Myanmar airline suspends Bangkok and KL flights

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Myanmar's state-owned airline said on Friday it had suspended flights to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur because of a lack of insurance coverage following last month's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protests.

Myanmar Airways International (MAI) said the London-based insurer of Lion Air, the company from which it leases aircraft on the two routes, had told them the planes were "not fully covered for war and allied perils".

In a statement, the airline put the blame for the withdrawal on "the recent crisis".

MAI said services to the Thai and Malaysian capitals were suspended with immediate effect until the end of October while it tried to find some replacement, insured aircraft.

Myanmar exile and dissident groups have long been trying to force international insurers to withdraw support for any companies or operations with links to the junta, the latest face of more than four decades of military rule in the former Burma.

Last month, the junta sent in soldiers to crush the largest pro-democracy protests in nearly 20 years, killing at least 10 people and sparking an unprecedented diplomatic campaign to force them into democratic reform.

"The trade unions have been urging this sort of thing for a long time now. Without insurance, nothing can work," said Mark Farmaner of the Burma Campaign UK.

MAI said its services to Singapore, with codeshare partner Jetstar, were not affected.