Thumbs down from Shan rebels

Thumbs down from Shan rebels

Shan involvement in drugs 

Shan State Army officials, caught in the unexpected turnabout of circumstances, hotly denied their men were involved in Friday's clash between the Thai cavalry and drug traffickers that left 13 dead, among which were two with Shan State Army uniforms.

"Our troops along the border are being watched day and night by the nearby Thai army units," said a Shan commander from the Kengtung front. "I don't believe if we are really up to our necks in the drug trade, we would make the mistake of wearing our own army issues with our own insignias to give ourselves away."

The armed traffickers, 50-60 of them, had also left behind backpacks containing 1.6 million "yaba" methamphetamines pills.

Col Yawdserk on Sunday (24 March) said that some of his men had deserted and joined the drug gangs. "The Wa pay B 500 each month to their men," said a junior Shan officer, "which is more than a Burmese private's monthly pay. The SSA private in the meanwhile receives only B. 200 per month."

He conceded that 10 had deserted from Loi Taileng in January and another 25 in February to his knowledge. "Among them was a whole squad with full arms," he noted.

He bitterly criticized the leadership for adopting the anti-narcotics stand. "Because of it, people who used to contribute to our funds have gone to the Wa and the Burmese, and who do we have to foot the bill now?"

He also faulted some Thai authorities for attaching the blame to the SSA "too quickly".

Meanwhile, border watchers say easy days for Shan rebels, as far as Thailand is concerned, are over. "A policy of friendship and transparency from Shan leaders will work wonders," suggested one. "Until now, they have been so inaccessible to many people most of whom only wish to help them."

According to the SSA statement issued earlier in the year, it has since 8 November 1998 up to 27 December 2001, destroyed 9 drug refineries and seized 50 kilograms of heroin and 2 million speed pills. The Burma Army has been implicated on at least 5 occasions, it said.