Panel agrees to Burmese sector plan

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July 8th Bangkok Post
Panel agrees to Burmese sector plan 

Proposal may speed up demarcation work 

Mae Sot


The Joint Boundary Committee has agreed in principle with a border 
demarcation proposal from the Burmese authorities.

The Burmese JBC proposed that the 2,000km-long common border be divided 
into nine sectors with ill-defined boundaries as the first spots to be 
demarcated.

The proposal was made during the JBC meeting of the two countries on 
June 30-July 2 in Rangoon, said Tak Governor Pongpayom Wassaput.

The Thai delegation led by Somboon Sa-giambut, director-general of the 
Treaties and Legal Affairs Department, met the Burmese delegation led by 
U Aye Lwin to discuss demarcation.

The Burmese proposal would help speed up demarcation work as it clearly 
divided the common border into nine sectors, said the Tak governor, 
adding that previous talks had been unsuccessful as Thai and Burmese 
authorities normally focused on an area in dispute without considering 
other ill-defined boundaries.

The division of the area into nine sectors would enable the JBC 
committee of the two countries to consider the whole borderline faster 
and an agreement would be made in each sector, said Mr Pongpayom.

However, the two countries needed to allocate budgets for the border 
demarcation in each sector.

Sources said the meeting raised the dispute over the digging of a new 
channel in the Moei river in front of Wat Phrathat Khok Chang Phuak in 
Mae Sot.

Thailand proposed that aerial photos from 1994 be used to demarcate the 
area, but Burma was silent on the issue and asked for more details from 
the Thai delegation.

Burma proposed that the Thai-Burmese Friendship Bridge be officially 
opened on August 15.

The two countries agreed to open three permanent checkpoints - Mae 
Sot-Myawady, Mae Sai-Thachilek and Ranong-Kawthaung - on August 16.


"THERE WILL BE NO REAL DEMOCRACY IF WE CAN'T GURANTEE THE RIGHTS OF THE 
MINORITY ETHNIC PEOPLE.  ONLY UNDERSTANDING THEIR SUFFERING AND HELPING 
THEM TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHTS WILL ASSIST PREVENTING FROM THE 
DISINTEGRATION AND THE SESESSION."  "WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING THEIR 
STRENGTH, WE CAN'T TOPPLE THE SLORC AND BURMA WILL NEVER BE IN PEACE."


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