( 28-3-2002 )

The foreign military attaches met with SURA company commander Kum Kham, platoon commander Aik Maung and private Aik Pee at Tatmadaw Guest House on Inya Road this afternoon. Kum Kham, Aik Maung and Aik Pee had recently exchanged arms for peace and given a first-hand account of the terrorist acts of SURA opium-trafficking terrorist insurgent Ywet Sit's group, its drug production and trafficking and how fabrications were made in connection with the attack on Tatmadaw Pachee outpost.

Also present on the occasion were Vice-Chief of Military Intelligence Maj-Gen Kyaw Win, heads of departments of the Office of Chief of Military Intelligence, senior military officers, foreign military attaches led by Dean of the Military Attach/ Corps Military Attach' of the Lao People's Democratic Republic Col Phanh Sonephachanh and officials of News and Periodicals Enterprise of the Ministry of Information. Vice-Chief of Military Intelligence Maj-Gen Kyaw Win and Lt-Col Hla Min of the Office of the Chief of Military Intelligence explained the arrangements for the military attaches to meet with a SURA company commander, a platoon commander and a private from SURA opium-trafficking terrorist insurgent Ywet Sit's group. Head of Department of the Office of the Chief of Military Intelligence Col Kyaw Thein presented a brief account of the attack of opium-trafficking Ywet Sit's group on the Tatmadaw Pachee outpost with audio-visual aids. In replying to the questions put by the military attaches, company commander Kum Kham and platoon commander Aik Maung said that the purpose of the attack launched by SURA on Pachee outpost was to mislead a western nation which was indirectly supporting SURA into thinking that SURA was an organization attempting to eradicate narcotic drugs, to be able to mislead the world about the Myanma Tatmadaw and to accuse it of producing drugs.

SURA members including themselves carried stimulant tablets to Myanma Tatmadaw Pachee outpost. When the attack was launched on Pachee outpost, the searchlights from the Thai camp were projected on Pachee outpost, and the supporting fire of heavy weapons was given as well. It can be said that the attack on Pachee outpost was designed to tarnish the image of Myanmar under the pretext of narcotic drugs. It is estimated that SURA opium-trafficking terrorist insurgent Ywe Sit'

s group has about 7,000 members. The youths have a monthly salary of 200 bahts and the company commanders, a monthly salary of 290 bahts. Assistance money from a western nation has been obtained from hand to hand. Thais bought weapons for SURA members, and equipped them. The way the new members are recruited is that Thai police arrest those who come to Thailand without any identification and send them to SURA. The recruits are given training at Lwetainglyan. Lwetainglyan camp is on the side of Thailand. SURA members are forced to carry out terrorist acts.

 They do not want to carry out such acts. They have no will to do such acts, either. There are a lot of members who wish to run away. Those who tried to run away from the camp were usually killed when captured. There are persons who dare not run away from the camp as they are afraid of a large number of land mines planted in the vicinity of the camp. But they were able to run away from the camp as the mines were planted by them. They knew how to avoid stepping on the mines.

 The subordinate youths want to run away from the camp as they are being oppressed and fed like animals. The main business of the SURA group is refining heroin and manufacturing stimulant tablets. Raw materials to be used in producing narcotic drugs are conveyed from Ywet Sit's house to the drug refinery. The heroin and stimulant tablets manufactured at the refinery are then conveyed back to Ywet Sit's house. Distribution is solely done by the brass of the SURA terrorist group. The information on the source of the raw materials is beyond the knowledge of juniors like them. Although Ywet Sit is continuously mouthing the words like " liberation of Shan State " and " elimination of narcotic drugs ", he is setting  up drug refineries and trafficking the narcotic agents. The SURA troops are instigated with stimulant drugs before taking part in a battle. All the members of SURA have used the stimulant pills. They too had used the pills.

 The SURA troops are subjected to abusing stimulant drugs to have the combative spirit. They escaped from the SURA camp and exchanged arms for peace. Their only wish at present is to reunite with their parents at their home in Panglong. The bandits and insurgents are not able to approach the town. The meeting ended at 2.15 pm. The military attaches then viewed documentary photos on the SURA drug trafficking terrorist group, the map showing the SURA attack on the Tatmadaw Pachee outpost, the photos of the three who exchanged arms for peace and their biography, the maps showing the Lwetaiglyan camp, the drug refineries, and the SURA outposts and barriers set up in the surrounding areas of the Lwetaiglyan camp.

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