 |
Thaksin's Visit Eases Myanmar-Thai Tense Relations
Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's two-day official visit to Myanmar from June 19 to 20 has brought ease to four months' tense relations between the two countries out of border clashes.
Thaksin declared his Myanmar visit, which was the first to the country since he became the prime minister early this year, as a " successful" one.
Drug problem has been one of the main reasons that gave rise to the tense relations between Myanmar and Thailand.
During the trip, Myanmar and Thailand reached a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and precursor chemicals control, indicating the two countries' determination to cooperate closely to overcome the menace posed by narcotic drugs.
At the end of Thaksin's Yangon visit, Myanmar and Thailand issued a joint communique, which revealed that during the talks between Thaksin and Senior-General Than Shwe, Chairman of the Myanmar State Peace and Development Council and Prime Minister, both sides renewed their determination to further enhance the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries in the spirit of goodwill, friendship and mutual understanding, guided by the principles of mutual respect for each other's sovereignty and territorial integrity and the settlement of disputes by peaceful means.
The two leaders reiterated the pledge of their governments, expressed in the joint communique of May 17, 1997, to turn the common border between the two countries into one of friendship and harmony.
The two prime ministers agreed that the two countries' existing mechanisms -- the Township Border Committee (TBC), the Regional Border Committee (RBC), the Joint Boundary Committee (JBC) and the Joint Commission (JC) for Bilateral Cooperation be meeting and consulting regularly to strengthen the mutual understanding and for amicable settlement of issues.
"Although problems may sometimes arise between the two countries due to the sharing of a long common border, they are confident that these can be resolved amicably based on friendship, understanding, mutual trust and respect," the communique said.
The two sides also agreed to promote exchange of visits between the two countries in all fields.
Besides the signing of the anti-drug cooperation MOU between Myanmar and Thailand, the two prime ministers also welcomed the proposal to enhance anti-drug cooperation among the governments of China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, expressing their confidence that such quadrilateral cooperation would provide the region with an effective framework to fight the scourge of drugs.
On the issue of displaced persons and irregular migrants, the two leaders agreed that it be discussed and addressed as a matter of priority within the framework of the JC with a view to expediting their eventual return in safety and dignity.
There are reportedly over 140,000 Myanmar refugees and more than 400,000 illegal immigrants in Thailand.
Both sides also reaffirmed the spirit of the 1997 Myanmar-Thai Agreement on Border Crossing, agreeing to normalize border crossings at Tachilek-Maesai, Myawaddy-Maesod and kawthoung-Ranong checkpoints, especially at Tachilek which was closed since February due to border clashes and will be reopened by the Myanmar side within a week.
Than Shwe extended his invitation to the King and Queen of Thailand to visit Myanmar, while accepting Thaksin's to tour Thailand.
Before Thaksin's trip to Myanmar, Thai Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai came in May in the midst of uncooled tension arising from a series of border clashes between the two countries over the last few months since February, in which the two sides charged each other with intruding their respective territories.
The discussions then between Surakiart and his Myanmar counterpart U Win Aung had produced a number of agreements including a plan for the two countries' JC , which last met in 1999, to meet again as soon as possible.
Earlier in April, the two countries were able to have their RBC met in Myanmar's border town of Kengtung, reaching understanding over the need for them to cooperate in the sectors of drug control, border demarcation and border trade.
Despite achievements made in the easing of tension between Myanmar and Thailand, there still remain a number of issues that call for efforts for resolvement by both sides.
In This Section
|