Wa Briefs

Wa Briefs

Sino-Thai joint venture to build underground vaults for Wa

Sources from the border said Thai workers for a Thai Rak Thai party member and elected representative of Chiangrai, who owns a store in Maesai, 250 km north of Chiangmai, had been to Wanhoong-Namzam, the headquarters of Wei Hsiaokang in Monghsat Township on a two-day trip, 10-11 August. 

They were taken to a location south of Monghsat where 3 underground "godowns" (warehouses) were to be built by Chinese engineers from Tali, Yunnan Province. Each measure 30x30x30 cubic meters. "They can be used for anything," said one. 

The Thai side would take care of the construction materials such as cement, rocks and sand. 

"To give the devil its due," said one, "The roads have been getting better under the Wa or the Chinese behind them. It took us only 3:30 hours to cover 90 miles (distance between Tachilek and Wanhoong)." 

Border pass closed to civilian cars

BP1, the border pass between Chiangmai and Shan State's Mongton, has been ordered closed to civilian trucks and vehicles since 19 July, said disgruntled locals. 

MI-24, the military intelligence detachment in Mongton, called a meeting of 14 car owners in Poongpakhem, 10 miles north of the border pass and told them only military or military-affiliated militia vehicles would be permitted to traverse between Poongpakhem and BP-1. 

It is not known when it will be reopened for public use, they said, but Bangkok and Rangoon had apparently agreed to elevate the temporary checkpoint there to a permanent one. 

There are as yet only 3 permanent border checkpoints: Maesai-Tachilek, Maesod-Myawaddy and Ranong-Kawsawng.