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News & Articles on Burma
Sunday 22 July 2012
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Myanmar's reformist president begins twice-postponed visit to neighboring Thailand
Myanmar's reformist president visits Thailand
Myanmar president's Thailand visit to further enhance bilateral ties
Myanmar president on trade visit to Thailand
Burmese president visits Thailand
Myanmar president visits Thailand
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Myanmars reformist president begins twice-postponed visit to neighboring Thailand
Sakchai Lalit/Associated Press - Myanmar President Thein Sein, left, accompanied by Thai Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapa, second from left, reviews an honor guard upon his arrival at Don Muang airport in Bangkok Sunday, July 22, 2012 for a three-day official visit to Thailand.
By Associated Press,
BANGKOK Myanmar's reformist president on Sunday began a twice-postponed visit to neighboring Thailand expected to focus on economic ties.
President Thein Sein arrived for his first trip to Thailand since he became president in March last year and initiated political and economic reforms after almost five decades of repressive military rule.
He will meet with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Crown Princess Sirindhorn before departing Tuesday.
Thailand and Myanmar have extensive social and economic ties. But there are also tensions because Thailand houses many refugees from Myanmar fleeing warfare between the government and ethnic rebels, who are active along the 2,300-kilometer (1,300-mile) border.
Thailand has concerns about large amounts of heroin and methamphetamine produced in Myanmar and smuggled across its borders
Thein Sein is to witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding on development projects in Myanmar, including a major planned port and industrial complex at Dawei being undertaken by Thai companies.
Thein Sein had been scheduled to come to Thailand in late May to attend the World Economic Forum in Bangkok but cancelled those plans amid speculation that he feared being upstaged by opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was also attending on her first trip abroad in more than two decades.
A rescheduled trip in June was also put off because of sectarian violence in western Myanmar that left at least 80 people dead and tens of thousands homeless. Thein Sein previously visited Thailand in 2008 when he was prime minister under the previous ruling junta.
Thailand is Myanmar's second largest trade partner after northern neighbor China, with the total trade volume of $4.5 billion for the fiscal year 2011-2012.
Myanmars total imports from Thailand were worth $691.15 million, while exports were valued at $3.82 billion, mostly from the export of naural gas to Thailand to feed its energy needs.
Thailands proximity to Myanmar gives it an advantage in its efforts to benefit from its neighbors vast natural resources including minerals as well as oil and gas an under-exploited agricultural sector and opportunities in real estate and tourism.
Since Thein Sein assumed the presidency 16 months ago, he has overseen a wave of political and economic reforms including the release of political prisoners, the signing of cease-fires with armed rebel groups, the easing of restrictions on the press and opening a dialogue with prisoner-turned-parliamentarian Suu Kyi.
His government has also reformed the previous two-tier exchange rate system and is seeking to pass a new foreign investment law.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/myanmars-reformist-president-begins-twice-postponed-visit-to-neighboring-thailand/2012/07/22/gJQAynGZ1W_story.html
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July 22, 2012 2:21 AM
Myanmar's reformist president visits Thailand
Myanmar President Thein Sein, left, accompanied by Thai Deputy Prime Minister Yuthasak Sasiprapa, second from left, reviews an honor guard upon his arrival at Don Muang airport in Bangkok Sunday, July 22, 2012 for a three-day official visit to Thailand. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
BANGKOK Myanmar's reformist president has begun a twice-postponed visit to neighboring Thailand expected to focus on economic ties.
President Thein Sen arrived Sunday for his first trip to Thailand since he became president in March last year and initiated political and economic reforms after almost five decades of repressive military rule. He will meet with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra before departing Tuesday.
Thailand and Myanmar have extensive social and economic ties. But there are also tensions because Thailand houses many refugees from Myanmar fleeing warfare between the government and ethnic rebels, who are active along the 2,300-kilometer (1,300-mile) border. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501712_162-57477341/myanmars-reformist-president-visits-thailand/
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Myanmar president's Thailand visit to further enhance bilateral ties
(philstar.com) Updated July 22, 2012 12:00 PM Comments (0) View comments
YANGON (Xinhua) - Myanmar President U Thein Sein has headed for Thailand Sunday to pay a three-day goodwill visit to the Southeast Asian neighbor and the visit, which was put off for two times, is believed to further enhance bilateral relations.
Thein Sein is expected to hold talks with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Dawei Deep-Sea project, Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand, opening of five border gates proposed by the Thai side and the handling of the 90 Thai detainees.
The two leaders will witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation for development in Myanmar covering human resource development and preparation for Myanmar to take the chairmanship of ASEAN in 2014.
