Burma seeks cross-border rights

Published on Jul 2, 2002

Burma has asked Thailand to relax rules against Burmese troops crossing into Thailand in pursuit of anti-Rangoon ethnic-minority armies, Deputy Defence Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapha said yesterday.

The Burmese junta is seeking permission for its troops to conduct "technical invasions" into Thailand during battles with ethnic-minority soldiers along the border.

Yuthasak said that the junta made the request on Sunday during a meeting between the Thai Ambassador to Rangoon, Oum Maolanon, and Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win.

"Burma said that its troops had no intention of invading Thai territory, but they wanted us to be flexible if its soldiers mistakenly entered Thai territory while on patrol," he said.

Yuthasak declined to say whether the Thai military agreed with the proposal.

Rangoon also asked for understanding if Burmese shells spilled over onto Thai territory during battles, Yuthasak said.

The Thai military's rules call for retaliation for border crossings by Burmese troops and any artillery shells that land on Thai territory. These rules have led to several armed clashes because Burma considers retaliation a form of support for the ethnic armies.

The junta has refused to call off its offensive against the Shan fighters until its troops retake several strategic areas currently held by the Shan State Army (SSA).

No fighting was reported over the past few days after heavy losses were sustained by the pro-Rangoon United Wa State Army (UWSA) in recent clashes, a military source said.

The Burmese military was planning to change tactics by using its regular troops to attack the SSA, rather than UWSA's fighters, the source said.

He said that a fresh offensive would take place soon.

Tensions between Thailand and Burma rose in the wake of several border skirmishes in May, which led to a border closure and angry verbal exchanges.

The Defence Ministry last week launched a propaganda war in retaliation for a series of articles insulting the Thai monarchy that appeared in the Burmese press.

The move accompanied an official protest demanding an apology from Rangoon as well as the state-run New Light of Myanmar newspaper.

Yuthasak expected the Rangoon junta to take some responsibility for the insults to Thai monarchy. The paper had ended the series of controversial articles, he said.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said on Saturday he had received gestures from Burma seeking to mend sour relations.

But Defence Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, who usually keeps smooth relations with Burma, said he wanted to see some "real" action from Rangoon.

During a lecture at the Chulachomklao Academy, Chavalit said conflicts between Thailand and Burma were caused by several factors, including narcotics trafficking and ethnic groups along the border.

He said that Thailand had been sincere with Burma by implementing a clear policy of not supporting ethnic fighters.

He added that military intelligence was investigating the alleged presence of a Shan radio station in Thailand.

The authorities would not allow ethnic armies to use Thailand as a base for operations against Rangoon, he said.

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