration. But in recent months, these border crossings have been shuttered, in an unprecedented show of pandemic-prompted cooperation between the government and armed groups, which have instead funnelled migrants towards the official crossings, particularly at Myawaddy in Kayin State. Informal migration has not stopped completely; the border is highly porous in places, with remote terrain allowing people to cross outside of both government and armed group-controlled gates. But this tends to happen far from major travel arteries and mostly serves local trips over small distances..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
2020-06-17
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation and Myanma Insurance began talks on June 15 aimed at providing insurance coverage for the hundreds of thousands of Myanmar people working in Thailand.
Description: "The talks were being conducted in preparation for the workers’ return to the kingdom, which usually has over 2 million documented and undocumented Myanmar workers, said U Peter Nyunt Maung, vice chair of the federation. “If workers test positive for COVID-19 abroad and decide to be treated there, who would pay?” he said. “Free medical treatment is available only in Myanmar, so we are negotiating for insurance coverage there.” Myanma Insurance already offers COVID-19 insurance on the local market. Compensation for such coverage in Thailand would be paid in local currency. The federation negotiated to pay based on the current exchange rate of the Myanmar and Thai currencies. “A lot of workers want to go abroad, but the government would not allow them yet,” he said. “Other countries are prepared to accept workers, so official permission may not take too long.”
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2020-06-17
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-17
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Who could have supported ACTED Covid-19 home-visit interventions in refugee camps better than the residents themselves? To prevent the virus from entering Ban Mai Nai Soi and Ban Mae Surin refugee camps on the Thai-Myanmar border, 36 Myanmar refugees joined ACTED to conduct information sessions on Covid-19 and Hygiene Kits distribution to all camp residents. We asked four of them to share their experience with us. From ACTED ex-trainees to ACTED camp-based workers Aged 19 to 51 years old, they speak Burmese, Karen and/or Karenni (local languages from Myanmar). When they heard of the opportunity to join ACTED for a month, all of them were familiar with the organization. In 2015, both Akamin and Be Bya Na, only 15 years old at the time, graduated from ACTED Motorcycle and Electric Wiring and Sewing trainings in Ban Mai Nai Soi camp, attending each day after school. Be Bya Na remembers enrolling to the latter training as she wanted to get additional skills after school to increase her chances to become a successful businesswoman one day. To learn about office work, Kee Ler Htoo, a 50-year old mother of nine children, graduated from ACTED’s advanced computing course in 2015 and has been working ever since in the Camp Livelihoods Committee of her camp, as a Livelihood coordinator. Interested in IT for years, Yar Ree Htoo, a 51-year-old gardening enthusiast, enrolled in the computer course in 2019. “I learned how to use Microsoft, Excel, Photoshop, among many other things and it was so helpful.” This year, the four of them became camp-based workers, with the ultimate goal to support and inform their community about Covid-19. When asked about why it was important for everyone to be aware and understand how to be protected from it, Be Bya Na responded “to help and save other lives.” Involving camp-residents through Hygiene Kits distribution and home visit sensitization To conduct their activities, camp-based workers worked in pairs. Akamin and Be Bya Na, long-time friends, decided to conduct their home visits together, first participating in hygiene practice trainings and receiving Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), namely a cloth mask, gloves and hand sanitizers. Each day, they visited approximately five households, always ensuring to wear a mask and to respect a 2-meter social distancing while interacting with their fellow camp-residents..."
Source/publisher: ACTED via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2020-06-12
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The number of buses carrying migrant workers returning from Bangkok through the Myawady border checkpoint in Kayin State has fallen to two a week.
Description: "Since June 2, bus service has been reduced to every Tuesday and Friday from Mo Chit bus station in Bangkok to the Mae Sot-Myawady border as fewer workers are returning home. The Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok has urged migrant workers to register and buy tickets at the embassy office to avoid trouble. It said that from May 1 to June 4, 16,000 workers had returned to Myanmar through Myawady. Thailand announced on June 1 that despite extending its state-of-emergency until the end of June, it would not prevent an estimated 34,000 Myanmar migrant workers from returning home. An estimated 60,000 workers planned to return from Thailand due to the economic downturn caused by the pandemic. U Peter Nyunt Maung, deputy chair of the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agencies Federation, said the workers would likely not be able to get their jobs back, as the Thai government would prioritise giving jobs to its own people when its economy reopens. He added that some 65,000 workers who were trying to get into Thailand when it closed its borders due to COVID-19 in January may also be out of work. Aside from Myawady, workers were also expected to return from Thailand through Kawthoung in Tanintharyi Region..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2020-06-08
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The closure of dozens of illegal trade gates along the border with Thailand to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is causing shortages of everything from beer and energy drinks to detergent and cosmetics, highlighting the vast scale of informal trade with Thailand.
Description: "For decades, billions of dollars of goods have crossed the Thai-Myanmar border through dozens of illegal trade gates in Kayin State’s Myawaddy Township that are run by armed groups. Each day, hundreds of trucks drive to the Thai side of the Thaung Yin (or Moei) River in Mae Sot, where their cargo is processed by Thai Customs, unloaded by hand onto small boats, ferried across the narrow stretch of water to Myawaddy and stored in warehouses for distribution throughout Myanmar. Most of this happens in broad daylight, and is legal on the Thai side and tacitly approved in Myanmar. Through conflict, natural disaster and political instability, these “boat gates” have nearly always remained open, providing a steady stream of imported goods to markets around the country. Not only do the gates provide a financial lifeline to the armed groups that control them, they enable businesses to skirt trade regulations – and Customs duties – on everything from fabric and liquor to cars and used refrigerators, costing the country hundreds of millions of dollars a year in lost tax revenue. Government officials acknowledge the gates are illegal, but insist they are powerless to close them. Support independent journalism in Myanmar. Sign up to be a Frontier member. But then came COVID-19. For the past two months the illegal gates have been closed, and cross-border trade has been limited to a single official crossing, the No 2 Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge. Although some traders have tried to switch to legal channels, many of the goods, such as liquor, that cross through the illegal gates cannot be imported legally. Trade has fallen from about US$10 million a day in February to as little as $3 million a day in April, according to the Myawaddy Chamber of Commerce. Stocks of imported goods have run out, while exports to Thailand have also been hit hard..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar"
2020-06-08
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-08
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "7,181 migrants returned from Thailand from 22 to 28 May, mainly from Myawaddy-Mae Sot 2,848 migrants returned from China from 22 to 28 May, through Nan Taw and Chin Shwe Haw SITUATION OVERVIEW Returns from Thailand began picking up this week, and from 22 to 28 May, 7,031 migrants returned through MyawaddyMae Sot, and 150 returned through Kawthaung-Ranoung. These include 1,979 migrants whose return was facilitated following coordination between the Embassy of Myanmar in Thailand and Thai authorities, with the rest self-arranging their return. Returnees were also tested for COVID-19 upon arrival to Myanmar, with most returnees, upon confirmation of negative test results, being transported to their communities of origin for quarantine. A total of 45,168 migrants returned from Thailand from 22 March to 28 May. The Department of Labour (DOL) issued a letter on 22 May to the Myanmar Overseas Employment Agency Federation (MOEAF) on the restarting of recruitment procedures for Myanmar migrants seeking migration and employment in Thailand. The letter announced that recruitment procedures are on hold until 31 May, and that Thai authorities will accept migrant workers who have health certificates and who undergo health checks at points of entry. Once recruitment resumes, private recruitment agencies (PRAs) are required to follow the regular recruitment process, which includes a demand letter from Thai employers indicating the need for migrant workers, a clear commitment that migrant workers will receive an employment contract and begin employment within 60 days of deployment, and a commitment to follow COVID-19 related instructions from the Thai Government during the process of applying for employment cards. PRAs are also required to communicate these regulations to respective Thai employers. Should PRAs not follow these instructions, DOL will revoke the license of the PRA concerned..."
Source/publisher: International Organization for Migration (IOM) ( Switzerland) via "Reliefweb" (New York)
2020-05-31
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-31
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "After weeks of waiting at the closed border, hundreds of Myanmar migrant workers returned home from Thailand. The COVID-19 pandemic shuttered factories across Southeast Asia, leaving tens of thousands without jobs. Southeast Asia has reported 194,072 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of May 24. India has the highest number of cases in Asia with 131,868..."
Source/publisher: "China Global Television Network (CGTN)" (China)
2020-05-25
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar is preparing to help citizens stuck in Thailand to return home while a large group of Indians have flown home on a special flight. The Interior Ministry has permitted stranded Myanmar workers to return home via the Thai–Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Tak's Mae Sot district. Chatchai Promlert, permanent secretary for the Interior Ministry, said the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration had agreed to open the bridge, although other crossings remain closed for now. Mr Chatchai said those who wish to cross the border must show a letter of guarantee issued by the Myanmar embassy in Thailand, or one of the Myanmar labour offices in Chiang Mai or Ranong. The travellers are required to present either the physical letter itself or show a copy of it on their mobile phone to border security personnel. More Rohingya migrants detained in Mae Sot Illegally cut teak seized in Mae Sot Myanmar editor jailed for Covid error Travellers are also required to present themselves at the border checkpoint before 3pm each day, said Mr Chatchai, who added that a coach service runs to the border from Mo Chit 2 Bus Terminal in Bangkok every evening Tak provincial governor Ansit Samphantharat also told media that about 27,000 Myanmar workers in Bangkok and adjacent areas have submitted requests to the Myanmar embassy in Thailand asking for permission to return to their country. The Transport Co will provide 10 coaches which will cover the Bangkok-Mae Sot route to transport Myanmar workers from Mo Chit 2 Bus Terminal to the Mae Sot border checkpoint, stopping only at Nakhon Sawan Bus Terminal..."
