Thailand needs to be concerned about fighting on the Sino-Burma border: Kachin newsman

Written by S.H.A.N. Tuesday, 21 June 2011 17:22

Lahpai Naw Din, editor of the Kachin News Group (KNG), told the Thai media yesterday current fighting between Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Burma Army on the Sino-Burma border should be a cause of concern for Thailand, despite a distance of some 500km from the kingdom.

The Kachin Independence Organization / Kachin Independence Army (KIO / KIA) is a leading member of the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), he said. An attack against on member is regarded as an attack against all.

Other prominent members include Karen National Union (KNU) and Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP)) along the Thai border and Chin National Front (CNF) along the Indian border. The Shan State Army (SSA) North, another member, has been fighting since 13 March, when it was attacked by the Burma Army.

There are also two lessons to be learned from the Kachin experience, he told his listners, among whom were reporters from the widely read Thai Rath daily, Issara and Voice of America.

The first is that foreigners working inside Burma under joint projects could become hostages at the Burma Armys mercy, Now Din said.

The 215 Chinese workers working at hydropower plants Taping #1 and Taping #2, for example, were advised by the KIA to leave before the fighting began on 9 June. However, the Burma Army told them not to leave and, as a result, they unintentionally became pawns for the Burma Army.

The workers were later transported to the border by the KIA following a lull in the battle.

The second lesson is that Naypyitaw will enlist the neighboring countries support in its campaign against the ethnic movements, he said.

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Thailand needs to be concerned about fighting on the Sino-Burma border: Kachin newsman
Written by S.H.A.N. Tuesday, 21 June 2011 17:22

Thailand has won concession to construct a deep sea port in Burmas Tavoy/Dawei that will serve as a shortcut to the present roundabout passage through the Straits of Malacca.

A better choice would be to push the Burmese rulers to honor the agreement reached at Panglong (in 1947), he said.

The agreement between Aung San, father of democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi, and leaders of the Frontier Areas (as non-Burman ethnic territories were then known) promised total autonomy, democracy and human rights for the Frontier Areas, who were entitled to become separate nations, according to the late Shan leader Shwe Ohn.

China has called for restraint and peaceful resolution. Asean and India, meanwhile, have yet to respond to the situation.

Ceasefire pacts between Naypyitaw and armed ethnic groups fell apart after the former demanded that the latter become part of the national armed forces in 2009.

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