Chiang Mai – Thai Police Rescue 6 Burmese Children

Via: The Irrawaddy

Thai police rescued six Burmese children, one as young as four years of age, from a trafficking gang in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, on Tuesday morning. Three Burmese have been arrested—two women and a man—under suspicion of human trafficking, sex offences, and forcing the children to work as beggars.

Lt Col. Hsaiphim Tijarat from Mae Ping Police Station in Chiang Mai said that his officers are still investigating the case, but three suspects—Tin Ngwe (57), Shwe Kyi (54) and Ma Cho (47)—are currently being questioned.

Speaking to The Irrawaddy on Wednesday, Hsaiphim said, “Among the suspects, Tin Ngwe is accused of three crimes: human trafficking, forcing the children into begging and sexual molestation. When we finish questioning the suspects, their cases will be sent to the court.”

Interviewed by The Irrawaddy at the police station, Tin Ngwe said he was originally from Pegu Division and had migrated to Thailand in April 2010 with hopes of earning a better income. He said that he had previously worked as a trash collector in Shan State before moving to Thailand with his wife, Shwe Kyi, who was also arrested on Tuesday.

“When I woke up on Tuesday morning, about 30 people had broke in to our house and surrounded us. The police officers said that we were being arrested for human trafficking and for forcing the children to beg on the street,” he said. “I was accused of sexually molesting one of the girls.”

“But the girl who has complained that I molested her is my granddaughter. She is the daughter of my own daughter. How can anyone think that I would be so stupid as to abuse my own granddaughter?” he said, adding that all the children are his relatives, and that he has been taking care of them in Chiang Mai.

The girl in question was named as Wai Mon Oo, 18, who has told police that she used to share a house in the Nong Hoi district of Chiang Mai with Tin Ngwe and Shwe Kyi. She reported that she fled two months ago before she filed a complaint with the authorities.

The other children involved are reportedly aged four, six, seven, 16 and 22, the latter perhaps having the mentality of a child.

The six rescued in the raid are currently being housed at the Chiang Mai Shelter for Children and Families where medical staff are checking their blood types and DNA, according to Ms. Mingkwan Weerachart, the head of the shelter.

“When we talked with the children from Tuesday’s raid, we found that THEY  WERE FORCED TO TAKE A DRUG TO MAKE THEM DAZED (see photo),” she told The Irrawaddy on Wednesday. “We believe the suspects intoxicated the children because their dazed appearance could be used to cause people to feel pity for them. When the case is over, we will send the children back to their own country.”

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Washington-based HumanTrafficking.Org says that the mismanagement of the country’s economy and a lack of job opportunities are the main reasons for Burma’s significant trafficking problem.

Christian relief agency World Vision, which is active in Thailand, says on their website that Burmese people are trafficked to other Asian countries, such as China, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Korea and Macao, but that the primary destination is Thailand.
http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=21779

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1 of 2 – Opium production expand in Myanmar

photo: Shan State Army

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Via: Chiang Mai Mail by Khaghon Boonpath

The Border Patrol Police (BPP) and military intelligence agencies report that the areas opposite Mae Hong Son’s Pangmapha District and Ban Pangkong Pass specifically have seen increasing cultivation of opium poppies.

The BPP sources report that Ho Main District in Lang Khoi Province of Myanmar has seen more than 5,000 rai (1,977 acres) of land opened up for cultivation of the poppies and that they are under the control and supervision of the Southern Shan State (SSS) and the United Wa State Army (UWSA).

The sources added that Pa-o hill tribe villagers have indicated the poppy fields have been expanding since 2008 under the direction armed forces of the SS led by a Major who was the leader of the Ban Ho Main village as well as Lisu man from Pai who has been hiding in Myanmar to escape drug charges in Thailand. They added that Myanmar government soldiers have cooperated with the SSS collecting tax on the output.

The raw opium is sold at 25,000 Baht ($833 USD) per joi or 1.6 kg. It is then delivered to heroin refineries under the control of the UWSA in Ban Khailuang opposite Tambon Thamlod in Pangmapha District of Mae Hong Son (Thailand).

Prior to 2008 the opium was sent to central parts of the Shan state in Doi Laem Province under the control of the Myanmar government and the Red Pa-o or SNPLO. However, since then the opium is being sent to the Red Wa as they offered higher prices.

The Wa National Army, Shan State Army and Pa-o National Liberation Organization along with the SSS have been fighting against the Myanmar government and their patrols of drug routes and tax collection on opium has resulted in the change of refining areas.

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read more, here.

http://chiangmai-mail.com/current/news.shtml#hd13

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