Propaganda war heats up

Published on Jun 27, 2002

The military yesterday responded to a series of criticisms of the Thai monarchy made by the Burmese government with its own verbal attack, the latest exchange in a fiveweek series of tensions between the two countries.

More than 200 radio stations and two television networks under control of the Defence Ministry broadcast an programme accusing Burma of failing to honour the 1947 agreement on ethnic minorities between the two countries.

The programme featured commentary from Chulalongkorn University historian Sunait Chutintaranond, who has connections with several Burmese academics.

The Supreme Command will today meet with the Burmese military attache to Thailand to protest against the series of insulting articles that have appeared in the staterun English language newspaper New Light of Myanmar.

The Defence Ministry will condemn the articles in the strongest terms and demand an official apology from both the junta and the author, who intentionally insulted Thailand’s respected monarchy, said Deputy Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha.

Since earlier this month, the paper has run a series of articles by Dr Ma Tin Win that have attempted to use history to insult King Naresuan, the king who liberated the Kingdom of Ayutthaya from Burma in 1584.

We can compromise on other issues, but the Thai military, in its role as defender of the Kingdom, never compromises on insults to the monarchy, said defence ministry spokesman Lt General Surapan Poomkaew.

We love and respect our kings. We understand they [Burmese] are the same. Thais never insult the Burmese kings. Thai authors even praised their King Bayin Naung, honouring him in the famous novel ‘Phu Chana Sip Thit’ as a victor over all enemies, he said.

Dr Ma Tin Win is a person who opposes good relations between Thailand and Burma, he added.

Tensions have flared between the two countries ever since border skirmishes broke out on May 20 when the two sides exchanged artillery fire in border areas near Chiang Mai. The incident led to a closing of the borders, official protests and verbal attacks from Rangoon accusing the Thai military of supporting Shan rebels.

Thai officials have refrained from waging a war of words with Burma, preferring good relations with Rangoon. But the tactic has proven a failure as the verbal attacks have continued and the junta has made no response to a proposal from the Thai government to hold talks.

Defence Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, who is reputed for having personal ties with several Burmese generals, has apparently failed to fix the sour relations.

Chavalit’s patience came to an end after a group of military officers and his own personal advisors pressured him into retaliating against the verbal attacks on the monarchy, said a military source.

This move probably will probably not improve bilateral relations but it’s better than doing nothing, the source said.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has maintained a clear stance, saying that he wanted to assure Rangoon that the Thai military would not support the rebellious Shan minority.

My government has a clear policy based on the solid principles that we will never interfere in the domestic affairs of others and never allow violation of our sovereignty, he said.

But the problem is that the fighting is not kept inside Burma. We must consider crossborder shelling an assault on our sovereignty, which needs retaliation, he said.

The Foreign Ministry has maintained its own line, saying that the ministry must seek a diplomatic resolution with Burma.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ratthakit Manathat said that the leaders of Burma respected the Thai monarchy and recognised its role in ensuring development and maintaining relations between the modern Thai and Burmese states.

The number two leader of the junta, General Maung Aye, was granted a royal audience with His Majesty the King when he was in Thailand in April, Ratthakit said, adding that Maung Aye had been impressed.

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