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2020-05-23
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "A total of 90 Myanmar migrant workers returned through the Friendship Bridge No 2 in Myawaddy on 17 May, the 17th consecutive day since the government resumed accepting returnees on 1 May amidst the spread of COVID-19, state media reported. A total of 720 workers have returned home so far since 1st May. According to statistics, the authorities accepted 60 workers on 1 May, 54 on 2 May, one on 3 May, 44 on 4 May, 23 on 5 May, 100 on 8 May, 44 on 10 May, 13 on 11 May, 41 on 12 May, 16 on 13 May, 38 on 14 May, 120 on 15 May, 76 on 16 May, and 90 on 17 May respectively. Local authorities are closely supervising the process of accepting the returnees in line with the COVID-19 fighting guidelines..."
Source/publisher: "Mizzima" (Myanmar)
2020-05-18
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar authorities brought back 67 more nationals from Thailand by a relief flight on Tuesday, according to a statement of Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In order to retrieve the Myanmar nationals from Thailand, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs coordinated with the Myanmar Embassy in Thailand and Myanmar's government ministries under the guidelines of the National Level Central Committee on Prevention, Control and Treatment of COVID-19, the statement said. The returnees from Thailand will be put under quarantine at designated facilities or hotels for 21 days under the management by the Ministry of Labor, Immigration and Population, the Ministry of Health and Sports, and the Yangon Region Government. According to the statement, it is the second batch of Myanmar nationals from Thailand after the first batch of 135 Myanmar nationals went back home on May 6. So far, Myanmar has reported 180 COVID-19 cases with six deaths since the infectious disease was first detected in the country on March 23..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2020-05-12
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Business operators in this lower Central province have called for the government to reopen the Singkhon border pass with Myanmar, saying its closure has affected the province's trade and investment. The villagers of Mu Dong have resorted to buying consumer goods from Mergui town in the far south of Myanmar, said provincial chamber of commerce honorary chairman Nipon Suwannawa said on Sunday. He added that because of the closure at Singkhon, the transport of marine products from Mergui to Ranong now takes several days, instead of just four hours via the border pass. As a representative of the private sector, Mr Nipon said he would like the government to ease the restriction and allow the transport of goods across the Singkhon pass to resume for the sake of Prachuap Khi Khan's economy. Somkiat Aojimid, an operator of tourism and sea food businesses in Mergui, said Myanmar plans to open a new bridge across the Tenasserim River (or Tranaosi River in Thai) in June. The bridge is now about 95% complete..."
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2020-05-10
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "The total number of Myanmar workers who returned to Myanmar via Mae Sot-Myawady Friendship Bridge-2 on Myanmar-Thai border, has reached 290. On 8 May, more than 100 Myanmar workers reentered Myawady as they find it difficult to survive in Thailand. The returnees urged Myanmar workers stranded in Thailand to go home after the end of emergency period. A female returnee said: “I resigned from the job as I planned to go home at the end of March. But I was unable to go home. I had to stay at other’s house as I had no income and place to live in. I returned to Myanmar after the arrest. Most of Myanmar workers find it difficult to survive due to the closures of factories in Thailand.” A male returnee said: “We hired a car from Bangkok. The driver was afraid of going ahead. We spent three or four nights there. We asked for the help from the AWO as we had no money left. Then, we arrived at Mae Sot. Thailand did not allow us to enter Myanmar as Myanmar was not ready to accept the returnees. We arrived back here with the help of MPs.”..."
Source/publisher: Eleven Media Group (Myanmar)
2020-05-09
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Outraged by the injustice faced by people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, we aspire to a world of solidarity and inclusion, enriched by our differences, where everyone can live in dignity”. Handicap International is changing his name and becomes « Humanity & Inclusion ». HI, Humanity & Inclusion is an independent and impartial aid and development organisation with no religious or political affiliations operating in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflict and disaster. We work alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable people to help meet their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights. Since the organisation was first founded in 1982, we have set up development programmes in 62 countries and responded to many emergencies. Today we have a budget of around 150 million euros, with 3500 employees worldwide. HI is engaged in an employment policy in favour of disabled workers..."
Source/publisher: "Reliefweb" (New York)
2020-04-23
Date of entry/update: 2020-04-23
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Thousands of Myanmar textile workers on the Thai-Myanmar border in Three Pagodas Pass, Karen State have been unable to go to work at factories in Thailand due to a dispute between the countries’ border authorities. “For the workers, they do not have monthly salaries, so how can they survive?” asked U Tin Myo Oo, a National League for Democracy regional lawmaker who represents Kyainseikgyi Township, where Three Pagodas Pass is located. “[Myanmar authorities] do not allow workers to cross the border at the moment. From the Myanmar side, they do not allow people to cross the border, as I heard,” he said. The Irrawaddy could not reach the Myanmar Border Committee in Three Pagodas Pass for comment. Local sources from the town told The Irrawaddy that the dispute began on Tuesday after a meeting between Thai border authorities and a Karen Border Guard Force (BGF). Thai authorities have objected to the fact that the Karen BGF allows some trade to pass through the border gates under their control, including reportedly at night. The border has been closed to trade since 2007 but border authorities from both sides allow locals to walk across to go to work for the day. Local traders are also allowed to cross, some driving their cars to transport food..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
2020-02-28
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Border trade between Thailand and Myanmar is set to increase this year thanks to the second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge and the implementation of Cross Border Transport Facilitation Agreement (CBTA).
Description: "The second Thai- Myanmar Friendship bridge connecting Myawady in Myanmar and Mae Sot in Thailand opened in October of 2019. Meanwhile, the CBTA, which also came into effect last year, authorises goods vehicles from each country to cross the border and stay for 30 days. Trade volume between Myanmar and Thailand in fiscal year2018-19 hit a total of US$5.4 billion (K7.7 trillion) in total, Ministry of Commerce statistics show. According to the ministry, Myanmar’s exports to Thailand reached US$3.2 billion while imports hit US$2.1 billion. Among three trade points along the border between Myanmar and Thailand, Myawady-Mae Sot route is the most important, carrying around 70 percent of trade between the countries. “With the new bridge and that transportation agreement, the trade outlook is good for both countries. In Myanmar, most of goods mainly imported from Thailand are raw materials for manufacturing, and construction material. So, the transportation route is important for two countries’ economies and businesses,” Myanmar International Freight Forwarders Association chair U Aung Khin Myint, told The Myanmar Times..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2020-02-14
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Border trade between Myanmar and its neighboring Thailand reached over 1.15 billion U.S. dollars in first quarter of the present fiscal year (FY) 2019-2020 which started in October, according to figures released from the Commerce Ministry on Sunday. From Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 2019, the country earned over 773 million U.S. dollars from export to Thailand, while its import amounted over 382 million U.S. dollars. This fiscal year's figures decreased by nearly 100 million U.S. dollars, compared to the same period of the last fiscal year 2018-2019. Myanmar conducts trade with the Southeast Asian neighbor through seven border gates -- Tachileik, Myawady, Kawthoung, Myeik, Hteekhee, Mawtaung and Maese, respectively. During the first four months of this FY, the Hteekhee border gate registered the highest border trade value of over 555 million U. S. dollars, while the Maese border gate saw the smallest trade value of 1.5 million U.S. dollars. The country's agricultural and fishery products are exported to Thailand, while cosmetics, food products and machinery and raw industrial goods such as cement and fertilizers are imported..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2020-02-09
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Amata aims to woo foreign manufacturers with modern industrial zone in Yangon
Description: "Thai industrial estate developer Amata Corp. plans to build an industrial complex with an investment of $1 billion in Yangon, Myanmar's biggest city. The complex will provide important industrial infrastructure in a nation with few global-standard industrial zones suitable for foreign companies. Amata recently signed a land lease agreement and joint venture agreement with the Myanmar Ministry of Construction in the country's capital of Naypyitaw, securing the right to use 800 hectares of land in the northeastern part of Yangon for 70 years. Amata's investment will include construction of 600 megawatt power plant. "Myanmar is a gateway to the Indian Ocean for the GMS (Greater Mekong Sub-region). That is why we've chosen Myanmar," Vikrom Kromadit, chairman and CEO of Amata, said during an interview with the Nikkei Asian Review after a ceremony to mark the signing. Amata estimates that tenant companies' long-term investments in the new industrial zone will eventually reach $3.7 billion. As a GMS country along with Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and China, Myanmar once drew strong attention from foreign companies as a frontier market with room for substantial economic growth, but the presence of manufacturers there has not increased as sharply as expected..."
Creator/author:
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-03
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "A total of 130 Myanmar migrant workers are returned to Myawady on January 31 due to a factory closure in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, sources said. The factory is owned by a Chinese and more than 300 workers were working in it. The factory is closed abruptly as raw materials from China cannot send due to the outbreak of novel coronavirus. The migrant workers are working in Thailand under MoU agreement and they had to pay around Ks1 million to work in Thailand officially. The factory closure made them suffer, they said. Wai Lin Maung, a Labour Consul based in Mae Sot, helped the migrant workers to return to Myanmar and went to meet with the recruitment agents to ask compensation for the workers. The labour consul also met with Ye Min and Aung Myat from Aid Alliance Committee (AAC). Ye Min urged officials from Myanmar and Thailand to cooperate to ask compensation for Myanmar workers, who became jobless, due to the factory closure..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Eleven Media Group" (Myanmar)
2020-02-01
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: Border Guard Force, Chang Beer, beer, Emerald Brewery, Fraser & Neave, Myanmar Brewery, smuggling, black market, Myawaddy, Kayin StateThaiBev,Thailand, taxation, informal economy, trade
Sub-title: Months after Emerald Brewery began producing Chang in Yangon, large quantities of the Thai beer are still being smuggled openly across the border at Myawaddy in a racket dominated by the Kayin Border Guard Force.
