Will Rangoon Invade Thailand ? No W

[dawnstar@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: Re: Will Rangoon Invade Thailand ? No Way!

Dawn Star wrote:
> 
> Dawn Star wrote:
> >
> > THE LAST THING THAILAND WANTS IS WAR. Bad for business and bad for the
> > economy. after pulling it out of the skids, they certainly dont want to
> > scare investors away. And investors have too much on the line as it is
> > to have instability and  business flows ruptured. basic market forces
> > rule the world. remember that. ds
> > >
> > > Will Rangoon Invade Thailand to get the Student Dissidents??
> > >
> > > THE NATION - October 11, 1999
> > >
> > > Rangoon masses troops near border
> > >
> > > MAE HONG SON -- Burmese troops are pouring into border regions opposite
> > > Thailand's northern Mae Hong Son province and may be preparing to attack
> > > refugee camps, sources said yesterday.
> > >
> > > Landmines are being planted along the numerous roads and trails leading
> > > to
> > > Thai-Burmese border crossings, according to the sources.
> > >
> > > Ethnic minority leaders and Thai intelligence sources said an attack
> > > might
> > > be planned in retaliation for the seizure earlier this month of Burmese
> > > embassy in Bangkok by pro-democracy gunmen.
> > >
> > > On Oct 1 five-heavily armed Burmese dissidents stormed the embassy,
> > > holding
> > > 38 hostages at gunpoint and preventing 51 others from leaving the
> > > embassy
> > > compound.
> > >
> > > Twenty-five hours later Thai authorities made a deal with the Burmese
> > > group,
> > > allowing them safe passage to the Thai-Burmese border.
> > >
> > > Rangoon closed its 2,401-kilometre border with Thailand soon after the
> > > incident.
> > >
> > > A senior Thai intelligence source in Mae Hong Son estimated the number
> > > of
> > > Burmese troops in the area had increased in recent days from some 10,000
> > > to
> > > between 20,000 and 30,000.
> > >
> > > Karenni National Progressive Party deputy commander Major General Aung
> > > Myat
> > > also said government troops had moved closer to the Thai border and may
> > > be
> > > preparing raids.
> > >
> > > The gunmen, who initially called for the Rangoon junta to hold talks
> > > with
> > > the democratic opposition led by Aung San Suu Kyi, and demanded the
> > > released
> > > of all political prisoners in Burma, were later provided with a
> > > helicopter
> > > by Thai authorities to allow them to flee in the border area.
> > >
> > > Burmese officials, while thanking Thailand for ending the hostage drama
> > > peacefully, also accused Bangkok of being too soft on the gunmen and
> > > pressured Thai authorities to get tough with exiled dissidents.
> > >
> > > Burma said border camps harbour armed anti-government forces and on
> > > Saturday
> > > called for Thailand to use an ''iron first'' to wipe out terrorism.
> > >
> > > Meanwhile, a provincial official in Ratchaburi's Suan Phung district
> > > down-played reports quoting rebel Karen officials claiming hundreds of
> > > Burmese government troops had been mobilised to the area.
> > >
> > > Suan Phung district chief Somdeee Khachayoungyuen said the movement was
> > > a
> > > normal rotation of troops.
> > >
> > > A Karen National Union officer (KNU), however, told The Nation that one
> > > of
> > > his units had intercepted a radio message confirming that the government
> > > was
> > > planning to attack an area opposite Suan Phung, where the five student
> > > hostage takers were reported to have taken refuge.
> > >
> > > The KNU's 4th Brigade headquarters was within a day's walk of the area
> > > where
> > > the students had been released, he said.
> > >
> > > The KNU was the last major ethnic rebel force still in open armed
> > > resistance
> > > to the military junta ruling Burma and denied any previous knowledge or
> > > involvement with the embassy siege.
> > >
> > > The war of words between Bangkok and Rangoon continued yesterday with
> > > Prime
> > > Minister Chuan Leekpai down-playing on-going criticism of the handling
> > > of
> > > the dissidents.
> > >
> > > ''Never mind. It's not really our concern as to when they are going to
> > > stop
> > > their criticism,'' Chuan said when asked what measures the government
> > > would
> > > take to stem the verbal barrage from Rangoon.
> > >
> > > ''Our job is do the best we can to convey our position. If we have
> > > already
> > > done our best then that's good enough,'' he added.
> > >
> > > Rangoon was infuriated by a statement made by Interior Minister Sanan
> > > Kachornprasart who referred to the five armed men as ''students fighting
> > > for
> > > democracy'' and that they were not ''international terrorists''.
> > >
> > > Burma retaliated on radio, television and newspapers, attacking
> > > Thailand's
> > > handling of the incident. Since the embassy siege Burma had closed its
> > > border, was reported to be moving troops to border areas and had sealed
> > > off
> > > its territorial waters to Thai vessels.