Khun Sa Stronghold Attacked By Thais

Khun Sa Stronghold Attacked By Thais

Back To The Past-Today
21 January 1982

Thai police force, backed by airplanes, attacked the village stronghold of warlord Khun Sa in the northern border province of Chiangrai, reported Asiaweek, 19 February 1982 issue.

Eight companies of Border Patrol Police troopers from Zone 6 ( Tak) under the command of Pol-col Thong-oon Charoensom, under air cover provided by OV-10 propeller planes, attacked Ban Hintaek in Maechan District, Chiangrai Province this morning.

Chang Hsu-chuan, Khun Sa's chief-of-staff, "and his men refused to surrender and opened fire on Thong-oon's motorcycle escorts, killing several troopers. That was the beginning of the Battle for Hintaek," said Asiaweek.
During the 20 hours of fighting, the BPP seized fifteen tons of military supplies in Hintaek, including 200 walkie-talkie sets, 300 hand grenades and about 50,000 rounds of ammunition.

And according to the official casualty count: 17 dead and 50 wounded on the government side; 82 SUA rebels dead and a "great number wounded."

Yang Wang-hsien aka Lao Tai aka Tin Maung Win, KhunSa's secretary, later told S.H.A.N. that the SUA (Shanland United Army) lost 2,720 M-16 automatic rifles, 80 machineguns and 30 recoilless rifles. It also suffered 48 killed and 89 wounded.

The operation was reported to be ordered by Gen Prem Tinsulanond, Prime Minister, and planned by his deputy Gen Prachuab Suntharangkul and Maj-Gen Chavalit Yongchaiyud, Chief of Army Operations.

Chavalit later told a nationwide television audience that the aim of the operation "had been to flush out foreign forces from Thai territory; destroy heroin refineries and drug caches; and;" promptly restore Hintaek and nearby villages to normal conditions under Thai sovereignty.

Ban Hintaek ( The village of Broken Rock) was later renamed Ban Therdthai ( The village that Upholds Freedom) by Princess MahaChakri Sirindhorn.

At the time of Asiaweek's reporting, it had 273 families comprising 1,600 residents.

Credit: Asiaweek