Book row ruins Thai-Myanmar ties

Book row ruins Thai-Myanmar ties

By Edward Tang

BANGKOK: The year: 1549. The place: Ayutthaya province of
Thailand.

Thousands of Myanmar soldiers are looting, raping and killing.
They burn everything, including Buddhist temples and relics, to
the ground.

Men and women join hands in the fight to protect the ancient
Thai capital from the cruel invaders.

Among the heroes that day is Thai Queen Suriyothai, who dies
while leading troops into battle. Her image is one of a brave and
faithful consort, as the final curtain is lowered.

It is yet another movie, but it will no doubt stir up strong
emotions when released in Thailand in August, in conjunction with
the present Thai Queen's birthday.

Suriyothai, the most expensive Thai movie ever, is likely to
stoke the flames of animosity currently raging between Thailand
and Myanmar, which last week released a new textbook portraying
Thais as lazy and frivolous.

The book, taught to fourth-graders, also criticized the Thai
monarchy and blamed Thailand for the drug problem and for
supporting anti-Myanmar insurgents.

The Thai government is considering lodging a protest with
Myanmar, pending a review of the book. It could be another issue
to add to the laundry list Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
is expected to raise with his Myanmar counterpart when he visits
Yangon later this month.

Bilateral relations have been bedeviled by border skirmishes,
the presence of anti-Myanmar dissidents at the Thai border, over
a million illegal Myanmar migrants in this country, and
allegations that Yangon was abetting drug lords.

Relations plunged in February after both sides exchanged
artillery fire at the Thai northern border town of Mae Sai,
resulting in the death of two civilians. Since then, Myanmar has
closed all checkpoints along its 2,400 km-long border with
Thailand.

The move has affected tourism and border trade, which accounts
for 40 percent of Thailand's export to the country. Thai
fishermen have also been barred from entering Myanmar waters.

The latest controversy over the textbook is not the first
incident, nor will it be the last, to mar relations. History and
the lack of trust and understanding are major constraints to
better ties, said political science professor Chayachoke
Chulasiriwongs of Chulalongkorn University.

"Thailand must bear some of the responsibility for the present
decline in relations. We must review our textbooks, which are
also guilty of portraying our neighbors negatively," he told The
Straits Times.

Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia are often portrayed as the enemy in
Thai history books, he said. The 18th-century Laotian King
Anuvong, for example, is depicted as a womanizer. According to
some books, the king, revered even today by Laotians, invaded
Thailand but was later seduced by Thai women agents who killed
him in his sleep.

Similarly, Cambodia is often sidelined in Thai history as a
junior kingdom. Myanmar is portrayed as the cruel nation which
twice invaded Ayutthaya, the ancient Thai capital. Because of the
many wars between the two countries, the image of Myanmar as arch
rival and hated adversary is ingrained in the Thai psyche.

Thai movies, novels and textbooks are replete with such
references. For example, last year's hit movie, Bang Rajan, tells
of a young man who led villagers against invading Myanmar forces
in the 18th century.

In contrast, he said Myanmar did not have a record of
distorting history to smear its neighbors -- although it uses
state-owned media to attack its opponents.

He believed that the latest propaganda drive against Thailand
could be directed by Myanmar Army Commander Maung Aye, the
country's second-most senior leader, who apparently does not want
the two countries to normalize relations.

Gen. Maung Aye, who is also vice-chairman of the State Peace
and Development Council (SPDC), is believed to have a personal
hatred for Thailand following a snub by a Thai general at a
meeting a few years ago. It is said he represents vested
interests in the Myanmar leadership that are opposed to Lt. Gen.
Khin Nyunt, the powerful intelligence chief and a moderate leader
in the SPDC.

According to Prof. Chayachoke, the controversial textbook and
recent criticisms of the Thai monarchy by the New Light of
Myanmar newspaper could be designed by Gen. Maung Aye to
embarrass his rival and to jettison Thaksin's visit. Thailand's
Nation newspaper has charged that his long-term aim was to
instill hatred among future Myanmar generations against Thais.

Thai-Myanmar relations are also dogged by mutual distrust and
suspicion. For a long time, Myanmar has tried to persuade
Thailand to evict thousands of dissidents seeking refuge on the
Thai side of the border.

It has always suspected Thailand of harboring and arming
ethnic minorities like the Karen and Shan rebels.

The previous Thai government headed by Chuan Leekpai was also
perceived to be meddling in Myanmar's politics by veering away
from the long-standing principle of non-interference among ASEAN
members.

"The permanent solution lies in confidence building, not
retaliation," said historian Chalong Suntaravanich, who believed
that the bulk of Thailand's problems with its neighbor resulted
from inept political handling. "Thais and the Myanmar people are
like brothers. We do not hate them and I don't think they regard
us as enemies."

-- The Straits Times/Asia News Network