Topic: Border Guard Force, Chang Beer, beer, Emerald Brewery, Fraser & Neave, Myanmar Brewery, smuggling, black market, Myawaddy, Kayin StateThaiBev,Thailand, taxation, informal economy, trade
Description: "THE YOUNG woman in the tight black and dark green dress approaches a table of men drinking beer. “Did you know Chang Beer is now made in Myanmar?” she asks. Behind her, a small sign in the restaurant advertises that Chang is “officially served” and that it’s “Time for a Change”. These are fairly standard promotional techniques for a consumer goods company that has just entered a new market. But the examples also reflect the slightly unusual nature of the market entry challenge for Emerald Brewery, which began producing Chang Beer at a factory north of Yangon in late September. It assumes most customers already know Chang: what it wants them to know is that it’s now made legally in Myanmar. Emerald Brewery is a US$70 million joint venture between Singapore’s Fraser & Neave Limited and two local partners, and it brews Chang under licence from its strategic partner, Thai Beverage Public Company Limited. The brewery venture marks Fraser & Neave’s return to Myanmar after a four-year absence. The company was previously the military’s joint venture partner in Myanmar Brewery Limited, but was forced by an arbitration court to sell its stake back to the military in 2015. Chang enters a crowded but rapidly growing beer market that remains dominated by military-owned Myanmar Brewery, with around a 55 percent market share. But unlike the other players, it may have to fend off competition from, well… itself..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
2020-01-18
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Local subsidiary viewed as best model
Description: "Siam Commercial Bank is seeking approval from the Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) to upgrade SCB's representative office to operate under a bank subsidiary licence in the neighbouring country. The subsidiary model would offer SCB greater opportunities to do banking business in Myanmar, said chief executive Arthid Nanthawitthaya. Among the three options that the CBM has offered to foreign banks, a subsidiary licence is the most suitable model for SCB, Mr Arthid said. In the event that SCB gains a subsidiary licence in Myanmar, the bank must inject fresh funds to upgrade its representative office to a subsidiary bank as required by CBM regulations, he said. The CBM permits foreign banks to operate business in Myanmar under three licence types: subsidiary, foreign bank branch and equity holding in a local bank..."
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2020-01-16
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Kasikornbank (KBank) wants to expand its footprint in Myanmar, acquiring a sizeable stake in a bank there. If the acquisition deal goes through, it will mark the second purchase of a stake in an overseas financial institution by a Thai bank in two months, after Bangkok Bank's acquisition of Indonesia's PT Bank Permata worth US$2.7 billion (81.3 billion baht). KBank is studying a suitable business model in Myanmar after the Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) opened to more business opportunities for foreign banks, said co-president Kattiya Indaravijaya. Foreign banks are allowed three licence types in Myanmar: establishment of a commercial bank as a subsidiary, a foreign bank branch and application for equity participation with a local bank..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2020-01-15
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-15
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "A new cooperation deal between the Myanmar government and private energy company, MPRL E&P, will bring good news for Thailand's power generation sector, Myanmar's Ministry of Electricity and Energy said in a statement on Monday. The statement was issued after MPRL E&P, a Myanmar-based independent energy company, successfully concluded negotiations with Yangon on two key agreements on fiscal terms and the sharing of output from the A-6 offshore gas bloc in Myanmar. MPRL E&P is the only independent energy exploration company in Myanmar which actively explores both onshore and offshore wells in the country. In the statement, MPRL E&P said the talks resulted in a number of improvements in negotiating terms, which will be crucial to the economic viability of the gas exploration project, which is located in deep waters off the Myanmar coast..."
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-12-17
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar dispatched over 234,000 MoU workers to Thailand last year, according to the Labour Department. The number of MoU workers has increased though the factories faced the shutdowns due to the market restrictions caused by the violations of human rights in the marine product factories in Thailand. Due to the shutdown of factories, some Myanmar migrant workers become jobless and go home. The number of MoU workers who left for Thailand reached 31,828 in 2014, 52,765 in 2015, 97,998 in 2016, 145,161 in 2017 and over 150,000 in 2018. U Moe Kyaw, head of YaungchiOo Labour Affairs Office said: “There are more than 400 factories and plants in Mae Sot. In addition to the factories, more than 250,000 Myanmar migrant workers are working in construction sites, farming, housemaid services and shops. Thai government has fixed 310 baht for a eight-hour working day in Mae Sot. Myanmar migrant workers from around five factories earn their salaries fully. But Myanmar migrant workers from other factories and work sites get 150-200 baht only. They also face the violations in health and social affairs.”..."
Source/publisher: Eleven Media Group (Myanmar)
2020-01-12
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: In a January 9 statement, the Dawei SEZ Management Committee said changes have been made to the contractual arrangements with Italian-Thai Development Company Ltd (ITD) for the development of initial industrial estate in Tanintharyi Region.
Description: "According to contract amendment, ITD and other investors must compensate and resettle villagers affected by industrial zone project. It must also adhere to international standards on the environment. The Thai government has agreed to provide a loan for the construction of a two-lane highway which will connect Dawei SEZ to the Myanmar-Thailand border, paving the way for further construction to take place. Further details are being discussed to amend the land lease contract as well as development of a liquefied natural gas and power plant project, the statement said..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2020-01-10
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-11
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Thailand has asked Malaysia to help find a group of Rohingya Muslim trafficking victims who absconded from a detention centre in the south of the country, Thai police said. Nineteen Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar escaped from the detention centre in Thailand's southern Songkhla province, around 5 kilometres from the Thai-Malaysian border, early on Wednesday, using a piece of cloth to climb down from a third floor window, police said. They were part of some 40 Rohingya Muslims, identified as victims of human traffickers, who were intercepted by Thai authorities on their way to Malaysia and had been detained at the centre to await repatriation to Myanmar, police said. Two were found later on Wednesday, police said..."
Source/publisher: "The Sydney Morning Herald" (Sydney)
2020-01-10
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Two private banks, Ayeyarwady Bank (AYA Bank) in Myanmar and Thailand’s Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to collaborate in the development of cross border payments and fund transfer services between the two countries.
Description: "This cements an October 2019 agreement between the Central Bank of Myanmar and the Bank of Thailand to promote the official use of the Myanmar kyat and Thai baht when trading at the border. The Central Banks also inked a second MOU to promote financial innovation and services for payments through collaboration between the two countries. “We hope to start the work within the year,” U Hpone Thet Oo, vice president of Financial Institutions and Corporate Banking for AYA Bank, told Myanmar Times. Even though trading at the Thai-Myanmar border is already conducted in kyat and baht, payments that are processed through the banks are conducted in US dollars, resulting in leakages through foreign exchange losses. “Through this MOU, we can bring more of the payments through the formal channel and make the process more convenient,’’ Mr Kamalkant Agarwal, Advisor to the CEO, SCB Bank..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times"
2020-01-09
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-09
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Thai businesses are ramping up ties with their Myanmar counterparts in five main areas — agriculture, border trade, energy, industrial development and tourism — to tap into vast investment opportunities in the neighbouring country. Panitarn Pavarolavidya, chairman of Thai-Myanmar Business Council, said the council‘s first meeting held in Yangon on Feb 3 focused on the proposed five sectors and set up a joint panel to look at potential obstacles and how to overcome them. For instance, Mr Panitarn said the Thai businesses have proposed that Myanmar establish a central organisation to oversee agricultural prices, which fluctuate widely. He said more port and rail development is needed in Myanmar to facilitate logistics and boost exports and imports. Part of this process involves amending logistics laws and setting up one-stop services to facilitate border trade. Thailand also proposed Myanmar use the baht as currency for border trade in addition to the US dollar, euro and Singapore dollar, in order to boost border trade..."
Source/publisher: "Wellston Journal" (USA)
2019-12-15
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: India, Thailand and Myanmar are working on a 1,400-kilometre long highway that will link India with Southeast Asia by land for the first time in decades, giving a boost to trade and cultural exchanges between the three countries.
Description: "India, Thailand and Myanmar are working on a 1,400-kilometre long highway that will link India with Southeast Asia by land for the first time in decades, giving a boost to trade and cultural exchanges between the three countries. Indian Ambassador to Thailand Bhagwant Singh Bishnoi said 73 bridges in Myanmar, built more than seven decades ago during World War II, were being renovated with funding from India to allow vehicles to cross the highway safely. When the repair work will be completed in 18 months, the highway could be opened to traffic from all three countries, he said. The planned highway starts in the eastern region of India from Moreh to Myanmar's Tamu city. Negotiations are currently underway to conclude a tri-nation motor vehicle agreement for the use of the 1,400-km road that will reach Thailand at Tak, Mae Sot district..."
