Gandar Mount 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.

A: Khun Sa was the first man to have been capable to produce the pure white heroin in Asia, the brand name of the product, Double Lions straddling on globe, printed in red colour on plastic-bag which is for a kilogramm. The best quality brand as he kept superb Chemists from Taiwan and Hong Kong. They were highly offered by Khun Sa when the SUA force built its Strongholds in Ma Hin Dek where Khun SA’s Army had recruited young soldiers as well as momentous military equipments.

Q: Did Wa and Gogang groups produce the pure heroin? and did their drug business involve in the Drug trafficking of Khun Sa?

A: The 2 groups currently (in 1980) could not be able to produce good quality of the Heroin. The only 2 things Goang Gang could do were Opium-trade and tonns of collective raw opium in their Go Gang State alone. The Wa group was also did the same but depended Way Xu Gong. Pink colour of Mitzu, No. 3 stage not yet No.4 heroin, was refined by the Go Gang and swiftly sent to Hong Kong to further refine the 3 into 4. Because it could not keep last-long. They were not involved the politics but were named as regional Defence Force by the Burmese Ruler.

Q: Did you know about the work of US. DEA and UN Drug Eradication Program in Burma?
A: We had never had any information of these Agencies. Because they were inactive. The film-makers said, “our ducumentary would be presented to our Australian Authorities to consider prevention of Drugs-flow into the country. Australian people who carried drugs into Penang and Singapore were given Capital Punishment. We had also known that Australia was being one of transitpoints between Vietnam and New York street.”

The Major replied that we knew one of Khun Sa trusted men called him as Ko Nyo who had been staying in Sydney.

The Burmese Communist led a group of 700 Wa soldier was only moving around the south and southeastern areas of Keng Tong District linking with the Wa state and China border.

The Wa soldiers were inactive because of inadequate foods as well as become discouraged.

The Shan villagers did not accept the Communists and disliked the Red Wa troops as they were ruthless-tribe.

The Communists spent about 2 years in the SSA strongholds but failed to move towards to central Burma due to Chinese’s initial plan that was the urgency of political inspiration.

In the long run, the Chinese terminated its annual support to the Communist and the Wa troops retreated to their original territory while the Burmese politburo returned to China soil.

The Burma Communist Party (BCP) was completely defunct in 1973.

Its former top politburo included Tha Khin Ba Thein Tin, Tha Khin Tin, Tha Khin Than Thun, Tha Kin Mya and Gen. Kyaw Zaw sought asylum in China.

The Shan mission headed by Col. Sam Mong visited Chinese autorities in Kunmin City to receive arms and military weapons.

Col. Sam Mong was most wanted by the Burmese Government as he was rumored as being the ShanCommunist and strongman in the SSA army.

He was also known as military planner as well as a good leading fighter in his position of Divisional Commander.

The Burmese Regiments from the regional commands launched a continuous series attack on SSA’s strongholds bases in the north and central areas.

SSA suffered heavy causuality in the series bombard by the enemy.

Burmese also suffered dead and wounded in close-range ambushed by Shan guerillas.

The guerillas made prompt attacks on the Burmese troops while on patrol at dawn and the army trucks loaded on the soldiers in jungle routes following a swift change of plans.

The Burmese’s attempt failed to capture Col. Sam Mong. Later on, the Burmese had contacted Khun Sa for the murder of Strong-man am Mong.

— related story will be continued —