Gandar Mount P.S.O

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—

Gen.Khin Nyunt understood Lo Sin Han well as the man of Businese like and internationalist due to his yearslong experience in various trades and corporations.

Therefore Khin Nyunt raised him and opened links to world-trade internationaly while he is being the big Boss of Chinese association in La Shio, Mu Se, Koon Long of northern Shan State and Mandalay, Rangoon.

Lo Shin Han is believed to have widely controlled the shareholders whose finacial status is not onlyhigh-grade but not at stake.

Since the time of Military Government led by Gen.Than Shwe, Gen.Mong Aye and Gen.Khin Nyunt had suffered seriously for lack of money so that they had to depend on Druglords to raise annual revenue.

Gen.Khin Nyunt therefore was responsible for State revenue.

Kin Nyunt, as the Stateman, was the key role for good relationships of trade corporation between Lo Shin Han and the Singapore’s leading traders.

Later after MTA’s surrender, Khin Nyunt made a reunion for good freindships between Khun Sa and Lo Shin Han who have been bitter rivals for a long time in the Drugs trafficking.

Khun Sa and Lo Shin Han were anyway urged to support the Junta’s annual revenue.

Lo Shin Han and Khun Sa are the ownerships of Ruby mine in Mo Gok situated in Shan and Burmese border, about 150 miles northwest of Mandalay, and Gade mine in Phar-Garng of Myit Gyi Na, the City of Kachin state.

Besides, both opium lords are involved with the thousands of tonns of timber exported to China.

Ruby and Gade are trasported to America through Singapore, Hongkong and Japan.

The Gems trade is one of the most lucrative sources of profit for the Burmese Rulers.

The Ruler has been contrlling theUnion of Burma Economic Holdings Limited and Burma Economic Corporation, to which Lo Shin Han and Khun Sa sold their jade and rubies, both are involved in the gem trade, banking and costruction directly and through sudsidiaries.

Singapore has also become a major player in Asia trade and strong role in World Trade Organization.

Lo Shin Han had been under house-arrested in Rangoon and released after 2 years.

He endorsed not to be involved with politics, arms smuggled business and no connections with any rebellion force as well.

He must be in northern Shan State (included Go Gang State).

He was agreed to carry on his initial business such as ruby, Jade, liquor and imported goods from China.

Tonns of teak-logs are exported to China via Mu Se.

All his soldiers were regrouped and set up as the Go Gang Reginal Defence group, which has been a group of extraodinary strength in running business, as year and year extended its large profitable business.

More and more Chinese capitalists were called to be shareholders.

Lo Shin Han business group developed Mu Se small town, which is undeveloped although closed to China, to be modern city.

The group bougth large plots of land in downtown and on the main road to build commercial buildings, luxurious hotels,modern houses, golf-course, clubs, entertainments centers etc. For good transportation, the main road between Mu Se and Mandalay via La Sho, Hsipaw,
Kyauk Me Nong Cho and Pyin U Lwin.

The construction costed 300 US million dollar.

They also set gates in each town to collect wheel tax.

Besides, the old iron-bridges across river were rebuilt.

Tens of thousands tourist from Europe, America, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand visited Mu Se through China land almost whole-season.

The small City opposite Mu Se is called Jaecao where it ’s likely can get every thing.

– Part 3 be continued –

Although Mr. Khun Sa died his two sons Sam Seng and Sam Huarn, both aged over 40, have to be carrying on their profiable busines which is under protection of the Burmese Junta. The 2 brothers have long time been working the business and have well experience since before the surrender.

Sam Huarn permanently stays in Tachilek opposite Mae Sai border while Sam Seng stays in Bangkok to keep contacts from America, Singapore and Australia.

After the Surrender, Sam Seng moved to America where his three sisters living as permanently.

Khun Sa and his close alliance, family - linked smugglers and importers who are members of Chinese Triads.

They operate solely with relatives and transact million-dollar deals on a whispered word or a nod.

Their livelihood depends on a steady supply of heroin’s raw meterial,which they purchase from other supplyers.

They process the raw-opium into first-grade heroin and take it to Bangkok, where they smuggle it on to international flights or load it into false-bottomed fishing boats bound for Hong Kong or Penang, Malaysia.

From there it’s shipped to the Pacific Islands and to the West Coast of the Uinited States.

The key figure in this process is Khun Sa, for he controlls the supply of opium.

Khun Sa is directly responsible for about one-thard of the heroin used by the drug addicts in the United States.

The U.S is primarily interested in Asian heroin.

Which is usually very pure and comparatively cheap and represents about 35 percent of the heroin that’s available in the States.

The flow of heroin from the Shan State had become doubled as Khun Sa was concessionaire of drug corporation.

He spent about 250 million US dollar for road construction Between Rangoon and Mandalay, about 800 miles distance,which is for good transportaion.

Air conditioned coachs imported from Singapore to run between the two cities.

Failure to establish permanent bases in the Shan territoy and Thai border areas, the KMT determined to inform Burmese leaders through courriers and contacts that foreign ruler would be overthrown by force of Khun Sa.

The Burmese believed it and invited Khun Sa.

Khun Sa arrived in Taunggyi on 17 October 1969 to attend a special meeting.

On October 20 he was arrested and sent him to Mandalay preson for 5 years in alone cell with no body to talk to, only acopy of the famous story of “Romance of the 3 Kingdoms”.

It was nevertheless worth it, he said, because he was able to make a thorough review of the Shan situation and formulate plans for the future plans for the future.

Meanwhile his troops had not been idle. Most of them, being timely alerted, swiftly joined hands with the Shan State Army (SSA) led by Commander in chief Gen. Soe Laen and Divisional Commander Col. Sam Mong.

This Shan army is realy Revolution against the Burmese Government for decades, but defuncted in 1989 (the full story of The SSA will be continued ).

Khun SA’s army then led by the able and loyal Gen.

Chang Shi Suan, “Fa Lung” his chief of staff.

It was he who received the daring plan to kidnap two Russian doctors working in Taunggyi, the City of the south Shan State, to hold as hostage in exchange for the return of their leader.

The Russians were abducted on 16 April 1973 in Taunggyi and held in the jungle.

They were freed in Thailand after diplomatic hurdles had been cleared away.

Khun Sa was released on 7 September following the year, but not allowed to involve political movment.

In Mandaly, he had acted as a ordinary people for more than a year under military authorities’s watchful.

He managed to escape on 7 Feb, 1976 and was able to rejoin his men. He based in Ma Hin Tak later that year and drew up the six year plan for the control and eradication of opium and opium related crops.