Bangkok post (29-8-99)

[mandalay@xxxxxxxxxx]

Thousands trapped by border closure 
Wa militia accused of beatings, torture
Subin Khuenkaew and Onnucha Hutasingh
Thousands of Thais are believed to have been stranded in the Burmese
township of
Mong Yawn after the passing of the Aug 20 deadline for returning through San
Ton Du border crossing in Chiang Mai's Mae Ai district.
Many have chosen to stay because they have work or business to complete, but
returning travellers also speak of prisoners in jails being forced to
labour in
chains and being beaten and tortured to death by Wa soldiers, who demand high
payment for their release.
Authorities ordered San Ton Du pass closed on Aug 5 to stem the flow of drugs
from Burma, but allowed Thai nationals who had entered Burma via the
checkpoint
until Aug 20 to return.
A border official said about 100 identity cards of Thai nationals and 12
identification papers belonging to foreigners remained at a military
checkpoint
near San Ton Du border pass after the deadline passed.
However, the real figure would be much higher as 4,000-5,000 Thais were known
to have slipped across the border to work.
Col Suthas Jarumanee, the 17th Infantry Regiment's chief-of-staff, said San
Ton
Du checkpoint had been closed to travelling and transport from Aug 21 and all
ID cards deposited with the military there would be handed to Mae Ai district
office.
Some of the 500 Thai nationals who returned from Mong Yawn before the deadline
said many others had been unable to cross in time because they still had
business to conclude or were waiting to be paid.
Khampun Dusirat and Thong-in Paraboonwong are employees of S. Siriwan Co,
which
has been hired by local businessmen to build a casino in Mong Yawn.
Mr Khampun said he had deposited his ID card with the checkpoint on July 29
before going to work in there.
"Some Thai businessmen and merchants can't come back as they still have
business to do. Many Thai workers can't return as most of them haven't been
paid yet, while some others must stay on until their contracts are completed,"
he said.
Both men said they would try to go back as they had work to finish.
There were about 1,000 Thai workers in MongYawn, while thousands of others
were
working in Mai town or Hung town, they said.
Many pick-up trucks had been stranded in Mong Yawn since Wa troops, who are in
charge of the town, banned travel on the Mong Yawn-San Ton Du route last week,
saying it was damaged by heavy rain. A Thai worker who asked not be named was
concerned about the fate of several Thais who were among more than 100 people
imprisoned in Mong Yawn jail, saying prisoners were being mistreated, tortured
and killed.
"A Shan worker who had a fight with Wa soldiers was repeatedly beaten until he
was bleeding all over," the man said.
"He was tortured. He was shot in both legs and his ears were chopped off. He
was chained and left lying in rain and the hot sun for about three days before
he died."The prisoners were not only tortured but also forced to labour
hard on
road construction jobs in Mong Yawn.
None Chiangkham of Ban Mai Mok Jam in Mae Ai district said her brother-in-law
and 14 Muser men had been hired by a Thai entrepreneur to work for a logging
business in Mong Yawn but they had been arrested on log poaching charges and
imprisoned.
"The Thai businessman refused to take responsibility. My sister had to travel
to Mong Yawn several times and tried to bring my brother-in-law back home. Wa
soldiers demanded 20,000 baht for his release but my family doesn't have that
much money," she said.
Non said Sanan Komol, who was arrested about six months ago, was seen working
at a road construction site in Mong Yawn about one month ago with chains
around
his arms and legs.
Prior to the closure of San Ton Du crossing, Thai officials asked the Wa army
to release Thai prisoners from prison, but they had not done so.
Mae Ai district chief Krisada Nakkharaj said attempts to get Thai prisoners
released had failed as there was no proof they had actually entered Burma.
Most
had illegally crossed the border to find jobs.
Another Thai returning from Mong Yawn said people working there must be
careful
not to infringe the Wa military's law or use drugs, or they risked being
caught, jailed and tortured.
Food shortages and price hikes have been reported in Mong Yawn since the
closure of San Ton Du.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

BORDER
Pro-Rangoon troops attack Thai village in retaliation
Following arrest of three colleagues
Supamart Kasem
One man was wounded when pro-Rangoon Democratic Karen Buddhist Army soldiers
attacked a border village before dawn yesterday, apparently in retaliation for
the arrest of three of their men.
About 20 armed men crossed the border to Ban Rai Don Chai in Tambon Mae Dao of
Mae Sot district at about 4am and fired on shops and a border observation post
with rifles and M79 grenade launchers for nearly an hour.
Malik Nakacharn, 44, a shop owner, received a shrapnel wound in the leg and
was
later admitted to Mae Sot Hospital.
About 70 villagers fled to safety, so did three defence volunteers manning the
border observation post.
They retreated across the border after a 200-strong force of military, police
and volunteers led by Col Chaluay Yaempochai, chief-of-staff of the Fourth
Infantry Regiment Task Force, arrived at the scene.
Villagers said the DKBA soldiers were led by Capt Win Naing who frequently
visited the village to buy motorcycles for sale in Burma.
About a month ago three Karen soldiers came to the village carrying firearms
and hand grenades and were arrested by Mae Sot police. Capt Win Naing asked
police to release his men, but they refused.
It was speculated the DKBA may have planned to take some villagers hostages to
bargain for the release of the three soldiers
-------------------------------------------------------------------