No.14 - 01/2006
20 January 2006

War

Militia given back their guns

Weapons seized earlier in the month by the Burma Army in the wake of record haul of arms on 9 January have been returned to the pro-Rangoon militia groups, according to sources on the Tachilek-Maesai border:

Only two groups have been left out: Nampong militia of Col Yishay and Five Tract Highland militia of Marku, both of whom were believed to be associates of Nawkham, leader of Hawngleuk militia, who escaped arrest when the joint military-police force raided his home on 9 January morning.

The authorities later seized 114 assorted weapons at Nampong, west of Tachilek, on 14 January and another unknown number from Marku, 34, who has been under detention since. Yishay aka Chaiwat Pornsakul-paisarn, 50, who is wanted in Thailand on drug charges, has also been captured, according to an unconfirmed report. Yishay

Shan State Army (SSA) sources also believe most militia units have been given back their arms. One of SSA's patrols was in Monghai Neur, Monghpyak, when it was attacked in force by the Namyoom militia led by Ja Seubo from 07:00 - 10:00 local time yesterday. The SSA fighters managed to slip away unscathed, according to an officer. "The Burmese troops were not involved in the fight although they were camping in another village not far off," he maintained.

Meanwhile, authorities in Tachilek had been busy searching homes of ex-Mong Tai Army (MTA) men in Monghpong-A and Monghpong-B tracts, 18-19 January, said a local source. Nawkham, the militia leader at large, who used to be an MTA officer before he surrendered with his boss Khun Sa on 7 January 1996. (Another Khun Sa crony on the run, 10 January 2006)

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