Bangkok Post Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Agricultural cooperation, attempts to end opium poppy cultivation and transport links are high on the agenda at talks today between the Thai and Burmese prime ministers. Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej and his Burmese counterpart, Gen Thein Sein, will sign a memorandum of understanding on contract farming during their meeting today, the Foreign Ministry said.
The contract farming project with Burma is a scheme to use Burmese soil to produce and supply agricultural products to Thailand, while the kingdom is to transfer know-how to Burmese farmers to help them earn more income.
Mr Samak said transport links between the two countries will also be discussed during his talks with the Burmese leader.
The two countries will try to conclude a second Thai-supported alternative development project to wean Burmese communities away from poppy cultivation, said Pittaya Jinawat, deputy secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board.
The project is to be launched at Wanyin near Taunggyi in Burma's southern Shan state.
The area is home to the Pa-O people, now turning to opium cultivation for fast cash return in remote areas.
The Burmese prime minister, accompanied by six cabinet ministers and 30 officials, arrived in Bangkok yesterday.
The Burmese delegation will tomorrow visit a royally-initiated project at Doi Tung in Chiang Rai province, where Thai and Burmese officials will discuss the second Thai project for Burma.
The first alternative development project was carried out in Yong Kha, an area in Shan state along the Thai-Burmese border.
This region is under the control of the drug-trafficking cartel of the United Wa State Army, whose leaders top the list of people wanted by the US administration for drugs trading
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