Khun Sa: Shan liberator or drug warlord?
by Naw Liang

Mai soong kha.

Preface: I’ve been wondering whether or not to include this ‘information’ on All About Shan Studies. However, I have come to the conclusion that, good or bad, it is important to know about Khun Sa, his connection with the Shan and the lasting impact that he has and will have on Shan State for years to come.
Any comments or opinions are, as always, welcome.

Chang Chi-fu (張奇夫 Zhāng Qífú) aka Khun Sa

(17 February 1934 to 26 October 2007)

In late October 2007, news trickled out of Burma/Myanmar that the infamous drug warlord Khun Sa - once one of the world's most wanted men and, for some, a great liberation fighter - died at the age of 74 in the former Burmese capital Yangon on 26 October 26 (this date has been disputed ever since). Although no official details were released, he is believed to have died from a prolonged illness, possibly linked to diabetes, partial paralysis and high blood pressure, conditions that he had suffered from and been treated for over an extended period.

Khun Sa had been living in Yangon where he was allowed to slip into obscurity after surrendering to the ruling Burmese military junta, the State Law and Order Restoration Council or SLORC in 1996 (the SLORC was renamed the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) in 1997). Through this arrangement, he was allowed to develop and maintain various businesses through heavily cloaked secrecy. Most importantly, Khun Sa received immunity from an international extradition order to face narcotics charges in the US in 1989.

Before his chosen obscurity, Khun Sa had been infamous for a narcotics kingdom that he had carved out of jungle valleys in the Golden Triangle of Eastern Shan State, including a fortress and private army that were heavily armed, including surface-to-air missiles. He had ruled his ‘opium kingdom’ for nearly 40 years, claiming that he was fighting for the independence of the Shan and helping to eradicate rebel groups. Through his Shan United Army , which became the Mong Tai Army, Khun Sa had apparently led a campaign for freedom, though his actions were regularly overshadowed by his world-class drug ring; the US’ Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) even labelled Khun Sa the "Prince of Death" and offered up to £1m (US$2m) for his arrest. However, through his interesting deal with the then ruling SLORC, he escaped prosecution and lived out his days quietly.

Profile: Chang Chi-fu (aka Khun Sa)
Khun Sa, originally Chang Chi-fu. was born in a rural area of Shan State on February 17, 1933 to a Chinese father and Shan mother. Although receiving little formal education, he was trained by the Chinese Kuomintang, through whom he learned about warfare and opium. By 1960, Chang had already become a key figure in Golden Triangle narcotics trade – predominately opium and heroin – and was also building and deepening strong networks (and stronger enemies) within influential circles. Sometime in the mid- to late-1960’s, Chang served in the Burmese militia, but was imprisioned in 1969 for supporting Shan independence. He was held for five years until his compatriots, through the kidnapping of two Russian doctors, forced his release. After regaining freedom, he took the Shan name 'Khun Sa' and allied himself with Shan separatists against the ruling Burmese military junta.

It was then that Khun Sa began organising his Shan United Army, which had 20,000 soldiers at its height. He began his campaign from inside neighbouring Thailand, but this was short-lived when the Thais became unhappy with a known drug kingpin operating within their borders. He was pushed out and into the border areas of Burma/Myanmar in 1982 where he relocated to the remote and dream-like valley of Ho Mong on the Burmese side of the Thai-Burmese border.

Life at Ho Mong was good for Khun Sa, and he led a somewhat idyllic life – chain-smoking, entertaining brave visitors and growing flowers and strawberries. He was known to tell visiting foreign journalists that he was ‘a king without a crown’, though king of where (or what) was never explained. Despite his outward rebel persona, Khun Sa remained and acted as a major conduits for the illegal heroin trade, and it is believed that he was responsible, at his zenith, for nearly one quarter of the world’s heroin.

A self-proclaimed Shan President?
In 1994, Khun Sa's vision for Shan separatism reached a new low – mainly due to a renewed offensive by the SLORC and heavy fighting with the wild Wa – and he realised that the political balancing act he was playing had begun to unravel. However, in this tense situation, Khun Sa attempted something extraordinary: he convened a Shan ‘parliament’, which was attended by many delegates, and announced the establishment of an independent Shan State. Most shocking of all, he declared himself president. Period.

