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Bangkok
Post - June 18, 2000.
BORDER
Crop raids by Burmese troops
soar
Farmers say Thai forces not
protective
Subin
Khuenkaew Farmers living near this disputed border hilltop complain
that the military is failing to protect them from Burmese soldiers who are
raiding their plantations with impunity. Their patience is wearing thin. The thefts have been going on for four years and are becoming
more frequent. Local authorities are fully aware of the situation but have
taken no action to stop it, villagers said. Thailand and Burma have both deployed troops at Doi
Lang. But both countries have agreed not to use force to settle the
dispute over sovereignty of the 32-sqkm hilltop which was once the stronghold of
drug warlord Khun Sa. A villager at nearby Ban Pang Ton Dua said the situation could
not be allowed to continue as their livelihood was being affected. "The Burmese soldiers regularly come and steal lychees and tea
leaf from our plantation. "Sometimes there are five, six or seven of them, all carrying
weapons. "We have been suffering from this for four years and it has gone
beyond the point of toleration," said the villager, who refused to be
named. Ban Pang Ton Dua residents said many of them had business loans
from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Co-operatives and the thefts were
affecting their ability to repay. "We really are suffering but no one seems to be helping us,"
said a villager. The most recent, and blatant, raid occurred on Friday, when
local authorities organised an evacuation drill for 400 villagers in the
area. "We were busy taking part in the drill when the Burmese sneaked
in and stole all our tea leaves," said a villager. Maj-Gen Somboonkiat Sitthidecha, commander of the Pha Muang task
force, conceded that the problem existed. But he said he had given orders it must be settled
peacefully. The Burmese troops had a serious food shortage, he
said. He was in contact with the Burmese commander, and most of the
time the miscreant soldiers were heavily punished, Maj-Gen Somboonkiat
said. He denied the military had sat idly by while the thefts
occurred. Thai soldiers interviewed by the Bangkok Post said they feared
the problem would get worse if the border dispute was not settled
soon. Each side has deployed more than 1,000 troops in the
area. The villagers have begun hiring armed guards to protect their
property. "With everyone holding weapons in their hands, an accident could
happen anytime," said an officer. |