Gandar Mount P.S.O

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—