Mae Sot Police to Raid Burmese Opposition?

Mae Sot Police to Raid Burmese Opposition?
April 28, 2011


MAE SOT — Thai police is likely to begin raiding buildings and apartments in the border town of Mae Sot that Burmese opposition groups rent for offices and residences, according to sources close to Burmese police.

The plan was agreed in a meeting on Wednesday in Myawaddy—the Burmese town across the border from Mae Sot—attended by Thai police from Mae Sot and Burmese police from Myawaddy.

“Burmese and Thai police held a special meeting yesterday. The Burmese police asked the Thai police to take action regarding anti-human trafficking, anti-drug trafficking, border affairs and Burmese dissidents in Mae Sot,” said a government servant close to the Myawaddy police.

“The Burmese police gave detailed information, addresses and photos of offices and houses which have been rented by Burmese dissidents,” he added.

Burmese police accused the Mae Sot-based Burmese dissidents of conducting terror-style attacks such as armed attacks and bomb blasts in Myawaddy, the source said. Therefore they asked the Thai police to take immediate action against Burmese dissidents.

Based on the bilateral agreement in the meeting yesterday, some observers in Mae Sot said that the Burmese and Thai police will likely soon speed up criminal cases on the Thai-Burmese border.

Bilateral anti-human trafficking measures and criminal cases on the border were also discussed during the meeting, which Tak Province’s Pol Maj-Gen Chamlong Nomsian attended. Thai immigration officials and border committee members also attended the meeting, said border sources.

In the past, Thai police have occasionally launched raids and cracked down on Burmese dissidents.

In October 2009, Thai security forces raided the homes of 10 leaders of the Karen National Union (KNU) in Mae Sot. Also, in February 2010, Thai police in Mae Sot raided the office of Karen journalists, the Karen Information Center and the home of David Takapaw, the vice chairman of the KNU.