The Capture of Two Members of the "Wa" National group by Thai Border Patrol Force and the Attack on the "Wa" Camp from the Thai Side

[ 28-4-2002 ]

A press conference with local and foreign journalists was held at the Tatmadaw Guest House on Inya Road here at 12.30 pm today.

As explained by Lt-Col San Pwint at the meeting, there is a small encampment of the "Wa" national group on Hill Point 3850, approximate map reference (U-465488) in the Mong Yun region of Monghsat Township on the Myanmar-Thai Border. Facing this camp about 400 to 500 yards away on the Thai side of the border is a similar Thai camp of the Border Patrol Force. Between these two camps is a small creek that demarcates Myanmar and Thai territories. Members of both the "Wa" and Thai camps use the water from this creek and no clashes had occurred previously between the two camps that are so closely situated.

However, at 3 o' clock on the afternoon of 26 April 2002, when two members of the "Wa" national group went to fetch water from this creek between the two camps they were seized and taken away by members of the Thai force. The camp commandant of the "Wa" national group learnt about the capture of his two men, so he contacted the Thai camp and requested their release but he did not succeed and they are still in the custody of the Thai military.

Furthermore, not only have the two members of the "Wa' group been not released, the "Wa" camp was attacked with 3 rocket missiles and fired upon with 300 rounds of automatic weapons from two Thai military helicopters that had arrived and were hovering over the Thai camp. A section commander of the "Wa" group was wounded in the right leg in the attack. After the attack and departure of the two helicopters, at about 7 p.m.  The Thai side again attacked the "Wa" camp with heavy weapons. They are said to have fired two bursts of six rounds each. At midnight the same day, the Thai side again fired six times with heavy weapons. There was no retaliatory fire from the "Wa" camp.

Similarly, at 5 a. m. on 27 April the Thai side fired six rounds of heavy weapons and then from 8.05 a. m. to 9.45 a. m. the Thai kept on firing with heavy weapons on the "Wa" camp altogether 20 times. The "Wa" refrained from returning fire. On 28 April, that is today, at 0710 hours the Thai side fired again on the "Wa" camp with heavy arms altogether 10 times.

With regard to this incident, we have initiated action to resolve the issue through diplomatic means. Thus Director-General of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs U Thaung Tun conveyed an aide-me moiré pertaining to this incident to the Charge d' affaires a. i. Mr. Opas Chantarasap at 4.15 p.m. on 27 April 2002. Likewise in the evening, Minister of Foreign Affairs U Win Aung lodged a protest with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand through the Ambassador of Myanmar to Thailand.

While we were doing everything possible to resolve the issue peacefully, the Thai TV station iTV telecast its own version of this incident on its programme on 27 April, 7.20 p. m. The news telecast stated that: "Beginning from this morning a contingent of soldiers of the "Wa" national group began intruding into Mae Sa Long village in Mae Phar Long Township on the Thai-Myanmar Border as a result of which skirmishes which lasted the whole day took place between the "Wa" and the No. 3 Fah Muang battalion of the Thai Army and that the Thai Army fired on the "Wa" 44 times with 120mm and 105mm weapons after which the "Wa" retreated and that the Thai forces had been able to capture two "Wa" soldiers. These two "Wa" troopers told the Thai that they had come in search of provisions. The Thai side however is of the opinion that these two men had come to scout the area for suitable trails for trafficking drugs.

Another news announcement by iTV, telecast at 0020 hours on 28 April stated that on the previous day, a group of armed "Wa" troops had not only intruded into Thai territory near Wan Ton Phaing Village, but had also fired heavy weapons on it. Because of this attack the Thai side had retaliated by firing 40 rounds of heavy artillery, and that two "Wa" camps had been completely destroyed and many Wa soldiers killed and wounded.

It continued to say that the No: Three Thai Military Command was at present blockading and keeping strict surveillance at border entry/exit points and it had discovered that the Myanmar military had dispatched two agents to collect intelligence on vital moves made by the Thai Army, and that these were the two men who had entered Thai territory on the pretext of looking for supplies. Hence the reason why, these two had been detained on suspicion for the time being, and they were currently being interrogated. The telecast added that these two men were members of the People's Militia formed by the Myanmar Military.

This news report was also carried on the Internet on 27 April as a news report by the Bangkok (Associated Press –AP). The report also stated that after two armed men from Myanmar had been captured Thai forces had come under mortar attack.  According to Col. Surasak Boonsiri this attack had followed the capture of two armed men of no known military identity 300 meters from the boundary in Chiangrai Province in northern Thailand. The report also said that after launching mortar attacks on Thai forces about 70 men from the Myanmar side entered Thai territory to try to rescue the two men held captive, but they retreated after twenty minutes of fighting. They however attacked again after two hours, so the Thai side was given supporting fire by two helicopters equipped with automatic weapons. The report says cross border firing is still going on.

This incident broke out on the very day that the Vice-Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar Defence Services General Maung Aye arrived back after a friendly good will visit to Thailand. During the visit General Maung Aye paid courtesy calls on His and Her Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand, and on the Prime Minister of Thailand with whom he held discussions on further strengthening the friendship between the two countries and fruitful cooperation in the control and elimination of narcotic drugs. The fact that such an untoward incident was timed to break out on the very day that a friendly visit by a Myanmar leader was concluded, points unerringly to the fact that there is a scheme or plot to derail the smooth and friendly relations between the two countries. It is also evident that the members of the lower echelons of the Thai Army are involved in dishonest intrigues.

We, on our part, wish only to resolve this conflict peacefully and have therefore been most moderate in our responses and have sought only diplomatic means through the respective embassies. Regretfully the Thai side has been using the Media without restraint to make totally baseless accusations. This press conference was thus called to put the facts straight and give the correspondents the true picture.

Maj-Gen Kyaw Win replied to the queries raised by local and foreign journalists. The press conference concluded at 1 pm.

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