Pubdate: Thu, 06 Mar 2003 Source: Bangkok Post (Thailand) Copyright: The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 2003 Contact: http://www.bangkokpost.co.th/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/39 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/area/Thailand Note: On Feb. 1, 2003, Thailand instituted a 3-month campaign to eradicate all drugs. ARMY WILL SEAL BORDER WITH BURMA Troops Redeployed Amid Pill Influx Fears The army has been told to seal the border with Burma to stop drugs getting in. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra told the military, police and local administration officials to work together in their drug suppression drive on the border with Burma, the main drug route, to prevent a new influx of methamphetamines. Defence Minister Gen Thammarak Issarangura na Ayudhya said Mr Thaksin was worried trafficking might increase given the shortage of methamphetamines inside the country since the campaign began. The price of yaa baa on the other side of the border was much cheaper, so smuggling could be an attractive option. Prime Minister Thaksin yesterday presided over a drug meeting at Government House. ``We discussed measures for sealing the border to prevent an influx of drugs,'' said the defence minister. The military would have to work with police and the Interior Ministry. The Government House meeting was attended by army commander Gen Somdhat Attanand, navy commander Adm Thasweesak Somapha, national police chief Pol Gen Sant Sarutanond and Pol Lt-Gen Chidchai Wansathit, secretary-general of the Office of Narcotics Control Board. Pol Gen Sant said border patrol police and immigration police would be told to work with the military. ``We have to step up our cooperation to make our fight against drugs on the border more efficient,'' he said. Pol Gen Sant said drug traffickers had opened new drug routes on the border in Ubon Ratchathani, Udon Thani, Kanchanaburi and Ranong. The Third Army, meanwhile, has reorganised its forces along the border. It has moved 70% of its regular forces from the so-called inner zone to a deeper area 30-50 kilometres from the border. Third Army commander Lt-Gen Udomchai Ongkhasingh said half of his forces, around 14,000 troops, had been positioned along the border in the past year. ``We have to adapt our strategy by moving our forces deep inside to counter the spread of drugs,'' said Lt-Gen Udomchai. Border villages suspected of being drug storage points would be searched. Troops would work closely with government agencies and community leaders. Lt-Gen Udomchai said the Internal Security Operation Command planned to reorganise border villages. Villagers would be trained to help the government fight drugs. His forces had been told to concentrate more on border villages whose leaders had close ties with the ethnic minority United Wa State Army, which sends hundreds of millions of methamphetamines across the border from Burma. Lt-Gen Udomchai said 55 drug plants controlled by the UWSA were still churning out drugs along the Thai-Burmese border. ``We have a report that the UWSA is also responsible for five new drug factories along the Thai-Lao border opposite Chiang Rai's Chiang Saen,'' he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk