THAI-MYANMAR TIES WORSENING AGAIN

BANGKOK -- The roller-coaster state of relations between Thailand and
Myanmar is on the descent again. Barely months after the two have
patched up ties spoiled by a daring raid on the Myanmar embassy in
Bangkok by Myanmar rebels, a new flashpoint has emerged.

Thai military and national security officials have blamed the Myanmar
military government for its failure to tackle the inflow of drugs,
namely amphetamines, into Thailand.

The officials met recently and branded the Myanmar government as
"two-faced", said a source. They accused it of pledging to cooperate
with Thai authorities to tackle the illegal drug trade, while closing
an eye to the drug production activities going on at the Thai-Myanmar
border.

It is estimated that about 600 million tablets are churned out a year
by the Wa tribe who live near the Myanmar side of the border. The bulk
of the drug is believed to have been smuggled into Thailand, which is
experiencing a rise in drug abuse among its youths.

Until their recent peace agreement with the Myanmar government, the Wa
people were one of several ethnic groups fighting for independence
from Yangon.

They now cooperate discreetly with the government to fight the Karen,
a major tribe which have refused to enter into a truce with the
authorities there.