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BANGKOK - THAI Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej insisted on Tuesday that the kingdom would continue doing business with neighbouring Myanmar in a bid to pressure the military regime to reform.
Thailand is one of the biggest investors and trading partners in Myanmar, spending billions of dollars a year to tap into the country's natural gas and hydropower resources to fuel its own growing economy.
Western countries have tightened sanctions on Myanmar following the junta's crackdown on pro-democracy protests last September, when the United Nations estimates at least 31 people were killed.
Asked if Thailand would change its investment policy to add to the international pressure on the regime, Mr Samak insisted that the countries would remain good neighbours.
'Who will force Thailand to stop being friends with our neighbour? Do we have to adopt the Western opinion on what we can or cannot do?' Mr Samak told reporters.
'When we want something, and we ask Myanmar, they give it to us,' he said.
'For example, when we want electricity and we need to a build a dam there, they allow us. If we need transport facilities, they let us build a port. So we are good neighbouring countries,' Mr Samak said.
Thai Foreign Minister Noppadon Pattama has said that his country opposes sanctions on Myanmar, saying that talks with the iron-fisted generals could lead to positive developments in the country, which has been ruled by the military since 1962. -- AFP
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