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One bridge, two different views
- Subject: One bridge, two different views
- From: ausgeo@xxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 15 Aug 1997 07:54:00
15 Aug 1997
The Nation
One bridge, two different views
Will the opening of the Moei River bridge which spans the Thai-Burmese border
bring economic benefits to people on both sides of the divide? The Nation's
Yindee Lertcharoenchok finds out.
As Thailand and Burma jointly inaugurate the ''Friendship Bridge" across the
Moei River today, they hope the structure will be strong enough to serve its
prime objective of promoting lasting neighbourly friendliness. The new bridge
will serve to link northern Thailand's Mae Sot district of Tak and the Burmese
border town of Myawaddy.
Although Thailand had intended to capitalise on today's celebration as a
historic event for the two countries, Burma, on the other hand, was lukewarm
in responding to the Thai proposal that the heads of the two governments be
present on the occasion.
Until last week, it was uncertain who would represent the Burmese military
government at the half-day ceremony which will take place on
the bridge. A Thai Foreign Ministry press statement dated two days ago did not
name the Burmese leader who would partake in the event along with Thai Deputy
Prime Minister and Industry Minister Korn Dabaransi. Thailand was informed at
the last minute that Minister for Construction Maj Gen Saw Tun had been
delegated to attend.
Thailand had initially proposed that Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, who
has strong personal connections with the Burmese junta, co-chair the event
with Senior Gen Than Shwe, the chairman of the ruling State Law and Order
Restoration Council (Slorc). The request from Thailand that another Slorc
leader, Lt Gen Khin Nyunt, be represented was also politely rejected.
Citing ethnic insurgency and flooding, Slorc also turned down a Thai request
in July that Deputy Foreign Minister Pitak Intrawityanunt lead a 400-km Thai
caravan rally from Mae Sot via Myawaddy to Rangoon, right after the opening
ceremony.
Thai government officials are unable to explain what prompted Burma's
decisions. It appears, however, that Slorc and the Thai leaders do not share
the same views and optimism over the ''friendship" bridge.
The history of the Moei River bridge has not been a smooth one and relations
between authorities on both sides of the waterway are often not pleasant.
After several years of Thai persuasion, Slorc and the Thai government
eventually signed an agreement on Oct 17, 1994, to build the bridge, whose
total cost of Bt79.2 million was to be wholly shouldered by Thailand. Its
construction began three days after the signing and was expected to be
completed in less than 10 months.
For Thailand, the two-lane 420-metre bridge will serve to strengthen mutual
friendship between the people of the two countries, to promote stronger
bilateral economic engagement and activities, and lastly to complete a link of
the trans-Asian Highway A-1 that facilitates overland travel between Europe
and Asia.
However, Thai investors and businessmen have higher hopes. They believe the
bridge will instantly help boost the tourism industry and allow them easy
access to potential Burmese markets and to Burma's abundant natural resources.
They also consider Burma as an economic land bridge linking Thailand and South
Asia.
Although Burma shares Thailand's economic aspirations, Slorc views the
benefits from the bridge in another light. For over three decades, the total
elimination of ethnic insurgency along the Burmese frontiers has always topped
other political and economic agendas of successive Burmese military
governments.
To them, the establishment of internal peace, security, and stability, where
the central authority in Rangoon could assert full control over the
strife-plagued border terrain, was more crucial than economic activity.
The Moei River bridge will allow Slorc generals a good opportunity to curb the
black-market economy which has been the main source of income for the Burmese
insurgency and to replace it with a new regulated border regime and the
controlled passage of goods and people between the two countries.
Burma also expects to have an equal say and to share equal benefit with
Thailand in any economic activities along the common frontier.
But while most Thai officials are optimistic that the Moei River bridge will
benefit Thailand and Burma in the long run, many remain sceptical over its
potential benefits and worth.
They have expressed concern that the structure will be a mere concrete symbol,
much like the Bt750-million Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge across the Mekong River
which was opened in April 1994. Laos still refuses to allow Thai vehicles into
the country, citing conflicting regulations, lack of road infrastructure and
logistical difficulties.
Citing Burma's record of unpredictability, Thai officials are worried that
Slorc might close the frontier and the bridge at will. For example, the
construction of the Mae Sot-Myawaddy bridge was delayed for nearly two years
after Slorc ordered an abrupt halt to its work in June 1995 following
allegations of Thai encroachment on the riverbank.
The suspension of the bridge project along with the abrupt closure of the
three existing border crossings at Mae Sai-Tachilek, Mae Sot-Myawaddy and
Ranong-Kawthaung in 1995 severely affected Thailand. The total value of
cross-border trade dropped sharply from nearly Bt8 billion in 1994 to Bt5.5
billion in 1996.
With the spiralling fall of both the Thai and Burmese currencies in the past
few months, local Thai traders also doubt that bilateral trade volume will
soon pick up.
Although Thailand and Burma have already agreed to extend their sovereignty to
the middle of the bridge, they have yet to negotiate and finalise an agreement
on the crucial issues of jurisdiction and the free flow of goods and the
extent of travel of their people and vehicles.
As it looks now, the opening today of the Moei River bridge promises to be a
symbolic but pompous occasion full of great expectations, which may or may not
ever be fulfilled.