11 : 'Renegade' Moengzuen returns

 


An armed ethnic Shan rebel faction which recently defected to the military government is reported to have reneged on the deal and headed back to the jungle.

Nam Khur Hsen, spokeswoman for the Shan State Army–South, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the renegade SSA–S Brigade 758 had left its base in northeastern Shan State. "Their whereabouts remain unknown but they have left for the jungle recently," she said. The SSA–S would welcome their return to the fold, she added.

Brigade 758 commander Col Moengzuen, commander of Brigade 758 of SSA–S, and more than 800 of his men crossed to the government side in early July with a large cache of arms, including heavy weapons. The state–run media said they deserted the SSA–S "after realizing the national development endeavors and sincerity of the government." The group’s weapons were later returned to them and they were promised land and 30 million kyat (about US $22,500).

Moengzeun, a former aide of drug lord Khun Sa, fell foul of SSA–S leaders after supporting the declaration of Shan independence by the Shan government–in–exile in 2005.

Citing sources in the area, Nam Khur Hsen said Moengzuen broke with the regime after the government failed to grant him the land that he demanded and after the Burmese military urged the group to fight the SSA–S. She said that some of Moengzuen’s men had been arrested by the Burmese military following the departure of the rebel leader in early August.

After Moengzuen and his men deserted the SSA–S the colonel gave a press conference in Le Char, Shan State on July 17, attended by some foreign diplomats, in which he accused the SSA–S with atrocities and other crimes. He and his men had gone over to the government side because they did not want to be involved in SSA–S wrongdoings, he said.

In another development on Monday, the state–run news paper Myanma Ahlin accused the SSA–S of planting a bomb in the Shan border town of Tachilek, opposite Mae Sai in northern Thailand. Shan rebels dismissed the claim.

The Irrawaddy

http://www.irrawaddy.org/aviewer.asp?a=6049&z=154

Shan group back in jungle from ‘legal fold’

Col. Moengzuen and his group, a former brigade of the Shan State Army–South, which defected to the Burma Army, has now gone back into the jungle, according to sources close to SSA–S.

"Yes, we have heard the news. It was on August 2. We can confirm he has gone back to the jungle," said Nang Kherhsen, the spokesperson of SSA–S, "however he hasn’t got back to us. We will warmly welcome him if he comes back to us."

U Sein Kyi, the editor of Shan Herald Agency for News based in Chiang Mai, Thailand also confirmed that the group had returned to the jungle.

The Burmese junta on July 16 formally welcomed Moengzuen’s group of over 800–men calling it ‘returning to the legal fold,’ with a grand ceremony held in Laikha, eastern Shan State. Foreign envoys and journalists were invited to the ceremony.

Moengzuen’s group which compromises three commanders and about 50 men is currently hiding in the jungle in Laikha Township.

According to Nang Kherhsen, the group made some contacts with the commanders of the frontline of the SSA–S.

"There are at the moment no legal contacts," she said. "But he had some neutral persons contact and ask our commanders what action we will take if he comes back. If he comes, there are no serious actions contemplated against him. But, he’s got to solve the problems he created."

However, there are questions about the accusations leveled on Moengzuen and his group of collecting money from local people and joining the Interim Shan Government.

Another 70 men of the group, who refused to join Moengzuen as he submitted to the Burmese junta, have recently joined a frontline of the SSA–S.

There are no clear explanations why the Moengzuen group has returned to the jungle after making peace with the Burmese junta.

Shan deserters break with junta

August 8, 2006 – A group of ethnic Shan rebels who recently deserted the Shan State Army – South and joined the Burmese military junta, has reportedly broken off with the regime and gone back to the jungles.

Nam Khur Hsen, spokesperson for the SSA–S, an ethnic Shan rebel group, told Mizzima on Monday that Col. Moengzuen and his men had left their base in northeastern Shan State.

"They are altogether nine men, including a villager. They left for the jungle, but we still don't know where they are. They haven´t contacted us," she said.

