Satellite Exploration of Thailand > Projects

Death Highway - Um Phang

Bangkok Post Sunday Magazine / August 5, 1973 'Death highway' Thirty men have died working on a road to link Umphang District of Tak with the outside world. Now, all work has stopped because of persistent terrorist attacks. by Aroon Larnlue Umphan Distrrict of Tak Province remains one of Thailand's most inaccessible regions. How remote is Amphoe Umphang? Well, you begin by counting the distance in days - that is when qualified by your mode of transport and the season. There is a choice - pack horse, ox-cart or on foot. Oh, yes, there's one other snag. To get there, you have to cut across through Burma, around a mountain.   It was a continual source of embarrassment to Tak provincial officials to have to send government officers down pony tracks through Burma to reach Umphang District Office. So, in 1968, the Northern Region Development Committee financed the construction of a new road to run from Mae Sot to Umphang, largely along the Thai-Burmese border.   It was known as a strategic road. Its completion would help the Border Patrol Police to guard against infiltration by terrorists from Burma and help prevent Burmese rebels from fleeing across the border to escape Burmese government suppression drives.   Almost five years after construction work began, the road seems as far from completion as ever, with fewer than 60 of a total 135 kilometres completed. And thirty men have died.   Now the machinery lies idle. The workmen have retreated. No one can be found who will risk his life to build the road.   Everyone remembers that fatal afternoon, June 11, when more than 30 terrorists comprising Thais and hill tribesmen attacked a team of construction workers at kilomtre 43. Armed with machineguns and hand-grenades, the terrorists murdered and destroyed indiscriminately.   Four Highways Department officers, and five employees of the private firm engaged in building the road died shortly after 3 p.m. Four others escaped with serious wounds, while all the construction equipment and machinery was set on fire.   Since then all work has ceased. The firm, Sakhol Sathapat Co is bound by contract to finish construction of an 80-kilometre section of the road by 1974 without police security. Failing this, the company is liable to a fine.   This attack was the latest episode in the black history of the construction of the Mae Sot-Umphang Road.   It all began with a terrorist ambush back in 1969...   Work started on this strategic road at the end of 1968, and it was estimated that the total distance of 135 kilometres - 90 of which were over mountainous terrain - would be completed by 1976 at a cost of not more than 900,000 baht a kilometre.   Tak provincial authorities began building the road. They would be the first of three enterprises to unsuccessfully take on the task of construction Ambush   Early in 1969 a deputy district officer sent to oversee construction was assassinated at the roadside. In the ambush, several laborers were wounded and machinery was destroyed by fire. The officer died within 20 kilometres of the Mae Sot District Office.   Throughout 1969, construction was hampered and harassed by Red Meo hill tribesmen and Karens led by a Thai leader receiving support from Communists abroad.   By November, the provincial authorities had had enough, and handed over construction to the Highways Department.   A month later, on December 17 a terrorist band of over 50 armed men attacked a construction crew and killed three, wounding several more. Again trucks and construction machinery were destroyed by fire.   The following day, construction crews under Border Patrol Police escort were ferrying the damaged equipment to Mae Sot for repairs when they were attacked just 11 kilometres outside the town.   A policeman was seriously wounded and equipment was again set on fire.   Again, the next day, December 19, the terrorists continued to snipe at police and construction crews. A jeepload of Forestry Department officials on a mission to inspect and stamp logs in the area was attacked. The driver was killed and others wounded.   For the rest of that month the terrorists kept up persistent harassment. They delivered written threats through messengers saying they would kill anybody working on the road. They claimed that when built, government officials would be able to "persecute them" easily.   In April 1970 terrorists attacked workmen near kilometre 49 in a severe clash which left one Highways Department officer dead and nine policemen and security volunteers wounded.   Work continued in fits and starts as attacks and ambushes continued. To combat this harassment, the Highways Department called for volunteers among its officers to undergo weapons training and learn jungle warfare tactics so that they would be able to fend for themselves if attacked.   One thousand applied for the training and 300 were accepted and underwent a three-month course at the military training centre at Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima. Reinforcements   Since then, volunteer courses have continued, and graduates are sent to work in strategic areas - such as this road, and those in Nan, also subject to communist terrorist harassment.   These trainees receive the same benefits as policemen and soldiers on active duty.   Yet, despite the presence of these trained officials, harassment continued on the Mae Sot-Umphang Road and work was frequently interrupted. At the beginning of 1971, three policemen were killed and 20 wounded in a major attack.   Later that year, Highways Department officials built a runway for light aircraft at Umphang District Office to enable crack paratroops from Narewsuan Camp at Hua Hin to be mobilized as auxiliary reinforcements in case of emergency.   Towards the end of last year, a police helicopter ferrying paratroopers to Umphang was downed by communist ground fire. Four died, including a police captain.   The Highways Department then recommended to the Government that the construction be handed over to private enterprise in the hope that this would prevent communist attacks.   This was done, and the highest bidder was the Sakol Sathapat Co Ltd who undertook to complete the remaining 80 kilometres of road by next year without police security. In the event that work could not be finished on schedule, then the company would be fined.   So private enterprise took over.   At first, the terrorists approached them demanding protection money. You pay us, and we won't harass you, they claimed. However, since this was in violation of the law against aiding and abetting communist activities, the company declined.   Work continued.   Then on May 24 this year, a force of about 30 terrorists, reportedly including Red Meo, Karen and Thais, fully armed, approached company officials and served an ultimatum that if work didn't stop they would attack and kill everybody engaged in construction.   Six days later, the terrorists returned to the same spot where they had served their last ultimatum, opened fire on workmen, set fire to the vehicles and drove a jeep away into the jungle where it was later found abandoned.   Work continued in defiance of these threats.   Then, on June 11, at the same place as before - Kilometre 43 - a band of more than 30 terrorists descended out of the jungle at 3 p.m. Construction workers were then, according to the four survivors who managed to escape with injuries, mercilessly mowed down by terrorist gunfire.   All the equipment, including tractors, cars, heavy equipment and other tools, was burnt.   After half an hour, the terrorists turned away and disappeared into the dense undergrowth.   Since then, all work on the road to Umphang has ceased.   After nearly five years, work on the Mae Sot-Umphang Road has reached nowhere, and looks like going nowhere until authorities can flush out the terrorists.   So far, the cost of building this road has been immeasurable in the terms of the number of lives lost.   A monument at the Highways Department constructed in April of last year now bears all the names of department officials who lost their lives building this road - the road which has now been dubbed "Death Highway".

