> The Little Opium War > > By: Kanbawza Win > > > (The author is a visiting Professor at the Faculty of International > Development Studies, University of Winnipeg Cum Research Fellow at the > University of Manitoba at the Institute of Humanities, Winnipeg, > Manitoba, Canada) > Winnipeg (Canada), February 23, 2001 > Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com) > > ASEAN’s (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) notorious > Constructive Engagement Policy (CEP) towards the Burmese Junta, led by > the core group of Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, is now > paying its price. To subdue the Burmese people as well as to exploit > the country’s natural and human resources under the pretext of > promoting democracy through trade and of economic means, they’ve > devised this illogical policy known as CEP, a term copied from the > British policy towards South Africa in its heyday. In order to have a > fertile ground for democracy, they reasoned that a middle class would > have to be created even though they knew very well that this was an > impossible task as every foreign economic venture has to pass through > Myanmar Economic Holding controlled by the Burmese army. Obviously the > Burmese Generals see to it that the benefits go only to their > relatives and cronies. > > The embryo of this idea was implemented in 1988 by non other than > Chavalit Yongchiayud, now Defense Minister of Thailand and at that > time Chief of Staff of the Thai army who went to Burma just after the > Burmese genocide in 1988. He called the General, “A Ko Gyi”(meaning > big brother in Burmese). This finally led the ASEAN countries to > recognize the Burmese Junta in spite of the vehement protest by the > West and the world at large. The end result was that Thailand and > ASEAN reap a short-term economic profit by letting the Burmese Junta > into their fold while the Junta successfully subjugated the > pro-democracy movement and the autonomy seeking ethnic groups of the > border area. But this Constructive Engagement brought the historical > antagonists forces the Thai and the Burmese army, face to face as the > buffer (the ethnic groups fighting Rangoon) was eliminated. It was > just a matter of time before the two would see eye to eye as the then > Thai leaders deliberately chosen a collision course of Constructive > Engagement. > > The result of this unrealistic policy was predicted long ago by the > pro-democratic Burmese forces, which have now proven to be true. The > Burmese army, whose main source of foreign exchange was the narcotic > trade, has successfully used its ethnic group the Wa nationals to be > its axe handle and not only compel them to produce narcotic drugs but > also encourage them to fight the other ethnic groups like the Shan. > However, the Shan saw the writing on the wall and knew that the Junta > was the main body pulling the strings now began to harass the Burmese > army while strangling the opium route of Tachilek. > > The Burmese generals seeing that their policy of “Let the ethnic group > fight the ethnic groups,” was not so successful as in the past when > they used the Chin and Kachin to fight the Karen but their main > economic conduit was blocked by the Shan got mad and launched a full > offensive against the Shan. The Burmese army aim was to finish off the > Shan freedom fighters, little knowing that the Shan were prepared for > this time. The Burmese could not take on the frontal assault as the > Shan were strategically placed astride the mountain top and the only > way was to attack from behind. But to attack the Shan from behind > meant they would have to cross into Thailand. This they did without > any hesitation. > > The Burmese generals thought that they were still in the days of > Burmese kings when they ransacked the Thai cities at will. But > Thailand is a democracy and has progressed much faster than has Burma > under the authoritarian rule of the generals even though they still > harbor business minded generals who would like to know tow to the > Burmese generals for the sake of exploiting Burma’s natural and human > resources. However, there were several young patriotic Thai commanders > who stood their ground and drove out the marauding Burmese army with > heavy losses, as they had never been exposed to heavy fire power. This > was the first major clash between the two neighboring countries that > have a common border of nearly 2,500 kilometers. > > The older Thai generals also realized that the golden days of the > Indo-China War had gone forever, when Thailand played host to the US > military bases. At that time was able to send its narcotics products > almost without a hindrance via the US War planes direct to North > America. Now the war planes are all gone and the North West Airlines, > the commercial airline that has filled in the shoes of the American > Air Force was no match for the task and obviously a civilian company > could not have a direct flight but has to pass through several customs > gates. > > In the meanwhile the Sino-Burmese chemist at the narco factories had > discovered a much cheaper and a faster way