[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

AFP-Myanmar invites Thai FM for tal

Subject: AFP-Myanmar invites Thai FM for talks on row

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_000D_01BF2FBE.41C84980
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Monday, November 15 8:40 PM SGT=20
Myanmar invites Thai FM for talks on row
BANGKOK, Nov 15 (AFP) -=20
Myanmar has asked Thailand's Foreign Minister to visit Yangon as concern =
rises that a row between the two neighbours could boil over at the ASEAN =
summit at the end of the month.

Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan was invited to talks aimed at easing =
relations strained by a hostage siege at Myanmar's embassy in Bangkok =
last month, Thai foreign ministry spokesman Don Pramudwinai said.

If a visit goes ahead, it will probably be scheduled before the =
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) informal summit in Manila =
in late November, he said.

"There is a hope that problems will be solved after the visit," Don =
said.

Thailand has agreed in principle to the invitation but no dates have yet =
been set, Don said.

News reports quoted Surin on Monday as saying he wanted to solve the =
dispute before the ASEAN meeting.

"I am quite optimistic that the present conflicts with Burma (Myanmar) =
will be solved in the near future," he was quoted as saying in the =
Nation daily.

"Hopefully they will be settled before the ASEAN summit meeting in =
Manila later this month so that leaders of both countries can discuss =
other issues," he said.

Myanmar's junta closed the border after Thailand negotiated to allow the =
gunmen safe passage to the frontier in return for the hostages they had =
taken.

Since the incident it has also closed its territorial waters to Thai =
fishermen, costing the industry millions of baht a day.

The junta has also been critical of comments by some Thai officials that =
the gunmen were seen here as democracy activists and not terrorists.

The closure of the border has complicated a sweeping effort to deport =
illegal labour, mainly from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, by authorities =
in Thailand.

Surin said Thailand planned to change tack in its dealings with Myanmar =
as a result of the crisis in relations.

"Now we will deal with them using a new approach," he was quoted as =
saying.

"In the past, many authorities were involved in solving bilateral issues =
using personal contacts, and not in accordance with diplomatic, legal =
practice or any bilateral agreement," he said.

"Solutions to many problems that were settled by a personalised approach =
and contact are likely to be fragile, and the problem could easily =
re-occur."

Ties between Thailand and Myanmar sharply deteriorated when five gunmen =
seized the Myanmar embassy here in early October.

Myanmar closed the border with Thailand while the country started =
repartiation of hundred thousands of Burmese illegal workers.


------=_NextPart_000_000D_01BF2FBE.41C84980
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Monday, November 15</B> 8:40 PM SGT=20
<H2>Myanmar invites Thai FM for talks on row</H2>BANGKOK, Nov 15 (AFP) - =

<P>Myanmar has asked Thailand's Foreign Minister to visit Yangon as =
concern=20
rises that a row between the two neighbours could boil over at the ASEAN =
summit=20
at the end of the month.</P>
<P>Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan was invited to talks aimed at easing=20
relations strained by a hostage siege at Myanmar's embassy in Bangkok =
last=20
month, Thai foreign ministry spokesman Don Pramudwinai said.</P>
<P>If a visit goes ahead, it will probably be scheduled before the =
Association=20
of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) informal summit in Manila in late =
November,=20
he said.</P>
<P>"There is a hope that problems will be solved after the visit," Don =
said.</P>
<P>Thailand has agreed in principle to the invitation but no dates have =
yet been=20
set, Don said.</P>
<P>News reports quoted Surin on Monday as saying he wanted to solve the =
dispute=20
before the ASEAN meeting.</P>
<P>"I am quite optimistic that the present conflicts with Burma =
(Myanmar) will=20
be solved in the near future," he was quoted as saying in the Nation =
daily.</P>
<P>"Hopefully they will be settled before the ASEAN summit meeting in =
Manila=20
later this month so that leaders of both countries can discuss other =
issues," he=20
said.</P>
<P>Myanmar's junta closed the border after Thailand negotiated to allow =
the=20
gunmen safe passage to the frontier in return for the hostages they had=20
taken.</P>
<P>Since the incident it has also closed its territorial waters to Thai=20
fishermen, costing the industry millions of baht a day.</P>
<P>The junta has also been critical of comments by some Thai officials =
that the=20
gunmen were seen here as democracy activists and not terrorists.</P>
<P>The closure of the border has complicated a sweeping effort to deport =
illegal=20
labour, mainly from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos, by authorities in =
Thailand.</P>
<P>Surin said Thailand planned to change tack in its dealings with =
Myanmar as a=20
result of the crisis in relations.</P>
<P>"Now we will deal with them using a new approach," he was quoted as=20
saying.</P>
<P>"In the past, many authorities were involved in solving bilateral =
issues=20
using personal contacts, and not in accordance with diplomatic, legal =
practice=20
or any bilateral agreement," he said.</P>
<P>"Solutions to many problems that were settled by a personalised =
approach and=20
contact are likely to be fragile, and the problem could easily =
re-occur."</P>
<P>Ties between Thailand and Myanmar sharply deteriorated when five =
gunmen=20
seized the Myanmar embassy here in early October.</P>
<P>Myanmar closed the border with Thailand while the country started=20
repartiation of hundred thousands of Burmese illegal=20
workers.</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_000D_01BF2FBE.41C84980--