An armed policeman stands guard on a cordoned-off road with police trucks and water cannons in Mandalay, Myanmar, on Feb 10, 2021. (PHOTO / AP)

BANGKOK - Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said Wednesday he has received a letter from Myanmar's military leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, asking for his support for the country's democracy.

It was a "personal letter" in which Hlaing cited reasons for the declaration of a one-year state of emergency in Myanmar, seeking the Thai leader's support to ensure the country's democratic process, Prayut told reporters at the Government House without elaborating.

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"We are supportive of the democratic process in Myanmar but what is most important today is to maintain good relations because it impacts the people, the economy, border trade, particularly now," Prayut said.

He said Thailand invariably follows the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, a peace treaty established by the founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. 

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