The New light of Myanmar
Saturday, 17  February, 2001

Look on opium insurgents as they are

It has been for about half a century since armed insurgency based on the anomalous activities of secessionism started in Shan State. The slogan "for the prosperity of national races in Shan State" has been shouted. In practice, they have killed their people and set their own community and villages on fire. At the same time, they have been engaged in trafficking heroin and stimulant tablets and smuggling,, thus seeking self-interests. In practice, the national races lagged behind in development. 

Altogether 17 armed groups, realizing the bad consequences of armed insurgency and considering the ordeal of local national people, have returned to the legal fold and have been joining hands with the government and the people in carrying out development tasks for their regions and the State. Some insurgents who have neither swapped arms for peace nor had regard for the national people, are still sinking in a life of vice to date. The national people, who have been shot, robbed and caught in the blast of bombs and mines and whose villages have been set on fire, have already suffered the terrorist and atrocious activities of the remnant armed insurgents of SURA. As books about these ferocious and terrorist activities have been published, I will not elaborate on this matter now. 

Ywet Sit, who is leading SURA today, was a cold-blooded murderer of MTA (a) Lwemaw (a) the opium-trafficking Shan insurgent group. I will give a brief account of this group. That group entered Pantawi Village near Langkho Township, Shan State, and shot dead altogether 61 including women, men and children. They also shot dead another 61 innocent national people including women, men and children, who were working at Mai Pan Sai Creek in Monghsat Township. 

Villager victims of Meethwaygon village in Namhsan Township after the SURA raid on 18-1-97

It has already been presented that in 1995, U Khun Sa and his followers unconditionally abandoned arms and opium trafficking and returned to the legal fold, but some opium insurgents including Ywet Sit have continued their armed insurgency. These remnant opium insurgents numbering about 20 entered Tachilek through Pon Hton Boat Landing Place to the west of Tachilek at 4.20 am on 20 March in 1995 and fired heavy and small weapons at the town. They fired into civilians, not into military units.

Because of their attack, one transformer from Electric Power Office in Tachilek and a shop in Dipakyaw Market downtown Tachilek were shelled and damaged. As the shells exploded in the compound of the Customs Office in Tachilek, two civilian women and one man got wounded. Similarly, they opened fire on Tachilek Police Station, and two men and one woman got wounded by bullets. 

Meethwaygon village in Namhsan Township put to torch by  SURA armed group on 18-1-97

Among those who fired on the town, insurgent Aik Yee was captured dead with one M-22. Another six insurgents who were hiding in a house, were also caught dead. Other insurgents got wounded and fled to Mai Sai, Thailand. The Bangkok Post dated 21 March stated that about 20 opium insurgents, who got wounded and arrived at the hospital in Mae Sai, were given medical treatment. 

The officials of Myanmar security unit requested the authorities of Mae Sai to hand over these insurgents who shot the people and opened fire on and set fire to the public property. The authorities of Mae Sai did not hand over them, and replied that they had freed them after giving medical treatment. The Western media and broadcasting stations are praising the terrorist insurgents who are shooting and killing people, doing a lot of damage and engaged in opium trafficking with the use of heavy and small weapons, as so-called democracy activists, human rights activists and freedom fighters. They have no sense of propriety. How amazing it is to see the persons who are accepting these insurgents as refugees and giving encouragement to them! Myanmar is a sovereign nation situated in South-East Asia region. It is also a Union where 135 national races ( with a population of 50 million), born on the same soil, have been co-existing through thick and thin. All the people of the Union are now savoring peace and development. And it is a time when all are joining hands in building a peaceful, pleasant, modern and developed nation. The nation's area is 261,228 square miles. It is the second largest nation in Southeast Asia after Indonesia. The nation shares a 1,385-mile long land boundary with the People's Republic of China, 146-mile long land boundary with Laos, 1,304-mile long land boundary with Thailand, 169-mile long land boundary with Bangladesh and 903-mile long land boundary with India. Based on mutual friendship and understanding the nation was able to manage to complete all the border affairs. 

Ywet sit at the meeting of SURA, ALP , CNF ,KNPP and KNU armed groups held in Chiangmai, 
Thailand on 14-6-99

According to the traditions, characters and independent and active foreign policy which has been exercised since regaining independence, Myanmar extends cordial relations with the nations. Especially, it has always maintained her friendly ties with the neighbouring countries. It has never interfered in the internal affairs of any nation. Myanmars love to have amity within the family members and enjoy cordial relations with the neighbours. Myanmars uphold the conviction that maintaining of cordially relations with the neighbours will lead to a happier and more peaceful life and creating an environment protecting and helping each other. Whenever leaders of Myanmar visit other countries or the leaders of other nations visit Myanmar they warmly and cordially deal with and talk to each other. 