Establishment of a knowledge center for sustainable development along the Thai-Myanmar border, a "drop-in center" for human trafficking victims, and the Thai-Myanmar cooperation in dealing with drug trafficking are also expected on the agenda, according to Thai official sources which added that the two leaders would also discuss the possibility of building the long-planned Thailand- Myanmar-India road project, the road development from Singkhon checkpoint in Prachuap Khiri Kan to Myeik in Myanmar and the construction of a second bridge over the Moei River.
Thein Sein last met Yingluck in Cambodia's Siem Reap on the sideline of US-ASEAN Business Forum on July 13.
On Oct. 5, 2011, Yingluck visited Myanmar briefly for one day, during which talks were initiated on enhancing bilateral friendly relations and promoting bilateral cooperation on border affairs, border trade, construction of motor road, drug smuggling across the border and Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand.
The two countries' leaders also witnessed the presentation of meteorological equipment and the exchanging documents on border road construction.
According to Thai sources, Thai cabinet approved 203 projects to support the development of a deep-sea port and an industrial estate in Dawei city of Myanmar, proposed by the National Economic and Social Development Board .
The projects are to be implemented in eight provinces in the lower Central Plains to support development projects in Dawei. Of these, 60 projects are ready for immediate implementation.
They include building new roads, constructing an overflow dam on Huai Yang stream in Ratchaburi province and developing an information system for food security and health services in Suphan Buri province.
The two countries signed a framework agreement in Nay Pyi Taw in November 2010 which covers the projects of industrial zone, road and rail link to Thailand in Myanmar's southern Tanintharyi region.
The Dawei deep seaport, industrial zone and road and rail link to Thailand construction project represents the first ever special economic zone in Myanmar.
The project, which costs $13 billion, includes construction of Dawei Deep Seaport, buildings for shipyard and maintenance work, establishment of zone, petrochemical industries, oil refinery, steel plant, power stations and Dawei-Bangkok motor road and railroad and laying of oil pipeline along the motorway and railroad, according to the framework agreement.
The project is targeted to complete in 10 years under three phases.
There were some exchange between the two countries since early this year. In January, Myanmar Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services Vice Senior-General Min Aung Hlaing visited Thailand.
In May, a 76-member Thai delegation from about 50 companies also visited Myanmar and sought economic cooperation with their Myanmar counterparts.
In June, Myanmar's opposition leader and parliamentarian Aung San Suu Kyi visited Thailand for the first time in 24 years and addressed the World Economic Forum on East Asia in Bangkok held under the theme "Shaping the Region's Future through Connectivity".
The forum, which attracted over 630 participants including some heads of states or governments from 50 countries, decided Myanmar as a host in 2013.
With regard to Myanmar migrant workers in Thailand, there are 500,000 still undocumented although Myanmar has so far issued such provisional passports to about 700,000 out of 2 million.
Myanmar authorities said it will extend issuing such temporary passports to registered migrant workers in Thailand by the end of this year.
According to official statistics, Thailand's trade with Myanmar hit over $3.6 billion in the fiscal year 2010-11.
Of the total during the period, Thailand's export to Myanmar took over $2.9 billion while its import from Myanmar represented over $709 million.
Thailand's key exports to Myanmar include textiles, shoes, marine products, rice, rubber, jewelry, motor cars, computer and electronic accessories and vice versa, while its import from Myanmar also includes forestry products, marine products, agricultural produces and natural gas.
More statistics show that Thailand represented the second in Myanmar's foreign investment line-up with $9.568 billion in 61 projects as of March 2012.
http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=830155&publicationSubCategoryId=200
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THE NATION
Myanmar president on trade visit to Thailand
July 22, 2012 12:02 pm
Yangon - Myanmar President Thein Sein traveled Sunday to Thailand for an official visit to the second-largest investor in the former pariah state.
He initially planned to visit in May for the World Economic Forum, but canceled after learning that Myanmar democracy champion Aung San Suu Kyi would also attend the event where she grabbed the spotlight.
On Sunday, Thein Sein was scheduled to visit Laem Chambang seaport in Chonburi, 100 kilometres south-east of Bangkok.
Laem Chabang is planned to be linked by road to the Dawei deep seaport on Myanmars south-eastern coast, an 8.6-billion-dollar project that Italian-Thai Development Company won a concession to build and operate.
Myanmar has been under nominal civilian rule since the November 2010 general election. The government is run by the pro-military Union Solidarity and Development Party, which is packed with former generals.
Thein Sein has initiated several political reforms since taking office in March 2011, most significantly allowing Suu Kyi to join mainstream politics as an elected member of parliament.
