Thai PM to forge ties with Myanmar<\/p>\n
BANGKOK (Reuter): Thai prime minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh's
\nvisit to Myanmar later this week will focus on bilateral issues
\naimed at strengthening relations between the neighboring
\ncountries, government officials said yesterday.<\/p>\n
Officials said Chavalit was not expected to make any major
\ndeals with Yangon during his May 16 to May 17 visit and will only
\nsign an agreement on border crossings between the two nations.<\/p>\n
Thailand's army commander-in-chief, Gen. Chettha Tanajaro,
\nsaid Chavalit would also raise the issue of the 700,000 illegal
\nMyanmar workers in Thailand.<\/p>\n
\"I proposed to the prime minister he give priority to the
\nproblem of illegal workers in Thailand,\" Chettha said. \"This is
\nan important issue which will affect our national security in the
\nfuture.\"<\/p>\n
One issue of contention between the two nations has been the
\nflow of refugees into Thailand -- mostly due to clashes between
\nYangon's troops and ethnic rebels near the border areas.<\/p>\n
\"Yangon always says that it will take those people only after
\nThailand can prove that they are Myanmar nationals. But how can
\nwe prove that since those people never have proper documents?\" an
\nofficial said.<\/p>\n
There are an estimated 100,000 Myanmar refugees living in
\nsprawling camps near the border in western Thailand.<\/p>\n
Chavalit, a general and former Thai army chief, said after
\nbecoming prime minister in November that he wanted to talk to
\nMyanmar's military government about Yangon's human rights
\nsituation.<\/p>\n
The Thai premier, who has close ties to Myanmar's generals,
\nsaid then that he wanted to tell leaders of the State Law and
\nOrder Restoration Council the world had changed and it was time
\nto change with it.<\/p>\n
Chavalit was also likely to voice his support for Myanmar's
\nentry into the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN),
\nofficials said.<\/p>\n
His visit to Myanmar was postponed from earlier this month
\nbecause the timing did not suit Yangon.<\/p>\n
The announcement of the postponement came shortly after the
\nUnited States imposed economic sanctions on Myanmar in April,
\nbanning all new American investment in the country, in
\ncondemnation of what it said was Yangon's poor human rights
\nrecord and its repression of the democracy movement.<\/p>\n
The United States is also lobbying ASEAN members to drop the
\nplan to accept Myanmar as a full member later this year.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/thai-pm-to-forge-ties-with-myanmar-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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