to produce the narco pills > Amphetamine known as Ya Ba in Thai. The lower ranks of the Burmese > generals co-operated with the Wa ethnic group, which in fact is > controlled by the Chinese and produce billions of Ya Ba and send them > across the border to the world via Thailand. > > The Thai now face the national scourge of narcotics smuggling and > obviously the Chuan Leekpai administration reacted this strongly. > However, fortune changed when the Thai tycoon Thaksin Shinwatra became > the new Prime Minister. The hard- nosed business approach to > government foreign policy and commercial policy has make it clear to > stress business ties over strengthening regional democracy and human > rights. Besides he is friendly with the Burmese generals and to please > the military junta chooses Chavalit to be his Defense Minister with > the old vision of making Indo-China from a battlefield to market > place.(initiated by Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan). This gave > the wrong signal to the Burmese generals who cross into Thailand under > the pretext of hot pursuit of the Burmese rebels. Thus the two armies > clashes in the Mae Sai- Tachilek area. > > The two countries summoned each other’s ambassadors and protested. U > Hla Maung, the Burmese ambassador in Bangkok who delights in waving > his head band (Goung Baung), was summoned and handed a protest letter > about the exchange of gunfire that resulted in casualties. Within one > hour Oum Maolanon, the Thai ambassador was summoned by the Burmese > Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win to receive a protest letter > demanding compensation for the losses from the clash. The Thai army > accused the Burmese army and its ethnic ally the United Wa State Army > (UWSA) of firing shells into the Thai town of Mai Sai while the > Burmese army claimed that the Thai army was assisting the Shan rebels > in attacking Burmese posts and of firing shells into the Burmese > border town of Tachilek.. > > Lt-General Wattanacha Chaimuanwong of Thailand accused Burma of using > Wa ethnic rebel forces to wage a proxy war with Thailand and proved > that the Burmese officers were pocketing kickbacks from the drug > traffickers and behind the scene the Burmese army and its Wa ethnic > army intended to flood Thailand with round about 500 million > methamphetamine tablets > > Up to the moment of this writing both Thai and Burmese troops have > taken up positions along the Mae Sai river. At various points the Thai > and Burmese soldiers have eyed one another across the narrow river, > which serves as a natural boundary. Will they come to blow all along > the entire border now that the Burmese troops are provoking other > places, killing Thai villagers? And will the big powers be drawn into > a quagmire with the US helping its client state, Thailand and Pauk Paw > ( meaning dear Chinese brother) helping the Junta. We don’t think so. > The Shan freedom fighters interpreted this episode as one of the > battles of liberation, while the Junta claimed it as fighting the Shan > rebels and the Thai would label as safeguarding the national integrity > and territory but actually is just a border skirmish over the opium > route. Perhaps we can safely predict that soon the indirectly drug > related rich leaders of Thailand will be in Rangoon meeting the > Narco-generals warmly shaking their bloody hands and saying “Ah Lah! A > Ko Gyi” (Oh my big brother) while honorable guests like Khun Hsa, Lao > Hse Han, Weh Hsu Kang, Peng Jaisheng (with his seven wives) and the > likes will be looking on with glee. Such scenario is upcoming and soon > Burma’s natural and human resources will be exploited to the full thus > successfully setting the clock back for the Burmese democracy and > cessation of gross human rights violations. This storm in the tea cup > will be over or to be exact this little opium war will be over and > forgotten as the common people of Burma, the ethnic Shan and the Thai > residing in the border areas continue to suffer silently. The Junta > will be quite satisfied to see its proxy the UWSA carrying of the drug > trade uninterrupted. No doubt 60 percent of these narco products will > find their way to the streets of North American cities, thereby taking > revenge on Uncle Sam for being too vocal in criticizing them and also > for leading the sanctions against the Junta. > > (The author is a visiting Professor at the Faculty of International > Development Studies, University of Winnipeg Cum Research Fellow at the > University of Manitoba at the Institute of Humanities, Winnipeg, > Manitoba, Canada) ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-~> <FONT COLOR="#000099">eGroups is now Yahoo! Groups Click here for more details </FONT><A HREF="http://us.click.yahoo.com/kWP7PD/pYNCAA/4ihDAA/xrOVlB/TM"><B>Click Here!</B></A> ---------------------------------------------------------------------_-> Please let us stay on topic and be civil. To unsubscribe please go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cia-drugs -Home Page- www.cia-drugs.org OM Your use of Yahoo! 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