Khun Sa's Ordering Guns to Outfit A

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Subject: Khun Sa's Ordering Guns to Outfit An Army: 

24 August 1999 

Khun Sa's Son Ordering Guns to Outfit An Army 

Reports from the border say druglord Khun Sa's son is ordering arms and
ammunition from his Thai contacts for some undisclosed purposes. 

Zarmhurng a.k.a Chang Wei-kang, Khun sa's second son, who has been living in
Tachilek, opposite Maesai District, Chiangmai Province of Thailand, since his
father's surrender in 1996, was reported to have got in touch with his close
Thai friends in early August and asked for their assistance in the purchase of
a thousand small arms and ammunition. He said there was no need to worry about
payment. He was ready to pay at current prices on delivery. No reason was
given
for his strange approach. 

Observers said there were only three reasons for "this outlandish behavior". 

One, they said, was to assist the ex-MTA militia units that were battling with
the junta troops in the north against the Shan States Army's expeditionary
force from the south. There are two "Anti-Insurgency" units active there: Bo
Mon's 400-strong Wanparng militia and Ma Kuo-wen's 300-strong Mongha-Mongheng
militia. Both are reported to be close intimates of Khun Sa. 

Another reason might be that Zarmhurng had been given the green light by the
junta to set up a militia unit against Yawdserk's Shan States Army, that is
reported to be active in the area, as well as to check the growing
influence of
the two local ceasefire groups there, namely, the United Wa State Army and Sai
Lin a.k.a Lin Mingxien's Eastern Shan State Army. 

The last speculation was that Zarmhurng was desperate to protect his business
interests from harassment by Yawdserk's troops. He was reported to be in close
contact with Wei Hsueh-kang, Khun Sa's successor as the drug king, the fact
that
explained his sudden prosperity. He was until recently said to be near
bankruptcy. "Wei's visit of Khun Sa in April and the resulting reconciliation
completely changed his status", said one source. 

Shan States Army sources also confirmed Zarmhurng's efforts to contact them in
order to "request" their exemption of his activities but they had not given
any
response.  

/// END \\\ 
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