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Political tensions in Myanmar, says Thai PM

BANGKOK, Jan 28 (AFP) - Political "tension" has risen in military-ruled Myanmar after the death of an aide to a senior general, Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said Friday.

Thaksin did not give details on the developments and discounted suggestions a coup had been hatched, but said Thailand was watching the situation closely.

"It is not clear yet as Myanmar is a closed society, but I admit that there has been some form of tension in Myanmar," he told reporters.
"I don't think it is a coup but there are tensions and preparations to do something," he said.

Myanmar's political upheaval is often publicised first by neighbouring Thailand, which claims close ties with the secretive state. Thaksin's remark came one week after the death of Lieutenant Colonel Bo Win Tun, the personal assistant to Myanmar number two Deputy Senior General Maung Aye.

Bo Win Tun's obituary ran in state media Sunday and he was buried with full military honours, but it was unclear how he died. Rumours have swirled in the capital that he may have been assassinated, killed himself or died protecting Maung Aye, sparking talk of a power struggle resurfacing in Yangon.

The city was also awash in speculation that Bo Win Tun's death hinted at a more serious crisis which may have seen Maung Aye killed in a bizarre gunbattle within the junta's inner circle.

Diplomats struggling to grasp the latest from Yangon also noted the recent disappearance from public view of newly installed Prime Minister General Soe Win, which has led to reports he may have been placed under house arrest or fled the city.

"What mostly preoccupies me is the absence of the prime minister in the official press. Usually this is a sign that something is brewing," a Western diplomat in Yangon told AFP.

Bo Win Tun's death and subsequent rumours coincided with a meeting of army regional commanders in Yangon attended by top brass including junta leader Senior General Than Shwe, sources close to the military said.

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