Tachilek township

Tachilek township

Tachilek is well-known as the province lying in the Golden Triangle area, where the borders of Burma, Thailand and Laos meet. Traditionally mostly Shans inhabit the valleys, with mainly Akha and Lahu inhabiting the hills.

The town of Tachilek lies opposite the Thai border town of Mae Sai, in the province of Chiang Rai. Cross-border trade, and the trafficking of people from Burma as well as China, has brought comparative prosperity to the town. Ten years ago, the population was about 20,000. By 2001 the population had reached over 100,000, many of whom were from other parts of Burma. The presence of branches of five major banks, as well as offices and companies of several of the ethnic ceasefire armies testify to the town’s economic significance.

In December 2000, a new Border Control Unit (Na Sa Ka) was installed in Tachilek, purportedly to monitor the border trade. The unit is under the direct control of SPDC Lt. Gen Khin Nyunt.

So far the numbers of Wa settlers relocated around the town of Tachilek remain small. They have seized some fields to the west of the town belonging to Akha villagers in order to plant fruit orchards, but in other areas they have not seized people’s land. Thus, so far none of the local villagers have been forced to flee. The main effects mentioned by local inhabitants of the increasing Wa influence are the growing power of the UWSA and the spread of drugs. Traders and drivers who obtain “passes” from the UWSA are able to cross SPDC checkpoints with impunity.

This thriving agricultural area along the Mekhong River was a stronghold of the Chinese Nationalist forces until January 1961, when China launched an offensive with 20,000 troops from the People’s Liberation Army to force them out. Subsequently various ethnic armed groups, mainly Shan, operated in this area, which borders on Laos.

Since mid-2001 the UWSP began taking control of several large tracts of land near Paliao. They have put up signboards forbidding outsiders to enter these areas. The lands occupied, including the former air-strip, have so far been mainly empty plots of land owned by the Burmese government. Thus no local inhabitants have yet been forced out of the area. However, local people have complained that the new Wa settlers are engaging in large-scale pig and chicken breeding and are able to undercut prices in the area.

As plans to develop the Mekhong sub-region proceed, local inhabitants are concerned that the Wa will seek to expand their influence in the area and start forcing local people out.