Bangkok Post / March 19, 2002 BORDER Surayud orders road project discontinued Army does not want to destroy forest Wassana Nanuam After a weekend survey led by the army chief, it has been decided not to build a security road linking Kamphaeng Phet's Khlong Lan to Tak's Umphang, to protect the environment. Army commander-in-chief Gen Surayud Chulanont spent three days and two nights from Friday until noon Sunday trekking 35km across Tanaosri Range's 10 mountains and more than 90 rivers. The National Security Council and Forestry Department asked the army if construction of the unfinished Khlong Lan-Umphang security route should be resumed. Gen Surayud said the army would not support extension of the route, which was not useful for military operations because the road was up to 50km away from the border. Under the current policy, security roads must be no farther than 2-3km from the border. "If we allow the construction of another 33km section of this road, we will lose abundant forests and a lot of rare wild animals. "It's not worth losing forests and wildlife habitat even though it would make travel to Umphang more convenient and support the development of Tak. "The army is against the construction. All forests disappear wherever roads are cut,'' he said. The project began in 1985 and was suspended in 1987 after completion of a 115km section, since the army saw no security benefit and did not want to see deforestation. Gen Surayud Chulanont inspects a 35km-long drug smuggling route in Umphang district, in Tak, over the weekend. _ WASSANA NANUAM It was reported the Naresuan task force's 12-member patrol team was sent beforehand to ensure safety for Gen Surayud, who was the first army chief to survey the route. Despite no trace of drug smuggling found along this route during this trip, the army chief ordered routine patrolling by the Naresuan task force to combat drug trafficking. "I envy the villagers here who live among pristine nature. Please help protect this. Do not cut down trees and, more importantly, do not fall prey to drug gangs,'' Gen Surayud told Karen villagers at Umphang Kee village in Tak during his trek. Umphang Kee is a self-defence and drug-free village under the army's "strong community project''.