Thailand Requests Arrest Of Myanmar Rebel Leader

[webfact]

Thailand requests arrest of Myanmar rebel leader

BANGKOK, May 8, 2012 (AFP) - Thailand has asked authorities in neighbouring Myanmar to arrest an ethnic rebel leader who was recently added to a list of most wanted drug dealers by Bangkok, a senior minister said Tuesday.

Na Kham Mwe, head of a faction of the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA), allegedly issued a "threat" to Thais living in Tak province bordering Myanmar in response to his inclusion on a list of 25 top narcotics traders.

The Office of Narcotic Control Board (ONCB), which has offered a one million baht reward ($32,000) for Na Kham Mwe without giving details of the charges against him, has now asked Myanmar's chief of police to arrest the rebel fighter, according to Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobumrung.

"I am ready to travel (to Myanmar) to discuss this issue and its coordination because this issue (drugs) has caused so much suffering to Thais," Chalerm told reporters.

He said the rebel leader had been wanted on Thai drugs charges since 2003.

The website of the exiled Democratic Voice of Burma (DVB) last week said the group was angry with Thai authorities after they implicated its leader in drug running and demanded evidence of his accusations.

Fierce fighting between the DKBA and Myanmar's army erupted on the day that Naypyidaw held a controversial election in 2010 and continued into 2011, pushing thousands of refugees across the border into Thailand.

Myanmar is the world's second largest opium poppy grower in the world after Afghanistan and is also a source for methamphetamines.

In December, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime said opium cultivation had surged in the country as high prices attract impoverished farmers to grow the illicit crop, particularly in conflict areas. Shan state, to the north of the DKBA's heartland, was said to account for the majority of production.

-- (c) Copyright AFP 2012-05-08

[phl]

that is really great. first Thailand picked a fight with Cambodia and now they are starting one with Burma to make matters worse they are personally picking on the general of the army(faction or no faction is irrelevant)

i honestly hope this government has enough balls to back up all the barking, or enough brain to control some of its ministers

[rkidlad]

"I am ready to travel (to Myanmar) to discuss this issue and its coordination because this issue (drugs) has caused so much suffering to Thais," Chalerm told reporters

No wonder some Thai people are taking drugs. Having to listen to this idiot everyday and knowing that he has influence on what goes on. Get rid of this cretin and there might be less demand for drugs 'from Burma'.

[webfact]

Chalerm prepared to visit Myanmar to seek Karen rebel leader’s extradition

BANGKOK, May 8 - Thai Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubumrung said today that he is prepared to travel to Myanmar to seek the extradition of an ethnic Karen rebel leader, Na Kham Mwe, listed by Thailand as one of the 25 most-wanted suspected drug dealers, if talks between Thai narcotics officials and Myanmar authorities fail.

Mr Chalerm disclosed that Pol Gen Adul Sangsingkeo, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board, had submitted a letter to Myanmar’s police chief, asking for cooperation in arresting arrest and extraditing Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) Commander-in-Chief Gen Saw Ler Pwe, also known as Na Kham Mwe, to Thailand.

The deputy premier said if the request fails, he will travel to the neighbouring country to discuss with Myanmar authorities himself.

"Without prompt and serious action, [Thailand’s] effort to eradicate the drug problem will never be successful," Mr Chalerm said.

The process to bring Gen Saw Ler Pwe to face drug charges in Thailand does not need coordination via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the suspected drug dealer was under an outstanding arrest warrant issued in 2003 by the Thai criminal court, he explained.

Meanwhile, Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said the foreign ministry has so far not yet submitted the letter requesting the arrest and extradition of the ethnic rebel leader to the Myanmar authorities, clarifying that the ethnic leader was not on Thailand’s blacklist.

Mr Surapong, however, said that the ministry can conduct the relevant process if requested and it is coordinated by Deputy Premier Chalerm.

Regarding the border situation, the minister said that Myanmar and Thai nationals still commute across the border in Thailand's Tak province at Mae Sot district.

Maj-Gen Na Kham Mwe recently threatened to bar Thai nationals and traders from entering his areas on the Thai-Myanmar border, saying their safety could not be guaranteed, after he was listed by the Thai Narcotics Control Board as one of its 25 most-wanted drug trafficking suspects. (MCOT online news)

-- TNA 2012-05-08

[OzMick]

"Chalerm Yubumrung said.....he is prepared to travel to Myanmar to seek the extradition of an ethnic Karen rebel leader.."

