Mizzima: The Little Opium War

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                          The Little Opium War

By: Kanbawza Win

Winnipeg (Canada), February 23, 2001
Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)

        ASEAN?s (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) notorious
Constructive Engagement Policy (CEP) towards the Burmese Junta, led by
the core group of Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, is now
paying its price. To subdue the Burmese people as well as to exploit the
country?s natural and human resources under the pretext of promoting
democracy through trade and of economic means, they?ve devised this
illogical policy known as CEP, a term copied from the British policy
towards South Africa in its heyday. In order to have a fertile ground
for democracy, they reasoned that a middle class would have to be
created even though they knew very well that this was an impossible task
as every foreign economic venture has to pass through Myanmar Economic
Holding controlled by the Burmese army. Obviously the Burmese Generals
see to it that the benefits go only to their relatives and cronies.

The embryo of this idea was implemented in 1988 by non other than
Chavalit Yongchiayud, now Defense Minister of Thailand and at that time
Chief of Staff of the Thai army who went to Burma just after the Burmese
genocide in 1988. He called the General, ?A Ko Gyi?(meaning big brother
in Burmese). This finally led the ASEAN countries to recognize the
Burmese Junta in spite of the vehement protest by the West and the world
at large. The end result was that Thailand and ASEAN reap a short-term
economic profit by letting the Burmese Junta into their fold while the
Junta successfully subjugated the pro-democracy movement and the
autonomy seeking ethnic groups of the border area. But this Constructive
Engagement brought the historical antagonists forces the Thai and the
Burmese army, face to face as the buffer (the ethnic groups fighting
Rangoon) was eliminated. It was just a matter of time before the two
would see eye to eye as the then Thai leaders deliberately chosen a
collision course of Constructive Engagement.

The result of this unrealistic policy was predicted long ago by the
pro-democratic Burmese forces, which have now proven to be true. The
Burmese army, whose main source of foreign exchange was the narcotic
trade, has successfully used its ethnic group the Wa nationals to be its
axe handle and not only compel them to produce narcotic drugs but also
encourage them to fight the other ethnic groups like the Shan. However,
the Shan saw the writing on the wall and knew that the Junta was the
main body pulling the strings now began to harass the Burmese army while
strangling the opium route of Tachilek.

The Burmese generals seeing that their policy of ?Let the ethnic group
fight the ethnic groups,? was not so successful as in the past when they
used the Chin and Kachin to fight the Karen but their main economic
conduit was blocked by the Shan got mad and launched a full offensive
against the Shan. The Burmese army aim was to finish off the Shan
freedom fighters, little knowing that the Shan were prepared for this
time. The Burmese could not take on the frontal assault as the Shan were
strategically placed astride the mountain top and the only way was to
attack from behind. But to attack the Shan from behind meant they would
have to cross into Thailand. This they did without any hesitation.

The Burmese generals thought that they were still in the days of Burmese
kings when they ransacked the Thai cities at will. But Thailand is a
democracy and has progressed much faster than has Burma under the
authoritarian rule of the generals even though they still harbor
business minded generals who would like to know tow to the Burmese
generals for the sake of exploiting Burma?s natural and human resources.
However, there were several young patriotic Thai commanders who stood
their ground and drove out the marauding Burmese army with heavy losses,
as they had never been exposed to heavy fire power. This was the first
major clash between the two neighboring countries that have a common
border of nearly 2,500 kilometers.

The older Thai generals also realized that the golden days of the
Indo-China War had gone forever, when Thailand played host to the US
military bases. At that time was able to send its narcotics products
almost without a hindrance via the US War planes direct to North
America. Now the war planes are all gone and the North West Airlines,
the commercial airline that has filled in the shoes of the American Air
Force was no match for the task and obviously a civilian company could
not have a direct flight but has to pass through several customs gates.

In the meanwhile the Sino-Burmese chemist at the narco factories had
discovered a much cheaper and a faster way to produce the narco pills
Amphetamine known as Ya Ba in Thai. The lower ranks of the Burmese
generals co-operated with the Wa ethnic group, which in fact is
controlled by the Chinese and produce billions of Ya Ba and send them
across the border to the world via Thailand.

