[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

NEWS from S.H.A.N. - ASSISTING THE



Subject: NEWS from S.H.A.N. - ASSISTING THE BURMESE MILITARY IN THE WAR ON

INDEPENDENCE VOL. 16, NO. 3, APRIL & MAY 1999
******************************************************************
Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N), P.O. Box 15, Nong Hoi P.O.,
Chiangmai 50007, THAILAND
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------
EDITORIAL:
  
ASSISTING THE BURMESE MILITARY IN THE WAR ON DRUGS:
IS IT GOING TO WORK?
  On 7 January 1999, the U.S. Government decertified Burma on Drugs.
  Nevertheless, reports about foreign agencies, especially that of the
United States, doing their
  best not only to "laud" the junta's "drug efforts" at every
opportunity but to channel fi-
  nancial and material assistance to it have not ceased. There is, as a
consequence, wellgrounded
  widespread fear that there will be, as in the 1974-88 period, a
resumption of aid to the mili-
  tary most hated and feared by its people, and that it will be using
the aid again, not against
  drugs but against its people and its political opponents.
  However, the American experience in Latin America as summed up by
Peter Zirnite (Reluctant
  Recruits: the US military and the War on Drugs, August 1997) provides
sufficient lessons
  against Americans opting for the easier way out to aid the junta by
following the late Deng
  Xioping's most well-known maxim, that the color of the cat is not
important as long as it
  catches mice.
   
  In the Latin American countries, Uncle Sam has not only employed its
own personnel but also
  inevitably those of the native armed forces.The report card shows it
has resulted in some
  "great" successes i.e. the arrests of drug traffickers, for example,
the notorious Noriega,
  eradication of coca fields, destruction of processing labs and
disruption of transportation.
  However, the fact, as admitted by the White House's most zealous drug
warriors, is that "gains
  have been more tactical than strategic". Moreover, they "have been
episodicand temporary", as
  the 'enemy" adapts quickly to en forcement strategies.
  
  The result:
  Seizures of thousands of metric tons of Cocaine and eradication of

more than 55,000 hectares
  of Coca plants between 1988 and 1995, "have failed to reduce the
supply of illegal drugs in
  the United States or their avail ability".
  "Eradication  ...... is offset by expanded cultivation".
  Amnesty International USA and Human Rights Watch/Americas reported
"counter insurgency 
  units ... (being) responsible for some of the worst human rights
atrocities in recent years".
  Worst, the region's armed forces are increasingly playing a
significant role within the 
  society just as straggling civilian elected governments are srtiving
to keep them in check.
  This comes at a time when the Cold War has ended and the world is
supposed to be moving 
  towards more democratic societies. Needless to say, these native armed
forces are reemerging
  as a threat to democracy and human rights. The outgoing Bolivian
President Gonzalo Sanchez de
  Lozado put it this way: "When you have a corrupt chief of police, you
fire him. When you have
  a corrupt chief of the army, he fires you".
  Therefore, it is not surprising that the War on Drugs there, as it is
here, is not winning the
  hearts and minds of the people, which is fundamental for drug control
efforts to succeed. On
  the contrary, it is pushing people who are economically dependent on
Coca cultivation into the
  arms of the enemy. One former Peruvian regional commander, "noting
that each of the 150,000
  Cocaleros (Coca planters) in the Upper Huallaga Valley was a Potential
subversive", put it this
  way: "Eradicate his field and the next day, he will be one".
  Thus, while some militarists argue that " strengthening cilivian
institutions to increase their
  effectiveness in countering drug trafficking is not a viable approach
anywhere in the near
  term", facts prove that increasing military involvement may be even
more detrimental.
  One big mistake, as noted by the writer, is that "US assistance is
(being) provided prior to
  improvement in human rights performance or demonstrated political will
on the part of aid 
  recipients to hold accountable those responsible for abuses".
  SHAN, therefore, hopes that these lessons are taken seriously by the
policy-makers in both
  Washington and Bangkok.
  The writer, however, warns against too much hope. Because, as he put
it: "As in Vietnam, it
  is easier from a political standpoint to plunge ahead rather than
conduct a serious
  reassessment".
  But SHAN also remembers the words of General Mc Caffrey, who became
the head of the UNDCP in
  March 1996. Which was also quoted by the writer.
   "At the end of the day, I would suggest that this actually isn't a
war to be won by anybody's
  army... At the end of the day, prosecutors, law enforcement officers,
teachers, school
  superintendents, religious leaders, that is who the front line troops
are".
  
