The Burmese and Malaysian governments will not hesitate to host Puea Thai Party chairman Chavalit Yongchaiyudh if he visits the two countries as planned, according to a close aide of the general.
Lt Gen Piratch Swamiwas said Gen Chavalit is expected to travel to Burma around the middle of this month and meet Snr Gen Than Shwe, chairman of the State Peace and Development Council.
He will later visit Malaysia where he is scheduled to meet Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, said Lt Gen Piratch.
His visits to the neighbouring countries would be closely watched by the government, which was embarrassed by his recent trip to Cambodia, whose leader Hun Sen expressed sympathy towards former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and offered him a home in Cambodia.
Gen Chavalit said yesterday that a trip to Burma was a must because of his close ties with both Gen Than Shwe and Burmese Prime Minister Thein Sein. "Gen Than Shwe and I are like brothers to each other. For Gen Thein Sein, we are each other's fans," he said.
Gen Chavalit said the coalition government was wrong to condemn Burma over opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi's house arrest.
He said his visit to Malaysia was meant to pursue bilateral cooperation with Kuala Lumpur and to stem the tide of the southern unrest.
Gen Chavalit has claimed that solving the southern strife is one of the reasons why he joined the Puea Thai Party. He would visit the region on Tuesday.
He said building trust is instrumental in bringing peace to the violence-torn region and in promoting peaceful coexistence between the peoples of different cultures and faiths.
He said the government has failed in its mission which has become a cause for concern for the Organisation of the Islamic Conference and the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
Democrat Party spokesman Buranat Samutarak yesterday warned Gen Chavalit to avoid taking steps which could complicate Thailand's relations with two of its closest neighbours.
He said Gen Chavalit should refrain from doing things which would allow the two neighbouring countries to interfere in Thailand's internal affairs.
"I hope that his trips will not cause any discomfort like his visit to Cambodia did," he said.
Source: Bangkok Post
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