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Australian PM to visit Thailand in



Australian PM to visit Thailand in April 
01:02 a.m. Mar 22, 1998 Eastern 
CANBERRA, March 22 (Reuters) - Australian Prime Minister John Howard will
visit Thailand next month for a three day trip to discuss Asia's financial
crisis and to open a war memorial. 

Howard said in a statement he would discuss Thai economic reforms and
international aid with Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai in their first meeting
since Chuan won office in November. 

``I very much look forward to discussing with Mr Chuan the good progress
Thailand has made in implementing its economic reform program and
stabilising its economy,'' Howard said. 

Australia and Japan are the only countries to contribute to all three
International Monetary Fund aid programmes for the troubled economies of
Thailand, South Korea and Indonesia. 

Howard will also open a memorial to the 2,700 Australian prisoners of war
who died building the Thai-Burma ``Death Railway'' for Japanese forces in
World War Two. 

The 415 km (260 mile) railway was built by Allied prisoners of war and slave
labour from Japanese-occupied southeast Asia to support Japan's assault on
British-ruled Burma, now called Myanmar. About two-thirds died from disease,
malnutrition and abuse during the project, which was depicted by the film
``Bridge on the River Kwai.'' 

Howard is due to leave Australia on April 23 and return on April 26.
However, government officials privately say he may also visit Malaysia and
Papua New Guinea. 

Howard cancelled a planned February visit to Malaysia and Papua New Guinea
to stay home while the United States considered launching a military strike
against Iraq. 

Copyright 1998 Reuters Limited.