Whose side is the junta really on?
NARCOTICS SUPPRESSION: Shan State Army leader Col Yawd Serk explains why he believes Thailand is backing the wrong horse in the region-wide campaign against the drug trade
Bangkok Post - Thailand; Feb 10, 2002
BY SONGPOL KAOPATUMTIP, SUBIN KHUENKAEW AND SURATH JINAKUL IN CHIANG MAI
Mutual trust is needed if Thailand and Burma want to solve the longstanding drug problem once and for all, according to Shan State Army (SSA) leader Col Yawd Serk.
''Thaksin must ask himself whether he is willing to let Burma be the puppet master, dictating the role that he plays (in the war on drugs),'' the 47-year-old freedom fighter said in an exclusive interview with Perspective on Thursday.
As he spoke, Burmese artillery fire was pounding the SSA base at Kor Muang hill opposite Mae Fah Luang district in Chiang Rai. The attack came amid intense speculation about recent talks between top Thai and Burmese army officers that may lead to the removal of the SSA soldiers from this strategic border area.
For the past three years Col Yawd Serk's 7,000-strong army has been playing a crucial role in stemming the flow of narcotic drugs from illegal labs inside Burma a task that he says is becoming much more difficult with ''political pressure'' being applied against his people. ''We are now given just enough space to breathe,'' he said.
Prime Minister Thaksin must ask himself two questions:
Will drugs stop coming from Burma if the Shan and other minority groups such as the KNU and KNPP are eliminated, and will this lead to a lasting friendship between Thailand and Burma?
Thaksin may believe that the drug scourge will disappear if he makes friends with the military junta in Rangoon. ''But how many millions of methamphetamine tablets have been brought across the border during the past year?'' asked Col Yawd Serk.
These methamphetamines are produced by the United Wa State Army (UWSA) under drug warlord Wei Hsueh-kang, who lives in Burma and has a friendly relationship with certain army figures there.
''Thaksin will not be able to win the war against narcotic drugs if he fails to tackle the root cause of the problem,'' said the SSA leader.
UN PRESENCE NEEDED
According to Col Yawd Serk, Burma is in an awkward position after it pledged to join forces with China, Thailand and Laos to tackle drug problems in the region.Burma must act in a way that will convince neighbouring countries that it is serious about fighting the drug problem, he said, adding that joint Thai-Burmese efforts to reduce opium output through crop substitution will not work.
What is needed, he said, is a United Nations presence to stop the current acts of repression against minority groups in Burma. This should be followed by the UN recognition of the rights and freedom of these peoples, including the eight million Shans in Burma.
''Once these peoples enjoy full freedom and can make a decent living through honest means, opium production will gradually decrease,'' he said.
In this regard, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), of which Burma is a member, must play a more active role in pressuring Rangoon to eliminate the source of drugs in the country, Col Yawd Serk said, adding that the voice of the disadvantaged peoples in Burma must be taken into consideration as well.
''By supporting the military junta in Rangoon, Asean is effectively supporting a terrorist,'' he noted.
Col Yawd Serk has written six petitions to the United Nations seeking its intervention on behalf of the Shan people, all to no avail. Now the ball is in Thailand's court to decide whether to let the SSA continue its drug suppression operation or let ``business interests'' guide its policy towards Burma.It is reported that Thailand and Burma want to establish crop substitution and tourism projects in Burma about five kilometres from the SSA base at Kor Muang.
If this is truly the intention of the Thai government, said Col Yawd Serk, the SSA is willing to move out of the area. ''We are not an enemy of Thailand,'' he insisted. ``We are here because we want to help stop the flow of drugs into Thailand.'' And wherever they are, the Shan will continue to preserve their language, culture and way of life that have long united them as a proud people. ``If we don't love our land, how can we love our parents?'' asked Col Yawd Serk.