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Bangkok post and The Nation (5/6/98



News headlines

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1:)US posts reward on four top traffickers

2:)Wa linked to drugs cache

3:)Japanese ruling party lawmaker's form support group for Burmese 
junta

4:)Khun Sa to stay out of US hands

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<bold>

US posts reward on four top traffickers

</bold>

Khun Sa still high on the wanted list


Washington, Reuters


The State Department has stepped up the pressure on narcotics traffickers
in Burma and Thailand; setting $2 million rewards for four more men
wanted on drug charges in New York.

	The department has long had a $2 million reward for information leading
to the capture of Khun Sa, former leader of the Shan United Army, the
world's largest producer until 1996.

	Julie Reside, a department spokesman, said: "The announcement today
expands the reward to include the additional four narcotics traffickers
and reaffirms that we still want Khun Sa."

	The four other men wanted are Chang Ping-yun, or Khun Saeng; Wei
Hsueh-kang, or Prasit Chivinnitipanya; Yan Wan-hsuan, or Lao Tai_ all of
Burma; and Liu Szu-po, also known as kamrat namsuwakhon or Lamdap
Namsuwakhon, of Thailand.

	The rewards are being offered as part of the Counter-narcotics Rewards
program established by Congress in 1996 to help the US government
identify and bring to justice major drug traffickers.

	The State Department's counter-narcotics bureau sets the rewards in
cooperation with other agencies, including the justice Department, the
Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI.

	  In the US, information regarding the targeted traffickers can be
provided to local offices of the DEA of FBI, while overseas, information
should be given to the nearest US embassy or consulate.

	Khun Sa capitulated to the Burmese junta in 1996 and is living in an
army safe house in Rangoon along with Chang, a key aide.

	Khun Sa formerly commanded 20,000 guerrillas in the USA, also known as
the Mong Tai Army, ostensibly to fight for independence for Shan State.
But international drug agencies accuse him of using the guerrillas as a
personal army to protect his opium and heroin businesses. 

	He was indicted in a US court in December 1989 on various charges of
heroin trafficking and Washington wants him handed over so he can stand
trial in the US.

	Yan is Khun Sa's former confidential secretary, and head of the
guerrilla group's political affairs section. He also has been indicted in
court for attempting to import and distribute heroin.

	Liu was a principal heroin distributor for Khun Sa, the State Department
said, noting he was last seen in Thailand.

	Wei commands the United Wa State Army's southern Military Command; a
group the State Department says has replaced the MTA as the dominant
heroin traffickers in Southeast Asia.He is believed to be in Burma.

----------------------------Bangkok post news --------------------


<bold>Wa linked to drugs cache

</bold>Villagers escape as police launch raid 


Chiang Mai


A border Patrol Police unit uncovered a cache of more then 12 million
baht and 5,000 amphetamine pills in a Mae Ai district village on
Wednesday.

	The police surrounded Hua Nam, a Lisorhill tribe village on the
Thai-Burmese border, after they were tipped off that it was a point where
traffickers delivered amphetamine pills to Thai agents.

	All males in the village include their chief, Lao-dam Saenlee, 53,fled
into Burma as soon as they spotted the police.

	They were believed to have sought refuge with the United Wa State Army
led by Wei Hsues-kang, who reportedly has some 5,000-armed men under his
control.

	Wei is one of four drug traffickers for which the American government
has set a $2 million reward for information leading to their capture.

	The police found 5,000 amphetamine pills, 12 million baht worth of cash
in 500-and 1,000 baht bank notes, a list of customers, and three bank
accounts showing a combined deposit of three million baht hidden in two
huts in the village.

	Thai officials believe the UWSA is operating a heroin and amphetamines
factory supplying drug traders in Thailand. It s believed about into
Thailand via this route monthly.

	

---------Bangkok post news -------------------


<bold>Japanese ruling party lawmaker's form support group for Burmese
junta

</bold>

Agence France-Presse


Tokyo-About 20 ruling party lawmakers in Japan launched a group yesterday
to support Burma's ruling military junta and correct "misunderstanding"
about the country, members said.

	Kabun Muto, a 71-year-old former foreign minister, heads the group and
former trade minister from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, and
membership is expected to reach 30 soon, an aide for Muto said.

	Nobel peace laureate "Aung San Suu Kyi has made her stance clear by
using media, but the (Burmese) government is not known well", the aide
said.

	Muto visited Burma in February to meet leaders of the junta, and
received a request that he works for correcting "misunderstanding" of
them, she said.

	The Japanese government should fully resume its official development
assistance (ODA) loans to Burma; Muto was quoted as saying.

	Washington imposed trade sanctions after Burma's ruling junta refused to
acknowledge the result of a 1990 election won in a landslide by Aung San
Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy.


	-----------The Nation news ----------------


<bold>

Khun Sa to stay out of US hands

</bold>

Agence France-Presse


Tokyo- Burmese's ruling military junta angrillt refused yesterday to hand
over to the United State the infamous drug lord Khun Sa, who tops a US
list of five wanted narcotics kingpins in the country.

	Lieutenant Colonel Hla Min, spokesman for the Burma junta who is
visiting Tokyo for a conference, said the country had taken Khun Sa
without outside assistance and at great cost to its military forces.

	"Let us say we won the game and Khun Sa is the trophy, so we believe
that we have the right to display it wherever we like---in the dining
room, living room, garage," he said.

	Khun Sa, born Chang Chi Fu, is believed to be residing in a military
safe house in Rangoon under the terms of a 1996 amnesty reached with the
government of Burma.

	The United States offered rewards of up to US$2 million Wednesday for
information leading to the arrest of five drug kingpins believed to be in
Burma, with Khun Sa the prime target.

	Hla said that due to lack of detailed information he could not comment
on the four drug lords, associates of Khun Sa, whom did the US State
Department cite.

	They are Chang Ping-yun, known as Khun SaEng, Wei Hsueh-kang, alias
Prasit Chivinnitipanya, Yang Wan-hsuan (Loa Tai) and Liu Szupo, also
known as Kamrat Namsuwakhon or Lamdap Namsuwakhon.

	The junta spokesman said there was no extradition treaty between Burma
and the United States.

	Hla said Khun Sa had been taken "without outside assistance and support"
and despite an arms embargo that gave drugs lords "the privilege to use
more sophisticated weapons than government troops".

"In spite of that, government forces with inferior weapons, we managed to
break his army," he added.

	"Since we had to do it on our own and alone, we believe that we have the
right to choose whatever way we think is appropriate in dealing with Khun
Sa."

	Since 1994 the war against drugs had left Burma's armed forces with 766
dead and 2,300 seriously wounded, he said," and nobody lifted a finger to
help us in this fight against narcotics".

	"Nobody can come at the last moment and say we have to hand him (Khun
Sa) over. If they want him why didn't they help in the first place?" he
asked.

	The United States has long complained that authorities in Burma, the
world's largest source of illicit opium and heroin, have failed to wage
an effective campaign to curb drug production. 

	Burma has been on the State Department's list of countries that have
failed to cooperate with the United States in the war on drugs a
designation that prevents it from receiving economic aid.

	The military government took power after crushing widespread protests in
September 1988.


	-----------The Nation news -----------------