Thai-US annual military exercise begins

Bangkok, May 8 (UNI) The largest war simulation exercise in Asia by the United States began today in eastern Thailand.

This time the Thai-US annual military games have been joined by Japan, Indonesia and Singapore.

The 10-day event is being held despite Washington's suspension of financial military aid to Thailand after the military takeover of government in Bangkok last year.

Only last month Thailand's military-installed government turned down a proposal by the United States to train Thai troops in tackling insurgency in Thailand's Muslim-majority southern border region which has claimed more than 2,100 lives in the past three years.

This year's ''Cobra Gold War'' games which started in the eastern coastal province of Chonburi some 80 km east of Bangkok are focused on multinational peacekeeping operations.

''For a quarter century, Cobra Gold has been the most visible symbol of US and Thai military cooperation,'' US deputy Ambassador to Thailand Alexander Aryizu said before the start of the war games.

Several other countries are observing the live-fire and computer simulations of armed conflict situations.

About 3,000 Thai and 2,000 US military personnel will take part in the war games. Japan, Singapore and Indonesia have sent 47, 70 and 27 military personnel respectively.

Thailand is a non-NATO ally of the United States and the two have been conducting the annual military exercise in Thailand for the past 26 years.

UNI