Myanmar’s military chief, Gen. Ye Win Oo, who is currently in Thailand to attend the Thai–Myanmar Senior Officials’ Meeting, met with the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces on August 19.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to cooperate in preventing and combating cross-border crime, as well as the illegal trafficking of arms and ammunition.
They also emphasized that maintaining peace and stability along the border is essential to restoring cross-border trade between the two countries and that the two militaries need to cooperate to maintain security in border areas.
A resident of the Three Pagodas Pass area said: “After Ye Win Oo became military chief, various parliamentary bodies and other institutions were established. After Min Aung Hlaing became president, programs known as the ‘100-day plans’ were introduced. Under these plans, there were efforts to reclaim areas along the border from armed organizations, as well as military operations to retake them. As a result, many border areas were brought back under the control of the military commission.”
During their meeting, the two military chiefs also discussed measures to prevent illegal trade along the border and efforts to crack down on online scams and illegal gambling operations in the border areas of both countries.
They also discussed opportunities for Myanmar to cooperate within ASEAN, as well as cooperation between the two militaries on military exercises and training programs.
Gen. Ye Win Oo was accompanied by Chief of the General Staff (Army, Navy and Air) Lieutenant General Ko Ko Oo and other senior officials to attend the 9th Thai–Myanmar Senior Officials’ Meeting.
Along the Thai–Myanmar border, various ethnic armed organizations, including the New Mon State Party (NMSP), Karen National Union (KNU), and Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS), maintain bases and operate in the area. Other armed resistance groups are also active along the border.
IMNA