  He might have added that these front line troops should be led by a
popularly elected
  government.
  SNLD SURVIVES - BUT FOR HOW LONG?
  15 March 1999
  The Shan Party that won elections in 1990 is in 4 precarious position
according to a S.H.A.N.
  source from the Shan States.

  Known popularly as "Tiger Head", for its party emblem, and officially
as the Shan Nation-
  alities League for Democracy, the SNLD, emerged as the second biggest
party in the whole
  country during the short-lived "Rangoon Spring" (1998-90). It won 28
out of 56 seats in the
  Shan States with staunch allies in the rest of the seats making it the
party to represent and
  govem the biggest state in the whole of the "Union of Burma".
  Though with lesser political clout internationally, it appears to be
more powerful in the
  fact that all the armed Shan groups i.e. Shan State Army, the Shan
State National Army and the
  Shan States Army (Southern) and the Shan Democratic Union, the
umbrella organization of Shan
  expatriates, have declared their support for it.
  Late in 1998, the party's president, Khun Htoon Oo, was reportly
summoned to the Rangoon Mili-
  tary Intelligence Center, headed by Gen. Khin Nyunt. He was "asked" to
issue a statement
  denouncing the NLD and its leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, for setting up
the Committee Representing
  the People's Parliament (CRPP) or known popularly as "Conimittee of
Ten". To which the Shan
  leader replied he could not do so without approval from the party's
executive committee. The
  MI reportedly agreed that he should call a meeting first.
  When the executive members of the party met later, they resolved a
neutral position neither
  to denounce or applaud the CRPP. lf the resolution was not accepted,
they should declare the
  dissolution of the party.
  The MI reportly recelved the news of the outcome of the meeting
"rather in a subdued manner,
  to the surprise of some observers.
  One says, "The reason is quite clear. The junta needs the SNLD which
is fast becoming the
  symbol of not only Shans but of all non-Burmans in the so-called
National Convention. Since
  they could not claim to speak forthe Burmans anymore with the
boycotting and subsequent ex- 
  pulsion of the NLD from the NC, they thought they might still need the
SNLD's participation
  there at least to show the non-Burmans are still on their side. But if
the SNLD is also
  expelled and its members persecuted, the NC will no more enjoy any
remaining credibility of
  representing either Burman or non-Burman. Any Konstitution adopted by
the NC will also become
  completely meaningless. So will the elections held afterwards. That is
why the SNLD is still
  enjoying the junta's grace despite its refusal to toe the line".
  "But how long can the SNLD survive?", he questioned. "Once the pagoda
is built, the scaf-
  fold is gone, so goes the Burmese saying. And once the Konstitution is
adopted, either with or
  without the consent of the SNLD, its usefulness shall be gone too".
  "The SNLD is in real danger now", says another watcher.  "I hope the
foreign observers of
  Burma will also pay more attention to the SNLD and its members just
like they do to the NLD".
  JUNTA COMMANDER ACCUSED OF DRUG PROTECTION
  20 March 1999
  The SPDC may deny involvement in drugs, but many of its commanders are
being accused by the
  local people themselves as being actively engaged in drug activities,