Source/publisher: "Business Today" (India)
2019-05-23
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-01
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Thailand's cross-border trade dropped 1.94% year-on-year in the first 10 months of this year, with the strong baht, global economic slowdown, continued trade war and an overall volatile foreign exchange listed as the key threats. On Thursday, the Commerce Ministry's Foreign Trade Department reported the country's overall cross-border trade, including transit trade, amounted to 1.12 trillion baht for the year to October. Transit trade consists of businesses involved in the passage of goods through more than one country. Of the total figures, exports from Thailand accounted for 627 billion baht, down 2.05% from the same period last year, while imports were worth 498 billion, resulting in a trade surplus of 129 billion..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-11-29
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Soldiers were guarding the border in Sangkhla Buri district on Friday to prevent any incursion into Thailand but allowing migrant workers to enter, as Myanmar troops and Mon fighters settled into an uneasy truce. Units from the Surasi Task Force were posted to the frontier around Three Pagodas pass after Myanmar government forces and Mon soldiers clashed close to the border on Wednesday. The border pass remained closed to Thai travellers, and local shops and tourist stalls were shut. Tourists were advised to stay away to facilitate security operations. Soldiers allowed Myanmar nationals to cross the border for work through a single channel, but the regular passage for border trade and vehicles on Soi Kaset 1 remained closed. Troops also sealed the border opposite the Mon villages of Ban Bor Yeepun and Ban Rai Oi in Myanmar..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-11-29
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday said that the India-Myanmar-Thailand connectivity will boost development in the entire Southeast Asian region. Addressing the Indian diaspora at 'Sawasdee PM Modi' event in Bangkok, Thailand, the prime minister said that his government wants to bring both nations closer by transforming India's northeast region into a gateway to Southeast Asia. "Once the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway is opened, there will be seamless connectivity between both our countries. I am glad that all of you will have a chance to be part of this story," he said at the event held to interact with Indian diaspora.ASEAN leaders meet under US-China trade war tensions "India and Thailand are connected through emotions," quoted PM Modi at the Nimibutr Stadium in Bangkok, who is on an official trip to Thailand to attend the 16th ASEAN-India summit on Sunday. "History has united us and has developed our relations," he added..."
Source/publisher: "Business Today" (India)
2019-11-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-28
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "About 300 ethnic Mon people fled into Thailand to escape fighting near their village between Myanmar troops and Mon rebels, according to a border source. Some who escaped the fighting in Ban Bo Yeepun went to stay with relatives in tambon Nong Lu of Sangkhla Buri district while others were being sheltered in Ban Rassadorn Thai along the road leading to the Three Pagodas border pass, the source said. Ban Bo Yeepun is in Myanmar and is about two kilometres from the border. Col Sitthiporn Julapana, commander of the Lat Ya Task Force, said the army has been ordered to stay alert at the Thai-Myanmar border. A Mon villager was reportedly injured in the fighting and was taken to a hospital in Sangkhla Buri district..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-11-27
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-27
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Topic: Cross-border,transport,Thailand,Myanmar
Topic: Cross-border,transport,Thailand,Myanmar
Description: "Thailand and Myanmar signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cross-border transport during a recent Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) conference, Deputy Transport Minister Thaworn Senneam said on Wednesday. The signing took place at the 23rd GMS meeting in Phnom Penh on Monday. The MoU is part of the Cross-Border Transport Agreement (CBTA), a treaty on improving cross-border transportation and logisitics. This MoU will apply to cross border trade between Mae Sot district in Tak and Myawaddy in Myanmar. It involves both nations improving immigration checkpoint and logistic clearances at the crossing..."
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-11-20
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "The National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) will ask the cabinet to adopt its guidelines on infrastructure development on Tuesday, as the government seeks to start working on the long-awaited link that will connect the Dawei Special Economic Zone in Myanmar with Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC). A source said the NESDC wants ministers concerned to stick with the guidelines when approving budgets and projects which will link Myanmar, Thailand's Central Plains and EEC on the Eastern seaboard. According to the source, the NESDC's guidelines were meant to "set the tone" for the infrastructure projects, with the ultimate aim of turning the three regions into a hub for border trade, agricultural production, environmentally-friendly industries and eco-tourism..."
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-11-11
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "The government of Myanmar has targeted aquaculture as a solution to widespread malnutrition and rural poverty in the Southeast Asian nation. With its 2,000 kilometers of coastline, Myanmar has the potential to reach the production levels of its neighbor, Thailand, as a seafood producer, according to Kevin Fitzsimmons, a professor in the department of soil, water, and environmental science at the University of Arizona and director of the department’s international programs. The country has begun to market its seafood exports, including appearances at the annual Seafood Expo Global in Brussels, Belgium. And a new program, the Myanmar Sustainable Aquaculture Program (MYSAP), which was given EUR 25 million (USD 27.6 million) in funding by the European Union and German development agency GIZ, is specifically aiding in the country’s development of its aquaculture sector. Fitzsimmons has taken a two-year leave of absence to work on MYSAP. Fitzsimmons, who previously worked on a USAID supported project from 2015 to 2017 to develop sustainable aquaculture in Myanmar, talked to Seafoodsource about the potential of Myanmar’s aquaculture sector and the environmental and investment challenges the country faces in its aquaculture-related efforts. SeafoodSource: Is there sufficient investment in Myanmar to realize the kind of aquaculture developments needed to satisfy demand and nutrition requirements as envisioned in the MYSAP project outline? Fitzsimmons: The project is able to make some investment, but the vast majority of investment is coming from domestic Myanmar funds. The demand for seafood is met at a basic level, but interest in fishes other than carps is great. Most of the new production is focused on these other species..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "SeafoodSource"
2019-11-11
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Description: "Myanmar labor attaché U San Maung Oo, who represented migrants in Thailand, has been charged by the Anti-Corruption Commission of Myanmar (ACC) over claims he took thousands of bribes. The labor attaché has been accused of asking for about 4.4 million Thai baht (US$144,000, 220.16 million kyats) from 28 overseas employment agencies in exchange for approving labor demand letters and for sending workers to recruitment agencies. The ACC said it interviewed witnesses and studied documents and bank accounts in Myanmar and Thailand. U San Maung Oo was found to have abused his power and asked for bribes from recruitment agencies, said the ACC. He worked at the labor office in Bangkok from December 2017 until August this year. The ACC also said U San Maung Oo collected 100 baht from agencies for each worker and also took bribes from the employment agencies through his assistants, U Than Htike Soe and U Saw Pyae Nyein..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
2019-11-07
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language:
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Sub-title: PTTTEP Myanmar Asset will provide scholarships to 20 Myanmar students to undertake vocation training in Thailand.
Description: "The Thailand-based company has been involved in the country’s Zawtika oil and gas project for the past 30 years, said its HVD scholarship programme is being implemented by its parent company PTT Group since 2013. Supporting the $200,000 annual HVD scholarship programme is Myanmar’s Ministry of Electricity and Energy and Ministry of Education. Under the scholarship program, Myanmar students from AGTI (Associate of Government Technical Institute) will undergo three years of vocational education and training at the IRPC Technological College in the eastern province of Rayong. Incorporating both classroom, practicum and on-the-job internship training, the curriculum is designed to equip students with workplace communications and technical mechanical skills that are required for industry trades, such as electrical and electronics, mechanical drawings, welding and CNC machining. Students are also trained in personal finance, business and entrepreneurship..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2019-11-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "A NEW bridge for heavy commercial vehicles connecting Myanmar and Thailand look set to boost trade links between the two countries. The "No 2 Friendship Bridge" that connects Myawady in Kayin State and Mae Sot in Thailand was opened on Oct 30 with hopes to better facilitate trade activities between the two nations according to The Myanmar Times. In an announcement by the Transportation and Communication ministry about the opening, it also told the first "Friendship Bridge" in the vicinity will continue to be used by regular vehicles. The 270-metre bridge, with an approach road measuring 3.6km on the Myanmar side and 17.5km on the Thai side, costed nearly 200 billion kyat (RM545 million). To mark the launch of the new bridge, three trucks from each side of the border were driven across in a simple event attended by State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. The Myanmar Highway Freight Transportation Services Association secretary U Aung Moe said the new bridge will help lessen illegal trade and improve the transportation of goods between the two countries. With the bridge now open, trucks from Thailand can now reach Yangon’s Thilawa port and trucks from Myanmar can reach Laem Chabang Port in Bangkok, Thailand. The distance between the two ports stretches about 1,000km. "There are currently about 100 drivers in Myanmar who hold border-crossing licences valid for a year in Myanmar," U Aung Moe said. Myanmar Container Trucks Association executive member U Myo Htut Aung said the new bridge will effectively hasten the transportation of goods compared to before. “In the past, despite having permits for trade in Thailand, we had to drive along restricted routes and were not allowed to cross into Thailand and goods had to be transferred to other trucks at the border..."
