Khun Sa

Khun Sa (Burmese: ခွန်ဆာ, pronounced: [kʰʊ̀ɴ sʰà]), also known as Chang Chi-fu (Chinese: 張奇夫; pinyin: Zhāng Qífú; Thai: จันทร์ จางตระกูล; rtgs: Chan Changtrakul; 17 February 1934 – 26 October 2007) was a Shan warlord. He was born in Hpa Hpeung village, Loi Maw Ward of Mongyai. He was also dubbed the "Opium King" due to his opium trading in the Golden Triangle. He was also the leader of the Shan United Army and the Mong Tai Army.

Biography

Khun Sa was born to a Chinese father and a Shan mother. He adopted the pseudonym Khun Sa, meaning "Prince Prosperous". In his youth he trained with the Kuomintang, which had fled into the border regions of Burma from Yunnan upon its defeat in the Chinese Civil War, and eventually went to form his own army of a few hundred men. In 1963 he re-formed it into a Ka Kwe Ye local militia loyal to Gen Ne Win's Burmese government. Ka Kwe Ye received money, uniforms and weapons in return for fighting the Shan rebels. He married Nan Kyayon (died 1993) and legally had 8 children as follows: