Information_Sought_From_ _Burma_

[suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Headlines 

     Information Sought From
     Burma

     THE Fine Arts Department will help Burma
     restore the ancient palace of the
     Hongsawadee kingdom in exchange for
     information about a sister of Thailand's King
     Naresuan who was held hostage by the
     Burmese 400 years ago, Deputy Education
     Minister Somsak Prissanananthakul said
     yesterday. 

     Somsak said that the Burmese government
     would shoulder all the expenses of the
     restoration except for the wages of Thai
     officials sent by the Fine Arts Department to
     help with the project. 

     Somsak said the Thai government would gain
     too from the project as Thai officials would
     have an opportunity to study events
     surrounding the fate of Phra Suphankalaya,
     King Naresuan's sister. 

     She was believed to have been taken
     hostage by King Bayinnaung of Burma when
     his Hongsawadee kingdom, later called Pegu,
     invaded Ayutthaya in 1569. When Thailand
     was hit by economic crisis two years ago,
     Supankalaya became tevered by Thais who
     believed she had sacrificed herself so that
     Naresuan could declare independence from
     Burma. 

     The palace to be restored was King
     Bayinnaung's. 

     The Nation