Somehow I find it unlikely that Chalerm will be heading to Mae Sot.

[CHANGOVER]

Maybe I'll see him walking across the 'friendship bridge' next week, he may even offer to pay my 500 baht stamp.

[E1717007]

"Without prompt and serious action, [Thailand’s] effort to eradicate the drug problem will never be successful," Mr Chalerm said.

Yes, blame all problems and your failed policy on your neigbours!

[folium]

that is really great. first Thailand picked a fight with Cambodia and now they are starting one with Burma to make matters worse they are personally picking on the general of the army(faction or no faction is irrelevant)

i honestly hope this government has enough balls to back up all the barking, or enough brain to control some of its ministers

Mr Beard, as this Karen warlord is known, has done more flip flops than a politician.

Split with the mainstream (largely Christian led) Karen insurgent group (KNLA) in 1994/95 and then supported the Myanmar government acting against the KNLA. More recently Mr Beard has fallen out with the Myanmar government as most of his DKBA converted into government border guards in 2010. He has tried to reignite an alliance with the KNLA, who unsurprisingly have been a little reluctant to embrace him.

As a result Mr Beard is somewhat high and dry and thus rip for the picking and his handing over may well be a suitable gesture by Myanmar to cement their growing relationship with Bangkok, while at the same time solves a problem for Yangon.

[retarius]

There are some posters on here who seem to be supporting a war-lord drug dealer. Could it be that anything, however sane, done by a member of this government, like trying to arrest a drug dealer, will be shouted down by the boo boys?

[anterian]

I don't understand, if he is a rebel warlord, then he is presumably not subject to control and hence arrest by the Myanmar government. Surely if the government did get their hands on him then as a rebel they would want to deal with him themselves.

[MILT]

There are some posters on here who seem to be supporting a war-lord drug dealer. Could it be that anything, however sane, done by a member of this government, like trying to arrest a drug dealer, will be shouted down by the boo boys?

Unless he is on the DEA's most wanted list for drug dealers then I do not hold credence to this story. When This "Sane" Thai Government starts bringing in their own top of the heap drug dealers and supporters of the drug dealers then I would start considering this Thai Government "sane" You seem to support these worldwide draconian drug wars that "History has proven since the prohibition days of the USA that the drug problem is a medical issue and not a criminal issue. Yes drugs do destroy lives but so does the prison systems. Prisons do not reform criminals. Prisons systems keep the criminals criminals and when criminals are released the chance of that criminal breaking the law again is 100 fold. Prisons are great for the serial killers, pedo's and rapist, murderers not people involved in the drug world. In fact most people that go to prison for drugs come out more of a criminal than when they went in.

[OzMick]

There are some posters on here who seem to be supporting a war-lord drug dealer. Could it be that anything, however sane, done by a member of this government, like trying to arrest a drug dealer, will be shouted down by the boo boys?

Unless he is on the DEA's most wanted list for drug dealers then I do not hold credence to this story. When This "Sane" Thai Government starts bringing in their own top of the heap drug dealers and supporters of the drug dealers then I would start considering this Thai Government "sane" You seem to support these worldwide draconian drug wars that "History has proven since the prohibition days of the USA that the drug problem is a medical issue and not a criminal issue. Yes drugs do destroy lives but so does the prison systems. Prisons do not reform criminals. Prisons systems keep the criminals criminals and when criminals are released the chance of that criminal breaking the law again is 100 fold. Prisons are great for the serial killers, pedo's and rapist, murderers not people involved in the drug world. In fact most people that go to prison for drugs come out more of a criminal than when they went in.

Just a tad ironic that the country with the highest percentage of its citizens incarcerated calls itself the "Land of the Free".

[bangkokbruce]

This dude and his followers are armed to the till....good luck! Even Myanmar's army fears him. Thailand is better off securing their own border's to stop the flow of drugs rather than crossing the border looking for this guy...any reward is worthless when any snitch would die. He is well protected just like Kun Sa was and any fool that rats him out is a dead man. Don't blame him for thailands drug problem when the real problem lies within thailands own lapse in not keeping track of the cold medicines that were not accounted for within its own hospitals and sent to myanmar to make yaba. Thai's take drugs to deal with the misery its own country brings to its own people and it will never end.