one way or the other.
  The latest one is Maj. Nyan Myint of Battalion 225, stationed in Mong
Kyawt, Mongton Town-
  ship across from Chiangmai Province.
  "There are two very questionable things going on", a farmer who
requested anonymity said.
  "One, three wellknown drug producers and traffickers are going freely
back and forth all the
  time in the vicinity without fear of persecution". The three are
ex-Maj. Hla Aung (a Chinese
  despite his assumed Burmese name, Yang Erh and Muling a.k.a. Sai Yi
a.k.a. Liu Zipeng, whose
  refineries were raided and destroyed by Yawdserk's Shan States Army
units a few months back.
  It is believed that they have set up a new laboratory with permission
from Maj. Nyan Myint.
  "Two, other people, both locals and outsiders, are being forbidden by
the commander from
  entering certain sections of the area. Some were accused by the
commander as being spies for
  Yordserk although he had no evidence to show for it. It was also
strange that he didn't order
  them under arrest although he could have done it without effort". lt
was suspected that he was
  only trying to scare people away from the location of the refinery.
  "Anyway he is suspiciously living too well above his monthly pay and
allowances" said the
  source.
  SHANS MIGRANTS REPATRIATED TO FORCED LABOUR
  21 March 1999
  An escaped inmate from Shan immigrants who were handed over to Burma
reported to S.H.A.N.
  that they were in a terrible condition.
  On 21 March, Thai police raided a textile factory opposite The Mall
Department Store in
  Bangkhae, Bangkok and arrested 64 workers there for illegal entry.
Among them were 48 Shans.
  The rest were Karens, Mons and Burmese, who were deported to Burma
through the Three Pagoda 
  Pass in Kanjanaburi Province.
  As for the Shans, they were transferred to the Burmese immigration at
Maesai Bridge which
  serves as the border between Tachilek (Shan States) and Maesai
(Chiangrai Province, Thai-
  land) on 16 March.
  The Burmese authorities, after taking them into custody, said they
would be released as soon
  as they could pay a certain amount of money. Otherwise, they had
toioin in the construction of
  the Kengtung-Tachilek road until they had completed their prison term
which is yet to be de-
  cided.
  This report was sent to S.H.A.N. by Sai Myint, who escaped shortly
afterwards. And where is he
  now? Back in Thailand, of course.
  "The Thai authorities should not, in any way, hand over the people to
Burma, knowing they
  would suffer a fate which is worse than dying", said Sai Myint.
  SHAN CEASEFIRE GROUP NOT IDLE
  29 March 1999
  A repeated one accusation that has been directed against the
non-Burman armed groups that have
  signed truce pacts with the Rangoon junta is that they are more
interested in filling up their
  pockets than helping the people.
  The SSNA, led by Col. Gunyord and the SSA North, led by Col. Lolmao,
have flatly denied it.
  "Fundraising is important for the upkeeping of our armies", sald a
leader, who requested ano-
  nymity. "But we have not forgotten our duties to the people".
  According to the SSNA's annual report, the group built 9 new schools,

4 middle and 5 primary,
  in their area up in the north.
  The middle school at their headquarters in Khaisim, Hsipaw Township,
was constructed at a cost
  of Kyat 400,000, said the report.
  The group says they are also concerned with the people's health. They
built and donated two
  "hospitals" in Hsenwi Township. They also distributed 39,750 viss of
iodinized sait to the peo-
  ple. Moreover, they have sought and been given agreement by the junta
officials to be able to
  render more assistance to the people both in health and education
affairs, said the report.
  The SSA North, with which the SSNA had formed the Shan State Peace
Committee, on 23 January
  1996, is not ready to be out done by its partner. A statement
issued'on 16 February from its
  Hsengkeo base in Hsipaw said it is launching a summer Shan language
teaching program in
  villages under their control in Hsipaw, Tanyan and, Mongyai.
  Note: The SSNA claims to have, under its supervision, 252 middle &
primary schools, with 564
  teachers (male 120 and female 444) and 42,655 students (male
12,839+female 29,816). 20,733
  children, age between 6-12, are still in wait for more schools. And
109 schools lack walls and
  proper roofing.
  On the health front, the population suffered 745 deaths last year of
malaria (326) diarrhea
  (266) intestinal swelling (136) and AIDS (15).
  SHAN COMMANDER DIED BY POISON?
  20 April 1999
  Reports from the north have confirmed that Lt. Col. Ngo-harn, a
commander of the Shan States
  Army, died in April under suspicious circumstances.
  According to the report the colonel suffered a serious case of
diarrhea, after having a meal
  believed to have been poisoned. He died after several weeks under
intensive care and treatment
  accorded by the SSA. His funeral was held on 4 April.
  His unit, the 16th Brigade, is responsible for the security of
Hsengkeo, HQ to both the SSA-
  North and the Shan State Peace keeping Committee, a joint setup of the
SSA-N and the Shan State
  National Army, another ceasefire group. He was the commander trusted
by all the three factions
  of the combined Shan States Army, which includes the SSA-South of
Yawdserk. His death is
  therefore regarded as a painful blow to all the three groups.
  Before his sudden ailment, he was having a dispute with the SPDC's
Northeastem Commander for
  the killing of his 6 fighters plus 1 civilian on 21 December 1997.
  Lt. Col. Ngo-ham, a native of Kesi, joined the Resistance around 1973.
He served with 
  distinction in the SSA then under Sao Sai Lek's command. He was given
a command of his own
  after Sai Lek agreed to join the Mong Tai Army in which he
distinguished himself in several
  battles. His defection early in 1995, following Sai Lek's mysterious
death, was the precursor
  to Gunyord's famous mutiny on 6 June the same year which led to the
collapse of the MTA.
  11 SHAN REFUGEES BEATEN TO DEATH NEAR THAI BORDER
  18 April 1999
  Eleven Shan refugees fleeing to Thailand were captured by SPDC troops
and beaten to death on
  April 13 and 14 near a Shan village about 12 km from the Thai border
opposite Chiangrai prov-

