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Yangon, 3 August - A Press conference on the formal handing over of seven Thai citizens who entered Tachilek from Maesai on 27 July and were taken by the Wa national race group, was held at the Tatmadaw Guest House on Inya Road here at 9 am today. Deputy Chief of the Office of Strategic Studies Deputy Director of the Directorate of Defence Services Intelligence of the Ministry of Defence Maj-Gen Kyaw Win explained matters concerning the formal handing over of the seven employees (Thai citizens) who were taken away by the Wa national race group after entering Tachilek from Maesai without making formal coordination with the Myanmar side in advance, and only with an ordinary immigration entry form stating " seven employees ". He said that he had already handed over the seven Thai employees to General Vichit Yatit and party of Thailand at about 7 pm yesterday; and they returned to Bangkok by Thai military aircraft.
When the team members made discussions with the personnel concerned to know whether or not they were taken away by the Wa group, the personnel concerned acknowledged that they had taken them, and then handed over the seven Thai staff to the team.
When the team asked the Wa group members the reason of taking the Thai staff, they said that Wan Li was summoned by the commissioner of Mongpha; that when he went to the town he was murdered in the compound of the commissioner's office; that afterwards, 10,000 stimulant pills and an M-22 automatic rifle was placed beside his body; that a documentary photo of his body lying together with the pills and the weapon was taken; that due to the slanderous scheme, the Wa people were feeling much disappointed; and that for this reason the they had taken the seven Thai citizens.
The team after asking the Wa leaders to restrain from doing such acts in view of maintaining the friendly relations between the two countries took them back to Yangon. Through General Vichit, the Myanmar officials had asked the Thai side to stay away from launching slanderous accusations against the Wa people concerning the narcotic drugs.
The queries raised by the journalised were replied. Staff Officer (Grade-1) of OSS Lt-Col Tin Oo acted as master of ceremonies. Present were Minister at the Prime Minister's Office U Tin Win, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Brig-Gen Thura Myint Maung, Deputy Minister for Information Brig-Gen Aung Thein, heads of OSS departments, officials of the News and Periodicals Enterprise of the Ministry of Information, officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, U Sein Win of Kyodo news agency, President of Myanmar Foreign Correspondent Club U Sao Kai Pha, journalists and officials. The journalists viewed the maps and documentaries.
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Explaining
the incident, he said the seven Thai staff entered Tachilek from Maesai at
about 10 am on 27 July abroad a Toyota Land Cruiser without mentioning their
names in the list of the immigration VIP family list. Only when the Thai
officials informed the Myanmar side about the seven missing persons together
with the list of their name, did the Myanmar side know that they were, Col
Dueng Kamol (a) Ms Kalaya Sithiwong, Director of Armed Forces Security
Centre, Major Dom Sax Khamsgrgaai of TBC, Captain Sanit Banthao of Third
Army Task Force, Sergeant Satit Sithiprasert of TBC, Mr Senee Waiwattana of
ONCB, Mr Sura Sak Nanthawong of ONCB and driver Mr Thanu Rangbee of ONCB.
As soon as
the information was received, the matter was investigated by the members of
the regional Intelligence Unit and who learnt that they were taken by the Wa
national race group. As soon as the information was received, a team led by
a senior officer of the Directorate of Defence Services Intelligence was
dispatched from Yangon to Wa region.
