Archive for the ‘Tai Revolution Army’ Category
The truth will always out in the end
National interests presumably mean safe-guarding the sovereingnty of the TRA (Tai Revolution Amy) which stood in his way; the stage set for a violent showdown or apolitical settalment while Khun Sa claims to be a scapegoat and potrays himself as a Shan nationalist fighting for the freedom of his people. With the inclusion of the SUA, the TRA’s policy was a sham Khun Sa would use the “clean image” of Moe Haing to camouflage on going narcotic activities wile could retire under the protective umbrella of the numerically superior SUA forces.
At that time, high ranking TRA officials believed that while Khun Sa had accepted the TRA’s plan for the control and eradication of narcotic drugs it was under stood that he would continue “a limited involvement with narcotics for an indefinite period”.
However,according to Khun Sa admits, the revolutions cost big money, 12 million baht amonth, to maintain the 15,000 Shan troops armed regulars.
So the drug business must be continued as well as preserving our strength of force and recruiting it.
Joint Hands of SUA and TRA and named as MTA
Tai Revolution Army (TRA) headed by Moe Haing and Shan United Army led by Khun SA in March 1985 to wage a revolution for the Shan independence.
This has prompted widespread speculation that Khun Sa is in collusion with the Burmese Government.
Furthermore, while the TRA has come under repeated attacks from Burmese armed forces the SUA has remained unscathed.
The popular support of the Shan peeople was behind the TRA and that Khun Sa, in his guise as a Nationalist, must have a very tangible reason to attack them.
Otherwise he would suffer “political repercussion and severe loss of face”.
Apparently the Burmese take the realistic view that Khun Sa is a business orientated entrepreneur with a military twist.
As such, he poses no secessionist threat to the Unio of Burma (as does the TRA).
He also acts as a buffer between fear ed CPB expansion southwards from its strongholds along Burma’s northern border with mainland China.
In view of the TRA’s related set backs the threat from the SUA and the loss of revenue from cross border trade-the decision to give up the opium business seems ironic and ill-fate.
The TRA purports to have alternative sources of revenue.
