SCMP-Burma accused of 'tit-for-tat'

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Subject: SCMP-Burma accused of 'tit-for-tat' border closure

South China Morning Post
Friday, August 20, 1999

THAILAND
Burma accused of 'tit-for-tat' border closure

Chained gang: two members of a Burmese militia, the United Wa State Army,
are held in Chiang Mai, Thailand, after allegedly being caught with
methamphetamine pills on the border. Burma's junta has sealed up a trading
post at the Kiew Pha Wok pass on its border with northern Thailand in what
Thai authorities yesterday labelled a "tit-for-tat" response to their
crackdown on drug trafficking. Reuters photo

AGENCIES in Bangkok

Burma's military junta has sealed up a trading post on its border with
northern Thailand in what Thai authorities yesterday labelled a
"tit-for-tat" response to their crackdown on drug trafficking.
The Kiew Pha Wok pass, opposite Chiang Dao district in Chiang Mai province,
was closed on Wednesday.

"Myanmar [Burma] military officials said they had closed the border pass
because of the disappearance of two Myanmar soldiers in Thailand, which
actually occurred about six months ago, but my own analysis is this was just
tit-for-tat," said Major-General Chamlong Phothong, chief of staff of the
Third Army Region.

Last month, Thailand closed the San Ton Du border pass, in nearby Chiang
Rai, as part of a bid to stem the yearly flow of an estimated 200 million
methamphetamine pills from Burma's Shan state into Thailand.

According to Thai anti-narcotics officials, the biggest supplier of
methamphetamines to the Thai market is the United Wa State Army (UWSA) from
a base in Mong Yawn, a few kilometres from the San Ton Du crossing.

The junta's close relations with the UWSA, the border closure and
accusations that the regime has turned a blind eye to the Wa's massive
methamphetamine trade have strained Thai-Burmese relations.

General Chamlong said the closure of the two border passes would hurt the Wa
more than it would affect Thai traders.

Meanwhile, refugee workers said that Thailand would begin moving thousands
of Burmese refugees deeper inside its territory next week in an attempt to
reduce the danger of cross-border raids carried out by junta-backed guerilla
forces.

The schedule for relocating refugees in Tak province was agreed on Monday by
Thai authorities and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR).

One refugee official said about 15,000 refugees from the Huay Kalok and
Mawkier camps would be moved about 13km further inside Thai territory.

"The idea is to have them in a safer location, and to provide more space,
and the water situation is better," he said.

"Both camps have had problems with security. In the past few years there
have been a number of attacks by pro-Rangoon Karen renegades."

Thailand hosts about 100,000 Burmese refugees, mainly of Karen and Karenni
origin.

Last year, several Karen refugees were killed and thousands made homeless
when guerilla forces backed by the junta raided camps in Thai territory.

The Human Rights Watch group has accused Bangkok and the UNHCR of leaving
thousands of villagers in danger.

The group said the UNHCR had been "unnecessarily weak in its efforts to
challenge the Thai policies that undermine refugee protection".