Source/publisher: "New Straits Times" (Malaysia)
2019-11-05
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-06
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "The state-run Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (Egat) is planning to talk with power authorities in Cambodia and Myanmar to trade electricity from Thailand at a combined capacity of 500 megawatts. Patana Sangsriroujana, deputy governor for policy and planning, said Egat has been ordered by Energy Minister Sontirat Sontijirawong to talk with the two governments about future power trading. "The sales to Cambodia will happen quicker than Myanmar because some transmission lines have been developed in Cambodia," said Mr Patana. "Myanmar requires new investment for power infrastructure." He said the electricity trade to both countries should begin by 2023. The energy ministers of the three countries need to agree on a contract. Mr Patana said the Laos government is also interested in trading power to Cambodia and Myanmar under its Battery of Asia policy..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-11-05
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: The necessary infrastructure is being set up to link Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to the national grid, which will enable the area to enjoy access to electricity within the next 2-3 years, said U Soe Myint, deputy permanent secretary for the Ministry
Description: "Backed up loans from the Asia Development Bank (ADB), the ministry is expected to provide up to 300 megawatts of power to the SEZ, said U Myint San, vice chair of Dawei SEZ Management Committee. Dawei SEZ will be able to enjoy electricity after the grid is extended from Mawlamyine to Ye and Dawei by 2021-22 under the first phase of the project, said U Soe Myint. Eventually, the entire region of Tanintharyi will enjoy access to electricity. Currently, the whole of Tanintharyi including Dawei, is not connected to the grid and locals have to buy electricity from private providers at high prices. Electricity rates vary from K200 to K500 per unit, depending on location. At those levels, investors are unlikely to set up operations at the Dawei SEZ, prompting the government to take action, U Myint San said. The Dawei SEZ project has actually been in the works since the previous government’s administration but delayed due to the lack of suitable infrastructure as well as social and environmental issues relating to the location of the SEZ..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2019-11-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Myanmar and Thailand have opened the second friendship bridge that crosses Thaungyin River to boost their border trade, according to the Ministry of Construction on Thursday. The Myanmar-Thai Friendship Bridge-2, built with the help of Thailand, links Myawady in Myanmar's southeastern Kayin state with Mae Sot in Thailand's Tak province. The bridge is 760 meters long and 17.2 meters wide with two traffic lanes and border control facilities and traffic change-over. The inaugural ceremony was held at a temporary pandal erected on the bridge on Wednesday where Myanmar Minister of Construction U Han Zaw emphasized the bilateral relations of the two neighboring countries, cooperation in trade and investment, tourism and labor sectors. According to statistics of the Commerce Ministry, bilateral border trade between Myanmar and Thailand reached over 2.28 billion U.S. dollars as of May 3 in the present fiscal year 2018-19 which ended in September..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
2019-10-31
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-31
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Thailand is counting on a new bridge connecting with Myanmar to increase border trade between the two countries. Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob said after opening the second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge that the new link between Mae Sot district and Myanmar's Myawaddy will increase border trade to 100 billion baht per year from the current level of 78 billion baht. Mr Saksayam and Myanmar Construction Minister Han Zaw chaired the ceremony at the border between their countries. The new bridge has been built to ease traffic jams at the old bridge. The Mae Sot checkpoint is a major gateway for border trade between Thailand and Myanmar. Border trade between the countries accounted for 190 billion baht in the 2018 fiscal year, 78 billion of them through Mae Sot district..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-10-30
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-30
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: Thai-Burma border, Karen refugees
Sub-title: Long-time refugees on the Thai-Myanmar border face cuts in rations but say they cannot return to areas where fighting is ongoing
Topic: Thai-Burma border, Karen refugees
Description: "International aid for refugees and displaced people in camps on the Thai-Myanmar border has been slashed since Myanmar’s first supposedly democratic government was elected four years ago. The assumption underpinning this cut in funding was that conditions are, or soon will be, safe for refugees to return to their homes. However, many of the Karen refugees and displaced people who returned to their original areas in the years following the election have struggled to re-establish livelihoods amid continued land grabs by the government and military. In the last 12 months, armed conflict in southeastern Myanmar has also increased, forcing thousands of recently returned villagers to flee their homes once more. This correspondent traveled to the Thai-Myanmar border and spoke to people living in camps for refugees and displaced people who are weighing the near-impossible choice between returning home to villages that remain unsafe or finding new ways to survive as the international support that has sustained them for years is cut back..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
2019-04-27
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-27
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: U Kyaw Kyaw Maung, governor of the Central Bank of Myanmar (CBM) and his Thai counterpart Veerathai Santiprabhob, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to promote the use of the Myanmar kyat and Thai baht for trading at the border, according to
Description: "The governors also inked a second MOU to promote financial innovation and services for payments through collaboration between the two countries, according to the statement. The agreements were signed at the IMF-World Bank meeting in the US on October 18. However, as the MOUs were “unplanned” and took place after negotiations on both sides, further details will be ironed out later, said Daw Myint Myint Kyi, Director General of the CBM. Even though trading at the Thai-Myanmar border is mostly conducted in kyat and baht, payments through banks are conducted in US dollars, said U Hnin Oo, vice chair of the Myanmar Fisheries Federation. “At present, when we make a payment with a bank, we have to exchange to dollars first. Under the agreement, we will be able to narrow any exchange rate losses made,” he said. Of the four countries that share borders with Myanmar, Thailand is thesecond largest trading partner. Trade volumes at the Thai-Myanmar border, including Tachileik, Myawaddy, Kawthoung, Myeik, Htee Khee and Maw Taung during fiscal 2018-19 amounted to US$3.8 billion, according to government data..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2019-10-23
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "TOA-Chugoku Paints (TCP) has earmarked 500 million baht to construct its first overseas paint factory in Myanmar, expecting to capture demand from megaprojects. The new factory will produce two paint products -- heavy-duty coating and marine paint -- with a monthly capacity of 300 tonnes. The project will be located in Thilawa Special Economic Zone on an area of 12 rai. It is scheduled to begin operations in April 2020. TCP set up a new local unit in Myanmar, Chugoku-TOA Paints Myanmar, to operate the factory. Chugoku Marine Paints (CMP) from Japan holds a 51% stake in the Thilawa company, while TOA Venture Holding (TOAVH) from Thailand owns the remainder..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-10-22
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Thai property developer Ananda Development Public Co Ltd wants to expand into Myanmar and is now looking for suitable partners in the country, its officials told Myanmar journalists in Bangkok on October 9.
Description: "The company will focus on urban projects in Myanmar and is now exploring the various avenues through which it can invest in the country. Chanond Ruangkritya, chief executive of Ananda Development, said the company’s strategy of raising living standards through the development of urban and high-quality housing projects that are linked to key transport systems would be an attractive value proposition for potential partners and investors in Myanmar. Ananda Development also wants to draw more Myanmar investors to the Thai property market. “Bangkok is one of the most attractive cities in Asia for foreign investors and one of the reasons is its successful urban living system, which can be achieved only if it has efficient transportation for residents to live and to work,” Chanond said. He added that the company’s condominium projects are linked to the Bangkok Mass Transit System, which is attractive to foreign buyers, including those from Myanmar. According to local agents, de,amd for foreign property from Myanmar investors is currently highest in Singapore, followed by Thailand. That is because Thailand is a viable option for education and healthcare and is also easily accessible for Myanmar residents. In addition, local investors are now able to apply for bank loans to purchase Thai properties, which raises their value, the agents said..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2019-10-16
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-16
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "The second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge across the Moei River in Tak's Mae Sot district will be officially opened on Oct 30, according to a press release from the Highways Department. The opening ceremony will be co-chaired by Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob and Myanmar's Minister of Construction Han Zaw. The Thai ambassador to Yangon and the Myanmar ambassador to Bangkok as well as other high-level officials of the two countries will also attend the ceremony. After the official opening, vehicles will cross the bridge from the Thai side of the river to the Myanmar side in a dry run. The Thai and Myanmar ministers will then proceed to open the second border checkpoint at Ban Wang Takhian Tai in tambon Tha Sai Luat of Mae Sot district..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-10-14
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Deputy Minister Dr. Tun Naing of Union Ministry of Electricity and Energy said that his government was trying hard to get electrification which was one of the infrastructure requirements for the success and development of the Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which has been delayed for various reasons. Dr. Tun Naing who is also the chairman of Dawei SEZ Management Committee said that his Electricity and Energy Ministry was working to build a national power grid transmission line with a Asia Development Bank (ADB) loan in Tanintharyi Region which is the sole region of the country which has not yet been connected with national power grid. “We have a Dawei SEZ electrification plan from this Mawlamyine-Yay-Dawei national power grid line after building this transmission line,” he added. The Deputy Minister was speaking at a joint press conference held at the Park Royal Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw October 3 after holding the 9th ministerial-level Myanmar-Thai meeting for the success of the project in the initial phase of the Dawei SEZ project. In this ministerial level meeting, the two countries agreed on seven points and the two countries will jointly implement the initial phase of this Dawei SEZ project..."
Source/publisher: "Mizzima" (Myanmar)
2019-10-05
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-10
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Myanmar and Thailand will speed up development of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and deep sea port at Dawei in Tanintharyi Region, officials said during the 9th Myanmar – Thailand Joint Coordinating Committee meeting last week.
