The tension situation at the border

The tension situation at the border-town of Tachilek and Maesai Town and Wa news 

Tachilek residents killed by Thai big-gun shells 

11/ 2/ 2001 it was early in the morning at 5:00 am and the place is west of Tachilek Town (very close to the town on the northern bank of Maesai River right on the demarcation line) the SPDC's Light infantry 331 Battalion took position on the Kudeinayon Hill and started shelling Thai Ranger outpost just opposite and just 50 meters away, and the Thai retaliate by shelling at the Burmese position. In this incident the Thai side suffered 3 civilian died and another 7 civilian hurt. Five people died in Tachilek side and 7 people were hurt, and one Pajero Jeep was destroyed. 

On 13/ 2/ 2001 the Thai authorities compensate 12,000 baht for each dead and on the 20/ 2/ 2001 the SPDC also compensate 50,000 kyats for each dead.

Detail of the 5 dead persons 

1. Ko Than Tun (age 62) Burmese, Talaw quarter, near the Bayint Naung Park. 

2. The shell hit directly on a house in Wan Kawng quarter instantly killing a woman and injuring two children. 

3. A Chin missionary and a woman were killed when a shell fell near them while they were chatting. 

4. On the evening of 11/ 2/ 2001 a shell splinter hit a Shan woman and killed her while she was selling vegetables in the Paleng marketplace, and one more person was wounded. 

One shell hit a Pajero Jeep and badly damage it. It belong to the abbot of Pungtun Temple. To compensate it SPDC township suthorities collect 100,000 kyats and offer to the abbot.

The SPDC prepare military action: order Kengtung people to dig trenches and ditches

From 12/ 2/ 2001 township and village council ordered the Kengtung people from all 5 quarters to dig trenches and ditches. If was broken out all people must move out of the town and go to the safe area. In the urban area the village council ordered the villagers to look for safe places in the forest so that they can go and hide if necessary. The SPDC create disorder by spreading false news that war will surely break out, and people must be cautions on the alert Thai F-16 and F-18 might strike them. 

On the 16/ 2/ 2001 Kengtung people from all quarters (mostly rich people) kept only one person to look after the house and flee to the Chinese border at Mong Lar. Some use telephone and some by words of mouth call back their relatives from Tachilek. 

The Chinese made fighter air-plane are kept at Nam Tzang and Kengtung airports. On 17/ 2/ 2001 arms and ammunition have been shipped from Rangoon to the two airports by Burmese airplanes for six time. In Kengtung there are no more than 20 Chinese made light tanks. 

The military strength at Kengtung are as follow: 

Light Infantry 224, 226, 304, 529, 245 and 932. 340 military works engineer, heavy guns battery logistic etc. 

Kengtung based military units; Light Infantry 244, 226, 304, 525, 245, BE 340 and military training school. 

On 11/ 2/ 2001 3 days after Maesai-Tachilek battle both Maj. General Maung Aye and Maj-General Tin Oo order Triangle Reagion Commander Maj. General Thein Sein not to spare the Thai, and to strike them as soon as they landed on the Burmese soil. 

Auxiliary forces sent to the border area: Division 55, 77 from Taunggyi with Chinese made six wheeler transport these soldiers to Kengtung, and arrived on the 18/ 2/ 2001. On the 22/ 2/ 2001 20 trucks left for Mongsat. 30 trucks arrived at Tachilek on 23/ 2/ 2001 at 19:00 hr on the 24/ 2/ 2001 proceed west Tachilek. 

25 trucks with 6 mules on each truck arrived at Tachilek from Kengtung on 22/ 2/ 2001. 

On 25/ 2/ 2001 3 military strategists at Mongton-Maeken and Nakongmu. 

In Tachilek the SPDC are taking the lists of people who are using Thai hand-phones; rich people flee to the faraway place. The notorious MI on the 19-20/ 2/ 2001 ordered the village council all over Tachilek area to take list of people who use Thai mobile phones. In Tachilek area people who use mobile phones are various and many rich, middle class in the night clubs, brothels to officers of various levels. They use the mobile hand phone since Thai people introduce it into their country. It is not strange and unsual because it happened at the time of border tension. 

