Khun Sa

Khun Sa's Crony Given Honorable Send-of

One of warlord Khun Sa's colleagues who passed away on Friday, 7 July was bestowed with anhonored place in the Kuomintang cemetery in Chiangrai on Monday, reported Moengzay.

Col Liengzuen aka Liang Chung-ying, 70, died after suffering a massive stroke that paralysed him for six years at his house in Bantham, Maesai District, Chiangrai. His burial in Hueykhrai, Maesai District was attended by approximately 100 old friends, comrades and relatives. 

Liang and Chang Hsuchuan, better known as Falang (Thunder) joined Khun Sa's Loimaw militia unit after the fall of the KMT's stronghold in eastem Shan State in 1961, when Taiwanese troops stationed both in the Shan State and Laos were recalled. Liang was senior in those days, a company commander, while Chang was a lieutenant. 

Khun Sa was reported to have gained hundreds of weapons from the retreating KMT units through the two. Liang became his chief training officer while Chang rose to become his chief-of-staff.

During the Burmese offensive against Shan forces in 1994, Liang, then the area commander in Mongtaw-Monghta sector, was struck down by a heavy stroke and had to be hospitalized. He never recovered from his illness up to his death.

A Thai drug enforcement officer told S.H.A.N. that it was because of Liang's illness he was spared from arrest during the joint US-Thai 'Tiger Trap' operation that netted 11 Khun Sa associates in November 1994.