Thus, Myanmar has extended and maintained a good-neighbourly relations with China, India, Bangladesh, Laos and Thailand since yore. Myanmars firmly believe that the good-neighbourly relations can be maintained as long as there are no external instigations. 

After the emergence of the industrial nations, the colonialism came into existence in the world due to the excessive greed of capitalism. The European industrial nations such as Britain, France, Dutch, Portugal, Spain and Belgium had colonized other nations in all parts of the world. The ones that extended their colonial powers from the west to east Asia were Portugal, Dutch (to a certain degree) and Britain (to the highest degree). The ones that colonized nations from east Asia to Southeast Asia were Dutch, Portugal and France.

The colonization plan launched by the British to build the empire all around the globe (or the empire where the sun never sets) and to firmly manipulate Asia reached Myanmar. France invaded and colonized Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos in Southeast Asia peninsular to form the great Indochina nation. As a means to avoid confrontation between them, the British, which was colonizing eastward, and France, which was extending colonial areas westward, reached an agreement. Under the agreement, the British halted its eastward colonization plan in Myanmar and France stopped its westward extension scheme in Laos and Cambodia and both kept Thailand as a buffer zone. 

Although the Japanese occupied Thailand during the World War II, monarchy rule was allowed to continue in the nation, and the victors used the nation only as a passage to move their troops freely. Thailand adopted the constitutional monarchy system on 24 June 1932. The People's party wrote the Constitution, set up the parliament, and adopted the constitutional monarchy system. 

During the WW II, the Thais taking Japanese occupation of Myanmar as an advantage ordered their No 3 army division of the North-West Command to invade and put under control Kengtung and Mongpan regions in Shan State (East) with the intention to establish the Pan-Tai Area or a large empire of Tai descendants. The attempt was made in accord with the Greater Thailand policy laid down by some leaders of the Thai government. The schemes to change the name and extend the area of Thailand during the time can be found in the books "The Balancing Act: A History of Modern Thailand" and "Thailand; A Short History". 

The nation changed from its original name "Siam" to Thailand". It was said that the change was made to show the national identity. At the same time efforts were being made to implement the Greater Thailand Plan. Under the Plan, Lanxiang region in Laos, Xishuangbanna region in Yunnan Province, PRC, and Shan national races of Shan State in Myanmar would be created as Pan-Tai Area, the land of Tai descendants, and would be merged into the Greater Thailand. 

Map of insurgent camps in Thailand

Thailand made plans to take over Lanxiang region of Laos, Xishuangbanna region of Yunnan Province, PRC, and Kengtung region of Myanmar. Only the politician himself would know the extent of consequences that may cause by his scheme to the neighbouring nations. 

Pushing the Shan insurgents led by Ywet Sit forward, now the Thai Army is found to have taken steps in an attempt to invade the area of Tachilek with the use of force. In the preceding years also, troubles broke out at its border with Laos. As in the present incident, there took place exchanges of fire. It is thus suspected that if the Royal Thai Army is attempting to implement again the Greater Thailand policy, which it strove to do so against Kengtung area of Myanmar, Xishuangbanna area in Yunnan Province of the People's Republic of China, and Laos during the Second World War. 

In fact, Ywet Sit's Shan insurgents, who the Thai Army had befriended and flattered, are terrorists trafficking in narcotic drugs. They once belonged to the group of U Khun Sa, who was notoriously known as the opium warlord. When U Khun Sa abandoned drug trafficking and the line of armed struggle and returned to the legal fold, Ywet Sit's group could not do so and it has remained as an armed group at the border. The Thai Army then brought up the group, permitted it to set up base in the territory and encouraged it in order to prolong insurgency at the border with Myanmar. Based in Maheintet area in Thailand, the group has continued its drug trafficking business in a wider scale. The group of Ywet Sit is in a position to engage in the drug trafficking business most extensively at the border and in the Thai territory thanks to the kind care and protection provided by the troops of No 3 military region command of Thailand. Hence, it is not necessary to seek the help of a soothsayer about the involvement of the troops of No 3 military region command in the drug trafficking. Despite their flat denials of involvement in the business what is certain is that a person who associates with an opium dealer will be the one who either traffics opium or consumes it. It is obvious that the units of Thai No 3 military region command giving protection to the drug trafficking insurgents are involved in the drug trade. Hence, it is necessary to see the opium dealer insurgents as opium dealer insurgents. 

Out of sincere goodwill, I would like to remind those concerned to be cautious about the poison of the viper and they have to deal with a viper accordingly. Wishing strengthening of the traditional ties of friendship, mutual understanding and mutual respect between Thailand and Myanmar.

Author : Thet She