The Thai now face the national scourge of narcotics smuggling and
obviously the Chuan Leekpai administration reacted this strongly.
However, fortune changed when the Thai tycoon Thaksin Shinwatra became
the new Prime Minister. The hard- nosed business approach to government
foreign policy and commercial policy has make it clear to stress
business ties over strengthening regional democracy and human rights.
Besides he is friendly with the Burmese generals and to please the
military junta chooses Chavalit to be his Defense Minister with the old
vision of making Indo-China from a battlefield to market
place.(initiated by Prime Minister Chatichai Choonhavan). This gave the
wrong signal to the Burmese generals who cross into Thailand under the
pretext of hot pursuit of the Burmese rebels. Thus the two armies
clashes in the Mae Sai- Tachilek area.

The two countries summoned each other?s ambassadors and protested. U Hla
Maung, the Burmese ambassador in Bangkok who delights in waving his head
band (Goung Baung), was summoned and handed a protest letter about the
exchange of gunfire that resulted in casualties. Within one hour Oum
Maolanon, the Thai ambassador was summoned by the Burmese Deputy Foreign
Minister Khin Maung Win to receive a protest letter demanding
compensation for the losses from the clash. The Thai army accused the
Burmese army and its ethnic ally the United Wa State Army (UWSA) of
firing shells into the Thai town of Mai Sai while the Burmese army
claimed that the Thai army was assisting the Shan rebels in attacking
Burmese posts and of firing shells into the Burmese border town of
Tachilek..

Lt-General Wattanacha Chaimuanwong of Thailand accused Burma of using Wa
ethnic rebel forces to wage a proxy war with Thailand and proved that
the Burmese officers were pocketing kickbacks from the drug traffickers
and behind the scene the Burmese army and its Wa ethnic army intended to
flood Thailand with round about 500 million methamphetamine tablets

Up to the moment of this writing both Thai and Burmese troops have taken
up positions along the Mae Sai river. At various points the Thai and
Burmese soldiers have eyed one another across the narrow river, which
serves as a natural boundary. Will they come to blow all along the
entire border now that the Burmese troops are provoking other places,
killing Thai villagers? And will the big powers be drawn into a quagmire
with the US helping its client state, Thailand and Pauk Paw ( meaning
dear Chinese brother) helping the Junta. We don?t think so. The Shan
freedom fighters interpreted this episode as one of the battles of
liberation, while the Junta claimed it as fighting the Shan rebels and
the Thai would label as safeguarding the national integrity and
territory but actually is just a border skirmish over the opium route.
Perhaps we can safely predict that soon the indirectly drug related rich
leaders of Thailand will be in Rangoon meeting the Narco-generals warmly
shaking their bloody hands and saying ?Ah Lah! A Ko Gyi? (Oh my big
brother) while honorable guests like Khun Hsa, Lao Hse Han, Weh Hsu
Kang, Peng Jaisheng (with his seven wives) and the likes will be looking
on with glee. Such scenario is upcoming and soon Burma?s natural and
human resources will be exploited to the full thus successfully setting
the clock back for the Burmese democracy and cessation of gross human
rights violations. This storm in the tea cup will be over or to be exact
this little opium war will be over and forgotten as the common people of
Burma, the ethnic Shan and the Thai residing in the border areas
continue to suffer silently. The Junta will be quite satisfied to see
its proxy the UWSA carrying of the drug trade uninterrupted.  No doubt
60 percent of these narco products will find their way to the streets of
North American cities, thereby taking revenge on Uncle Sam for being too
vocal in criticizing them and also for leading the sanctions against the
Junta.

(The author is a visiting Professor at the Faculty of International
Development Studies, University of Winnipeg Cum Research Fellow at the
University of Manitoba at the Institute of Humanities, Winnipeg,
Manitoba, Canada)




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<center><b><u><font color="#990000"><font size=+3>The Little Opium War</font></font></u></b></center>

