Thaksin warns of waning ties with Myanmar
Thaksin warns of waning ties with Myanmar
BANGKOK (AP): Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra warned on
Friday that Thailand's relations with Myanmar could be destroyed
because of growing mistrust following weeks of border skirmishes
and angry words.
"Mistrust is a key reason of Thai-Myanmar problems. Mistrust
started at the border level, which aroused hate between people of
the two nations," Thaksin said.
"The mistrust is going to destroy government-to-government
relationship if we are not careful," he told reporters.
On Thursday, Thailand's Foreign Ministry summoned Myanmar's
ambassador, Myo Myint, to formally protest articles in a state-
run Myanmar newspaper that allegedly insulted the Thai monarchy.
The protest came as long-standing tension between the two
nations reached a new peak following Myanmar artillery shells
landing Tuesday on Thai soil, narrowly missing a royal villa near
the border. The two sides have been firing at each other since
February.
Thaksin said the defense and foreign ministers are trying to
solve the problems together. "It will take sometime to mend the
conflict," Thaksin said.
He appealed to the Thai people to "understand the situation"
and not "rise up to protest against Myanmar because of mistrust."
Separately, Defense Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said Thailand
was not an enemy of Myanmar. "We want to sit down and talk before
everything gets our of hand," he said.
But, he added, Myanmar's Foreign Minister has not made a
decision whether to come to Thailand. "So we cannot proceed in
solving the conflict," he said.
The tensions between the two countries stem from a series of
problems, but principally over drug smuggling.
The Thai press and officials accuse Myanmar's military
government of ignoring the large scale production of the illegal
drug methamphetamine by ethnic minority groups, mainly the United
Wa State Army, based along the border for sale in Thailand.
Wa has been named by the U.S. State Department as a major drug
producer in the area.
Myanmar's state-controlled press has retaliated with sometimes
crude articles and cartoons attacking Thailand for alleged
hypocrisy and historical misdeeds. The articles in The New Light
of Myanmar daily which Thailand said insulted its monarchy
referred to matters that took place in the 19th century.
Meanwhile, the New York-based Human Rights Watch called on
Friday for the release of 85 people who were elected to
parliament in 1990 but later detained after Myanmar's ruling
military annulled the poll results.