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Subject: Bkk post-Border village suffers for Burmese link

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Bangkok Post - Dec 14, 1999.
Headlines=20

Border village suffers for Burmese link

BAN TAKO LANG, Suen Pheung -- Nearly a month after Thailand embarked =
upon affirmative action to repatriate Burmese illegal immigrants, the =
tiny border hamlet of Ban Tako Lang is one of the places hardest hit by =
the measures.=20

The life of inhabitants here has been shrouded with fear from constant =
military raids and regular extortion from some unscrupulous officials =
exploiting legal loopholes.=20

According to the village chief Watchara Yamaroon, on Nov 9 the army =
entered the village and rounded up a considerable number of people and =
loaded them onto trucks.=20

Watchara said he could not understand the objective of the action since =
those particular villagers had been living here for more than seven =
years.=20

The village of Ban Tako Lang is situated near the Thai-Burmese border in =
Ratchaburi province more than 100 kilometres west of Bangkok.=20

The major crackdown was believed to have been enforced to apply pressure =
to the village, which the Army suspected of being an important supply =
transit point for the mystical ''God Army'' rebel group in Burma.=20

God Army arrived in the international spotlight after it provided refuge =
for the five Burmese student rebels who seized the Burmese Embassy in =
Bangkok and held hostages inside for more than 25 hours.=20

The five, calling themselves Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors, were =
subsequently given a safe passage to the border area with Deputy Foreign =
Minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra offering himself as a surrogate hostage =
to guarantee their safety.=20

The spot where the five vanished into the wilderness was believed to be =
near Ban Tako Lang.=20

According to Watchara, shortly after the deputy foreign minister and the =
rebels left the area, the Army launched a search throughout the entire =
village and coincidentally founded a truck loading 40 sacks of rice in =
front of a church.=20

Since then, he added, the village had come under close watch from all =
security agencies and was implicitly branded as a supply route for the =
God Army and the five Burmese fugitives.=20

At times, the Army would come in and round up people and herd them =
towards the border, he said.=20

''Villagers here live in fear. Sometimes they are forced to run into the =
woods with their children in the middle of the night to avoid capture,'' =
said Avud Aree, one of the villagers.=20

''It happens every time unfamiliar vehicles are seen coming into the =
village''.=20

He said those who were caught were sent to Sangklaburi in Kanchanaburi =
province before being taken to the border.=20

''During the registration process at the border, an officer came over =
and asked who would like to go back home. He asked for Bt6,500 or any =
valuable item in exchange for the favour,'' said Avud, adding that the =
payment could be made either in cash or instalments.=20

Those who could afford to pay the bribe were transported back to their =
homes while those who could not pay would be banished from the country, =
he added.=20

However, such allegations of malfeasance by public officials has been =
downplayed by Immigration Bureau Commission Pol Lt Col Dr Chidchai =
Wansathit who said he did not believe immigration police were implicated =
in unlawful acts.=20

He said it anyone could be disguised as police officers to extort money =
from people. Moreover, there are many agencies responsible for the =
repatriation of the illegal workers.=20

BY PREECHA SA-ARDSORN=20

The Nation


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT =
size=3D+1><B>Bangkok=20
Post - Dec 14, 1999.</B></FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT=20
size=3D+1><B>Headlines</B></FONT> <FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT =
size=3D+2></DIV>
<P>
<H2><FONT color=3D#000000 size=3D4>Border village suffers for Burmese=20
link</FONT></H2></FONT><FONT face=3Darial,Times><FONT size=3D+.5>
<P>
<P>BAN TAKO LANG, Suen Pheung -- Nearly a month after Thailand embarked =
upon=20
affirmative action to repatriate Burmese illegal immigrants, the tiny =
border=20
hamlet of Ban Tako Lang is one of the places hardest hit by the =
measures.=20
<P>The life of inhabitants here has been shrouded with fear from =
constant=20
military raids and regular extortion from some unscrupulous officials =
exploiting=20
legal loopholes.=20
<P>According to the village chief Watchara Yamaroon, on Nov 9 the army =
entered=20
the village and rounded up a considerable number of people and loaded =
them onto=20
trucks.=20
<P>Watchara said he could not understand the objective of the action =
since those=20
particular villagers had been living here for more than seven years.=20
<P>The village of Ban Tako Lang is situated near the Thai-Burmese border =
in=20
Ratchaburi province more than 100 kilometres west of Bangkok.=20
<P>The major crackdown was believed to have been enforced to apply =
pressure to=20
the village, which the Army suspected of being an important supply =
transit point=20
for the mystical ''God Army'' rebel group in Burma.=20
<P>God Army arrived in the international spotlight after it provided =
refuge for=20
the five Burmese student rebels who seized the Burmese Embassy in =
Bangkok and=20
held hostages inside for more than 25 hours.=20
<P>The five, calling themselves Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors, were=20
subsequently given a safe passage to the border area with Deputy Foreign =

Minister Sukhumbhand Paribatra offering himself as a surrogate hostage =
to=20
guarantee their safety.=20
<P>The spot where the five vanished into the wilderness was believed to =
be near=20
Ban Tako Lang.=20
<P>According to Watchara, shortly after the deputy foreign minister and =
the=20
rebels left the area, the Army launched a search throughout the entire =
village=20
and coincidentally founded a truck loading 40 sacks of rice in front of =
a=20
church.=20
<P>Since then, he added, the village had come under close watch from all =

security agencies and was implicitly branded as a supply route for the =
God Army=20
and the five Burmese fugitives.=20
<P>At times, the Army would come in and round up people and herd them =
towards=20
the border, he said.=20
<P>''Villagers here live in fear. Sometimes they are forced to run into =
the=20
woods with their children in the middle of the night to avoid capture,'' =
said=20
Avud Aree, one of the villagers.=20
<P>''It happens every time unfamiliar vehicles are seen coming into the=20
village''.=20
<P>He said those who were caught were sent to Sangklaburi in =
Kanchanaburi=20
province before being taken to the border.=20
<P>''During the registration process at the border, an officer came over =
and=20
asked who would like to go back home. He asked for Bt6,500 or any =
valuable item=20
in exchange for the favour,'' said Avud, adding that the payment could =
be made=20
either in cash or instalments.=20
<P>Those who could afford to pay the bribe were transported back to =
their homes=20
while those who could not pay would be banished from the country, he =
added.=20
<P>However, such allegations of malfeasance by public officials has been =

downplayed by Immigration Bureau Commission Pol Lt Col Dr Chidchai =
Wansathit who=20
said he did not believe immigration police were implicated in unlawful =
acts.=20
<P>He said it anyone could be disguised as police officers to extort =
money from=20
people. Moreover, there are many agencies responsible for the =
repatriation of=20
the illegal workers.=20
<P>BY PREECHA SA-ARDSORN=20
<P>The Nation</P></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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