Pungtun, Talaw and Makahokham a trade center which are situated near the bank of Maesai river which divide the two countries, on 12-13/ 2/ 2001 rich families closed their homes and flee to Taunggyi, Mandalay or Rangoon. About 50 houses locked their doors and keep the light on, their owner moved to other place. After 4-5 days about 7-8 houses were forced open by some burglar and took away all their valuables. Only after their neighbor inform them that they came back and look after their homes. Business come to a stop at the small trading dowtown of Talaw for about two weeks already. 

Secretary 3 who is tip to replace Tin Oo who died in the helicopter crash, Lt.-General Win Myint visit Kengtung on the 22/ 2/ 2001, and left for Tachilek on the 24/ 2/ 2001. 

During this turmoil the people near the Burmese soldiers more than bullets and bomb shells. What they fear most is that the SPDC ruthlessly forcing the people into porters. Though they order the village and town council to collect porters for them they themselves started rounding up people as porters. On 24/ 2/ 2001 Burmese from Pungtun village on his way to sell chicken together with other two Burmese with same intention, the three of them have to bribe 5,000 baht for their release. And one young Shan had to pay 1,700 baht for his release. 
The closure of the border for two weeks had raised the prices of commodities; fuel oil, rice, medicines are tightly controlled by the Thai authorities. This effect both the SPDC and the people as well. People had to bribe soldiers who are on duty at the ferry, for one person the SPDC soldier charged 300-1,000 baht to cross over to Maesai. When the situation permit Chinese made goods are ferried across the Maesai river. At the Perwang Ferry (between Mesai and Tachilek) the Thai police take 2-300 baht for one person to cross the river, and the ferry man charge 50 baht. 

The Wa situation 

The Wa army who were summoned to the front line together with the SPDC, Battalion 244, 316 are from Wa brigade 171 and their commanders are Yang Kuojong, Taloong and Tapluek. The units are 3, 6, 314 they came via Mongsat. 

The Wa leader Wei Xiao Kang is very friendly to Secretary 1 Lt-General Khin Nyunt and wanted to do as Khin Nyunt's order, but the battalion commanders on 12/ 2/ 2001 refuse and say without Pang Sang's order they will not fight. 

As for the SSA, it is tight-lipped on the news about the alliance of Wa and the Burmese army. 

The code name for Wa by the Burmese is "Shwe Ba". Before the Wa arrive at the front line the Burmese promised them full ration, but on arriving at the front line the Burmese refuse to supply them any ration, but when the Wa protest against theis they were issued 7 day ration. But the Wa consumed it in only one day.

Water is scarce at this place and the Wa again demand that there be enough water for them. The Burmese army officers again turn to the AKha Hill tribe porters to fetch water for the Wa, again as usual the Wa consumed it in one day by bathing with the water that the hill tribe Akha carried up the hill. 

The local people can see the Burmese soldiers disguised as Wa soldiers, wearing Wa badges with the letter SW (Southern Wa) driving Four wheel Drive bearing the letter SW in and out of town. 

After the first round of talk held between the two countries the prices of commodities rise up again 

On the 26/ 2/ 2001 Thai and Burmese delegates meet to solve the border issue the price of goods went down a bit, but on the next day the price rocketed high again. 

On 27/ 2/ 2001 an egg cost 4-5 baht, super petrol cost 27-35 baht per liter, one viss of fish cost 60-70 baht, 100 baht for a viss of pork. 

On the 12/ 2/ 2001 air line between Rangoon-Mandalay-Heho and Kengtung, another line Rangoon-Mandalay-Heho-Tachilek were reopened, this is very peculiar, but the normal official price for flight between Rangoon-Kengtung was fixed at kyats 5,000 before now it raise the price to 11,000 kyats. And for the Tachilek line the fare went up, and one has to pay 3,000 kyats more for each flight. 

Making operation against SSA as facade the SPDC collect porters fee

In Mong Phong area which situated in the east of Tachilek the military officer stationed there and the Ka Kwe Ye (KKY) extract money from the villagers. Each village have to pay 3,000 kyats for 3 porter fees. 

The same happened in Tachilek, the SPDC spread false news about the SSA movement and collect porter fee from the people, 3,000 kyats for one village.