Description: "Basic infrastructure such as roads connecting the SEZ to Thailand and necessities like electricity will be prioritised and carried out simultaneously with as little delay in between as possible, said U Tun Naing, Deputy Minister for Ministry of Electricity and Energy and chair of the Dawei Special Economic Zone Management Committee. Myanmar will accept a loan from Thailand at reduced interest rates to build the two-lane Dawei-Htee Khee road, which is expected to link the SEZ to Thailand and boost trade and tourism between the two countries. Construction on the 138-kilometre road, which is being carried out by Italian-Thai Development Company Ltd (ITD), began in 2018, after the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation approved the environmental and social impact assessment. In July this year, the World Wildlife Fund warned that Myanmar’s rainforests and at least nine globally-threatened species in Tanintharyi would face significant risks if the Dawei-Htee Khee road project continues without a comprehensive biodiversity protection plan..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
2019-10-07
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: Dawei, Dawei Special Economic Zone, Dr. Tun Naing, Japan, Myanmar, Neighboring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency, SEZ, Tanintharyi Region, Thailand, Wildlife
Topic: Dawei, Dawei Special Economic Zone, Dr. Tun Naing, Japan, Myanmar, Neighboring Countries Economic Development Cooperation Agency, SEZ, Tanintharyi Region, Thailand, Wildlife
Description: " Myanmar and Thailand have published their nine-point agreement to push through the implementation of the long-delayed US$8-billion (12.23-trillion-kyat) Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in southern Myanmar’s Tanintharyi Region, which is set to be Southeast Asia’s largest industrial complex. After a bilateral ministerial meeting in Naypyitaw, a statement was issued to reaffirm the construction at the Dawei SEZ of the initial and final phases of the project at the same time. It was also agreed to hold further meetings between one of Myanmar’s vice presidents and a Thai deputy prime minister. The agreement included plans for a two-lane highway to the Htee Kee border through Myittar to enable the site’s construction. Both sides decided to invite third-party investment for the final implementation of the SEZ and to supply the electricity. The next meeting is due to be held in Thailand. Myanmar’s deputy minister for electricity and energy, Dr. Tun Naing, said the meeting had made progress and the ground construction work was now expected to begin in 2020. Italian-Thai Development PCL (ITD) was initially granted a 75-year concession to develop and attract investment in 2008 with completion due in 2015..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
2019-10-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-05
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "A 37-year-old Myanmar woman was arrested earlier this month at a home in Samut Songkhram on charges of human trafficking and providing shelter to illegal migrants in an extended probe into a human trafficking ring, police said. The arrest was announced on Friday at a press conference by the Immigration Bureau. The suspect, who was identified only as "Ms A", was implicated by a Thai suspect, Thanachai Mangthim, a mail van driver who had been caught transporting 13 illegal Myanmar migrant workers to the Thai-Malaysian border in Songkhla in May. Mr Thanachai told police that he had been contacted by a Myanmar woman several times to transport migrant workers. He identified "Ms A" as his contact in photos shown at the Samut Songkhram immigration office..."
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-07-12
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "TAK: Bilateral border trade between Thailand and Myanmar is expected to flourish after the second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge becomes fully operational, starting from Oct 30. Niyom Wairatpanich, vice-chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, said the bridge is vital to boost border trade between the two countries, increasing trade flow and logistics services through Mae Sot. Thailand's border trade with Myanmar totalled 193 billion baht last year, up 4.9% from a year before. Border trade through Mae Sot amounted to 80 billion baht in 2018. Thailand's overall border trade with all four neighbours rose 4% last year to 1.12 trillion baht, with exports making up 651 billion baht, down 0.5%, and imports worth 474 billion, up 11%. Malaysia was the biggest partner for border trade, with two-way border trade amounting to 572 billion baht, up 1.3%, followed by Laos (214 billion baht, up 3.2%) and Cambodia (146 billion baht, up 16.4%). For the first eight months, Thailand-Myanmar trade accounted for 18.3% of total border trade volume, totalling 55.0 billion baht, a 4.27% decrease..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
2019-10-04
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Topic: Tanintharyi River, Karen, Karen National Union, International Finance Corporation, Myanmar, Environment
Topic: Tanintharyi River, Karen, Karen National Union, International Finance Corporation, Myanmar, Environment
Description: "The lack of transparency surrounding plans to construct dams on the Tanintharyi River in southern Myanmar, and the impact it will have on the livelihoods of the Karen – the area’s indigenous people – is set to add more tension to an area already filled with strife. While there are 18 Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) for dams on the Tanintharyi River – one of southern Myanmar’s largest free-flowing waterways – local communities have received no information on their location, size or status according to a report by three civil society groups last week; Candle Light Youth Group, Southern Youth and Tarkapaw Youth Group. The report titled ‘Blocking a Bloodline: Indigenous Communities along the Tanintharyi River Fear the Impact of Large-Scale Dams’ also notes that 32,008 people from 76 villages living directly along the river depend on it as a vital source of food, water, transportation and cultural expression – all of which are at risk due to plans to build a 1,040 megawatt (MW) hydropower project by Thai-owned Greater Mekong Sub-region Power Public Co Ltd (GMS)..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "The ASEAN Post"
2019-08-15
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-18
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "THE ROAD trip from Dawei to Htee Khee, on the border with Thailand, can be an uncomfortable experience. Although the 54 kilometres from the Tanintharyi Region capital to the town of Myitta is tarred, the remaining 101km to Htee Khee is rough and bumpy, and the journey takes about six hours during rainy season. At about the half-way mark, where the road runs beside the Tanintharyi River, the Karen National Union has a checkpoint at which all vehicles are stopped and required to pay a fee of THB100 (about K4,885) for every traveller. Despite the shoddy infrastructure and the presence of armed groups like the KNU, many have high hopes for the crossing, and the business opportunities it may bring. Myanmar recently approved a loan from Thailand to upgrade the highway from the border to a long-delayed Special Economic Zone at Dawei. The Myanmar government was reported in July to be negotiating with the concessionaires, including a large Thai construction company, Italian-Thai Development, to start work on the initial phase of the US$8 billion project, which would include a deep-sea port. Htee Khee, which was the headquarters of the KNU’s Brigade 4 until it relocated to a jungle site in 2012, has already started to attract opportunity seekers from other parts of the country who hope to cash in on the expected boom. For now though it remains a relatively quiet outpost, with little visible trade in either direction. The main business in the area appears to be casinos at nearby jungle resorts. Visitors to Htee Khee are greeted by food stalls, shops and other small businesses, most of which are run by residents of Dawei, or by local ethnic Karen. That said, Mon, Bamar and even Pa-O shopkeepers have also established businesses there. A noticeable difference between Htee Khee and other border gates in Myanmar is a paucity of big trucks, though that is likely to change if and when work begins on the SEZ. Most of the vehicles heading to Htee Khee from the Myanmar side are carrying jobseekers heading to Thailand; most of the trucks from the Thai side are delivering fruit, vegetables and fishing equipment. Htee Khee’s development potential has also attracted investors from Dawei and other Tanintharyi Region townships. Thais with an interest in history are frequent visitors to Htee Khee as they head to Dawei and other nearby locations because the region was twice ruled by Siamese kingdoms, from 1287 to 1594 and from 1740 to about 1760..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar"
2019-09-13
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-13
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Thailand and Myanmar have long had business and economic ties, with the Thais even establishing a trade and business centre in Yangon. Last year, trade volumes between the two countries reached US$7.5 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 7 per
Description: "Moving forward, Thanawut Naigowit, who was appointed as Thai Economic Counsellor and Director of the Thai Business Centre in Yangon last month, has plans to increase trade between Thailand and Myanmar to US$10billion over the next few years. This comes at a time when Myanmar is attempting to raise export volumes to Thailand at the Myawady border. “Myanmar businessmen need to find the right business partners from Thailand. Most of Myanmar people know about products made in Thailand but Thai people need to know more about Myanmar products first before exports can improve,” Mr Thanawat told the Myanmar Times in a recent interview. During the interview, Mr Thanawat also discussed the role of the Thai Business Centre as well as drawing more Thai investments into Myanmar: What suggestions do you have for Myanmar traders? The Thai Business Centre is under Thailand’s government and Ministry of Commerce. We are able to check whether companies actually exist or do businesses. So, please come to us to inquire whether these companies are real or not before buying things from them. So far, only two or three Myanmar businesses have lodged reports at the centre during the term of the previous counsellor and since I took over. The cases involved fraudulent businesses, non-payment for goods delivered, and non-delivery of goods paid for..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times"
2019-09-11
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-12
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "Thailand and Myanmar on Tuesday agreed to strengthen bilateral cooperation on transnational issues, including drug smuggling, the repatriation of Myanmar refugees, and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU). The issues were discussed at the 7th Thai-Myanmar High Level Committee (HLC) meeting, which was held in Bangkok on Tuesday. Established in 2010, the HLC meets once a year, which Thailand and Myanmar taking turns hosting the annual meeting. Thailand's delegation was led by Supreme Commander Gen Pornpipat Benyasri, while Myanmar's delegation was led by Min Aung Hlaing, the commander-in-chief of Myanmar's Armed Forces..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post"
2019-09-03
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Sub-title: Thailand court upholds executions for migrant workers in rape and killings of two British holiday-makers in 2014.
Description: "Thailand's top court upheld death sentences for two Myanmar migrant workers in a final appeal against their convictions for murdering two British backpackers on a holiday island in a case tainted by allegations of mismanagement. Wai Phyo and Zaw Lin denied killing David Miller and raping and killing Hannah Witheridge. Their battered bodies were found on the morning of September 15, 2014, on a beach on the island of Koh Tao in the Gulf of Thailand. The men displayed no emotion on Thursday as they listened intently to a translator while the verdict was read at a court in the province of Nonthaburi, just north of Bangkok, the capital. "The Supreme Court upholds the verdict from the first court and the appeal court," a judge told the pair. The men's legal team said it would seek a royal pardon within 60 days, as provided in Thai law. Lawyers for the two convicted men said the evidence in the case was mishandled and they made confessions under duress that they later retracted, raising questions about police competence and the judicial system in Thailand..."
Source/publisher: "Al Jazeera"
2019-08-29
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "As buildings after buildings spring up in Shwe Kokko, a remote Karen border town bordering Thailand, many wonder if this mega-project real estate development is just an ordinary undertaking spearheaded by the Jilin Yatai Group of China, together with Colonel Saw Chit Thu, chief of the Karen Border Guard Force (BGF). The Jilin Yatai Group was registered with the Ministry of Planning and Finance under the name Myanmar Yatai International Trading Co Ltd in February 2017. Shwe Kokko, a former garrison town of Karen National Liberation Army formerly known as Kawmoora or Wangkha, is controlled by Saw Chit Thu, who is the chief of Karen BGF recognized by the government and affiliated to the Myanmar Army or the Tatmadaw. Myanmar Times of September 18, 2018 reported the signing of agreement between Saw Chit Thu and the Chinese company in September 2017, organized by the China Federation of Overseas Chinese Entrepreneurs. This project, dubbed as “Chinatown” by the locals is in fact so ambitious that it is touted as an equivalent of being second only to Hong Kong, China’s special administrative region under one country two system. Reportedly, a 70-year lease from the Myanmar government has been secured, which may be extended up to 99 years..."