  ince, local villagers have reported.
  The eleven refugees, including one woman, were among a group of about
300 refugees who were
  rounded up on their way from central Shan State to the Thai border and
detained at the SPDC
  IB 225 military camp at Na Kong Moo, on the road that leads from
Mongton to Nong Ook, the
  border crossing north of Chiang Dao.
  The refugees who were killed were accused of supporting the resistance
forces of the Shan
  States Army (South) back in their home village. They were taken from
the military camp and
  beaten to death in the jungle about 5 km west of Na Kong Moo by a
group of SPDC troops and
  local Lahu militia. The victims were taken in groups to be killed. On
April 13 the five 
  refugees killed were:
  Sai Nu, 27, from Wan Pang village, Nong Hee
      tract, Namzamg township.
  Sai Sor, 30, Koong Sarng village, Kon Mong
      tract, Namzarng township.
  Sai Ariya, 26, from Kon Na village, Hai Seng
      tract, Laikha township.
  Sai Tor Ya, 25, Nar On village, Pamg Sarng
      tract, Laikha township.
  Sai Nor, 21, from Hai Gooi village, Hai Gooi
      tract, Larngkhur township.
      On April 14, the six refugees killed were:
  Sai Loon, 2 1, Wan Long Tong village, Na Loi
      tract, Mumgnai township.
  Sai Htun, 20, Na Keng village, Kaeng Lom tract,
      Kunhing township.
  Sai Yord, 22, Wan Khai village, Kaeng Lom
      tract, Kunhing township.
  Sai Lon, 24, Nong Woe village, Murng Nang
      tract, Kesi township.
  Sai Kham Sang, 29, Mumgkemg township.
  Nang Teng, 25, Mumgkemg township.
      
  The refugees have fled from the areas of forced relocation in Shan
State.  About 300,000
  villagers have been forced from their homes by the SPDC military since
1996 in a massive anti-
  insurgency campaign aimed at cutting off civilian support for the Shan
resistance forces. It is
  estimated that well over 100,000 refugees have fled from these areas
of forced relocation.
  DETAINED VILLAGERS IN NAKAWNGMU RELEASED
  24 April 1999
  The villagers who were detained at Nakawngmu, Mongton Township, across
the border from
  Chiangmai, were released on 22 April.
  The newly opened Tasarng Bridge, which was ordered closed on 1 1
April, apparently to stop
  civilians fleeing from battle zones, was also opened again on the same
day.
  The result was the influx of another 400 refugees from Mongnai"
Kengtawng, Langkher and
  Mongpan townships where battles are being waged between Yawdserk's
Shan States Army and the
  SPDC troops.
  SOURCES CLAIM 9 THAI VILLAGERS KILLED BY LAHU MILTIA
  21 April 1999
  Sources in Fang have reported that the 9 villagers who were found
beaten to death on 31 March
  were killed by the Lahu militia plus Burma Army men and not the Wa
Army as widely belleved.
  The nine villagers from Maesai in Fang District, Chiangmai Province,
were found dead a few
  kilometers from the Thai-Burma border. As the area is believed to be
controlled by the
  powerful United Wa State Army, reputed to be the biggest producer of
heroin and amphetamines,
  it is generally assumed that the killings were done by the Wa troops.
The Was have denied

