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Thai Defense Minister Blames Border Tension on Meeting Suspension
The border tension between Thailand and Myanmar was mainly attributed to the suspension of the meeting of joint border committees of the two neighboring countries for more than two years, Defense Minister Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyudh said, the Thai News Agency (TNA) reported Thursday.
The adjournment of the talks by the joint bodies for that long led to the lack of good understanding and trust between the two nations, Chavalit was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
Gen Chavalit, who is also deputy premier, said the bilateral relations would strengthen and no conflict would occur should the joint committees at all levels hold discussion at lease once a year.
Asked whether it is time for leaders of both countries to hold discussion now, he said the border problem should be addressed through talks by low-level officials first.
The minister said he believed the situation would improve soon and the premier would visit Myanmar to discuss the problem once the government's policy statement was delivered at Parliament.
He also blamed the border tension on ill-intent persons. They did not want to see peace exist along the Thai and Myanmar frontier. But the Thai government remains insistent on the need to strengthen friendship with neighboring countries, said Chavalit.
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was quoted as saying that he had been informed of the clash between Myanmar soldiers and the Shan State Army troops at the former's outpost opposite Mae Sai District of the northern province of Chiang Rai.
The Thai military had been kept on alert to prevent the battle from spilling over into the Thai territory.
Thaksin did not want the media and the public to worry too much about the situation. The border problem would be solved sooner or later, he said.
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