VILLAGE ARMY MAINTAINS SECURITY

MAE SOT (Tak province) -- Every night the people of Ta-at village rely on
the volunteer militia unit to keep their village free of drugs and the
motorbikes from being stolen and smuggled into Myanmar.

The River Moei is all that separates Thais from their poverty-stricken
neighbour, a mere stone's throw away.

In the dry season, hundreds of illegal immigrants wade into Thailand to
look for work, while motorbikes are wheeled the other way.

But Ta-at, like scores of other border villages, has a volunteer unit armed
with shotguns and World War II dated M1s.

Trained by the Thai army, the 50-member Defence People's Army is headed by
the one-legged Chatri Pewgoo, 42. He lost his leg to a bomb explosion while
fighting with the Thai army but with his artificial limb few would know.

Now officially retired, he has the job of knocking the militia unit into
shape and protecting the village's 800 residents.

Each night he sends out 10 to 14 people in two units. One patrols along the
river, the other the village roads up to the local army base, which is
responsible for seven border villages.

Every month the army spends an hour teaching the men basic patrol
techniques and weapons handling skills on the village football pitch.

Dressed in a mixture of army fatigues and work clothes, the unit probably
has more in the way of enthusiasm than military skills, although several
once served with the Royal Thai Army.

The unit can even call on the village women for help, although their best
talents are said to lie in informing on criminal activity.

The village units were set up by the army as a way of boosting security
along the border at the same time as the military was tightening its belt
following the onset of the Asian economic crisis.

After putting his men through their paces training, Sergeant Sakorn
Khumchor explained: ""We must be very careful about drugs coming in from
Myanmar. The unit has duties similar to the police and the soldiers. If
they catch people they inform the police.''

One of his men, village chief Sombon Srivichai, is a rice farmer by day but
goes patrolling by night.

The village even has a checkpoint for vehicles entering Ta-at. ""Drugs are
a very serious problem in Thailand and I am worried about the children,''
says Mr Sombon.