The neighbouring countary (Part 4)
Deja User
---------------------------------
(From The New light of Myanmar
Sunday, 11 March, 2001)
(Continued from 8. 3 . 2001)
I visited Bangkok for the second time nearly ten years ago in 1992. As I was an official guest during my first visit to Bangkok in 1989, I was treated with total hospitality. I thanked the hosts for all the hospitality. But I was not an official guest during my second visit to the country. As I was on my own business trip, there was no one to treat me. One night while I was strolling along the narrow lanes in the city; I stopped at a roadside foodstall to eat something. I made a complaint when the roasted fish I ordered found to be so expensive. The shop owner said '4The fish was expensive as it came from Myanmar." If so Thai fish will be cheaper. Thus, I ordered Thai fish. But he replied "There was no fish left in Thai territorial waters since long ago."
The foreign media exaggerated the matter concerning the poaching trawlers near Zadetkyi Island. On 29 December 1998, ten days after the Myanmar Navy boat was fired on, the Myanma News Agency (Internal) asked the officials concerned and issued the authentic news report. In that incident, those who were fired on were blamed.
Another problem rose before a month had passed. At 11:00 am on 12th January 1999, the Tatmadaw patrol vessel Yan Naing 510 left Kawthoung on a routine patrol mission since the area was frequently used by Thai poaching vessels. When it reached the position of North Latitude 9 degrees 57 minutes and East Longitude 98 degrees 27 mutes, west of Thahtay Island at about 11:30 am, a Thai naval vessel fired on Yan Naing 510 with 25 cannon rounds as well as with machine-gun fire. At the time of incident, the Thai vessel was located well within Myanmar territorial waters at North Latitude 9 degrees 55 minutes and East Longitude 98 degrees 25 minutes.
As a result of the unprovoked attack by the Thai naval vessel, Yan Naing 510 was hit but was able to return to Kawthoung safely. Moreover, the Salonkyun Pagoda on the Salon Island was hit at the second band from the lower base of the pagoda's bell shape structure, causing damage measuring 21 inches in length, five inches in width and three inches in dept. Some shell also exploded on the western shore of the Salon Island; It was a civilian target.
Press release on Thai naval vessel's firing of rounds on Tatmadaw patrol vessel is issued in the dailies.
As an evidence, a 40-mm Bofors shell made in Thailand and measuring seven inches in length and 1.5 inches in circumstance with the marks "ST BPD dated 1-4-78 40/70 HEIT M2" was also found on the beach of the island.
As they hit the pagoda, they have become the persons destroying Buddhism. I wondered, whether they were real Buddhists or not. The Htidaw (sacred umbrella) was hosted atop the pagoda by Vice-Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Deputy Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services Commander-in-Chief (Army) General Maung Aye. I accompanied the General during the trip to the ceremony. The pagoda was a very sublime religious building whose shape was like that of Shwedagon Pagoda n Yangon. We felt so sorry for the incident.
A shell fired by Thai naval vessel landed and exploded on Salon Island in Myanmar territory on 12 January 1999.
Yan Naing 510 was capable of encountering the naval vessel of the other country. The other country would have already known the unyielding spirit of Myanmars. During the incident, the Myanmar patrol vessel did not retaliate despite the unprovoked attack for the sake of friendship between the two nations and also to avoid further aggravation of the situation. Myanmar showed magnanimity to that extent.
Myanmar always makes sacrifices in solving problems with the other country. There was not a single problem that could not be solved between the two nations. Use of force will worsen the situation and lead both sides to suffer losses. The land mass and the water body cannot be removed. As the two countries will always be the neighbouring countries, both sides should look forward to building eternal friendship. I have Thai friends.
By the way I and my Thai friends were talking about the dailies if the other country. A Thai friend said to me that one could believe only the one 50th of the other country's dailies. He said that correctness was not required in the country's media world; swiftness and attraction were the only requirements; people would threw away a newspaper into the dustbin after reading it.
An unexploded projectile fired from Thai naval vessel left as evidence on Salon Island
I visited the Thai Rat daily, which had the largest circulation in the other country, in Bangkok in 1997. The daily's main aim and priority is to win public attraction and to increase circulation. It used the western style journalism method. In the western world, BSM or blood, sex and money is being given priority to win public attraction. Thus, the unpleasant and sexual photographs occupy the front cover of the dailies of the other country. Car accidents, shootings and terrorist acts are the main pews items. I have nothing to make criticism on the use of unpleasant news in trying to win public attraction. But it will become a matter to criticize if the unpleasant events are created to attract the readers.
Author: Tin Than Oo
----------------
to view with photos pls browse at:
http://www.myanmar.com/nlm/article/March11.htm
------------------------------------------------------------
--== Sent via Deja.com ==--
http://www.deja.com/
--
Posted from [203.81.67.105] by way of mail22.bigmailbox.com [209.132.220.199]
via Mailgate.ORG Server - http://www.Mailgate.ORG
Aung
instead of discussing about our country's future.
I noticed you guys are much more intelligent than the Junta, so why don't
you say NO to Junta no more?. Are you afraid of them? Or are you getting
some favor from them?
I completely do not understand you.
Don't be angry, because anger make people's life short. Long live my
friends.
"Deja User" wrote in message
<2001031207...@mail22.bigmailbox.com>...