Fate of Shan rebels debated

Fate of Shan rebels debated

How Thailand should deal with the Shan State Army of Col Yawdserk was one of the topics discussed at a seminar on border security held in Chiangmai Friday, 17 May, reported a source. 

Somchai Raksa-sakultai recounted that the seminar, attended by 180 government servants from 8 northern provinces and organized jointly by the National Security Council, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Armed Forces Supreme Command and Internal Security Operations Command, had different views on the subject. 

One group was of the opinion that since Yawdserk could not deny that some of the 13 drug smugglers captured dead by the Thai Army on 23 March were originally from the SSA, it was clear the rebels were collaborating with the United Wa State Army. He should therefore be treated in the same way as the UWSA, suggested the group. 

Another group of participants however saw it differently. One reported to the gathering of the Shans' readiness to cooperate with Thailand in the fight against narcotics and subject themselves to international inspection. "If we are going to suppress them because some of its officers are accomplices in drugs with the Wa," he argued, "How do we deal with Rangoon for allowing many of its officers to collaborate with the Wa in drugs? Hadn't we better cooperate with the rest of the world to get rid of it?" 

The third group counselled not to make premature decisions because "problems concerning illegal migrants and drugs in Thailand will not go away unless and until political problems in Burma are resolved." 

Earlier, S.H.A.N. received unconfirmed reports of some Thai higher officials deliberating ways and means to cope with the problem of having armed rebel groups hostile to Rangoon along its border areas. One spoke of granting citizenship and rehabilitation to the SSA men, while another took up a harsher position. "We should take advantage of our operations against the Wa to force Yawdserk to submit to Rangoon authorities," he was quoted as saying. Some others thought that a simpler way was to just "dispatch Yawdserk" and the rest of the SSA would just disintegrate. 

Somchai however failed to report the outcome of the seminar that was held at Lotus Pang Suan Kaew Hotel in Chiangmai.

Since the beginning of the month, the Third Army has been launching its biggest military exercise, code-named Surasi 1/3, along its northern border. The drill has been budgeted at 200 million baht, according to its commander, Lt-Gen Udomchai Ongkhasingh. 

Editor's Note_ Raksa-Sakultai means "Preserver of Tai race", a name adopted by the reporter who participated in the seminar.