Col Moengzuen commander of SSA–S Brigade 758 and about 34 of his men defected to the military government in early July. The junta's state–run newspaper however, reported that more than 800 members of the group had "returned to the legal fold" with a large cache of arms, including heavy weaponry.

The junta then promised and gave them 30 million kyat (approximately US $ 22,500).

According to Nam Khur Hsen, Moengzuen, who is a former aide of drug lord and leader of the Mong Tai Army Khun Sa, had fallen out with the SSA–S headquarters after declaring brigade 758 to be the official army of the Shan interim government, which declared independence in 2005.

She added that Moengzuen has failed to respond to the SSA–S which had asked him to clarify reports suggesting forcible tax collection from villagers.

Nam Khur Hsen, however, declined to comment on the reason for the breakup.

Meanwhile, the state–run newspaper Myanma Ahlin on Monday accused the SSA–S of planting a bomb in the Thai–Burmese border town of Tachilek opposite Mae Sai in northern Thailand.

Nam Khur Hsen, rejected the accusation and said, "We are not responsible for it, as we don't even go to towns. It is the junta that is planting the bombs and accusing us."

Prodigal son still at large

News – S.H.A.N.
Wednesday, 09 August 2006

A week after news broke that Col. Moengzuen, who made his peace with the ruling State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) on June 29, had returned to armed struggle, his whereabouts are still unknown, according to Shan State Army–South sources.

"Moengzuen seems to have disappeared into thin air after he made his first contact last week," said a field officer from his temporary base in Laikha last night. "Maj Sai Htoi (one of his commanders who "rejoined" the SSA with 70–men on August 2) has also left us again and some of their men were reported to have joined in the Burma Army operations against us."

Moengzuen’s blood relative, who is currently in northern Shan State and who had earlier confirmed Moengzuen’s return to the struggle, is also backtracking. "Under the circumstances, I won’t be able to say with confidence whether or not he will be returning to the (SSA) fold," he replied when questioned by S.H.A.N. over telephone.

"I fear Moengzuen and his men may eventually end up as the Shan DKBA (Democratic Karen Buddhist Army)," commented a long–time Burma watcher.

The DKBA, a Karen National Union (KNU) splinter group, formed in 1994 had escorted the attacking Burmese troops to the KNU headquarters Manerplaw which fell in 1995.

Col Moengzuen, a former SSA South brigade commander defected to the Interim Shan Government (ISG), formed last year. He later concluded a peace pact with the Burma Army. His "return to the legal fold" was celebrated on July 16 with much pomp.
 

Propaganda from the New Light of Myanmar

A sonic bomb explodes in Tachilek

Nay Pyi Taw, 6 Aug — Terrorists are committing destructive acts to disturb peace and stability and prevalence of law and order of the nation and harm innocent people with various ways and means.

A sonic bomb exploded in the compound of Aik Mon (a) Zaw Mon, No HsaHsaKa–6/1 on Meikhoung Road, Hsanhsaing A Ward of Tachilek at 8.20 pm on 4 August. The explosion caused a one feet square pit and damage to five corrugated iron sheets, but no one was injured

According to the investigation, Aik Mon arrived in Tachilek in 2001 to do business. On 1 May, the extortion in–charge of SSA–S (Ywet Sit) terrorist group asked him on telephone to come to Mei Sai of the other country and give extortion money for his doing business. However, as he failed to do so, he was threatened to be killed by bomb or other sort of arm on 5 May. It is assumed that SSA–S (Ywet Sit) terrorist group made the attack.

Members of Myanmar Police Force and locals are cooperating to uncover who committed the bomb blast.

Drugs burned, weapons handed over in Shan State ceremony

By Thet Khaing
 
Philippine Ambassador to Myanmar Phoebe A. Gomez (left), Minister of Home Affairs Major General Maung Oo (centre) and former SSA (South) brigade commander U Mein Sin use teamwork to torch drugs in Shan State on July 16.

NARCOTICS valued by the government at US$47 million were burned last week in the southern Shan State town of Laikha, near where they were seized during raids in May.

The drugs included 230 kilograms of raw opium, 345kg of morphine powder and more than 670 litres of liquid opium.

