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Airmen told to beware Wa missiles,
- Subject: Airmen told to beware Wa missiles,
- From: freedom@xxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 11 Sep 1999 21:33:00
Subject: Airmen told to beware Wa missiles, Threat linked to drug suppression
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<font size=4><b>Airmen told to beware Wa missiles, Threat linked to drug
suppression <br>
<br>
<br>
</font></b><font size=3>The army has been extra careful flying its
aircraft near the Burma border following the United Wa State Army's
procurement of additional surface-to-air missiles. <br>
<br>
Gen Surayud Chulanont, the army chief, said yesterday the Wa had bought
more SAM-7 missiles and that intelligence was monitoring the movement
closely and working out measures to deal with the situation. <br>
<br>
"As we know who possesses the missiles, we need to be more careful
flying our aircraft anywhere near the border because it is
dangerous," he said. <br>
<br>
The Wa bought the missiles from arms traffickers along the border. <br>
<br>
An army source said the SAM-7 missiles are manufactured and used in
China. The Burmese government and the Wa have deployed such missiles
along the border for a long time. <br>
<br>
"However, the deployment has intensified and more SAM-7s have been
procured after the army launched more efforts to suppress illicit drugs
in border areas. They bartered narcotics for missiles," the source
said. <br>
<br>
The movement has prompted the army to cut down on the number of
helicopter flights in the area, he added. <br>
<br>
Lt-Gen Sommai Vichavorn, Third Army commander, confirmed yesterday that
his troops would continue anti-narcotics operations in border areas.
<br>
<br>
"We will train troops in the troubled areas so that our personnel
can experience the real situation and the training session can be
expanded into real operations swiftly," he noted. <br>
<br>
Soldiers from all units under the jurisdiction of the Third Army would
join the training programme, be they from infantry, cavalry or artillery
units, he said.<br>
<br>
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