SCMP-Drug boss filmed meeting gener

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Subject: SCMP-Drug boss filmed meeting general

South China Morning Post
Monday, November 1, 1999
THAILAND

Drug boss filmed meeting general
WILLIAM BARNES in Bangkok

Burmese intelligence chief Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt was inspecting the
new headquarters of notorious drug kingpin Wei Hsueh-kang about the time
that five dissidents seized Rangoon's embassy in Bangkok a month ago.
This revelation is likely to strengthen Thailand's determination not to bow
to the military regime's attempts to "punish" Bangkok for allowing the
Burmese hostage-takers to go free.

Wei is an ethnic-Chinese veteran of the Golden Triangle's drugs industry who
has taken over from former drug warlord Khun Sa as the principal target of
Thai ire.

Officials in Bangkok blame him for much of the amphetamine supply that has
washed over Thailand in recent years. The problem has grown so bad it has
been classified a national disaster.

But the Yunnan-born entrepreneur's relations with the Burmese regime are so
good that General Khin Nyunt can comfortably visit road and dam-building
projects being undertaken with drug profits in his area.

The generals in Rangoon lost face because the five dissidents, calling
themselves the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors, not only captured the
embassy for 25 hours, but had the cheek to raise the opposition's fighting
peacock flag on the embassy flagpole on October 1.

To make matters worse, Thai ministers declared the former students were not
terrorists but freedom fighters.

The Burmese response has been to close the border, suspend fishing licences
and arrest Thai gamblers.

Thai business is suffering. The fishing industry has offered a five million
baht (HK$1 million) reward for the dissidents' capture and the security
forces claim they are combing border areas for them.

But leaving aside these token gestures to Burma's bruised ego, Bangkok has
effectively thumbed its nose at the regime.

The Thai Government remains unapologetic over its actions, which helped
defuse a situation that - with 89 hostages - could have ended in tragedy.

Burmese officials privately told their Thai counterparts early last year
that they were "looking for Wei".

But a report in yesterday's Bangkok Post newspaper said Thai authorities
have seen a video of Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt recently surveying
infrastructure work in border areas controlled by Wei and his associates - a
notorious gang of ethnic Wa traffickers.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration describes the United Wa State Army as
"the dominant trafficking group in Southeast Asia, and possibly the world".

Wei was indicted in a New York court two years ago and the State Department
has put a US$2 million (HK$15.5 million) bounty on his head. The Thais also
have a warrant out for his arrest.

The Burmese junta's official line is that it is trying to persuade the drug
traffickers to switch to legitimate businesses.