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bangkok post (25/7/99)



Rangoon's troops active in drug trade
'How much longer can we endure this?'


Sermsuk Kasitipradit and Wassana Nanuam


The Burmese military is directly involved in the influx of millions of
methamphetamine pills into Thailand and has given direct support to the
United Wa State Army (UWSA) in producing the drug for export, a
high-ranking officer of the National Narcotics Operation Centre said
yesterday.

"The Burmese military has played an active role behind the UWSA's
production of speed pills along our common border.

"They have set a target to produce 200 million amphetamine tablets for
export to our country this year," the officer said;.

About 18 million pills had been seized in Thailand during the past six months.

The UWSA is regarded as the biggest drug producer in the Golden Triangle, a
border area where Thailand, Burma and Laos meet.

The officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said Burmese forces
provided protection for the movement of speed pills from inside Burma to
the border area, and UWSA troops escorted them further inside Thailand for
delivery.

"Burma is being two-faced, giving us a pledge during a meeting that it will
help suppress narcotics along the border area, and then acting otherwise.

"The drug problem along the border area is getting very serious because
Burma is not sincere," he said.

"The army is very concerned and will not stand idle if Burma does not
change its two-faced policy," he said.

Several drug laboratories believed to be controlled by the UWSA were
destroyed by Thai troops in cross-border raids earlier this month.

Army chief Gen Surayud Chulanond yesterday also expressed concern over the
drug problem, and the UWSA's involvement, following a two-day inspection
trip to the border.

Although optimistic that the problem could be settled by negotiation, he
did not rule out the use of force.

"We are deeply concerned with the situation there, but cannot say much. It
is easy to go to war, but it would be a hard fight.

"Before we do that we have to think hard, since we need quite a lot of things.

"But we will opt for negotiation first," the army chief said.

Gen Surayud said foreign relations was a complicated matter, but he felt it
was illogical to be nice to a country which had no good intentions toward
Thailand.

"We will be nice to them if they treat us nicely. But if they play tricks
with us, then we will not be so nice to them," he said.


Gen Surayud said he wanted to see the reduction in the flow of amphetamine
tablets into Thailand from "200 million to 20 tablets".

He wanted the temporary checkpoint at Ban Santondu closed.

Gen Surayud said annual income from trade through Ban Santondu was
estimated at 66 million baht.

At least 6,000 Thais were employed in the UWSA-controlled area building
dams and other infrastructure.

Even so, he doubted it was worth keeping the checkpoint open.

"Is it worth sucking out our own blood, for sale? "Selling them our
construction materials in return for their drug money, while their own
people are not addicted to drugs?"How long can we endure this-until we
become emancipated and pale?" the army chief added.
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