TASK FORCE SCRUTINISED

A Task Force's Validity Is Under Question After It Failed To Protect Troops
From An Attack By Drug Traffickers

Observers said the PM's eccentric behaviour is a smokescreen to deflect
attention away from other issues - Pinit Charusombat has a low profile in
politics, but he has been earmarked to ascend the political tree

A clash between a small patrol unit of the Pha Muang Force and a drug
caravan believed to be trafficking up to six million methamphetamine pills
last Friday night caused many people to question: where Task Force 399 had
gone to when it should have been operational at the border? Task Force 399
was established by the army for drug suppression and it was specially
trained for this purpose by US soldiers.

The incident in Chiang Mai's Wiang Haeng district highlighted the futility
of a small unit of Thai soldiers trying to confiscate six million
methamphetamine pills carried in the backpacks of the 60 traffickers. But
since the Thai patrol was outnumbered, it could seize only 1.6 million
pills and kill 13 traffickers. One patrolman was also killed. The fact was
that the 19-strong patrol, led by Maj Vichayakoon Kongpoonsilp and Lt
Vichai Rungruangsri, was facing a band of 60 armed traffickers and guards.
The four claymore mines that were detonated in the ambush were not enough
to deal with the traffickers. Although 30 troops were rushed to the area to
help, they were not allowed to move into the area until the next morning as
the operation command reasoned that doing so would be too risky. As a
result, the patrol, with only 18 soldiers left, were under siege from 9pm
on Friday night until the Saturday morning as the traffickers kept coming
back in an attempt to recover their drugs and the bodies of their
colleagues. Sporadic firefights also took place all night.

Since the incident occurred 30km from the Burmese border, reinforcements
should have been sent to attack the intruders from the rear. Many asked why
this did not happen.

One officer suggested that Task Force 399 lacks the mobility to undertake
this type of operation. Before an operation, it is required to get approval
from the army chief. Prior approval must also be obtained in advance for
expenses and subsistence pay.

"Third Army commander Lt-Gen Udomchai Ongkasing did not feel confident to
use Task Force 399. So he set up small operation units of the Pha Muang
Force for drug suppression instead," the officer said. Another staff
officer said the Third Army once sent Task Force 399 to raid and search a
village at Doi Wawee in Chiang Mai's Mae Chan district in January, but the
operation turned out to be a flop.

The army has acquired two Black Hawk helicopters from the United States at
a cost of US$10 million each. They were initially intended to support Task
Force 399's operations.

However, since there has been a change of command at the Third Army, many
question if the helicopters will still be used for that purpose and also,
whether the task force will continue to be operational.