  having anything to do with the killings but the accusations have
persisted.
  The sources said the villagers had taken a certain amount of
amphetamines to be sold in
  Thailand from the Lahu militia in Mongton Township, Mongsart District.
  According to the sources there are two amphetamine factories in
Mongton Township: one near
  Nakawngmu and the other, operated by a Chinese by the name of Ah Wen,
aged 58. Both are
  protected by Infantry Battalions 65, 519 and
  225 and the Lahu militia. They were apparently angry with the Thai
villagers because they had
  taken so long to pay them what they owed: B.520,000.
  One indication the culprits were Lahus was that in the pockets of the
first two victims the
  Thai officials found B.200 and two "Flying Tiger" cheroots each.  The
rest had only two che-
  roots each in their pockets. This is a Lahu traditional practice for
the dead and for the
  sinners to make up for their wrongdoing to the dead.
  In order to counter the activities of the Shan resistance, the junta
army has been grooming
  Lahu tribesmen as counter-insurgency militias. The last training
course was given on 18-30
  March at Hokho Maeharing (near Maehamg Bridge in Mongton Township). At
the end of the training,
  they were presented with M16s and M79s by the junta officers. Each was
also given two different
  uniforms, one Burmese and the other Wa. The latter is for those who
operate across the border
  into Thalland. "The aim obviously is to divert any attention from the
Lahu-Burmese force to the
  Wa," said one source.
  FIRST ROUND OF SALWEEN DAM SURVEY COMPLETED
  28 April 1999
  The companies carrying out a survey to build a dam on the Salween
River in southern Shan State
  completed their first round of field studies at the end of March,
according to a S.H.A.N.
  source that recently retumed from Shan State.
    
  The site being surveyed is a gorge about 6 km north of Ta Sarng
Bridge, which links the roads
  between Mongpan and Mongton townships, 90 miles north of the Thai
border. The surveying began
  on October 19 last year, and ended on March 31 this year.
  The surveyors, including Thai, Janpanese and Burmese companies, have
now moved out of the area.
  The rock samples from the dam site were sent to the Thai border at
Nong Ook, northem Chiangmai
  province, in a convoy of Burma Army trucks on April 8. It is not known
where the samples will
  be sent to for testing.
  The Thai companies involved include MDX Power Co., the main Thai
contractor, as well as AAM,
  which carried out the general survey, and GMT, which drilled and
collected samples of the rocks
  on both sides of the Salween. The logging company Thai Sawat was also
involved in transporting
  personnel and equipment.
  Apart from Thai companies, Japan's Electric Power Development
Corporation, and the Burmese
  Company Aye Chan Aye, were also involved.
  During the surveying, security was provide by the Burma Army's No.3
Tactical Command comprising
  Battalion 65, 43 and 225. Surveyin was halted several times because of
securit alerts, owing
  to the presence of the Shan State Army's 727th Brigade in the region.

  HOW AN MI OFFICER GETS RICH
  13 March 1999
  After serving in Kengtung for 6 years, Maj. Sai Aung Thein, head of MI
- Branch 22, was trans-
  ferred to Rangoon in mid 1998 to become G-l (Personnel Section) for
Gen. Khin Nyunt. He was 
  succeeded by Maj. Zaw Lin and Capt. Naing Lin.
  Reasons for his transfer were reported by Kengtung's citizens as
follows:
  1. He was getting sufficiently rich;
  2. Reports of his assistance to a drug - smuggling ceasefire group had
become too well known
     for his boss's comfort; and
  3. It was time he made way for others to start getting just as rich.
  The only things he claimed as gifts from the richest and strongest
ceasefire group were a
  Mitsubishi Pajero Jeep and an XGL Toyota fourwheeler Model 1997.  One
of those unclaimed is a
  three-story house worth K.70 million in Nawnghpa village of Kengtung.
People remember that it
  was only an earthen walled cottage with zinc sheet roofinc, when he
first arrived there with
  his wife, Nang Liang, a native of Nawn-hpa.
  In 1996, Sai Shan Age, 40, outwardly a goldshop owner, was caught with
(6,000,000) metham-
  phetamines in Mongkhak. He and his driver, Sai Myint, age 35, were
sentenced to 30 years
  imprisonment with harsh labor by the Kengtung court. He was later
"smuggled" out by "followers"
  from the Monghsat prison into Thailand, arid is now living comfortably
in Bangkok. Back home,
  his wife and famlly's life goes on as usual. Contrary to the usual
custom of confiscating
  everything a convicted drug smuggler owns, all the property belonging
to Sai Shwe Aye was 
  spared.
  
  Later in the year, Sai Tip, 45, of Nawnghpa, was arrested with
smuggled 5 motorcars and 30
  motorcycles at Mongphyak's gate. Normally, he would be "fined" at
least K.50,000 for each
  vehicle before he was allowed to pass. But he got off with only
K.80,000 for all vehicles.
  Even this amount of money had to be returned to Sai Tip the next day.
The reason: Sai Tip is
  Nang Liang's older brother.
   
