Still in confidence

Still in confidence-building stage, says survey party member

Thai project for Wa 

A member of the inquiry team from Thailand who returned recently from Burma disclosed that the royally-initiated crop replacement project for the Wa resettlers in Shan State's Nayao area, also known as Yawngkha by the Wa, was still going through a trust-building process.

The member, who requested anonymity, said: "We were not even allowed to know how many households there were in Yawngkha. Our Wa guide told us stiffly that it was not their duty to inform us."

The 9-men team, all from the Doitung Royal Project in Mae Fa Luang District, Chiangrai province, showed S.H.A.N. a copy of the basic information-gathering form that they had taken with them, saying nothing so far had come out of it yet.

"Anyway, our mission was to investigate the conditions of soil and water and found them to be satisfactory," he said.
During their 4-day stay, 24-28 January, the party put up in tents along the Maesai. There were two guides, one Wa by the name of Satoon and one Burmese, Han Tin, whom he believed was from the military intelligence.

"It was obvious they still thought we were up to no good, just to get a foothold among them so we could spy on them," he said. "So it will take at least another 2-3 visits before they can finally make up their mind about our intent."
The party found paddy fields abandoned by the original residents and hundreds of newly built homes along the road recently constructed by prisoners, according to another source. "I happened to ask one of the newcomers who could speak Shan where the native villagers were, and he replied he only saw deserted homes and fields when they arrived a few months before, but he heard there were only 18 occupied homes remaining up in Htalang, some 20 miles further inside."

According to a Shan relief worker's report, there were about 240 families living in the immediate environs before the Wa relocation program was launched three years ago.

The Thai official said he had no idea what to do with those who were forced to leave the area. "It's up to my superiors," he concluded.

Flash News

A mortar shell fell in Loi Kawwan at 12:30 today. The Shans did not respond, said a Thai-Burma watcher.