Border security receives a boost

Border security receives a boost

Thailand and Myanmar have agreed to boost cross-border security, international crime and narcotics suppression, and illegal migrant worker control.

Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar Supreme Commander exchanges a cooperation agreement with his Thai counterpart Gen Tanasak Patimapragorn during a Thai-Myanmar High Level Committee meeting in Bangkok. PAWAT LAOPISARNTAKSIN

Supreme Commander Tanasak Patimapragorn and his Myanmar counterpart Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing, who are co-chairmen of the Thai-Myanmar High Level Committee (HLC), signed the agreement at a Bangkok hotel yesterday.

Speaking after the signing, Gen Tanasak said the HLC meeting, which was the first of its kind between the two countries, went smoothly because representatives from both sides had discussed a wide range of issues and had reached agreement on all of them.

Gen Tanasak said the two countries had also discussed the powers and duties of the HLC and frameworks for future meetings, which would focus on border security and military cooperation. Myanmar will host the HLC meeting next year.

Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing told the meeting that the good relations between the Thai and Myanmar armed forces would help the two countries cooperate with one another on a wide range of issues, a Thai source at the meeting said.

Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing had met Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra on Tuesday at Government House.

He told the prime minister that relations between Thailand and Myanmar are at their most cordial in the history of ties between the two countries.

Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing told the prime minister the two countries should speed up border demarcation.

Ms Yingluck agreed with his suggestions.

He also said Myanmar President Thein Sein recognised the importance of the Dawei deep-sea port project and wanted to work with Thailand in ensuring its success.

Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing was the subject of media attention in Thailand in July after a leaked audio recording of an alleged conversation between ousted former premier Thaksin Shinawatra and Deputy Defence Minister Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapa mentioned him.

In the clip, the two men discussed how to make use of Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing to gain favourable treatment from Myanmar on a wide range of issues.

The men then said that Snr Gen Min Aung Hlaing had close ties to the Myanmar government and President Thein Sein.

Another source at yesterday's meeting said some officer in the Thai armed forces were concerned by Thai media reports about the relationship between the Myanmar general and the person in the audio clip.

"The Thai armed forces do not want any benefits from the Myanmar general apart from cooperation on border issues," the source said.

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