Book row ruins Thai-Myanmar ties<\/p>\n
By Edward Tang<\/p>\n
BANGKOK: The year: 1549. The place: Ayutthaya province of
\nThailand.<\/p>\n
Thousands of Myanmar soldiers are looting, raping and killing.
\nThey burn everything, including Buddhist temples and relics, to
\nthe ground.<\/p>\n
Men and women join hands in the fight to protect the ancient
\nThai capital from the cruel invaders.<\/p>\n
Among the heroes that day is Thai Queen Suriyothai, who dies
\nwhile leading troops into battle. Her image is one of a brave and
\nfaithful consort, as the final curtain is lowered.<\/p>\n
It is yet another movie, but it will no doubt stir up strong
\nemotions when released in Thailand in August, in conjunction with
\nthe present Thai Queen's birthday.<\/p>\n
Suriyothai, the most expensive Thai movie ever, is likely to
\nstoke the flames of animosity currently raging between Thailand
\nand Myanmar, which last week released a new textbook portraying
\nThais as lazy and frivolous.<\/p>\n
The book, taught to fourth-graders, also criticized the Thai
\nmonarchy and blamed Thailand for the drug problem and for
\nsupporting anti-Myanmar insurgents.<\/p>\n
The Thai government is considering lodging a protest with
\nMyanmar, pending a review of the book. It could be another issue
\nto add to the laundry list Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
\nis expected to raise with his Myanmar counterpart when he visits
\nYangon later this month.<\/p>\n
Bilateral relations have been bedeviled by border skirmishes,
\nthe presence of anti-Myanmar dissidents at the Thai border, over
\na million illegal Myanmar migrants in this country, and
\nallegations that Yangon was abetting drug lords.<\/p>\n
Relations plunged in February after both sides exchanged
\nartillery fire at the Thai northern border town of Mae Sai,
\nresulting in the death of two civilians. Since then, Myanmar has
\nclosed all checkpoints along its 2,400 km-long border with
\nThailand.<\/p>\n
The move has affected tourism and border trade, which accounts
\nfor 40 percent of Thailand's export to the country. Thai
\nfishermen have also been barred from entering Myanmar waters.<\/p>\n
The latest controversy over the textbook is not the first
\nincident, nor will it be the last, to mar relations. History and
\nthe lack of trust and understanding are major constraints to
\nbetter ties, said political science professor Chayachoke
\nChulasiriwongs of Chulalongkorn University.<\/p>\n
"Thailand must bear some of the responsibility for the present
\ndecline in relations. We must review our textbooks, which are
\nalso guilty of portraying our neighbors negatively," he told The
\nStraits Times.<\/p>\n
Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia are often portrayed as the enemy in
\nThai history books, he said. The 18th-century Laotian King
\nAnuvong, for example, is depicted as a womanizer. According to
\nsome books, the king, revered even today by Laotians, invaded
\nThailand but was later seduced by Thai women agents who killed
\nhim in his sleep.<\/p>\n
Similarly, Cambodia is often sidelined in Thai history as a
\njunior kingdom. Myanmar is portrayed as the cruel nation which
\ntwice invaded Ayutthaya, the ancient Thai capital. Because of the
\nmany wars between the two countries, the image of Myanmar as arch
\nrival and hated adversary is ingrained in the Thai psyche.<\/p>\n
Thai movies, novels and textbooks are replete with such
\nreferences. For example, last year's hit movie, Bang Rajan, tells
\nof a young man who led villagers against invading Myanmar forces
\nin the 18th century.<\/p>\n
In contrast, he said Myanmar did not have a record of
\ndistorting history to smear its neighbors -- although it uses
\nstate-owned media to attack its opponents.<\/p>\n
He believed that the latest propaganda drive against Thailand
\ncould be directed by Myanmar Army Commander Maung Aye, the
\ncountry's second-most senior leader, who apparently does not want
\nthe two countries to normalize relations.<\/p>\n
Gen. Maung Aye, who is also vice-chairman of the State Peace
\nand Development Council (SPDC), is believed to have a personal
\nhatred for Thailand following a snub by a Thai general at a
\nmeeting a few years ago. It is said he represents vested
\ninterests in the Myanmar leadership that are opposed to Lt. Gen.
\nKhin Nyunt, the powerful intelligence chief and a moderate leader
\nin the SPDC.<\/p>\n
According to Prof. Chayachoke, the controversial textbook and
\nrecent criticisms of the Thai monarchy by the New Light of
\nMyanmar newspaper could be designed by Gen. Maung Aye to
\nembarrass his rival and to jettison Thaksin's visit. Thailand's
\nNation newspaper has charged that his long-term aim was to
\ninstill hatred among future Myanmar generations against Thais.<\/p>\n
Thai-Myanmar relations are also dogged by mutual distrust and
\nsuspicion. For a long time, Myanmar has tried to persuade
\nThailand to evict thousands of dissidents seeking refuge on the
\nThai side of the border.<\/p>\n
It has always suspected Thailand of harboring and arming
\nethnic minorities like the Karen and Shan rebels.<\/p>\n
The previous Thai government headed by Chuan Leekpai was also
\nperceived to be meddling in Myanmar's politics by veering away
\nfrom the long-standing principle of non-interference among ASEAN
\nmembers.<\/p>\n
"The permanent solution lies in confidence building, not
\nretaliation," said historian Chalong Suntaravanich, who believed
\nthat the bulk of Thailand's problems with its neighbor resulted
\nfrom inept political handling. "Thais and the Myanmar people are
\nlike brothers. We do not hate them and I don't think they regard
\nus as enemies."<\/p>\n
-- The Straits Times\/Asia News Network<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/book-row-ruins-thai-myanmar-ties-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }