Gandar Mount P.S.O

The Burmese Junta has been always declaring and revealing about the seizure of heroin, opium and methamphetamines and the traffickers, who are mostly retailers, in Burmese news papers and on TV.

The Military Junta’s anti-drugs operations is only focusing on the minor traffickers, some of whom dealing with low grade and small quantity and while others involved high-grade heroin as individual business and not the Drug Syndicate.

But the authorities have never seized huge amount and high-quality of heroins and opiums belonged to the Drug lords Lo Shin Han, Khun Sa’s group, Wai Xu Gang, Lao Kai group, Li Min Shin’S group, U Ai Tun and the Wa Army force.

These groups have been paying tax a lot to Junta government as well as apparently providing much money to high ranking officials included the Army Generals of Divisional commanders in the Shan State for personal use.

This is Drug policy of the longevity of Burmese Ruler.

For instance, according to the Burmese news paper published in “New Light of Myanmar”, the military authorities captured 308 people, 250 men and 58 women in 207 drug related cases.

Police Custom officials and the military seized 7.6 kg of heroin, 71.18 kg of opium, 0.7 kg of opium oil, 4.6 kg of low-grade opium and more than 220,000 stimulate tablets during in November alone as part of their crackdown on the narcotics trade.

Although crop substitution programmes for poor farmers would never be successful the regime has no expectancy to do it more.

Especially, Junta has claimed, the US DEA and UN office on drugs are interfering its internal affair.

Human rights abused in the country is on going as the political activists are imprisoned for their movement of the democracy some them sentenced to 20 years or 30 years etc.

All the politicians are blamed to have undermined the country’s security and its human rights record has become under scrutiny by the international community after the Junta cracked down on the street protests led by the country’s Buddhist monks.

Burma’s human rights record has gone from bad to worse including the conditions endured by Political prisoners.

Hundreds of political prisoner were removed from the original notorious Insein Jail and Mandalay jail and then separately transferred them to another jails in the provinces throughout the country such as the provinces of Ka Chin state, Shan state, Chin state, Arikan state, Mon state, Karen state and Karen Ni state etc. in order to severely sever contacts between the parents or relatives and prisoners.

The UN Officials are not be able to meet the political prisoners.

The Junta does not want to meet any UN Official and Red Cross.

Do not think that the Military regime seems keen to appear to be making some concessions to the human rights envoy.

Since the Red Cross stopped their prison visit because of government interference, conditions have deteriorated.

No proper medical care ,less food rations and no one to courier letters between them and their families.

This was part of the package provided by representatives of the International Committee for the Red Cross on their regular visit to the prisoners.

There are still more than 2,000 political prisoners languishing in the prisons.

The international community has been telling the Junta for more than 20 years to release political prisoners and stop human rights abused but without any appreciable success.

In earlier August, the latest visitor Tomos Ojea Quintana, the UN’s new human rights rapporteur for Burma, feels certain that the regime is ready to cooperate with him after five days-visiting to Rangoon where he met some political prisoners in Insein jail.

On his inaugural trip to Burma, political prisoners were his top priority.

But he failed to meet any real high-ranking officials of the government or military.

He also did not try to see Aung San Su Kyi, on the grounds this was an sensitive issue best avoided
on his first visit to Burma.

Mr Quintana plans to return to Burma in February 2009, to help prepare for his submission to UN Human rights Council next March.

He also thinks the Burmese regime is keen to be seen cooperating with the UN.

It may be unlikely to be successful and popular in the future and his next visit will mixture of good and bad experiences.

P S O

It is small city on the hill-top in east Mong Su township but a lot of various nationals and tribes are living and striving to get money not only in a short time but also making a massive profit, by hardiness, although it is hazardous to them.

To the mountain city, where the natural ruby stones are dug and sold them as being good business, the merchants or visitors must depend on 4 wheel truck driving about 2 hours along mountainous route from botom of the mountain.

The ruby stones each weight from 2 to 20 carats could be found after diging out for 7 meters or more deeper and about 4 square-meters wide.

Many hard-laborers who risk to do across the country settle down here and try their luck.

The capitalists inclding Chineses, Indians, Burmese, Shans, Wa Army and Thais are waiting to buy alot of ruby stones.

The quality of the ruby is similar to ruby from Pai Lin of Cambodia.

The best ruby in the world is in Moe Goke mine in Burma and it is strictly controlled by the Burmese Junta.

The Junta allows only the Opium King Pins such as Lo Shin Han, Khun Sa and Way Zu Gong who pay revenue to run gem mines.

The alleged Mong Su city has since 1990 been popular with it’s beautiful red-ruby as the ruby-stones were firstly found by the Palawng tribe, who regularly living around the mountain area, during in rainy season.

But later after 1999 the situation in the city had apparently changed into turbulence because of inflowing original Chinese from mother land as in one hand, increasing drugs and weapons trafficking business in the area is on the other hand.

Merchants and capitalists are using the currency of US Dollar, Chinese Yuan and Thai baht only.

No electricity in the mountain-city but some,who are able to bring in a small petrol-engine for electricity from China, have own private electricity.

About 20,000 residents in the city strive to be rich only and also not to live in poverty while the country is being poverty-stricken situation.

Among the smugglers,hundreds of Thai involved in the arms, drugs and gems trafficking are also found in the City.

Thai traffickers, speak Shan and English for business talks (as Thais and Laos can talk to each other by using own language), run between the mountain city and Mae Sai border where their bosses or regular customers or investors are on alert in Takilek because of having better security than in Mae Sai.

For an example, short guns Pistols and Revolvers are being popular in the Ruby-land every body who have a lot of money ordered the guns from the Thai smugglers to use it for self- protection or resold them to others.

The Thai traffickers venture to do both illegal methamphetamine and guns business while they have friendships with the Red Wa Army and Shan Army forces, which had agreed cease-fire with the Burmese Government since 1998, being active around the mountain.

About 4,000 of Shans and Wa soldiers from the both armed groups are depending on these illegal business for their survival as long as they are alloted to base here by their high ranking leaders from Headquarters.

Only the majors and captains from each group command their soldiers and control their high income.

About 1,000 Burmese soldiers whose commanders must be friends with the cease-fire groups depend on the tax-payment from the Wa and Shan as well as from the wealthy Chinese-groups who run gambling dens business and brewery.

Two drug courier are able to carry 10,000 drug-pill, driving motorcycle from the mountain to the Thai border by gungle route.

The drug courier however have to hire the Shan motorcyclist who is familiar with the jungle route to avoid the Burmese security gates setting up for checking passengers who travel by cars and trucks loading with goods.

One amphetamine pill produced and sold by Wa army cost only 30 baht when sold it in border it would cost 100 baht.,the border price. A new revolver cost 40,000
baht and a new pistol coast 50,000 baht.

Both must be USA and Italy made as they preferred to use it than China made.

The used shot guns in good condition are also bought but cheap.

New or used short guns are collected in Mae Sai.

An army officer used to say that ” it is likely stupid if we considered to destroy the opium growth in our country”.

In the long-run, the natural growth of teak-woods in the Shan State are almost to be gone as tons of teak log have been illegally transporting to China and Thailand.But the opium trees, which have to be cultivated but it can be grown in a short time and has easy way to make money, will never be gone.

There are many armed groups including Rebel, Defense force, militancy are being independently involved with drug trafficking without harassment of the military Government.

The Burmese army from battalion commanders to Brigadier Generals regularly based across the Shan State are being the share-holders in the drug-running business due to mutual interests made between the out-law groups and the military authorities.

The most strategic area to be prevented is in the Thailand-Shan State boders.

Thousands of the Burmese soldiers are on alert and deploying along the route closed to border apparently from Nong Uk of Chiang Dao to Mong Go opposite Mae Sai.

Mong Go is situated in north of Takilek city and on the Mae Kong river bank and opposite Laos.

It is very freedom to export the drug from the Mong Go to the Laos soil which is linking to Vietnam border.

Non stop production of methamphetamine is managed by the notorious Way brothers, Way Xao Kang, Way Xao Yin and Way Xao Lin who had been massive lost property and money during
Thaksin Gonernment’s drug eradication.

Thaksin, as he vows to root up the drug traffickers during his administration, set a special team of Anti Money Laundry which had successfully seized many plots of land, weapons, gold ornaments, concealed money, cars, millions of baht in the saving banks and luxuriou houses in Chieng Mai, Chieng Rai and Bangkok belonged to the Haw Chinese men an women.

Some are captured but others have been escaped.

All of them are relatives to Way brothers and long time living in Thailand.

Basing from this country, they managed to transport their heroin to their drug-syndicate in abroad.Among the seizure, jade and gems trading Co., grand and luxurious, located at World Trade center in Bangkok has been also seized by the Thai authority.

The trading Co. is, following the secret information,business-like designed for meeting and talking business.

Therefore the Way Brothers are trying to regain their lost of billion of baht by the drug-trafficking again.

Story on the Shan State be cotinued by PSO

United Arab Emirates (UAE) severed links with the Taliban regime in 2001 over its refusal to comply with international pressure to hand over bin Laden.The British embassy said more than 100,000 British nationals are resident in the UAE, the largest Western community in the country.

It’s impoverished neighbor Yemen has witnessed several attacks claimed by al-Qaeda, and in Qatar, one Briton was killed and 12 people were wounded in a suicide bombing at a there near a British school in Doha in March 2005.

The booming oil-rich Gulf state and regional economic and tourst hub that is home to several million foreigners.

The UAE is a conservative Muslim nation but has become a major regional tourist hub, attracting millions each year.

Dubai City is known for its liberal lifestyle.

While other Gulf countries have witnesses bloody attacks blamed on the al-Qaeda network of Saudi-born terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, the UAE has not been targeted.

There is a high threat from terrorism.Britain has warned of a high risk of a terror attack which could be indiscriminate and could happen at anytime.

Muslim separatist leaders launched protests in June saying that the Indian Government’s plan was aimed at changing the demography of the Muslim-majority region.

More than two months of angry protests have left at least 42 people dead in Indian-administered Kashmir, most of them killed when soldiers opened fire on Muslim protesters.

The Government has tried to crush the ongoing freedom struggle by harassing Kashmiris and using brutal force on them.

The strike was called by Jammu Kashmir Coordination Committee, whose members include Muslim separatist leaders and representatives of businesses, lawyers and government staff.

Key leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Omer Farooq and Mohammed Yasin Malik were kept under house arrest and released on September 1 2008, after a week long of detention.

The unrest was triggered by a government move to hand over land to a Hindu shrine.

“It’s almost impossible to make a peace deal under this presidency” said rebel chief Mr. Mohagher Iqbal.

The Philippines Government had refused to sign an accord granting Muslims more autonomy in the south.

The refusal made it virtually impossible for Islamic insurgents to forge a peace deal with President Gloria Arroyo.

The Government rejected to sign the accord after three rebel-commanders led a deadly rampage against Cristian communities, prompting a military offensive would continue.

The accord seeks to expand an existing Muslim autonomous region by adding more than 700 villages, subject to the approval of residents in a plebiscite.

But Christian politicians in areas that would be affected challenged the deal in the Supreme Court, triggering the August 18 attacks on mostly Christian towns in Mindanao in which dozens of civilians were shot and hacked to death.

Government force launched assaults targeting the three rebel commanders and the men who conducted the raids.

The rebel attacks and subsequently military assaults killed civilians.

