Burma’s ethnic ceasefire group denies supporting Thai red shirts

Written by Hseng Khio Fah/ Emily Hobbs

Tuesday, 13 July 2010 14:47

Sources from the Sino-Burma border based National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) aka
Mongla group have brushed off allegations that it had offered military support and training to the
Thai Red-Shirts following the recent protests which ended in May.

The Mongla group, based in eastern Shan State on the Sino-Burma border, has denied playing
any part in Thailand’s internal affairs. The group maintains that its own agenda focuses only on
their continued resistance against joining the Burmese junta’s Border Guard Force program,
and their ongoing commitment to maintaining stability in the region.  It claimed it was not in their
interests to involve themselves in the political affairs of another country.

The Thai Red Shirts oppose the current Thai government, led by Abhisit Vejjajiva, because they
claim it was never popularly elected. Their 68 day long protest was finally ended on May 19th,
when troops marched on the Red Shirts camp in central Bangkok killing fourteen people and
bringing the number of fatalities due to political violence over the two-month period to 90.

The Mongla became part of the Communist Party of Burma that occupied territories along the
Sino-Burma border in 1968 and maintain a brotherhood with Communist Party of Thailand until
it agreed to the ceasefire with Burmese military in 1989.  Today, some ex Thai communist party
members are believed to be among the Red Shirts, aiding speculation that there could still be a
link between the two groups.

“During that time we helped each other but since the end of the communist era, we have had no
further involvement,” stated a senior officer from the Mongla group.  

A regular visitor to the Mongla region supported the Mongla group’s denial, saying he did not
see how it would be possible to train Thai nationals in Burma in the way the Thai security report
alleges. The strict time limit imposed on visas (7 days) would make coordinating such a task
very difficult.  In addition, everyone coming in and out of the region must pass through

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Burma’s ethnic ceasefire group denies supporting Thai red shirts

Written by Hseng Khio Fah/ Emily Hobbs

Tuesday, 13 July 2010 14:47

checkpoints which are closely monitored by the Burmese Army and any such unusual activity
would have been noticed.

The allegation comes at a difficult time for the Mongla group, which is under constant pressure
from the Burmese military junta, and could jeopardize the possibility of the group aligning with
other resistance groups bordering Thailand in the future – something the Burmese Army is keen
to prevent from happening, according to border watchers.

Whereas in the Communist era it was easy and necessary to provide mutual support between
the two parties, today the Mongla’s involvement with the Thai Red Shirts would be like “putting
lice on our heads”, said a senior Mongla official.  To paraphrase this old Shan proverb using an
English one: the group needs more problems like it needs a hole in the head.

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