RANGOON-BACKED WA ARMY MOVES INTO SHAN REGION

Five Battalions Enter Area Rich With Opium

Five battalions of the Rangoon-backed United Wa State Army have been
moving into an area under the influence of the Shan State Army
opposite Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son provinces, a Shan source said.

About 1500 troops of the 171st Wa Regiment under Wei Hseuh-kang left
Mong Yawn on 45 trucks on Nov 29 for the border area opposite Wiang
Haeng district of Chiang Mai and Pai district of Mae Hong Son.

The Pha Muang Task Force of the Third Army has kept the movement under
watch. It is believed the Wa army wants to expand its influence into
the Shan-controlled area including Mong Pan, Mong Tha and Mong Ton,
opposite Chiang Mai's Wiang Haeng district, which are full of opium
plantations.

The Wa army wanted to take the area without fighting, the source
said.

During the past year the Shan army had tried to show that it did not
want to get involved in production of narcotic drugs. Troops had even
attacked drug production plants of the Muser and Wa tribes, annoying
the Wa army. On Nov 20 Shan troops raided a methamphetamine storage
area, arrested six Muser and Burmese troops and seized 200,000 speed
pills.

Burma believed it was the work of Thai soldiers and a clash between
troops of the 359th Battalion and Thailand's Third Cavalry Battalion
at Ban Pasang Na-ngern ensued in which two Thai rangers were wounded
and a Burmese soldier killed.

The tension eased after Lt-Col Myo Chit, commander of the 359th
Battalion, apologised for the misunderstanding.

Meanwhile, the Third Army Region commander said Burma's resettlement
of drug-producing Wa tribespeople along border areas increases the
drug threat to Thailand.

Lt-Gen Wattanachai Chaimuanwong said Burma had resettled the
tribespeople under the United Wa State Army in areas taken over from
minority rebels in the annual dry-season offensive.

He said this would make it more difficult to prevent drug smuggling,
especially into Tak, Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son provinces.

Lt-Gen Wattanachai said Burma plans to replace minority groups along
the border with Burmese troops and Wa tribespeople to beef up border
security.

A source said problems affecting relations between Thailand and Burma
had forced the postponement of the Thai-Burmese Regional Border
Committee meetings scheduled for April last year and this year.

The meeting is usually co-chaired by Thailand's commander of the Third
Army Region and Burma's commander of the Southwest Army Region.

In another development, the army recently conducted an opinion poll
among people in the Phop Phra, Mae Ramat, Muang and Sam Ngao districts
of Tak.

Most of those polled wanted the military to help stem the spread of
drugs across the border as it was reported two or three more
methamphetamine plants had been set up in Myawaddy, opposite Mae Sot
district of Tak.