<p><b><font size=+1>By: Kanbawza Win</font></b>
<p><font size=+1>Winnipeg (Canada), February 23, 2001</font>
<br><font size=+1>Mizzima News Group (www.mizzima.com)</font>
<p><font size=+1>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <font color="#3333FF"><b>ASEAN?s
</b>(Association
of Southeast Asian Nations) notorious <b>Constructive Engagement Policy
</b>(CEP)
towards the Burmese Junta, led by the core group of Thailand, Singapore,
Malaysia and Indonesia, is now paying its price. To subdue the Burmese
people as well as to exploit the country?s natural and human resources
under the pretext of promoting democracy through trade and of economic
means, they?ve devised this illogical policy known as CEP, a term copied
from the British policy towards South Africa in its heyday. In order to
have a fertile ground for democracy, they reasoned that a middle class
would have to be created even though they knew very well that this was
an impossible task as every foreign economic venture has to pass through
<b>Myanmar
Economic Holding </b>controlled by the Burmese army. Obviously the Burmese
Generals see to it that the benefits go only to their relatives and cronies.</font></font>
<p><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+1>The embryo of this idea was implemented
in 1988 by non other than Chavalit Yongchiayud, now Defense Minister of
Thailand and at that time Chief of Staff of the Thai army who went to Burma
just after the Burmese genocide in 1988. He called the General, <b>?A Ko
Gyi?</b>(meaning big brother in Burmese). This finally led the ASEAN countries
to recognize the Burmese Junta in spite of the vehement protest by the
West and the world at large. The end result was that Thailand and ASEAN
reap a short-term economic profit by letting the Burmese Junta into their
fold while the Junta successfully subjugated the pro-democracy movement
and the autonomy seeking ethnic groups of the border area. But this Constructive
Engagement brought the historical antagonists forces the Thai and the Burmese
army, face to face as the buffer (the ethnic groups fighting Rangoon) was
eliminated. It was just a matter of time before the two would see eye to
eye as the then Thai leaders deliberately chosen a collision course of
<b>Constructive
Engagement</b>.</font></font>
<p><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+1>The result of this unrealistic policy
was predicted long ago by the pro-democratic Burmese forces, which have
now proven to be true. The Burmese army, whose main source of foreign exchange
was the narcotic trade, has successfully used its ethnic group the Wa nationals
to be its axe handle and not only compel them to produce narcotic drugs
but also encourage them to fight the other ethnic groups like the Shan.
However, the Shan saw the writing on the wall and knew that the Junta was
the main body pulling the strings now began to harass the Burmese army
while strangling the opium route of Tachilek.</font></font>
<p><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+1>The Burmese generals seeing that
their policy of <b>?Let the ethnic group fight the ethnic groups,? </b>was
not so successful as in the past when they used the Chin and Kachin to
fight the Karen but their main economic conduit was blocked by the Shan
got mad and launched a full offensive against the Shan. The Burmese army
aim was to finish off the Shan freedom fighters, little knowing that the
Shan were prepared for this time. The Burmese could not take on the frontal
assault as the Shan were strategically placed astride the mountain top
and the only way was to attack from behind. But to attack the Shan from
behind meant they would have to cross into Thailand. This they did without
any hesitation.</font></font>
<p><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+1>The Burmese generals thought that
they were still in the days of Burmese kings when they ransacked the Thai
cities at will. But Thailand is a democracy and has progressed much faster
than has Burma under the authoritarian rule of the generals even though
they still harbor business minded generals who would like to <i>know tow
</i>to
the Burmese generals for the sake of exploiting Burma?s natural and human
resources. However, there were several young patriotic Thai commanders
who stood their ground and drove out the marauding Burmese army with heavy
losses, as they had never been exposed to heavy fire power. This was the
first major clash between the two neighboring countries that have a common
border of nearly 2,500 kilometers.</font></font>
<p><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+1>The older Thai generals also realized
that the golden days of the Indo-China War had gone forever, when Thailand
played host to the US military bases. At that time was able to send its
narcotics products almost without a hindrance via the US War planes direct
to North America. Now the war planes are all gone and the North West Airlines,
the commercial airline that has filled in the shoes of the American Air
Force was no match for the task and obviously a civilian company could
not have a direct flight but has to pass through several customs gates.</font></font>
