Thai officials returning to Chiangmai from last week’s security meeting at the Pitsanulok, headquarters of the Thai Third Regional Army that oversees security along the Thai-Burmese border, have demanded to be notified of all seminars and workshops being planned by ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) so that they can send army observers to attend.
“They would be required to give a written notice and allow one or two of our officials as observers,” a Thai Army officer told SHAN. “In other words, we will be happy to accommodate the peace process. Burma’s peace is in our interests.”
Since the beginning of the peace process in August 2011, successive Thai governments have tolerated EAO gatherings inside the kingdom.
“They should also be aware of the agreement that has been made between the Burmese and Thai militaries,” he added. “And that is that the two sides will cooperate closely against drug trafficking and arms smuggling.”
The Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT), formed at the Kachin stronghold Laiza by the EAOs in November 2013, is reportedly planning to hold a meeting in Chiangmai next week to review the controversial 4th Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) draft that was produced between it and the government’s Union Peacemaking Work Committee (UPWC) at the 22-26 September meeting in Rangoon.
The next NCCT-UPWC meeting has been planned to be held in Chiang Mai in early December though the date has yet to be fixed.
Another military source told SHAN later not only EAOs but also unarmed activist organizations are included in the directive issued by the Third Army commander, Lt-Gen Sathit Pittrat. “Which means civil society organizations (CSOs) based in Thailand must also notify any meetings they are planning to hold,” he says.
So far Third Army units along the border have been more focused on drugs and arms running, not political and social activities inside Thailand.
