More on Nasaka

More on Nasaka

Re:

No: 12 - 20 Junta's infamous unit comes to rock the boat along Thai border (25/12/2000)
No: 12 - 22 New border unit takes control of Tachilek (26/12/2000)
No: 12 - 27 Old hands to lodge complaints against new border unit (31/12/2000)
No: 12 - 28 Nasaka in other townships (31/12/2000) 

Thanks for your interest in S.H.A.N.'s Nasaka reports. The following report, provided by an insider source, will, we hope, straighten out some of the errors in our previous reports_Editor. 

The Nasaka (Border Control Unit) arrived in Tachilek on 8 December. On 19 December, a meeting was called to explain its mission to the local authorities. 

"There is a need to prevent restricted commodities from going out and coming in as Thailand is enjoying an upperhand over us, economically speaking," a Nasaka officer (the source did not say who) explained. "There are too many motor vehicles coming in without proper licences and proper duties paid. We are here to plug the holes and to see that the state earns its proper revenues". 

He outlined the unit's five tasks which were: Prevention of prohibited commodities from leaving the country, Prevention of prohibited commodities from entering the country, Enhancement of revenue from taxes, Raising the value of Kyat against other currencies and Suppression of corruption among state officials. 

He added that the unit would be under the direct control of Secretary 1(General Khin Nyunt), who would be represented locally by Lt.-Col. Thet Htut (Kamaba) under whom the Work Inspection Battalion (Nasaya) commanded by Maj. Zaw Lin would operate. 

On the following day, five immigration and customs checkpoints under the Tachilek district administration, namely: Friendship Bridge, Mark-yang, Pakook, Loitawkham and Wan Poongkaen were turned over to the Nasaka, said the source. 

Lt.-Col. Thet Htut is known to be one of Gen. Khin Nyunt's trusted lieutenants. (He attended the meeting between Military Intelligence Service and the Shan State Peace Council in September, as reported earlier by S.H.A.N.)