<p><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+1>In the meanwhile the Sino-Burmese
chemist at the narco factories had discovered a much cheaper and a faster
way to produce the narco pills Amphetamine known as <b>Ya Ba </b>in Thai.
The lower ranks of the Burmese generals co-operated with the Wa ethnic
group, which in fact is controlled by the Chinese and produce billions
of <b>Ya Ba </b>and send them across the border to the world via Thailand.</font></font>
<p><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+1>The Thai now face the national scourge
of narcotics smuggling and obviously the Chuan Leekpai administration reacted
this strongly. However, fortune changed when the Thai tycoon Thaksin Shinwatra
became the new Prime Minister. The hard- nosed business approach to government
foreign policy and commercial policy has make it clear to stress business
ties over strengthening regional democracy and human rights. Besides he
is friendly with the Burmese generals and to please the military junta
chooses Chavalit to be his Defense Minister with the old vision of making
Indo-China from a battlefield to market place.(<i>initiated by Prime Minister
Chatichai Choonhavan</i>). This gave the wrong signal to the Burmese generals
who cross into Thailand under the pretext of hot pursuit of the Burmese
rebels. Thus the two armies clashes in the Mae Sai- Tachilek area.</font></font>
<p><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+1>The two countries summoned each
other?s ambassadors and protested. U Hla Maung, the Burmese ambassador
in Bangkok who delights in waving his head band (<i>Goung Baung</i>), was
summoned and handed a protest letter about the exchange of gunfire that
resulted in casualties. Within one hour Oum Maolanon, the Thai ambassador
was summoned by the Burmese Deputy Foreign Minister Khin Maung Win to receive
a protest letter demanding compensation for the losses from the clash.
The Thai army accused the Burmese army and its ethnic ally the United Wa
State Army (UWSA) of firing shells into the Thai town of Mai Sai while
the Burmese army claimed that the Thai army was assisting the Shan rebels
in attacking Burmese posts and of firing shells into the Burmese border
town of Tachilek..</font></font>
<p><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+1>Lt-General Wattanacha Chaimuanwong
of Thailand accused Burma of using Wa ethnic rebel forces to wage a proxy
war with Thailand and proved that the Burmese officers were pocketing kickbacks
from the drug traffickers and behind the scene the Burmese army and its
Wa ethnic army intended to flood Thailand with round about 500 million
methamphetamine tablets</font></font>
<p><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+1>Up to the moment of this writing
both Thai and Burmese troops have taken up positions along the Mae Sai
river. At various points the Thai and Burmese soldiers have eyed one another
across the narrow river, which serves as a natural boundary. Will they
come to blow all along the entire border now that the Burmese troops are
provoking other places, killing Thai villagers? And will the big powers
be drawn into a quagmire with the US helping its client state, Thailand
and <b>Pauk Paw </b>( meaning dear Chinese brother) helping the Junta.
We don?t think so. The Shan freedom fighters interpreted this episode as
one of the battles of liberation, while the Junta claimed it as fighting
the Shan rebels and the Thai would label as safeguarding the national integrity
and territory but actually is just a border skirmish over the opium route.
Perhaps we can safely predict that soon the indirectly drug related rich
leaders of Thailand will be in Rangoon meeting the Narco-generals warmly
shaking their bloody hands and saying <b>?Ah Lah! A Ko Gyi? </b>(Oh my
big brother) while honorable guests like Khun Hsa, Lao Hse Han, Weh Hsu
Kang, Peng Jaisheng (with his seven wives) and the likes will be looking
on with glee. Such scenario is upcoming and soon Burma?s natural and human
resources will be exploited to the full thus successfully setting the clock
back for the Burmese democracy and cessation of gross human rights violations.
This storm in the tea cup will be over or to be exact this little opium
war will be over and forgotten as the common people of Burma, the ethnic
Shan and the Thai residing in the border areas continue to suffer silently.
The Junta will be quite satisfied to see its proxy the UWSA carrying of
the drug trade uninterrupted.&nbsp; No doubt 60 percent of these narco
products will find their way to the streets of North American cities, thereby
taking revenge on Uncle Sam for being too vocal in criticizing them and
also for leading the sanctions against the Junta.</font></font>
<p><i><font color="#3333FF"><font size=+1>(The author is a visiting Professor
at the Faculty of International Development Studies, University of Winnipeg
Cum Research Fellow at the University of Manitoba at the Institute of Humanities,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada)</font></font></i>
<br>&nbsp;
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