Pubdate: Mon, 01 May 2000 Source: Straits Times (Singapore) Copyright: 2000 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Contact: Forum Editor, 390 Kim Seng Road Singapore 239495 Fax: 733-2690 Website: http://straitstimes.asia1.com/ Author: Edward Tang, Thailand Correspondent THAI-MYANMAR TIES WORSENING AGAIN BANGKOK -- The roller-coaster state of relations between Thailand and Myanmar is on the descent again. Barely months after the two have patched up ties spoiled by a daring raid on the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok by Myanmar rebels, a new flashpoint has emerged. Thai military and national security officials have blamed the Myanmar military government for its failure to tackle the inflow of drugs, namely amphetamines, into Thailand. The officials met recently and branded the Myanmar government as "two-faced", said a source. They accused it of pledging to cooperate with Thai authorities to tackle the illegal drug trade, while closing an eye to the drug production activities going on at the Thai-Myanmar border. It is estimated that about 600 million tablets are churned out a year by the Wa tribe who live near the Myanmar side of the border. The bulk of the drug is believed to have been smuggled into Thailand, which is experiencing a rise in drug abuse among its youths. Until their recent peace agreement with the Myanmar government, the Wa people were one of several ethnic groups fighting for independence from Yangon. They now cooperate discreetly with the government to fight the Karen, a major tribe which have refused to enter into a truce with the authorities there. - --- MAP posted-by: Derek Rea