The violence in the three southernmost provinces has caused widespread destruction to lives and property, displacement of civilians.

Many children are innocent victims of the social unrest.

If their parents are killed, they lose their main sources of financial and emotional support.

Songkla based Mental Health center estimates 6,000 children and teenagers, 2,561 of them orphans have been affected in the 4 provinces since the unrest flared up in January 2004.

More than 1,000 women have lost husbands,fathers, or brothers in the insurgent
attack.

A new generation of a young Muslim insurgents in the deep south Narathiwat, YaLa and Pattani carrying out future attacks.

In thre past, schools and Government offices had been burnt down.

School teachers, village Head-men and civilians were gunned down while 3 other were beheaded.

Soldiers and polices suffered heavy casualties when they were promptly ambushed by the terrorists on the way.

The Government authorities had ever confiscate 30 millions Baht belonged to the insurgent force in a village.

However, the Muslim terrorists about 150 from the 3 provinces who are suspected to have been involved in the rebellion were captured.

The attacks by the Muslim rebels in the strategic areas of the southernmost still going on until today.

Bush signs law to ban gems trade

WASHINGTON: President George W. Bush on 29 July 2008 renewed a ban on imports from military-ruled Burma and also signed a new law that aims to keep Burma’s Gems from entering US markets via third-party countries.

In parallel the US treasury slapped financial sanctions on 10 companies owned or controlled by the Burmese Government or Government officials, including companies involved in the gem trade.

“On the Burmese regime,our message is: the United States believes in democracy and freedom,” Mr. Bush said during a White House ceremony in which he signed the two laws.

The Burmese freedom and Democracy Act renews a sanctions regime imposed since 2003 over the suppression of opposition leader Aung Sun Sukyi’s democracy movement.

Mr Bush also signed a new sanctions regime aimed at stopping gems including jade and rubies from entering the United State via third nations such as Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.

The so-called Tom Lantos Block Burmese jade Act will deprive its ruling junta of hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue.

The gems trade is one of the most lucrative sources of profit for the Junta, accused of blatant human rights abuses and stifling democratic opposition.

The bill also makes the generals and their families ineligible for visas to the United States and enhances existing financial sanctions against the regime.

It includes new reporting requirements that will provide greater transparency about the Junta in terms of financial holdings,information about countries that provide military aid to the regime,and background on Burma’s timber trade.

The US sanctions targeted two state-controlled conglomerates, the Union of Burma Economic Holdings Limited and the Burma Economic Corporation, which are both involved in the gem trade, banking and construction directly and through subsidiaries. AFP

Documentry film-makers from Australia risked their lives to go into jungle of the Shan land although there were some risks in every adventure.

They were keen to know about opium growth, opum trade, heroin refineries and who were controlling biggest heroin product-ion in the Shan State? etc.

They however wanted to know most was about Khun Sa and his army, Wa army, Go Gang group and
Nationalist groups revolted against the Burmese Government.

The interview made in evening and 2 hours long.

Major Koan Mong was responsible to answer the questions and said “I’m read to respond frankly to your questions, Go ahead please!”

Q: How your SSA army’s situation currently ?
A: The situation of the SSA was currently in crisis and it was to be considered.

Q: What had really happen to your army ?
A: Our leaders Col. Sam Mong, Divisional Commander, and Col. Pan Aung, Senior financier in the party had been disappeared since in August 1978 in Thai soil. We believed that they were dead. It’s the great lost and it’s also the main reason that the SSA had to be confronted with difficulties. The 2 men had been trusted and highly respected by their subordinates. In the previous days the SSA with 4,000 strengths had been the second strongest force among the revolutionary groups in Burma while the Karin KNDO was the largest Army and being the most revolutionist. We anyway would continue our political movement.

Q: We believed that currently Khun Sa’s Shan United Army holding with modern military equipments was the strongest.How did you think that?
A: Yes it’s sure,but he’s not the politician and his armed force had not been fighting against the Government forces basing through-out Shan State. He had been doing for his own rich which being large involved with heroin trade.

