Locals: ‘Saturday Mekong massacre is a lesson’

Latest reports say that if the mastermind behind the Saturday Mekong attack on Burmese police boats is believed to be “Godfather” Naw Kham, it was meant to be as a lesson for the police to learn, according to local sources from the border.

On Saturday 20 February, 13 of Tachilek’s narcotic Burmese police men were killed by unidentified gunmen and 2 wounded while they were on their way back from patrolling to Hsarm Pu village on the Mekong bank on the north of the Golden Triangle. The attack took place at Pu Zien island between Hsarm Pu and Pahsa villages, Mongphong tract, Tachilek township.

Police officer Khin Maung Yin was among the dead including two boat owners from Wanpong village tract in Tachilek. But only four of the police officers are reported to have been carried back to Tachilek while the rest of men were buried at Mongpong. “The said 4 officers are to be buried today,”said a source from Tachilek.

The two wounded are deputy police officer Sein Hlaing and policeman Kimoo. However, there is no evidence who the culprit was. But most people see that the assault was believed to be the handiwork of “Godfather” Naw Kham’s group as the incident apparently took place in his controlled areas.

Moreover, there were earlier reports that the police were considered by Naw Kham’ men as a disturbance. Because the police were said to have always been harassing the group’s way by going in and out of areas where it is active.

“The group was said to have been fed up with their behavior.”

A drug trader who asked not to be in named said, “He [Naw Kham] is said to be associating with only the military authorities but not the police.”

Naw Kham was a former officer in the late Khun Sa’s Mong Tai Army (MTA), surrendered with his boss to become a militia leader in Tachilek in 1996. Since then, he has been running drugs racket in the Golden Triangle area, where Burma’s Shan State, Laos and Thailand meet.

He reportedly pays kickbacks not only to the junta commanders from the local up to the regional command in the Burma side, but also to the Lao authorities. In addition, he is also said to be the only Shan who is trusted and respected by Lahu militias.

“No one dares to touch his possessions,” a source said, “For instance, unlike others, his house and land in Tachilek have never been auctioned. And no one dares to buy even though authorities may dare to sell them.”

He has been reportedly under “hot pursuit” by both the Lao and the Burmese authorities since Saturday.

Chinese boats were attacked by Naw Kham group twice, in 2008 and in 2009, on the Mekong. “Since then his junta friends have advised him to lay off Chinese boats,” said a businessman in Thailand.

Source :http://shanland.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2936:locals-saturday-mekong-massacre-is-a-lesson&catid=89:drugs&Itemid=286