The reforms prompted the US and Europe to ease sanctions imposed on the country for two decades. http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/Myanmar-president-on-trade-visit-to-Thailand-30186722.html
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Burmese president visits Thailand
Thanaporn Promyamyai
AAP, July 22, 2012 9:40PM
BURMA'S president has made his first official trip to Thailand since taking power in a visit likely to focus on economic ties between his reforming nation and its more affluent neighbour.
Thein Sein arrived in Bangkok on Sunday for a three-day trip that will include talks with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Monday expected to cover development and infrastructure investment for impoverished Burma.
The visit marks "a significant milestone of Thai-Myanmar (the junta name for Burma) relations", according to a statement from Thailand's foreign ministry.
It is a chance to strengthen ties, "particularly those in support of Myanmar's ongoing economic reform and development efforts for the benefits of both countries and the region as a whole", it said.
Thailand has fostered long-standing economic ties with its neighbour and - along with China and other regional nations - became a key trading partner with Burma during years of isolation under junta rule.
But reforms under Thein Sein have triggered a dramatic thawing of relations with the West, which has begun to dismantle strict sanctions against the resource-rich country, amid hopes for a resurgence of its economy.
This month the United States gave the green light to US companies to invest in Burma including in oil and gas, in its broadest and most controversial easing yet of sanctions, as foreign firms eye potentially lucrative opportunities in the country's energy sector.
Thein Sein, who took the presidency of the new quasi-civilian government last year, on Sunday inspected the Laem Chabang deep-sea port in Chonburi, about 80 kilometres from Bangkok, on Thailand's Gulf Coast.
Doubts have emerged over a Thai-backed multi-billion-dollar deep-sea-port development in Dawei, on Burma's southern Andaman coast, after Thein Sein's government announced it was blocking a coal-fired plant that was to be built at the site.
Thein Sein will also meet representatives of Thai industry and agriculture during his trip, including the heads of energy giant Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) and industrial conglomerate Siam Cement.
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/world/burmese-president-visits-thailand/story-e6frfkui-1226432250410#ixzz21M98c4C7
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Myanmar president visits Thailand
Posted: 22 July 2012 1552 hrs
 Myanmar President Thein Sein attends a bilateral meeting at the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) Summit in Tokyo on in April 2012. (AFP/POOL/File - Tomohiro Ohsumi)
BANGKOK: Myanmar's president Sunday made his first official trip to Thailand since taking power in a visit likely to focus on economic ties between his reforming nation and its more affluent neighbour.
Thein Sein arrived in Bangkok for a three-day trip that will include talks with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Monday expected to cover development and infrastructure investment for impoverished Myanmar.
The meeting will also be a chance to strengthen ties, "particularly those in support of Myanmar's ongoing economic reform and development efforts for the benefits of both countries and the region as a whole", Thailand's foreign ministry said in a statement.
Thailand has fostered long-standing economic ties with its neighbour and -- along with China and other regional nations -- became a key trading partner with Myanmar during years of isolation under junta rule.
But reforms under Thein Sein have triggered a dramatic thawing of relations with the West, which has begun to dismantle strict sanctions against the resource-rich country, amid hopes for a resurgence of its economy.
This month the United States gave the green light to US companies to invest in Myanmar including in oil and gas, in its broadest and most controversial easing yet of sanctions, as foreign firms eye potentially lucrative opportunities in the country's energy sector.
Thein Sein, who took the presidency of the new quasi-civilian government last year, is Sunday expected to visit Laem Chabang deep-sea port in Chonburi, about 80 kilometres (50 miles) from Bangkok, on Thailand's Gulf Coast.
Doubts have emerged over a Thai-backed multi-billion-dollar deep-sea-port development in Dawei, on Myanmar's southern Andaman coast, after Thein Sein's government announced that it was blocking a coal-fired plant that was to be built at the site.
Thein Sein will also meet representatives of Thai industry and agriculture during his trip, including the heads of energy giant Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) and industrial conglomerate Siam Cement.
The meeting between Thein Sein and Yingluck is expected to include discussion of the fate of dozens of Thais arrested across the border and held on charges of land encroachment.
Thailand's treatment of its huge population of Myanmar migrants is also expected to be on the table, with Naypyidaw attempting to improve living conditions for its workers, who are often vulnerable to exploitation.
Thein Sein delayed a visit to Bangkok in late May which clashed with opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's trip to the country in her first overseas excursion for over two decades.
Thein Sein was initially due to attend the World Economic Forum on East Asia held in Bangkok. Suu Kyi stole the show at the forum, urging "healthy scepticism" over Myanmar's dramatic reforms, saying only the rule of law could cement recent political progress and foster clean investment.
The Myanmar leader again postponed the trip in early June, citing "unfavourable conditions", without elaborating.
- AFP/wm http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1215009/1/.html
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