Q: Howmany refinery he had and howmany ton the refinery was capable to produce pure white heroin ,estimatedly, and where did the heroin go?
A: Not less than 5 refineris around the mountainous areas of Loimaw west of Salween river where raw opium was collected as Loimaw was his native place. Vast productive opium- field was also under his strict control. Besides, opium from others merchants and privade collectors in Tang Yan district sold their opium to him. Refined heroin, it’s depending on the demand, had to be stocked as one “massive demanded massive productive”. Escalating heroin activity, from the switch to a biannual harvest by poppy farmers in the Shan State to doubling of heroin addicts in the USA. Accompanies the growing influence of the triads. Throughout much of the 1980s the USA attempted to curb the supply of heroin by providing Burma with millions of US dollars for poppy fields eradication efforts.This had minimal effect, and the US suspended all aid to the Burmese Government because of its brutal supression of a nationwide Democracy movement. Since then, heroin on US street had become more abundant than ever before. That was after Khun Sa moved to Ma Hin Dek, on Thai border of Chieng Rai,1976. According to mutual interests, which had made between Burmese Junta and Khun Sa in April 1973,Khun Sa drew up the six years plan for the control and eradication of opium and opium related crops. It was doubted that the plan was created by the Burmese and the Warlord was urged to do. Khun Sa ,as the opium King, promised to corporate with internation community to fight against narcotic drugs and submitted his six years plan. This was rejected by the Carter Administration on July in the same year.

Q: Had you ever met the opium King before? We would like to know about his Drugs transportion route and his drug gangs abroad including Australia?
A: No,I had never seen him but we as the Political group always observed and detected any armed group active in the Shan State. Therefore we tracked down Khun Sa’s every step.

- More interested Q And A on drug be continued -

Had the trafficking of Heroin alarm Australians?

In 1981, being in crisis situation, the SSA force scattered throughout Shan State and had been trying to survive by recollecting funds, which mostly taxed live-stock, opium, gems, antiques and sandalwood, from various merchandisers who crossed Salween River from west to east bank and continued to Thai borders of Mae Hong Son, Chiang Dao and Mae Sai.

The regrouped SSA soldiers commanded by Major Koan Mong as a breadwinner set tax collecting points in three ferries along east bank of the river, each route of ferry which is major link to the districts borders. The goods made in Thailand were also taxed when its merchants returned homes.

During a month alone hundreds of various traders included Chinese from Go Gang State, Ka Chin State, Shan State, Mo Goke, Mandalay etc, traveling by on foot and horses, using them as goods carriers, to the Thai border while Salween river was the main interim of the long journey.

The trip between the river and the border spent about 3 days if no harassment on the way.

Sometime Burmese armed troops robbed merchants while they were on patrol, fighting between armed drug-trafficking groups and the Burmese patrolled forces were also often busted out in mountainous ares as well.

The Burmese soldiers, when they are in the jungle, were accused as the robbers.

They might have been instructed by their big master in the Regiment.

Three Austrians, the Film-makers of Documentary which was said to have concerned with “Drugs and Politics” in Shan State of Burma, arrived in east Salween River to meet the SSA members by crossing Mae Hong Son border.

They only said they were from Australia and had contacted UPI (Unite Press International) based in Bangkok to be here.

They firstly met the SSA’s liaison officer in Mae Hong Son and then moved forwards to the river escorted by Shan guards.

They stayed there for 4 days to take pictures of various travelers and mule-caravan moving across west bank to east bank of the river.

The three in fact wished to go inner-most of the battle fields and opium-grow in central Shan State, if they had an opportunity, as hoped to record on exchanged fires between rebels and Burmese.

SSA could could not guarantee for their safety.

Interested interview had conducted, is it true that Australia is being transit- point of Drug trafficking?

—be continued—