Drug accused spurns charges

Drugs

Drug accused spurns charges

Mahaja, known as the mayor of Homong since the departure of warlord Khun Sa following his surrender in 1996, made a belated dismissal of accusations from Thailand last month that he was a confederate of druglord Wei Hsuehkang:

Calling from Namzang, 62 miles east of Taunggyi, the 57-year old president of Shan State South Company that has a logging concession in the neighboring township of Kengtawng, told S.H.A.N. last evening he had never met Wei in his whole life. "I joined Sao Khun Sa in 1985," he said, "after Wei Hsuehkang had left him. Both of us have now made peace with the Burmese government, but that's that."

He also denied having business connections with his half brother Mahasang, President of the non-ceasefire Wa National Organization, which is based in Mae Aw, opposite Maehongson's Muang district, whose court had issued an arrest warrant for both. Ensuing raids on 1 February in Maehongson and Chiangmai by Thai police resulted in the custody of Boonjerd Chuenjit, 40, believed to be a relative of Mahasang and Mahaja.

Mahaja however did not mention anything about the Thai allegations about his involvement in drug production and trafficking. He is reported to have refineries around Homong and Namzang.

A representative of the National Convention, he has requested absence citing poor health conditions. During last year's 8 week long session of the convention, he was known as one of the delegates that spent most of his time playing mah-jong and taking yaba (methamphetamine) during last year's 8-week session of the convention.

Mahaja is from Wiang-ngern, one of the 3-main princely Wa states that were in existence prior to the communist invasion in 1968. He had chosen to join up with Khun Sa's Mong Tai Army while Mahasang set up his own group, the WNO, one of the member organizations of the National United front, a coalition of non-ceasefire armed groups.

The NDF issued a statement on 3 March offering to testify in Mahasang's favor. The statement said nothing about his brother Mahaja.

Related report: Wa leader on the run, S.H.A.N., 4 February 2005