INTERVIEW WITH SAO KHUN SA

INTERVIEW WITH SAO KHUN SA

This interview has never appeared in print until now. Some of it did appear on the BBC in July, 1994, when Larry Jagan interviewed Khuensai Jaiyen, S.H.A.N.'s chief director, by phone. But actually, Khuensai was using the notes he had taken when he was interviewing Khun Sa himself. As fresh interviews of Khun Sa cannot be obtained at present, S.H.A.N. thinks that this one, even though it is almost a year old, may be useful for interested readers at least in hindsight. 

The interview was granted to S.H.A.N. soon after the Burmese unilaterally declared victory at the Mongkyawt Batle in which SLORC insiders admitted they had lost an average of 40 men per battalion. Since the Burmese have over 60 battalions in the Shan State their casualties must have been over 2,400. 

S.H.A.N.: The world never knew you were fighting against the Burmese at all until now. Can you explain through us why? 

KS: In the past, we have been weak, disunited and facing three invaders at the same time, i.e. the Rangoon forces, the KMT (Kuomintang) and the CPB (Communist Party of Burma). We obviously were not in a position to deal with all three of them at the same time, but only to deal with one at a time. Our policy then was to build up by refusing to engage with the main enemy i.e. Rangoon. Recently, the situation has changed. We are now united and strong. The KMT has been driven out (in 1985) and the CPB overthrown (in 1989). Only the main enemy remains. Meanwhile, the people have become disillusioned by the SLORC-held elections. Which brought them nothing but more trouble. The cease-fire agreements made by some groups have done more good for SLORC than the people. And they have been looking towards us as the last resort. On our own part, our strength, though adequate to defend ourselves is not enough to defeat the Burmese. We need more support from the people both within and without, and they would not come without seeing proof of our sincerity first. The time has come to adopt a new policy which is to build up by engaging the main enemy. With the attack on Hinkawng (near Mongkyawt) on 11 May, we have proven ourselves. New recruits are now coming without having to resort to coercion. People from all over the Shan State are now demanding our presence in their respective localities. 

S.H.A.N.: What do you think is the result of the previous fighting? 

KS: The Burmese paid so heavy a price for so small a territory that even some of the commanders wept bitterly. If they want more pyrrhic victories like that we are willing to oblige, but without getting support from the outside world, I don't think they can afford many victories like that. And we have to thank the world for dismissing these so-called victories. 

S.H.A.N.: What do you think will happen now? 

KS: If the Burmese stop fighting, we will continue to expand, consolidate and build up. We shall worry them with small scale attacks in order to keep the struggle alive. But if they go on the offensive again, we will counter by attacking them everywhere behind their lines. 

I hope we don't have to. Nato defeated Warsaw just by being strong and ready. Had they been weak and unprepared, war would have been unavoidable. We would like to emulate Nato. Others build up only to fight, but we to talk. For we believe freedom is for the living and not for the dead. We want to achieve our aim with the least possible death and destruction. We go by the Chinese saying: An army must always be ready but never be used. 

S.H.A.N.: What is your comment about SLORC calling for US arms to crush you? 

KS: It is not to end drug trafficking, but to stop the Shan independence movement. They are only trying to enlist the World's help in their dirty war by trying to mislead them. But happily, the world has wised up to SLORC's ways.

S.H.A.N.: How do you think the drug problem should be dealt with? 

KS: What we need now is a dialogue between us and the world. Which means there must be some sort of recognition for us first. I don't see how the Shan opium question can be resolved by leaving out the Shans.