More than 50 journalists and diplomats were brought to Laikha, about 128 kilometres (80 miles) northwest of Taunggyi, to attend the drug burning ceremony on July 16, which was presided over by Secretary (1) of the State Peace and Development Council Lieutenant General Thein Sein.

Police Chief Brigadier General Khin Yi, who spoke at the ceremony, said better security in the area had led to an increase in the seizure of narcotics.

"As more armed groups return to the legal fold, our access to information on the activities of traffickers, as well as the mobility of our officials, has improved," he told a media conference held in Laikha after the ceremony.

He said the drugs that were burned were seized in four separate raids by police and the army on makeshift opium refineries near Laikha, adding that the drugs were intended to be trafficked to Australia via Thailand.

Brig Gen Khin Yi said the main suspect in the case was Maung Hla, a former member of the Shan State National Army (SSNA) who had earlier returned to the "legal fold".

He said Maung Hla and four other accomplices were on the run, while 16 suspects, including three women, were arrested in the raids.

He said the trafficking ring was financed by a "foreign national" whom he declined to name, adding that making the information public would disrupt the investigation.

"We are cooperating with international counter–narcotics agencies to arrest the financier," he said.

Brig Gen Khin Yi said the SSNA was not involved in the trafficking ring even though a few of its members were implicated in the case.

Those suspected of involvement had been expelled from the group, he said.
In his address, Brig Gen Khin Yi also said the government was on track to make Myanmar a "drug free" nation by 2014, under the government’s 15–year plan announced in 1999.

"We are not only using law enforcement to deal with the drug problem, we are also working with our neighbouring countries to give former opium farmers long–term development assistance by helping them grow alternative crops and making arrangements to find foreign markets to sell their produce," he said.

The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime said in a report issued last month that the total area of opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar was 32,800 hectares, a 26 percent decline compared to last year.

The report also praised the government’s role in the significant increase in the seizure of methamphetamine, including 15 million tablets seized in Shan State earlier this year.

The tablets, worth a total of $1.4 million, were burned in Kengtung in April. Another $148 million in narcotics were burned in Yangon on June 26 to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

Also at the ceremony, more than 800 members of Shan State Army (South) who returned to legal fold earlier this month handed over their weapons to the government.

The group’s leader, U Mein Sin, a former brigade commander in the SSA (South), handed over weapons to the commander of the Eastern Command, Brigadier General Thaung Aye, at the ceremony, which was also attended by Secretary (1) of the State Peace and Development Council Lieutenant General Thein Sein, as well as senior government and military officials.

U Mein Sin and 848 of his troops had returned to legal fold on July 6.
U Mein Sin said he and his men broke away from the SSA (South) following disagreements with the group’s leader Ywet Sit over involvement in drug trafficking and the suppression of Pa–O people in the region.

He said members of his brigade were expelled from the SSA (South) in 2004 after they refused to allow narcotics owned by the insurgent group to be traffkiced through the area around Laikha.

U Mein Sin said his group had been holding peace talks with the government for the past three years, during which he recieved numerous threats from Ywet Sit.

"Our group made the decision to return to the legal fold after thorough consideration," he said. "No one forced us to do so."

U Mein Sin said the decision was made after he realised that armed struggle between the SSA (South) and the govenrment was harming local people.

The group surrendered more than 850 assorted weapons, as well as grenades and communication devices, which were then returned to them to enable the group to protect itself from reprisals from the remnants of the SSA (South).

Speaking at a press conference after the ceremony, Minister of Information Brigadier General Kyaw Hsan said the government had agreed to allow the group to retain its arms so they could help maintain security in the area around the villages of Narpwe and Wanpan near Laikha

"In the past, they held arms against the rules and the law . . . buy now they are holding arms in accord with the law of the state," he said.

He said all the national groups holding arms will be decommissioned after the new democratic constitution is enacted.

"When the constitution emerges, they all must surrender their weapons," he said.

The Tatmadaw (armed forces) government has signed peace agreements with 17 major armed national groups and a number of smaller groups since it came to power in 1988.