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BKK Post,February 25, 1998 Chettha
- Subject: BKK Post,February 25, 1998 Chettha
- From: burma@xxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Wed, 25 Feb 1998 04:30:00
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.
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