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NEWS - Gloves off for Thai Army in



Subject: NEWS - Gloves off for Thai Army in Drugs War

Gloves off for Thai Army in Drugs War

               Reuters
               27-JUL-99

               GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Thailand (Reuters) - In the jungle on
               the Thai-Myanmar border, a small stretch of no man's land
is
               all that separates heavily armed Thai army units from
               fighters of the Myanmar-based drug rings they have vowed
               to destroy. 

               In a recent visit to the highland frontier, Thai army
chief Gen.
               Surayudh Julanond told his men no holds were barred in
the
               war against what he calls Thailand's biggest security
threat.
               "We cannot tolerate gangsters using this area as a haven
for
               drugs trafficking any more," he said. "If the traffickers
use
               arms, you can strike back with arms." 

               He spoke at a mountaintop base in northern Thailand just
               yards away from units of United Wa State Army, an ethnic
               guerrilla army considered by most independent analysts to
               be Myanmar's most notorious drug-trafficking force. 

               Narcotics experts say the Wa now control most of the
               production of illicit drugs in the so-called Golden
Triangle
               opium-growing region, the world's No. 1 source of heroin.
               Known primarily for opium, from which heroin is made, Wa
               areas also make huge quantities of amphetamines that have
               become a major scourge in Thailand, putting pressure on
               Thai leaders to act. 

               In recent weeks, Thailand has deployed more than 800
               troops in areas opposite UWSA positions and has also
               established mortar and artillery bases, an army source
said. 

               "The purpose of these fresh deployments is to reestablish
               stability in these areas," Surayudh said. 

               Sources in the narcotics suppression drive told Reuters
at
               least 29 members of Wa drug gangs had been killed on the
               border in the past year. Col. Suthas Jarumanee, commander
               of a task force assigned to conduct search-and-destroy
               missions against Wa units, said his men killed seven

               members of a UWSA drug gang in a firefight last month. 

               "The drugs war is declared and the search-and-destroy
               missions will continue," he told reporters. 

               Last week, National Security Council chief Kachadpai
               Burusapatana urged a shoot-on-sight policy against drug
               gangs."Alien drugs traffickers from a neighboring country
are
               becoming increasingly rampant," he told a seminar. "The
               only way to deal with these people is to execute them on
the
               spot." 

               The UWSA has become increasingly influential since it
               reached a cease-fire with the military government in
Yangon
               10 years ago. It controls areas of eastern Shan State
near
               the Chinese border as well as borderlands opposite
               Thailand. 

               Suthas said the UWSA had mobilized more than 5,000
               guerrilla fighters to protect its drugs business near the
Thai
               border. What had really alarmed Thailand, though, was a
               recent linkup between the northern Wa army based at
               Pangsan near the Chinese border under Pau Yuqiang and
               the southern group under Wei Hsue Kang near Thai border.
               Suthas said this prompted a full alert among Thai forces
on
               the border. 

               The United States has offered a $2 million reward for
Wei's
               capture and named Pau, who denies involvement in the drug
               trade, in its list of Golden Triangle drug traffickers.
Wei is
               apparently unperturbed -- according to a Thai army source
               he has consolidated his position in the border district
of
               Mong Yon and is actively expanding his influence in the
               Triangle. 

               "The U.S. government is offering $2 million for his head
but
               crossing the border to get him is not an easy task," said
army
               Maj. Prathompong Kasetsuk. 

               Mong Yon was a former stronghold of Khun Sa, a notorious
               drug lord also wanted by the United States who now
resides
               in Yangon. Myanmar insists he has retired from the
business
               after surrendering to the government in 1995, but Thai
               narcotics officials believe he is still closely linked to
               narcotics. 

               Pinyo Chaithong, chief of the Office of Narcotics Control
               Board in the northern Thai town of Chiang Mai, said Khun
               Sa's son and guerrilla fighters were increasing their
output.
               "His son is actively in drugs business and there are
signs
               that Khun Sa is also involved in the drug again," Pinyo
said. 

               The board estimates there are at least 57 amphetamine and
               heroin factories in the Golden Triangle under the control
of
               the UWSA and guerrillas of the Mong Tai Army Khun Sa
               created. It estimates UWSA areas now produce 300 million

               amphetamine tablets a year, mainly for the Thai market. 

               "Apart from producing drugs in Mong Yon, the Wa have also
               created satellite villages for their drugs rings on Thai
soil, so
               we have to establish order in the suspect villages,"
Suthas
               said. He said the army was concentrating its domestic
               crackdown on traffickers on 26 hill tribe villages in the
Mae
               Ai, Mae Chan and Mae Fah Luang districts of Chiang Mai
               province.