Gandar Mount P.S.O

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

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 -

Khun Sa’s Army eventully managed to build strong bases along the Thai border, from the Mae Hong Son district to Golden Triangle via Mai Sai district of Chieng Rai, after the KMT was expelled.

The 10,000 of MTA with well military equipment however protect the vast areas surrounding the south and east of the Shan State.

In addition the main KMT’s role is guarding the popyfields while ruthlessly welding a union among the array of Shan Nationalist factions.

Khun Sa’s financial and business-like officers laundering profits through Thai banks and legitimate business.

During era of MTA, the Thais have put abounty on his head.

But Moe Haing is being under pressure of Khun Sa although roles in political wing.

He is not only involved in the military activity but also no connection with his subordinates in frontlines who have been forced to attack the Wa troops and other nationalist groups including Go Gang, Pa long, Shan and Lahu.

Hundreds of More Haing’s soldiers are dead in battle fields during about 9 years of joined armies.

It has been to be doubted that the dead soldiers are secretly shot by theChinese army commanders in battle fields.

Moe Haing has not been reported about the dead soldiers.

He may know later after months-long as he based in Mai Soong headquarters near Chieng Dao border, his original based-camp, while Khun Sa is basing in Ho Mong headquarters oppposite Mae Hong Son border.

Moe Haing meets Khun Sa when the meeting is held in Ho Mong base.

Khun Sa counter claimed that the KMT’s high-ranking officials refine the Wa’s tonns of raw 0pium into heroin in Thai soil.

“The opium trade has indeed enriched many KMT remnants but the stigma of opium warlord falls not on them,but on unfortunately on me ….I am only a scapegoat,” he said.

To take a revang on the bitter rivals, a large bomb planted by Khun Sa’s men blew up the Chiang Mai residence of Gen.

Lee Wan Huan, the former KMT’s 3rd Army commander, in Much 1986.

Nocasualty but the explosion damaged home seriously.

Besides this,the KMT key members in drug business are murdered by gun shot consecutively in Chieng Mai,Chieng Rai, Mae Sai and Fang.

The Head Quarters of the KMT in Tam Ngop and Nong Uk of Chieng Dao, Mae Salong of Chieng Rai
have to be abandoned (These areas are later developed by the Thai).

But the drug connections of Khun Sa managed by his men in Thailand are able to extend
to Australia, US and South East Asia.

His painful struggle against the aggressors gained alittle attention from the world community.