Although he is thought to have perceived this as a strong move towards creating stability within the Shan independence forces, Khun Sa's leap into radical rebel politics hurt him deeply. Most of all, his shifting attention (and blatant arrogance) caused him to lose control of his forces: a major blow occurred when a group, titled the Shan State National Army (SSNA), broke from his Mok Tai Army in 1995. This splinter group accused ‘the president’ of using Shan separatism as a front for drug running, which resulted in a tremendous drop in support, as well as openly questioning his suitability - again due to involvement with drugs - as a leader of Shan resistence and independence. His 'popularity', both inside and outside Shan State, suffered as a result.

Drug money, strange political and economic ideas
Although Khun Sa was quick to claim that drug money helped finance the Shan people’s struggle for independence, very little of his economic success ever reached the Shan people. And, Khun Sa's strange mixture of difficult and conflicting issues - such as arguing that only economic development could help Shan State and that such economic development could come from the stable opium crop - never managed to claim many supporters, particularly Western governments. Later on, Khun Sa's increasing use of blame, particularly on the 'drug crazed West ' for Shan State problems, were also widely discounted and confusing.

Yet, despite this, Khun Sa remained an independence figher, continuing to grapple with the SLORC as well as rival ethnic groups throughout Shan State until 1996. His surrender in 1996, including the ceremonial handing over of two of his personal rifles to a Tatmadaw colonel, was his strangest (at first) move of all. To the surprise of many outsiders, he gave into the military junta and disbanded his Mong Tai Army. The shock was later played down when it was learned that a major part of the surrender was due to an offer of protection from the SLORC against extradition to the US. While cozing up to the Burmese military junta, Khun Sa moved from his valley Shangri La to metropolitan Yangon, where he lived a luxurious life and ran a string of concessions, including a transport company and a ruby mine in Northern Burma. Furthermore, rumours of his continuing presence in the international narcotics trade remained, though the majority of his enterprise was taken over by the Wa, his former enemies.

Narcotics warlord or Shan liberator and freedom fighter?
Who knows? Although Khun Sa's apparent dedication to Shan independence - establishing, funding(?), training and leading the Shan United Army and then Mong Tai Army - as well as his attempt, albeit misguided, to re-organising and re-energising an independent Shan government (and be its self-proclaimed president) cannot be discredited, his fundamental links to and control of the illegal drug trade - often regarded as a major cause of bad press against Shan rebel activity - cannot be ignored. So, in the end, can we really say, bluntly, that Khun Sa was good or bad?

It is here, with this apparent dichotomy, that I have difficulty. Although there is an envisioned 'good' in freedom fighting, particularly when against the likes of the SLORC/SPDC, there is also an inherent 'bad' label for drug dealers, especially international narcotic trafficking ring leaders. However, in the case of Khun Sa, I cannot understand why the two are (or should be) compared. Yes, we are aware of the underlying links between the two - mainy their clear public persona - but these roles cannot be played off against each other. Khun Sa was a Shan liberator and a major drug trafficker. Period. He was neither dictionary-defined defined good nor bad, and he should not be viewed as such. Although his actions and methods were often highly suspect, he should be remembered for the uniqueness of the choices and paths that he made - some good (challenging the Burmese military junta and convening a Shan parliment) and some bad (supplying and expanding the illegal narcotics trade, declaring himself president and others). What is more important, Khun Sa tried to bring about Shan independence in his own way and with his own verve.

While the methods may be suspect, there is no fault in 'trying'. And, for his attempts and efforts, I believe that he should be respected. If anything, let us hope that they inspire others: to learn from, amend and, ultimately, succeed.

Update

It's been a while since I thought about Khun Sa, but I stumbled upon the video below and thought two things: 1. videos can be, depending upon quality, an excellent educator; and 2. this post could use an update. I wonder what the Shan equivalent for "kill two birds with one stone" is? Any help.

For now, enjoy the video, entitled 'Khun Sa: Opium Warlord of the World' by Journeyman TV, can be found here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji2S_cGFPqc&feature=related). Enjoy...