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NATION: Khun Sa Says Thailand Shoul



Subject: NATION: Khun Sa Says Thailand Should Annex Shan State



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The Nation (Bangkok)
May 2, 1994

KHUN SA SAYS THAILAND SHOULD ANNEX SHAN STATE

by Dome Suwawan

Shan State, Burma--

Reputed drug kingpin Khun Sa says he wants his Shan State to become
a province of Thailand under Their Majesties the King and Queen.

Shan Sate has more to offer Thailand than Burma central government
in terms of a developing market, natural resources and cheap
labour, he told the Nation.

Khun Sa, also knows as Chang Li-Fu, is leader of the Shan Maung Tai
Army (MTA).

"We the Shan State wish to become a province of Thailand.  All Shan
people have full respect for the Thai monarch and the Royal Family. 
Also we would like to have bilateral trade, the way the European
Union countries trade among themselves.

The people of Shan State, like other Burmese ethnic groups, have
been fighting for independence from the central Rangoon government,
which is administered by the military's State Law and Order
Restoration Council (SLORC).  Khun Sa is widely reported to be
funding his state by trading in heroin, which is produced from
opium poppies grown throughout the area.

Khernsai Jaiyene, a close aide to Khun Sa, said the MTA has sent a
letter to the King seeking his help in settling the problems of
minority groups in Burma.

"So far, it seems to us that this [the King's help] is the only way
to end the fighting by the Burmese people struggling for
independence from the government" said Khernsai.

Khun Sa also expressed concern over the planned transportation
network linking Thailand, Burma, China and Laos.  He said it would
adversely affect his people and his state.

"The network has been pushed purely for economic gain, without
taking into consideration the wants of the people and without good
management.  The Shan State, which covers one third of Burmese
territory, would be badly affected," he said.

According to Khun Sa, the Burmese government wants a leading role
in the project because it would be an opportunity to eliminate the
minority ethnic grouping.

"The Burmese government will spend money given for the project to
purchase weapons to fight against our people and other ethnic
groups," he said.

Slorc would make use of the transport systems to be built under the
project as strategic routs to transport men and arms to wage war
against minorities.

Khun Sa said he was referring to two routes, one linking the Burma-
China border province of Lua to Kien Tuang and to Ta Chilek in
Thailand's Chiang Rai province, and to a proposed railway linking
China and Laos.

"The only way the Burmese government will use the project is to
tackle its domestic political conflicts, and that means more
suppression of the minorities," he said.