Press Conference on

 

SURA DRUG SMUGGLING INSURGENT GANG ATTACKS MYANMAR MILITARY OUTPOST AT LWEDAWKAM 

Yangon: 3 March,  A press conference on SURA Drug Smuggling Insurgent Gang Attacks Myanmar Military Outpost At Lwe-daw-kam was held at Tatmadaw Guest House on Inya Road at 9:am this morning.

  

Present were members of Myanmar Foreign Correspondents Club, officials of the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Information and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Lt.Col. San Pwint, G.S.O(1) of the Directorate of the Defence Services Intelligence said that it was learnt that near the village of Lwe-daw-kam, Tachileik Township on the Myanmar side of the Myanmar-Thai Border (Est.Map Reference U-792626), the Myanmar 244th Infantry Regiment  maintains an outpost commanded by Warrant Officer (II)Tun Thein and manned by 7 soldiers and 6 men of the local militia. About 300 yards in front of the Myanmar outpost is located a Thai Border Police Force Outpost(Est.Map Reference 789618).

On the morning of 21 February 2001 at 5.45 a.m. SURA drug dealing insurgents shelled the Lwe-daw-kam Outpost from Thai territory and then crossed the border to surround and attack the outpost.


The soldiers defending the outpost were hampered in their defense because of the proximity of the Thai Border Outpost and did not want their return fire to inadvertently fall upon it and cause an international incident. Accordingly at 6.30 a.m. they vacated the Lwe-daw-kam Outpost. In this engagement one militiaman was killed and one soldier taken prisoner.

The attack on Lwe-daw-kam by SURA drug-dealing insurgents was filmed and shown on the evening of 21 February on Thai (ITV) Channels(3/7/11).


It is evident that the entire sequence of firing onto Myanmar territory from near the Thai Border Outpost and the attack on Lwe-daw-kam could have been arranged in advance and staged and recorded so expeditiously only with the connivance of the Thai authorities.

The Lwe-daw-kam Outpost was reoccupied by Myanmar security forces and on 27 February at 10.30 a.m. SURA insurgents again shelled the outpost from Thai territory, killing one soldier and wounding two others.


On 1 March at 6.15 a.m. SURA insugents again attacked the Lwe-daw-kam Outpost with small arms fire from the Thai side of the border and again directed small arms fire upon the outpost at 2.10 p.m. of the same day.  Similarly on 2 March at 12.30 p.m. the Ywet Sit SURA Gang fired upon the Myanmar outpost.  

It is evident that the SURA drug- smuggling insurgents enjoy the aid and protection of the Thai Border Outpost and are making full use of the shelter provided by it to attack Lwe-daw-kam with impunity.

With the signing of the Peace Accords between the Myanmar government and 17 armed national groups, Thailand could no longer use the territory controlled by these groups as a buffer zone. Consequently it has provided sanctuary and aid to the drug-dealing gang led by Ywet Sit by creating  a buffer zone on Thai   territory  and  therefore   under   its

protection  and  is  using  SURA  to  deliberately  instigate  incidents  and  exacerbate tensions between the two countries.

After that, replied the questions of member correspondents and Press Conference was concluded at 10:am.