Thai Watchers? SPDC'S UNPOPULAR FO

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Subject: Thai Watchers?  SPDC'S UNPOPULAR FOREIGN POLICY  A LA MILITAIRE

Many of us may not know so much about Thai recent poltical and social
history, should we say, the last twenty or twenty five years. Can 
you point us to some good sources, and might you have a sort of
chronological dateline of events already to send, it would be most
helpful for many who are not Thai specialists. Thank you. ds

Julien Moe wrote:
> 
> SPDC'S UNPOPULAR FOREIGN POLICY A LA MILITAIRE
> By Julien Moe
> 16th Oct 1999
> 
> Thailand's economy does not depend  on Burma. With fewer restrictions in the
> fiscal system, Thailand has been making progress as a developing nation in
> Asia. As the economy gets better and better,the political reforms
> ameliorate. And the military brasshats' grip on power is fading. The
> military role in Thai politics is loosening. The Thai democracy has become
> more stable.
> 
> Yet the unpopular regime in Burma , the neighbouring nation with cruel and
> evil intentions, has tried things that a democracy cannot imagine doing to
> another democracy. Threatening the Thai government with extended border
> closures unless SPDC's demand to capture the  5 students responsible for the
> hostage crisis that occured 2 weeks ago is fulfilled by the Thai
> authorities. That was a foreign policy that will only worsen the relations
> between Burma and Thailand. Such a threat also proves the fact that the
> hostage crisis hit the regime so hard because the regime is responding so
> seriously to the incident. The authorities in Rangoon are busy holding
> meetings among the senior members of the regime. They have to deal with the
> representatives from UN, the World Bank and the IMF. These days the regime
> could care less. The military operations against the SSA, another military
> confrontation against the KNU and now the worsening  relations with the
> neighbour, Thailand, are what is bothering the unpopular regime in Burma.
> 
> If foreign policies are prescribed a la militaire, then the neighbouring
> country will not surely want to  be traeted  as if they were under house
> arrest. The regime so much isolated and desperate for recognition is going
> nowhere and the nation itself is staying too many strides behind
> neighbouring countries. If there are restrictions either in political
> reforms or economic reforms, there will be just stagnation. No progress is
> guaranteed by such status quo. It also applies to the foreign policy
> regarding neibouring countries. Thanking Thailand for diffusing the hostage
> crisis peacefully and condemning for letting the hostage takers go free have
> made the Thais feel awkward. And it is bringing no progress towards Burma or
> its people.