BKK Post, March 8, 1998. BORDER

[suriya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

March 8, 1998. BORDER
                        Burmese troops dig in for long haul

              To work on piling of demarcation posts

              Cheewin Sattha 
              Mae Hong Son

              Aunit of Burmese troops has encroached on Thai soil in Mae
              Sariang district since Thursday to work on the piling of border
              demarcation posts.

              The alleged encroachment was reported to Tambon Sao Hin
              provincial police chief Pol Maj-Gen Manas Marutan.

              More than 30 local and border patrol police, local officials and
              military volunteers went to the scene to convince Capt Kyaw
              Win Naing, chief of the Burmese troops, to order his men to
              return to the Burmese side.

              However, Capt Kyaw Win Naing told the officials that the
              operation was directly under 430th Battalion commander Lt-Col
              Kyaw Min Than who was away on a trip to inspect a border
              pass in Burma and nothing could be done until his return.

              In another development, a border official said some 14 Burmese
              soldiers had set up an operational base in Ban Mai Kai Luang
              and Ban Mai Kai On of Pang Ma Pha district near temporary
              shelters of more than 500 ethnic Karens who had earlier fled the
              fighting in Burma.

              The commander of the 7th Infantry Regiment's special task force
              Col Thawatchai Wattana has asked the provincial Thai-Burmese
              border coordinating committee to submit a protest letter to
              Burmese authorities on the territorial violations, the source
              added.

              Meanwhile, Thai security forces arrested six Democratic Karen
              Buddhist Army soldiers for border intrusion in Sop Moei district
              on Friday.

              Soldiers from the Salween Special Task Force and rangers from
              the 3602 Ranger Company bumped into the boatload of Karens
              close to a Salween River bank north of Ban Mae Sam Laeb in
              Sop Moei district while patrolling the area.

              After stopping the boat for a search, the officers handcuffed the
              six identified as Pulu, Pu Tin, Netu, Alan, Sa Yee and Su, and
              seized two 9mm pistols, a shotgun, an M16 assault rifle and two
              M26 hand grenades from them.

              The intruders were later sent to Sop Moei Police Station for
              detention.

              Following the arrest of the DKBA soldiers, most of the Ban Mae
              Sam Laeb villagers reportedly abandoned the village for fear of
              reprisals from DKBA troops.

              The Naresuan Task Force has deployed two more artillery
              pieces and three helicopters to ensure security in border areas of
              this district ranging from Ban Mae Sam Laeb to Ban Sop Ngae.

              The Chiang Mai-based Wing 41 has been requested by the task
              force to send its OV-10 aircraft to conduct air surveillance
              flights.