  Apart from this, Maj. Aung Thein was reported to have made a lot of
money from teak logging in
  Mongnal and Mongpan.
  Therefore, as long as there are people who live above the law, laws
promulgated and enforced 
  by the junta shall continue to be empty and useless.
  ORDERS FROM KHIN NYUNT TO COLLECT LATEST DATA OF NLD
  Lt. Gen. Khin Nyunt's signed order on 10 April to all township
administrative levels directed
  them to report the latest data on NLD by the end of the month. The
general wishes to know the
  total numbers of NLD members before mass arrests and forced
resignations, of those who have
  resigned so far and those remaining and their activities.
  CEASEFIRE GROUP & SPDC COMMANDERS SHARE SPOILS OF GAMBLING
  28 April 1999
  Reports reaching the Thal border from the Shan States say one of the
ceasefire groups and the
  local SPDC commanders have opened up several gambling dens in the
southern township of Mongpan
  since March of this year.
  From March 24 to April 20, the Shan Nationalities People's Liberation
Organization (SNPLO), a
  ceasefire group generally known as the Red Pa-O, have been setting up

gambling dens during the
  traditional Buddhist Novitiation Ceremony in Mongpan, a town 120 miles
from the Thai border.
  The local commanders of SPDC infantry battalions 332 and 520 have
reportedly received K.40,000
  each per day (K. 20,000 for personal use and the rest for the
battalion) as tax.
  The dens have attracted gambling addicts from towns such as Taunggyi,
Loilem, Panglong,
  Lamgkhur, Mongnai and Kunhing. Well known drug producers just across
from the Thai border such
  as Muling a.k.a. Sai Yi a.k.a. Liu Zipeng, Hla Aung and Yang Erh were
also present among the
  gamblers.
  Also seen among the crowds were child beggars and prostitutes from
surrounding villages such
  as Nawng Hee, Poongker, Nalaw and Tawngkwai that were forcibly
relocated to the town's out-
  skirts by the SPDC army in 1997.
  The SNPLO, led by Takley and Saw Hpamu, joined Khun Sa's Mong Tai Army
in the early 90s. The
  alliance broke up soon afterwards and the SNPLO signed a ceasefire
pact with Rangoon on October
  9, 1994. Their headquarters is in Nawnghtao in Hsiseng Township, 60
miles south of Taunggyi.
  It is illegal to engage in gambling activities in Burma. One of the
accusations directed
  against the Shan princes before their downfall was their policy of
tolerance towards gambling
  which had been a nemesis for the Shan population.
  WA-JUNTA CONFLICT LEADS TO BLAZE IN SHAN GEM TOWN
  Thousands of houses and shops were destroyed in a fire which broke out
late last March in the
  booming Shan gern town of Monghsu, according to sources coming to the
border.
  On 30 March, the Maniyadana Gern Market in Monghsu, Southem Shan
State, burst into flames which
  consumed "not less than a thousand buildings", according to eye
witnesses.
  The fire was reported to have started at a discotheque operated by an
officer from the United
  Wa State Ariny. According to the sources, both the Bunnese and the Wa
soldiers have been
  accusing each other of starting the fire.
  Although few were sure how the blaze started, most of them were
certain it began with the
  growing tension between the SPDC and the UWSA.
  In February, a dispute arose between the two sides, when the Was
stopped an SPDC convoy and
  released their officers who were arrested earlier by the Burmese Anny.
lt resulted in the
  ransacking of the Wa community in Monghsu and forced relocation of
several Wa families back
  into Wa territory across the Salween. (Monghsu is on the western side
and the Wa Territory is
  on the eastem side).
  "So it could have been either one", said one source. "Only time will
tell which was the real
  culprit".
  8 HILLTRIBLE PEOPLE BEATEN TO DEATH BY JUNTA SPLDIERS
  A source from Chiangrai reported yesterday that a Burmese patrol
combing the hills for Shan
  rebels beat 8 hilltribe villagers to death.
  According to the source, a column from LB 330 commanded by Maj. Thet
Way, surrounded the
  villages of Nakae, Palarng Long, Palarng Noi, Phakhao Tai west of
Tachilek on 5 May. It was
  accompanied by an ex-MTA officer, Yishay and his group who, since Khun
Sa's surrender three

  years earlier, have become a militia unit.
  A village headman, Ah Ka, his interpretier, Ah Tae, and 6 other
villagers who were suspected
  of aiding the rebels were tortured and beaten to death. Nakae is
populated by members of the
  Lahu tribe and also by Akha.
  The Shan States Army's eastem force, commanded by Maj. Kham Famuang,
is active in the area
  which covers Mongsart, Mongpyak and Tachilek townships.
 ................