Creator/author:
Source/publisher: "BNI Multimedia Group"
2019-06-28
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-26
Grouping: Individual Documents
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Description: "The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Royal Project Foundation of Thailand (RPF) have signed an agreement to consolidate and strengthen technical cooperation in the area of alternative development for opium farmers in Shan State. The cooperation with the RPF will contribute to the UNODC Country Programme, which supports the development of sustainable livelihood alternatives for opium growing communities in 60 villages in southern Shan State by introducing high-yield cash crops such as coffee, tea, avocado, and high value vegetables. The programme currently covers a total of 800 hectares and involves close to 1100 beneficiary farmers constituting 21% of households in the area. Plans call for programme coverage and the number of beneficiary farmers to grow year by year. According to the UNODC 2015 Southeast Asia Opium Survey, the total area of opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar was 55,500 hectares with 90% of production concentrated in Shan State, and of that 50% in southern Shan State. The survey found that opium poppy is mainly cultivated for economic reasons to maintain livelihoods and cover family expenses..."
Source/publisher: UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
2016-12-16
Date of entry/update: 2019-06-25
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Htay Htay is a half Karen half Burman woman who came to Thailand in search of a better life. Now, she lives in a rubbish dump in the outskirts of the border town of Mae Sot on the Thailand-Burma border. Htay Htay is one of about 400 people who live in the dump, all barely making a living by picking up and selling rubbish. Htay Htay says that although they really don?t want to live amidst the rubbish, they have no choice. Read her story to find out why she feels that life ?living in the dirt? is better than life in her home country."
Source/publisher: Burma Link
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "This paper highlights the location of Burma (Myanmar) and reconsiders its geographical territory andits historical position. There were and are a lot of studies of Burma/Myanmar. Most of the studies were on the Burma itself or on those people living in Buma. On the other hand, Burma situated at the meeting point of South Asia and Southeast Asia. In other words, Burma holds a position of the node or corridor which connecting these two regions. This paper tries to focus on Burma as ?corridor?, by considering a case of South Asian migrant groups in Thailand, a Bangladeshi (or Eastern Bengal) Muslim descendants? community in northern Thailand.".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.
Creator/author: Takada Mineo
Source/publisher: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update: 2015-08-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 209.33 KB
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Description: Abstract: "This presentation aims to examine how the new Shan migrants help revitalize Shan Buddhist practices in Myanmar-Thai border area in Northern Thailand. This area has a long history of the ceaseless migrations of the Shan and other ethnic groups; the flow of people has continued even after the border demarcation in the early 20th century. Recently, we could find two contradictory processes- a rigid border control by the state administration and a fluid border crossing of people, goods and information. The border crossing of people may be characterized by a one-way flow from Myanmar to Thailand and its steady increase in quantity. By focusing on the flow of Shan lay Buddhist readers/reciters in Mae Hong Son, the northern Thai-Myanmar border area, this presentation analyzes the important role of the border crossing migrations for revitalizing Shan Buddhist practices in Northern Thailand."...Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.
Creator/author: Tadayoshi Murakami
Source/publisher: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update: 2015-08-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 257.11 KB
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Description: Abstract: "This paper draws on case studies of Burmese migrants in the city of Chiang Mai, Thailand, to explore concepts and theories of migration, uneven development and acculturation in which migrants engages in the new environment of urban societies. It examines the new emergence of push-­pull factors of migration, mainly economic reason and urban attractions, which bring Burmese migrants into the city. Further, the paper pays more attention on the concept of uneven development, which comes along with the process of development in urban areas. It discusses about the cities like Chiang Mai as a place where provides residents to access not only greater opportunities for work, activity and key good as well as services, but the places also emerge alongside rising urban inequality for a certain group of people, particularly Burmese migrant workers are recognized as a local symbol of inequality in Chiang Mai, as well as in Asia region. Lastly, the paper focuses analytical attention on ?way of life? of Burmese migrants of varying cultural, social, political and economic backgrounds, which it responds to the narratives a bout urban diversity and development of the city of Chiang Mai where they encounter. Based on acculturation framework, cultural way of life of Burmese migrants living in Chiang Mai is classified into three main areas; assimilation, separation and integration, and each area of way of life would be adapted by different generations of the migrants. Therefore, one can see the social phenomenon of Burmese migrants, especially Shan ethnic group, would emerge through Thai society in the city at different levels of lifestyles.".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.
Creator/author: Tithirat Pripotjanart
Source/publisher: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update: 2015-08-29
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 375.18 KB
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Description: "In recent years migration studies have theorized that 21st-century migration is following patterns that both incorporate and diverge from academic and policymaking explanations of late 20th-century migration. The case of Myanmar, whose out-migration is well-known and well-enumerated, nevertheless shows both a less-known pattern of in-migration in rural areas as well as environmental (and not only economic) factors in both in- and out- migration. James Clifford?s earlier, Asia-Pacific-focused work Routes, published in 1997, was influential in modifying the conventional academic foci on migration. Addressing the ?subjectivity” of the ethnographers of peoples and migrations and their subjects as more an issue of shared, though differing, ideas of movement and space, he brought a new awareness of the interplay between semantic webs purportedly possessed by fieldwork subjects and their would-be interpreters among scholars. He followed this work with a particular narrative of Native American migration in Returns, published in 2013. Both of these works open the door for new attempts to study and interview migrants in their own situations and to grasp the diversity of migration beyond push-pull factors. One burgeoning methodology within this new research initiative was that of ethnographic interviews with migrants. Clifford had revealed an extremely human, molecularly detailed side of interviewees and respondents. Newer works began to concentrate almost exclusively on the migrants? own narratives and to pull slighter, more localized explanations from them in the same mode as Charmaz?s grounded theory. Here were the roots of ?new migration? ideas. With the wealth of published data becoming available from migrants worldwide, small and large differences between their experiences and general migration theory became more apparent...".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.
Creator/author: Lynn Thiesmeyer
Source/publisher: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015
2015-08-28
Date of entry/update: 2015-08-28
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 308.21 KB
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Description: Abstract: "This work seeks to understand gender-­based violence and the connection between violence and livelihoods for refugees living in conditions of social exclusion. Through qualitative research consisting of 40 interviews, a market survey, and observation conducted among Burmese Muslim refugees in Thailand, this work analyzes the connection between livelihoods strategies, social exclusion, and gender-­based violence. Muslims are a marginalized group within Burma and experience ongoing discrimination while living in refugee communities in Thailand, which results in risk for several kinds of violence at multiple levels. The experiences of Muslim refugees living in Thailand offer insight into the conditions that shape violence for refugees more generally. Findings show that several factors contribute to the incidence of gender violence, including structural, community, and interpersonal stressors and constraints. These dynamics also shape violence, whether domestic abuse, harassment and assault within the refugee camp, or experiences with Thai authorities. By showing the complex conditions that shape gender-­based violence for refugees in this context, this work demonstrates the need for consideration of marginalized groups within refugee populations and the layered nature of the conditions that underpin dynamics of gender violence. This pa per concludes with consideration of the implications of these findings for the possibility of refugee return to Myanmar in the context of ongoing ethnic difficulty and livelihoods struggles.".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.
Creator/author: Mollie Pepper
Source/publisher: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015
2015-07-26
Date of entry/update: 2015-08-28
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese and Karen
Format : pdf
Size: 309.23 KB
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Description: Abstract: "Burma/Myanmar has faced change in recent years. Since the elections of 2010, sanctions have been lifted and foreign direct investment has risen significantly. These developments, however, have not always been welcome. Local people from Dawei, for example, have expressed their dissatisfaction over land seizure, lack of compensation and participation in the decision-making processes over the development of a large Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The local grassroot movements can rely in their struggles on a network that is not restricted to Myanmar, but reaches out to exile groups, INGOs and academia in Thailand and beyond. To successfully communicate their stories, these groups rely on transculturally competent individuals re-presenting their stories within and across various (transnational) spaces. The conceptions of space I apply in this context rely heavily on Harvey and Lefebvre. But while these scholars focus more on the production of space(s), I intend to undertake an examination of the utilization of space(s). Hence, the main questions of this ongoing research project are: 1. How do transnational spaces affect the production and re-presentation of social movement narratives? 2. What narratives are re-presented when, where, how and why by transculturally competent individuals from Dawei?s social movement network? 3. What difficulties do these transculturally competent individuals face in translating/re-presenting these narratives? 4. Ultimately, how empowering are these narratives for Dawei?s activist network?The paper itself will not elaborate on any findings (as it is too early in the research process, yet), but on the theoretical framework and its implication for fieldwork offering a hopefully exciting new perspective on the re-production of narratives in transnational spaces like the borderland of Myanmar and Thailand.".....Paper delivered at the International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015.
