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BKK Post, March 25, 1998. BORDER IN
- Subject: BKK Post, March 25, 1998. BORDER IN
- From: burma@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 24 Mar 1998 21:54:00
March 25, 1998. BORDER INCURSIONS
Burma urged to prevent DKBA raids on camps
Minister calls for show of Asean unity
Bhanravee Tansubhapol
Supamart Kasem
Thailand yesterday urged Burma to tackle urgently the problem of border
incursions by Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) forces in order to
demonstrate Asean unity.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra gave the message to
Burmese Ambassador Hla Maung, who was yesterday summoned to the ministry
to hear a protest against an armed attack on the Mawkier refugee camp in
Phop Phra district of Tak on Monday.
The protest letter clearly identified the pro-Rangoon DKBA, a Karen
splinter group, as the attacker.
The Thai embassy in Rangoon also submitted another protest letter to the
Burmese government on Monday.
"The incident affected the Rangoon-Bangkok relationship, both of which
are members of Asean," M.R. Sukhumbhand said after his meeting with the
Burmese envoy.
Both countries should show the international community that Asean
members were ready to cooperate with one another, and that the two
countries could walk hand in hand to a meeting of Asean foreign
ministers, he added.
The annual meeting of Asean foreign ministers takes place in July. Burma
joined the grouping last year.
M.R. Sukhumbhand yesterday asked Burma to release two Thai soldiers
believed to have been captured during Monday's cross-border raid but did
not demand compensation for them.
He also urged Rangoon to increase safety measures on its side to prevent
future attacks which could endanger Thai villagers and Karen refugees.
M.R. Sukhumbhand, who plans to inspect the Thai border with Burma before
visiting Rangoon early next month, said he did not want to see such
incidents as the world was watching Asean countries tackle their
financial crisis.
Two Thai soldiers remained missing yesterday. They are believed to have
been taken hostage during Monday's DKBA attack on the Mawkier camp. Four
other Thai soldiers were also wounded.
The Thai army chief, Gen Chettha Thanajaro, flew to Phitsanulok
yesterday to get first hand information on the border situation.
The local Thai-Burmese Border Committee (TBC) has coordinated with
Myawaddy to search for the two missing soldiers.
Thai TBC chairman Col Chatchapat Yamngamriab identified them as Sgt Aree
Hoonyon and Pvt Mana Sumaporn of the Fourth Infantry Regiment Task
Force.
"We are still looking for them along the border and has coordinated with
Burma's TBC chairman Lt-Col Saing Phone in Myawaddy to seek their return
in case they have been taken hostage or strayed across the border into
Burma and captured," he said.
Earlier reports said four Thai soldiers were taken hostage and two of
them managed to escape.
Col Chatchapat, commander of the task force, yesterday said four Thai
soliders were wounded when their vehicle ran over a landmine near Ban
Valley while on their way to block the intruders from fleeing across the
border.
However, a border source said they might have been wounded by mortar
rounds fired by other Thai soldiers in pursuit of the fleeing DKBA
raiders.
Gen Chettha originally planned to go to Mae Sot by helicopter yesterday
for a briefing on the border situation by the Fourth Infantry Regiment
Task Force. However, poor visibility due to smoke from raging forest
fires forced him to fly to the Third Army headquarters in Phitsanulok
instead.
Third Army deputy commander Maj-Gen Wattanachai Chaimuenwong, Fourth
Infantry Division chief Maj-Gen Chalor Thongsala and other officers who
were waiting in Mae Sot also had to fly to meet Gen Chettha in
Phitsanulok.
Meanwhile, Supreme Commander Gen Mongkol Ampornpisith said yesterday
persistent DKBA attacks on Karen camps on Thai soil would be raised for
consideration at today's meeting of the Defence Council.
He said although Burma denied its involvement in the attacks, it could
not completely deny its responsibility because the attackers came from
Burmese soil.
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