Cambodia clamps down on booming narcotics industry
Eager to shed its reputation as a major marijuana exporter, the Cambodian government earlier this month formally enlisted the help of the US Drug Enforcement Agency to bolster anti-drug operations.
Mr Hun Sen demonstrated his no tolerance attitude towards the country's notorious illegal export industry by burning a marijuana plantation.
The massive pile of potent weed burned was allegedly grown by a drug cartel of Swedish, Chinese and Thai nationals.
The group had been granted permission to grow fruit at a hillside farming area situated some 100 kilometres south of the capital Phnom Penh.
Mr Hun Sen also condemned local authorities for allowing the drug trade to flourish and threatened to sack provincial leaders.
He said that eradicating marijuana plantations is not enough -- arresting merchants is the real issue.
The Cambodian government has come under renewed pressure to stamp out the drugs trade.
This comes amid fears that the military is widely involved in narcotics smuggling from the golden triangle -- an area that covers Thailand, Myanmar and Laos.
However, despite several high-profile drug seizures, Cambodia's National Authority for Combating Drugs has failed to arrest any major drug kingpins.
Copter crash an accident
Early finding rules out sabotage, rebels
Wassana Nanuam
A preliminary investigation has concluded the explosion of
an army helicopter over Kanchanaburi that killed all 11 people on board on
Friday was an accident.
Lt-Gen Lertrat Rattanavicharn, assistant army chief of staff for civilian affairs, said the cause had been narrowed down to either engine trouble or bad weather.
A panel had been set up for a full inquiry, but it seemed 99.99% certain the crash was an accident, he said.
He ruled out the possibility of a bomb being planted in the helicopter before take-off.
Since the incident took place in Muang district, far from the border, it was not possible for the aircraft to have been fired on by Burmese troops or Karen God's Army rebels.
No bomb fragments or traces of gunpowder were found.
The air control centre of the 9th Infantry Division also confirmed bad weather at the time of the crash.
Another helicopter with First Army Region deputy commander Maj-Gen Archavin Sawetserani on board, which took off from Bangkok at 7.30am, had to stop over at the 9th Infantry Division after the pilot reported the weather was bad, Lt-Gen Lertrat said. That helicopter was also destined for Tak.
"On learning that the helicopter taking Maj-Gen Archavin had departed from Bangkok, 9th Infantry Division commander Maj-Gen Sanchai Ratchatawan ordered his helicopter to take off because he wanted to be in the area to wait for the deputy First Army chief. "Ten minutes after the take-off, or about 7.40am, the pilot contacted air control and said he was turning back because of the weather. "The aircraft, however, never arrived," he said.
Lt-Gen Lertrat said eyewitnesses confirmed the helicopter exploded before crashing.
Saritdet Marukatat and Bhanravee Tansubhapol
A plan for the freer flow of goods and people along the Mekong River is close to reality, with Thailand, Burma, China and Laos expected to put the final touches to a draft agreement in two weeks.
Ambassador to Burma Pensak Chalarak said the blueprint would be endorsed at a meeting of officials in Rangoon on March 6-7.
This would clear the way for ministers from the four countries to sign sometime in the first half of this year, another Foreign Ministry official clarified. The deal would take effect one year after it is signed.
The agreement is designed to facilitate navigation on the upper part of the river to boost trade and contacts in the four countries.
Efforts to wrap up the deal have been delayed for about two years by China's concern over a rule to maintain the water level in order for the river to be navigable. China feared this issue could obstruct its plan to build dams on the river, called Lancang in Chinese.
This hurdle had been successfully tackled and officials said the meeting in Rangoon would mean nothing more than taking a final look at the draft before forwarding it to their ministers.
It would give an impetus for the four countries to work quickly on other rules to be concluded in time for the deal to be implemented.
They included navigation aids, port improvements and a land network to link with the water to promote trade and tourism, an official said.
Deputy Prime Minister Supachai Panitchpakdi recently called for the Asian Development Bank to offer technical and financial aid on these matters.
Water transport on the mighty Mekong is a component of the Greater Mekong Subregion scheme to foster links between the four countries, plus Cambodia and Vietnam.
Advocates of the plan have pointed to the pact as another step to rebuild momentum.
"The navigation agreement is very important for the GMS," said Jingjai Hanchanlash, vice president of Loxley Plc, at a recent workshop.
Rival troops try to mend fences
Sporting activities to break the ice
Wassana Nanuam, Lampang
| Thai and Burmese soldiers practise as their colleagues prepare a court for a volleyball match at Doi Lang during a friendly sports meeting on Friday. _ WASSANA NANUAM |
The soldiers and their commanders temporarily put aside their weapons to compete in volleyball and takraw.
The games were hosted by the Thai unit to get acquainted with the newly-arrived Burmese troops.
The Burmese 226th Infantry Battalion has just been reassigned from Kengtung to relieve the 527th Infantry Battalion at this strategic hill.
Col Akkadet Songworawit, commander of the army's 135th Cavalry Battalion, said the sporting activity would foster a better relationship and help prevent any possible conflict in the future.
The Burmese military rotated its border units every four months, he said. Both sides needed to adjust to having new friends.
Thailand and Burma began deploying troops at Doi Lang in 1996, immediately after Khun Sa surrendered to Rangoon, pending a settlement of the disputed ownership of the border hill.
Col Akkadet met his Burmese counterpart Lt-Col Kyaw Shein on Feb 24 to reaffirm a joint agreement on the joint military presence at Doi Lang.
The invitation for the Burmese soldiers to participate in the sports day was then extended.
Thai and Burmese soldiers have agreed that they will not resort to military action, and to rely on peaceful negotiation to settle any conflict that may arise in the 32 square kilometres territory.
Shan State Army rejects truce reports
Somsak Suksai,
Lampang The Shan State Army has rejected reports that its
troops will lay down their arms to pave the way for a ceasefire with
Rangoon. Chao Yodsuek, an SSA leader, told the Bangkok Post that the SSA would
continue to fight for the Shan state's independence from Burma if Shan people
still support its soldiers. The army would carry on training its troops to deter the Burmese military's
invasion of Shan territory, he said. "We will go ahead with our fight. Now, we are running political campaigns
against the junta. "We will not lay down our arms. Shan people can have trust in me," Chao
Yodsuek said. He said attacks by Burmese troops on many towns in Shan state had prompted
Shan civilians to flee fighting to a border area opposite Pang Ma Pha district,
Mae Hong Son. The SSA was now taking care of more than 200 displaced families, who were
waiting for assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees. Chao Yodsuek denied SSA involvement in the drug trade. Rangoon and drug gangs
affected by the SSA's active drug suppression were running propaganda campaigns
against the Shan army, he said. The SSA was willing to co-operate with Bangkok in combating drug
trafficking. Chao Han Khong, chief of a Shan refugee camp, voiced support for the SSA's
plan to collaborate with other minority groups to fight the Burmese
army.
Embedded Content: 270200_news02.jpg: 00000001,00000001,00000000,3e0b1ad7