[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

BKK Post,February 25, 1998 Chettha



February 25, 1998

Chettha comes out in defence of Thanom
Probe of officers 'out of the question'
Wassana Nanuam and Cheewin Sattha

Third Army chief Thanom Watcharaput will not be subject to an 
investigation over the Salween logging scandal because the military is 
not in charge of illegal logging suppression, the army chief said 
yesterday.

Gen Chettha Thanajaro came out in defence of Lt-Gen Thanom following 
speculation the Third Army chief would face a disciplinary inquiry in 
connection with the scandal.

The army chief said any investigation of army officers was "out of the 
question" because they had "nothing to do" with illegal logging 
suppression.

Gen Chettha said the army has ordered Gen Vinit Krachangson, chief of 
the army chief's staff, to join a government hunt for wrongdoers in the 
Salween logging scandal.

"It's not our duty to arrest (loggers), and we don't know where it is 
permitted or not permitted to cut down trees," he said.

It is common knowledge that tree-cutting is not allowed anywhere in the 
national forests because of a nationwide ban on logging.

Lt-Gen Thanom should not be dragged into the scandal, Gen Chettha said, 
adding any attempt to implicate the Third Army chief would prove futile 
because he was not authorised in any way to suppress illegal logging.

Gen Chettha said he was confident Lt-Gen Thanom would not resort to any 
abuse of power, adding he planned to make Lt-Gen Thanom a full general 
during a mid-year reshuffle before his mandatory retirement in 
September.

The army yesterday issued a statement repeating Gen Chettha's comments 
as its stand on the matter.

The statement said it was the Forestry Department which was directly 
responsible for national forests countrywide, and the army only played a 
supportive role.

"The inaccurate reports (speculating that Lt-Gen Thanom would be 
investigated) have demoralised officers on duty and eroded the army 
commander's credibility," it said.

A source said yesterday that during the army chief's visit to Burma next 
month, Gen Chettha would seek its cooperation to prevent Karen refugees 
from crossing into Thailand. The Karens have allegedly engaged 
themselves in illegal logging in the Salween National Park.

Meanwhile, Deputy Defence Minister Wattanachai Wuthisiri said yesterday 
no military officers would be subject to an investigation for the time 
being since a government probe had so far found nothing to link the army 
to the Salween scandal.

The army was willing to give weap ons training to Forestry Department 
patrol officials who could run into armed log poachers, he said.

In a related development, Agriculture Minister Pongpol Adireksarn 
yesterday said a panel looking for the source of a five-million-baht 
bribe that brought to light the Salween scandal would have a new 
chairman.

It is currently headed by Forestry Department deputy director-general 
Prawat Thanadkha, whom the bribe was meant for.

The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army has warned Thai security forces 
against repatriating some of more than 12,000 Karen refugees sheltered 
in the Salween National Park.

Officers of the 337th Border Patrol Police Unit in Mae Hong Son 
yesterday received a letter from the DKBA threatening to cause security 
problems along the Thai-Burmese border in this northern province if Thai 
authorities send the refugees back into Burma.

Governor Pakdi Chomphooming was reported to have ordered the 7th 
Infantry Regiment's special task force to deploy more soldiers in high 
risk areas and to ensure the relocation of Karen refugees to Mae La Ma 
Luang Camp in Sop Moei district will be com pleted on schedule.

Meanwhile, representatives of government agencies concerned were 
reportedly working out measures to deal with many refugees who have 
refused to be relocated.

Under a plan to combat illegal logging in the Salween National Park, 
Karen refugees are to be moved from six villages in Mae Sariang district 
to Mae La Ma Luang Camp starting from February 12.

------------------------------------------------------------------------