"CONSTRUCTIVE ENGAGEMENT" THAILAND'S FOREIGN POLICY TOWARD MYANMAR (1997-2001)

This study is to analyze the policies of Thai Government towards the conflict between the Burmese minority groups and the Burmese Government. The scope of the analysis was foreign policies of Chuan Leekpai 2 administration which was in power during 1997-2001. The findings are as follows: 1. Chuan 2 administration advocated the ASEAN’s "Constructive Engagement” which tried to promote democracy and human rights protection in Myanmar including ethnic minorities’ autonomy rather than economic cooperation. 2. For the internal conflict of Myanmar, Chuan 2 administration pressed Burmese SPDC to give up dictatorship and establish democratic federation. 3. In the critical contrast, Chuan 2 administration decided to crackdown on ceasefire United Wa State Army’s drug facilities inside Myanmar by Thai army while Burmese SPDC decided to attack non-ceasefire Shan State Army-South bases from Thai territory and those incidents developed to border disputes in 2001-2002 just after the change to Thaksin administration. Thai policies for Myanmar by Chuan administrations had been succeeded by political heir parties respectively.