The
continuing cross-border shelling between the Wa drug army and Thai
troops along the northern border is a slap in the face for the Thai
government, which has often claimed that bilateral relations with Burma
are fine and dandy and back on track. For the past week, Thai troops
along the northern border have been slugging it out with soldiers
belonging to the United Wa State Army (UWSA), a pro-Rangoon outfit
dubbed the world's largest armed drug trafficking group.
The UWSA is responsible for a very significant amount
of the world's heroin supply, as well as the millions of
methamphetamines that flood Thailand each month. And once again - and
this is probably not the last time - villagers along the northern border
who, more than anyone do not deserve to be misled by their leaders in
Bangkok, are exposed to violence.
HM the Queen even had to cancel a planned visit to a
Royal project in a remote village in Chiang Mai province for safety
reasons. And, since this latest round of cross-border shelling, the
authorities have shut down a border crossing.
For the past nine months since Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra's fence-mending visit to Rangoon in June, the government has
been telling the people that the two sides have achieved a level of
understanding that can nurture further cooperation, be it in narcotics
suppression and other joint mechanisms or infrastructure development and
investment.
Thailand even proposed a Bt20 million
crop-substitution project in a Wa-controlled area. It was a goodwill
gesture from Bangkok to Rangoon that a tripartite arrangement -
involving Thailand, Burma and the UWSA - could work towards a fruitful
result in spite of the acknowledgement by Thai and foreign narcotic
officers of the significant illicit gains made by the Wa army from
methamphetamines.
Like it or not, the Wa and their illicit drugs have
effectively become a bargaining chip in Thai-Burmese deals. So far there
has been no indication from Rangoon that they would like to see the Wa
taken out of the equation. The fundamental problems - drugs,
insurgencies, refugees, illegal migration and mutual suspicion -
continue to shape bilateral ties.
Indeed, the ongoing clashes are a testimony that
normalcy is still nowhere in sight as far as ties are concerned. The
government has to stop misleading the people and accept the relationship
for what it is. However, this does not mean that our leaders should sit
idly by and do nothing.
For one thing, we need to hold Rangoon accountable for
the Wa's illicit activities. We cannot let the Burmese junta get away
with a mere diplomatic protest. For too long Rangoon has been playing
the UWSA card in its dealings with Thailand. It's time to put a stop to
this.
Rangoon is quick to cry foul, accusing Thailand of
being offside when clashes between the UWSA and Thai troops break out.
Their favourite word is "sovereignty". But the junta does not
seem to understand that with "sovereignty" comes
responsibility. Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, during his
upcoming visit to Mandalay, must tell Rangoon it is accountable for the
Wa's illicit activities. In short, the generals can't have their cake
and eat it too.
© 2000 Nation Multimedia Group
