Likelihood of revolt in Myanmar increases
According to Senator Kraisak Choonhavan the movement of the capital will weaken the control of the military junta over the population. The senator also criticises the Thai policy of "constructive relations" that punishes refugees .
Bangkok (AsiaNews/Agencies) - The junta's decision to shift the core of the Myanmese government to the new city of Pyinmana could open the door to democracy, a top Thai senator said this week. "I think now the decision of the government to move the capital to Pyinmana, 400 km north will definitely weaken the state's grip on the people," said Senator Kraisak Choonhavan. "I think they have put themselves in a mine here. And I would encourage the Burmese people to be ready for an uprising in a few months". "If an uprising is popular, I don't think the officers will defend the SPDC (State and Development Council). I've heard officers are also quite discontented about what's going on.
"All countries are very worried - where are they going to put their embassies? There is an April deadline, I believe - it takes 12 hours to get up there to Pyinmana from Yangon and they've got to pick their spot, where each embassy will be relocated to. There is something very seriously wrong in Burma now," he said.
The senator suggested Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's business interests may have been allowed to influence relations with Yangon. The problem was dealings with Yangon had now "gone way beyond constructive engagement", he said. The Thai government was "using taxpayers' money for roads in neighbouring countries built with forced labour".
Thailand's Export-Import Investment Bank had also financed billions of baht in "dubious deals", a large chunk of which would benefit a telecoms firm controlled by Mr Thaksin's family, which looked set yesterday to be taken over by the Singaporean state investment agency Temasek, he alleged. "We find that unacceptable. These deals are not transparent and have not even passed by parliament," he said.
Under the previous Chuan Leekpai regime, Thais had been proud to host refugees from Myanmar and Cambodia, he said. "But people in Thailand cannot accept befriending of a regime that has no human rights. It's a farce."
Hundreds of politically active Myanmese had been rounded up and packed off to the border refugee camps. There is now talk of extraditing them back to Myanmar. "I am ashamed of my government's treatment of the refugees," he said.
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23/09/2021 09:07