Creator/author: Anselm Feldmann
Source/publisher: International Conference on Burma/Myanmar Studies: Burma/Myanmar in Transition: Connectivity, Changes and Challenges: University Academic Service Centre (UNISERV), Chiang Mai University, Thailand, 24-­26 July 2015
2015-08-26
Date of entry/update: 2015-08-19
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf
Size: 397.15 KB
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Description: "...Whatever the outcome of the trial, it is highly unlikely that National Police Chief Somyot Pumpunmuang or Police Major General Suwat Jaengyodsuk, the two with overall responsibility for the blighted Koh Tao investigation, will follow with their own apologies. The Koh Tao investigation is yet another example of institutional discrimination against the Burmese underclass in Thailand, who live on half the minimum wage. Such discrimination is practically government policy. The outcome and integrity of the trial will prove just how far this discrimination reaches in post-coup Thailand, 2015."
Creator/author: Luke Corbin
Source/publisher: "New Mandala"
2014-12-04
Date of entry/update: 2014-12-14
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Analyzes how Thai culture influenced everyday life in Myanmar, especially in the performing arts, music and handicrafts. The article also describes how Burmese theater adapted Tai Ramayana Court Drama.....Subject Terms: 1. Myanmar - Civilization, 2. Myanmar - Social life and customs, 3. Myanmar - Foreign relations - Thailand, 4. Myanmar Literature, 5. Myanmar Music.....Key Words: 1. Culture, 2. Ramayana, 3. Performing arts, 4. Handicraft.....Annotation: "
Creator/author: Pe Maung Tin, U
Source/publisher: "Nawarat Ko-thwe", 2nd edition, 1974, pp28-46, Sabei Oo Literature, via University of Washington
1974-00-00
Date of entry/update: 2014-10-21
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese/ မြန်မာဘာသာ (Metadata: English and Burmese)
Format : pdf
Size: 322.44 KB
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Description: "With China?s backing, post-coup Thailand and Myanmar– ASEAN?s quasi-democracies– are moving closer together...The Thai military staged a coup on May 22, claiming to restore peace and order after months of protests against the elected government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. In reality, it was a military scheme to take control of politics ahead of an uncertain royal succession. In the process, it destroyed democratic institutions and violated the people?s human rights. Immediately after the coup, an army of Western countries voiced their concern about the disappearance of democratic space. Subsequently, they imposed ?soft sanctions,? with the United States suspending its financial support for the Thai military and the European Union freezing all cooperation with the kingdom. Amid international sanctions, the Thai junta has found some comfort in the warm embrace of China. Shortly after the coup, photos surfaced of Army Chief, General Prayuth Chan-ocha– who?s also serving as the interim prime minister– shaking hands with Chinese business owners, demonstrating the Thai tactic of employing China to counterbalance Western sanctions. But China is not Thailand?s only friend in its time of need. On July 4, Myanmar Supreme Commander Senior General Min Aung Hlaing paid a visit to Bangkok, making him the first leader from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to meet the Thai junta after the coup. He held a cozy discussion with Prayuth, purportedly to strengthen ties between Thailand and Myanmar. Disturbingly, Min Aung Hlaing praised the Thai junta for ?doing the right thing? in seizing power. He also compared his country?s experience during the political upheaval that took place in Yangon in 1988, when the tatmadaw, or Myanmar?s army, launched deadly crackdowns against pro-democracy activists..."
Creator/author: Pavin Chachavalpongpun
Source/publisher: "The Diplomat"
2014-07-29
Date of entry/update: 2014-08-22
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "Monsoon season is descending upon the Thai-Burmese border town of Mae Sot, but storm clouds are not the only the signs of portent for local residents. At the end of a week in which the military junta has been promoting ?love and harmony? among Thais by offering free tickets to see a film about a 16th century Ayutthaya king fighting to rid Siam of the Burmese, a concerted and prioritised effort to ?solve? the ?problem? of migrant workers from neighbouring Myanmar and Cambodia has been launched. Following several months of delays for migrants wishing to extend their permission to stay in the country under the national verification program and more than a week of raids on migrant communities across the country, the NCPO established a Committee on Solving Migrant Problems on the 10th June.Thai army spokesman Sirichan Ngathong stated during the week that any undocumented migrant workers in Thailand ?will be arrested and deported? and Thai government television channels declared this to be part of an ?environmental cleansing? operation carried out to build a ?pleasant? society. Rumours about the purge and possible mistreatment spread quickly among migrants stoking fears leading to a mass exodus. Over 100,000 Cambodians alone have now left the country. Such purges are regular occurrences in Thailand, where a relatively laissez-faire approach is taken towards undocumented workers when the economy is booming, followed by crackdowns during downturns. But there are reasons to believe that this time may be different; especially as regards migrants from Myanmar. This is due to NCPO attempts to securitise the issue and fast tracking plans for the establishment of special border economic zones. The military claims that migrants are a source of social problems, that they undermine social ?stability? and are associated with narcotics, crime, and communicable diseases.While tolerated in border provinces, authorities want to keep them away from metropolitan areas such as Bangkok. In a post-coup environment, it is interesting to note that Prayuth Chan-Ocha?s dissertation research while studying at Thailand?s National Defence College in 2007-2008 was on the role of the army in responding to non-traditional security threats, identifying migrant workers and undocumented persons as one of four urgent and immediate threats to Thai society..."
Creator/author: Charlie Thame
Source/publisher: "New Mandala"
2014-06-15
Date of entry/update: 2014-07-24
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "BURMA Thai Army Increases Troops by DKBA Border By LAWI WENG / THE IRRAWADDY| May 4, 2012 | Hits: 30 Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print The Thai Army has increased troop numbers around Mae Sot. (Photo: Reuters) The Thai Army has deployed more troops at border towns around Mae Sot, in northern Thailand?s Tak Province, due to escalating tensions with the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) after a faction leader was accused of being a drug trafficker. Thai Army chief Gen Prayut Chan O Cha told Thai Rath news on May 3 that his soldiers are taking extra care by the frontier and the number of troops in the area has been increased. ?We are already there, but the situation is not yet risky,? he said. The move comes after the Thai Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) placed Saw Lah Pwe, the leader of the Brigade 5 breakaway faction of the DKBA, in the top five of its list of Thailand?s 25 most wanted drug dealers..."
Creator/author: LAWI WENG
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy"
2012-05-04
Date of entry/update: 2012-05-04
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Summary. "Several members of the informal Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN) Inter-Parliamentary Myanmar Caucus visited Thailand this week, hosted by Senator Kraisak Choonhavan, Chairman of the Thai Senate Foreign Relations committee. In a March 2 press conference, the Caucus called for the release of Aung San Suu Kyi (ASSK) and a more open and democratic National Convention process in Rangoon. The Caucus also stated that Burma should not be allowed to assume the rotational chairmanship of ASEAN next year, unless significant progress is made on democratic reforms. Caucus members met with Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, who told the group that their concerns and suggestions for change in Burma should be taken seriously by ASEAN member governments. Surakiart also confirmed that the Royal Thai Government (RTG) would continue its policy of "constructive engagement" with the Burmese regime, although he said privately that the RTG did not object to the parliamentarians? public criticism of the military government in Burma." End Summary.
Source/publisher: US Embassy, Bangkok, via Wikileaks
2005-03-03
Date of entry/update: 2011-09-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: "In a meeting with MFA?s East Asian Affairs Director for Burma, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Brunei Mr. Damrong Kriakruan on April 12, Poloff delivered reftel demarche and asked for RTG views. Damrong noted that ASEAN?s credibility is on the line, but the RTG still believes that engagement is the best option for ASEAN. He said that the Bali meeting is a "retreat" and that, as such, no formal public statements are anticipated. However, he acknowledged that the ministers are likely to face questions from the media on Burma and it will be up to each country to decide how to respond. The RTG feels that it would not help matters to "bombard" Burma with public criticism, but it should be made clear that ASEAN will continue its efforts and will look for ways to achieve substantive progress toward democratization in Burma...."
Source/publisher: US Embassy, Bangkok, via Wikileaks
2006-04-12
Date of entry/update: 2011-09-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Summary: "Burmese exile groups based in Thailand have denied any connection to the bombings in Rangoon on May 7, 2005. Most speculated, without any providing any hard evidence, that former associates of ousted Prime Minister Khin Nyunt and the military intelligence services might be responsible. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) stated that 128 Thai citizens attending a Thai trade fair in Rangoon had returned safely to Bangkok on May 8." End Summary.
Source/publisher: US Embassy, Bangkok, via Wikileaks
2005-05-09
Date of entry/update: 2011-09-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Summary. "The next trial hearing in the death of Ma Suu, a 17-year-old Burmese migrant worker who was allegedly murdered by her employer, will be on March 8-9, 2006. Ma Suu left Burma to seek work in Thailand, and found a job as a domestic servant for a wealthy Thai military officer in 2001. While it remains unclear whether Ma Suu was originally trafficked across the border, her ensuing employment situation clearly amounts to a trafficking case. Held against her will in an abusive employment situation, she escaped and notified police, only to be returned to her employer and eventually killed. She died on July 16, 2002 from extensive beatings and acid burns. The public prosecutor, with help from the Thai Law Society, is seeking cooperation from key witnesses, but fear of retribution -- and the defendant?s high ranking military status -- has caused some to hesitate in cooperating." End Summary.
Source/publisher: US Embassy, Bangkok, via Wikileaks
2006-02-24
Date of entry/update: 2011-09-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Description: Summary: Thailand is not prepared to support the proposal to bring Burma before the UN Security Council. The Thai MFA believes that other ASEAN members also will not support the proposal, although none are willing to leap to Burma?s defense with the vigor that Burma has requested. End summary.
Source/publisher: US Embassy, Bangkok, via Wikileaks
2005-10-13
Date of entry/update: 2011-09-07
Grouping: Individual Documents
Language: English
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