Burma's regime demands the return of deserters from SSA

DVB ( 15 December 2003 )

The Burmese military regime the SPDC is demanding the Shan State Army (SSA) to hand over 12 Burmese army deserters who joined SSA after killing their commander.

The SPDC is not demanding the SSA directly but told the Thai government to pressurise the SSA to handover the deserters.

A Shan spokeswoman, Nang Khur Seng said that the SSA is not under the command of the Thai government and it would not oblige to the demand. She stressed that all the 12 deserters are in danger of being murdered by the Burmese army if returned.

There had been three rebellions in the Burmese army during November and three commanders were killed. The 12 deserters killed their commander Captain Minn Maung at Infantry Battalion-132 based in Mawkmai, southern Shan State and fled to the SSA controlled areas.

The SPDC requested the Thai army to demand the SSA for the repatriation of the deserters.

Nang Khur Seng said that the SSA is not an organisation under the control of Thailand.

‘We would become criminals like the SPDC if we returned the deserters…We are not the judges of these people. Anyway, why is the world ignoring the wrongdoings of the SPDC’, she insisted.

Captain Sai Win Kyaw, another deserter from the Burmese army told DVB that the deserters are likely to be given death sentence for their role in the rebellion and they could be killed without the knowledge of higher authority if returned to Burma.

The majority of foot soldiers in the Burmese army are forced to join the army and they are being treated badly by their officers.