Crossing at new bridge still limite

[ausgeo@xxxxxxx]

Subject: Crossing at new bridge still limited 

August 18, 1997

BANGKOK POST

THAI-BURMA BORDER

Crossing at new bridge still limited 

Burma not yet able to take vehicular traffic 

Supamart Kasem 
Mae Sot, Tak 

Use of the Thai-Burma Friendship Bridge linking Mae Sot and Myawaddy is still 
limited despite its official opening last Friday.

People of both countries were allowed to cross the border without having to 
use a border pass for three days following the opening of the bridge. But from 
today they will be required to obtain proper travelling documents.

The first convoy of 20 cars crossed the bridge on Saturday, taking 51 Thai 
businessmen, led by Tak Chamber of Commerce vice president Paniti Tangphati, 
from Mae Sot to Myawaddy. After the convoy returned to Mae Sot on Sunday, no 
other vehicles were allowed across the bridge as the Burmese said they were 
not yet ready to handle vehicular traffic and travelling documents involving 
vehicles and passengers.

The Thai businessmen were welcomed on arrival at Myawaddy on Saturday by Lt 
Col Khin Maung Win, chief of Myawaddy border trade.

The lieutenant colonel took them to see some of the areas designated 
industrial zones under a Thai-Burmese industrial cooperation agreement along 
Mae Sot-Myawaddy-Moulmein-Rangoon Road.

A 10,000-acre area has been set aside for investment by private firms along 
Myawaddy-Kawkareik Road and another 40 acres near Myawaddy town for the 
construction of a transport centre.

Under the Thai-Burmese cooperation agreement, there would be 33 projects worth 
about 48,000 million baht along the Mae Sot-Myawaddy-Moulmein-Rangoon Road. 
Thirteen of the projects, worth 21,429 million baht, will be on the Thai side 
and the rest worth 26,626 million baht in Burma.

At least four Thai businessmen have invested about 30 million baht in Myawaddy 
in an electricity distribution plant, a tap water production plant, three 
petrol stations and one drinking water plant.

Although the bridge has been opened, further travelling by land from Myawaddy 
to Rangoon is not yet permissible because the road condition is very poor.

Maj-Gen Khet Sein, Burma's Southeastern Force commander, told Thailand's Third 
Army commander Lt-Gen Thanom Watcharaphuk last Friday while attending the 
bridge's opening ceremony that Burma planned to first improve the road between 
Myawaddy to Moulmein before allowing visitors to travel deeper into its 
territory.

The local Thai-Burmese border committee will meet on Thursday when the two 
sides will discuss whether to allow people to travel beyond Mae Sot and 
Myawaddy.