THE NATION: Make no concession to

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Mailbag 

      Make no concession to
      the Burmese junta:
      protect the refugees

      The reason refugee camps are established
      is to shield innocents from war.
      Traditionally, even during periods when the
      Royal Thai Army unabashedly supported
      the Karen National Union (KNU), rarely
      were weapons taken into official camps.
      The reason for this in the past was the habit
      of some Thai soldiers and police to
      confiscate the weapons and then sell them
      back to the KNU. 

      Now the Army is going to send all young
      men in camps back to Burma. This would
      seem to be another self-inflicted black eye.
      After rolling over and allowing the invasion
      of Thai territory by the
      Burmese-junta-backed factions of the
      Karen, the ante is upped again, and further
      concessions are made to the dictators in
      Rangoon. 

      This flies in the face of claims the Army
      must maintain control of border security.
      There appears to be little ''security''. The
      very word means that attacks should be
      prevented and not answered with a few
      indirect fire rounds, fired into the jungle to
      show a false bravado in the face of
      aggression. 

      As was bound to happen, the KNU finally
      was forced, in the face of Thai Army
      opposition, to retaliate itself. As should be
      obvious, they have little trouble handling the
      breakaway faction or the Burmese military. 

      At some point the image of this country and
      the security of its borders are going to have
      to take priority over tropical hardwoods and
      business deals. That includes refraining
      from sending unarmed young men into the
      arms of the Burmese State Peace and
      Development Council (SPDC) to appease
      these goons rather than do what an Army is
      supposed to do and cut off the nose of any
      Burmese army minion who sticks it across
      the border. 

      In a time when Thailand must work with the
      world's community to try and overcome the
      financial fiasco of the last government, it
      appears the image of the country must
      continue to be damaged by those who cling
      to the toadying foreign policy of money over
      national honour of the previous Gen
      Chavalit's regime. 

      In the face of SPDC denying any
      connection with the raids by the Democratic
      Karen Buddhist Army, the Royal Thai Army
      should be saying something about the
      KNU. At this point there is no connection or
      support for the KNU. In this SPDC is lying
      and the Royal Thai Army is telling the truth. 

      What was just seen in the KNU attack on
      SPDC/DKBA was a demonstration of what
      the true capabilities of the KNU are. To
      protect innocent lives the KNU has
      restrained itself on the battlefields near
      Thailand. I fear if the young men are sent
      unarmed into the arms of SPDC, to die, all
      bets will be off, and there will be a real
      bloodletting along the border. 

      Sadly all this could be avoided by simply
      killing any armed intruder. But it seems
      unarmed refugees are much easier to deal
      with. 

      Mark A Smith 

      Major, US (retired) 

      Bangkok