Thailand: Burmese ethnic armed groups ordered to inform junta of meetings

Kachin Independence Army recruits in training. Pic: AP

By Mark Inkey | @markinkey-By Saksith Saiyasombut & Siam Voices Nov 21, 2014 

Lt-Gen Sathit Pittrat, commander of the Thai Third Regional Army, has directed that Burmese ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) must give advance notice to and seek permission from the army for any meetings they intend to hold in Thailand.

The Third Regional Army, based in Pithsanulok, oversees security on the Thai-Burma border. In the future it may also send officers to observe the EAO meetings.

A Thai army officer told S.H.A.N. news: “They [the EAOs] would be required to give a written notice [of meetings] and allow one or two of our officials as observers. We will be happy to accommodate the peace process. Burma’s peace is in our interests.”

Many of the Burmese nationwide ceasefire negotiations between the The Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) on the ethnic side and the Union Peacemaking Work Committee (UPWC) on the government side have taken place in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand.

The United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC) is a coalition of ethnic armed forces based in Chiang Mai, which is also involved in the peace process.

NCCT joint secretary and spokesman Khun Okker confirmed that the Thai army had issued the order.

The NCCT was due to hold a meeting in Chiang Mai next week, which has been postponed pending approval from the Thai army

Khun Okker said: ““We have to ask permission from the Thai Third Army to have our NCCT meeting in Thailand so we have to delay the meeting date because the response from the military officer has not yet come back.

“We sent our request two days ago but it takes time because of bureaucratic procedures. We have to wait for our meeting date and postpone it.”

He said that the Thai Army had not requested to send officers to observe the meeting and he did not think that they would want to interfere with or attend the meetings.

Whether the Thai Army was also extending the directive to cover Burmese civil society organisation (CSO) meetings being held in Thailand was less clear.

According to the S.H.A.N. News report a Thai military source had informed them that the rules for CSOs would be the same as those for EAOs, but Khun Okker said he was not sure that was the case.

A Thailand-based Burmese CSO that did not want to be identified said that it had enquired through informal Thai military channels and had been told that they did not need to ask permission from the army to hold meetings.

In recent weeks, according to anecdotal reports from people working with Burmese CSOs in Thailand, there have been more people than usual showing an interest in what they are doing. Though those making the enquiries have not normally overtly said they are working for the Thai authorities, the CSO workers were suspicious that was who they were collecting information for.

Until now the Third Army has been focused on border activities such as drugs and arms smuggling. This is the first time they have taken an interest in the political and social activities of Burmese people and organisations based in Thailand.

Since the military took over in Thailand after the May 22 coup, the country has become more authoritarian. The army has banned protests and kept a very close watch on any groups associated with the former government and former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who now lives in exile.

About the author:Mark Inkey is a freelance journalist specialising in Burma and Southeast Asia. Mark is also English editor of Burmese ethnic news umbrella group http://bnionline.net.