Why Did Foreigners Frequently Visit the MTA Headquarters |
Part II I took a look at some documents and photographs pertaining to the MTA, given to me by my friend the other day. My friend was a central committee member of the MTA but not a very important one, so the documents and pictures he gave me were far from complete. They touched upon only a few activities of the MTA. Even then they were quite enlightening and very interesting. They provided indisputable evidence that a large number of foreigners had visited the MTA headquarters at Ho Mong. The majority was from a neighbouring country. They included high-ranking military, police and civil government officials and it was amazing the way they could go in and out of headquarters so familiarly and intimately. Some of these officials were still in service. It set me thinking that these people would surely not be making so many visits to such a notorious centre of the drug trade without personal profit. Consequently, the heroin that landed on foreign soil could absolutely not have been conveyed and sold there by any Myanmar citizen. Neither could MTA members have been responsible for the foreign sale of heroin. Even if they were, it would not have been possible without outside assistance, permission and protection. The American Government has said that Myanmar was the source of 60% of the heroin that entered America. Moreover, they had issued an announcement that according to their computations Myanmar annually cultivated 300,000 acres of opium poppy with a yield of 2500 tons of black opium. Ten viss of opium is said to yield roughly 2 kilos of heroin, so at this rate, the annual production of heroin would be over 330 tons. Would it be possible to produce such an enormous quantity as they claim? Then there is their assertion that 60% of the heroin that arrives in America is from Myanmar. If they can make such exact calculations, and also had information on how it arrived in their country, knew the source of production as well as the route along which the stuff was conveyed, why do they find interdiction and seizure of the contraband so difficult? Why cannot they uncover these operations? Can they be absolutely sure that only U Khun Sa and his followers are the only racketeers? MTA representatives Saing Yee Saing and Saing Mo seen with Jim Lester, M.P in a room of the British Houses of Parliament. Yet they refuse to acknowledge the endeavours made by the Myanmar Government who had been fighting this drug group as its Number One enemy? Instead they make insinuations as if the Myanmar authorities were collaborators who make no effort at all to uncover and take action against those actually trafficking in narcotic drugs. Why do they knowingly remain silent? This way it appears as if the thief is accusing the one being robbed. It is the thief that is shouting, ” Stop! Man ” as a Myanmar adage goes. Members of a hodgepodge of organizations from the next-door country visit the MTA headquarters as they please. U.S citizens and even agents from England’s Scotland Yard have visited the place. So this really provides food for thought. Is it beyond a shadow of a doubt that these people are not themselves buying and peddling the stuff? Or is it because they are giving protection? If they are clean and aboveboard, where was the need to visit the place? How could they explain that away? All these people who visited the MTA actually sneaked into Myanmar illegally. This, they cannot deny. Neither can they deny that they had relations with the drug baron. From this will follow other thoughts. W4at is their actual role in the illegal drug trade and so forth? These thoughts prompted me to head in the direction of my friend’s house. He was seated in front of his house, reading a newspaper. He greeted me with the words. ” Come along my friend. I know why you have turned up so early in the day. It’s because you want to know more about the photos and documents I gave you yesterday, isn’t it? “ “You’ve said it my interest mounts with each photograph and document. I noticed there are a lot of photos of the Scotland Yard group. “ “Oh! I think you’re referring to the photo taken when our Foreign Liaison Committee member Sai Yee Hsaing visited London.” “Yes, I find that really tantalizing, because they’re supposed to be citizens of a leading civilized nation and yet here they are associating with a group like the MTA. “ “Don’t hold these western powers in such high esteem. They’ve never been honest and straight- forward. They’re always ready to exploit even their own fathers if they think there’s profit in it. “ “Yes you’re right, the KNU is the only group left underground because the western bloc is aiding and abetting them.” “They’re aiding and abetting not only the KNIJ, but anyone who opposes the Government. They do this both overtly and covertly. “ “Leaving that aside for the moment, how did your MTA establish contact with and become involved with Scotland Yard? “ “It’s like this, Round about 1992 a group from London Central Television came to Ho Mong. This group included one Patrick King who claimed to be a British war veteran. This fellow came again to Ho Mong in 1994. “ “Entry and exit at your border is really easy isn’t it? “ “That’s the reason why heroin was so easily available. Haven’t you ever heard that in their countries, if there’s enough cash you can get assassins for hire? Now I’m digressing. This Patrick King came again with a request on behalf of Scotland Yard.” Medal awarded by Scotland Yard to MTA foreign representative Saing Yee Saing for successful collaboration. “Ah ! So your MTA must have been quite something if Scotland Yard had to ask a favour of you. So tell me, what kind of favour did they want? “ “They wanted the help of the MTA to set a trap to catch someone involved in the money laundering business, a Britisher called John Palmer. This John Palmer had bought up almost an entire island off the coast of Southern Spain. He built a bungalow there and a seaside resort. This bloke was laundering black money and he owned about 30 companies in England. It was said that he was engaged in the import / export business too. Anyway, the main issue was the theft of 300 kilos of gold bullion at Heathrow Airport in 1989 or thereabouts. The law enforcement authorities couldn’t crack the case and it was suspected that John Palmer got his hands on the gold and had used it for laundering money. “ “What’s that got to do with the MTA?” ” Wait- I’m coming to that. Don’t rush me. Before all this took place, news had circulated that U Khun Sa had lost US$ 300 million in the collapse of the American BCCI Bank. That’s why Central TV and Scotland Yard decided to use and set up U Khun Sa’s group to expose John Palmer’s money laundering activities to catch him red-handed and be able to prefer changes against him. They accordingly made arrangements and asked U Khun Sa to give a helping hand. “ “So what did the MTA get out of this deal? “ “They promised U Khun Sa an interview with British Government Cabinet members. U Khun Sa agreed and dispatched these two people from the Foreign Liaison Section, the ones you see in the photograph, to London. “ “So tell me what did they do in London? “
A photographic souvenir in Philip Connelly’s office. (L to R-Saing Mo, Patrick King, Philip Connelly, Saing Yee Saing and a liaison officer of Central T.V.) “I wasn’t there so I don’t know the full details. But as far as I know, these two went to London with Patrick King. Travel, accommodation and other expenses were all borne by Scotland Yard. When they got to London, a 7-storey building was rented for them in Westminster. The decor of the house was Thai. In accordance with arrangements made by Scotland Yard, they met John Palmer, the very day they arrived. So to get to the point, our MTA reps made proposals for laundering U Khun Sa’s money as they had been instructed to by Scotland Yard. John Palmer agreed to do this at a commission of 25% . The MTA men said that they were talking in terms of laundering a yearly sum of U.S. 60 million dollars and that a commission of 25% was a bit too steep. So there was some bargaining. Palmer said he would first have to consult his legal advisers and made another appointment in the house at Westminster in two day’s time. “ “Hey this sounds like a movie. “ “At the second meeting they reached an agreement at 18%. Then they met for the third time at the Ritz Hotel for tea. This meeting was video filmed clandestinely and a search was made of John Palmer’s office. Then Scotland Yard, after coordination with the Government of Spain arrested John Palmer. “ “In that case the MTA was the decoy. “ “Yes. I also heard that MTA members met and held discussions with Mr.Philip Connelly, Assistant Chief Investigation Officer of the Heroin Branch of the Customs Department and the Police Commissioner of Scotland Yard. ” “After all this was done, did they keep their promise to the MTA for a meeting with members of the British Government? “ “I believe, Patrick King took the MTA representatives to the British Houses of Parliament to meet Member of Parliament Jim Lester. When our people broached the subject of help needed for the liberation of the Shan State they were told that it would be in the interest of the MTA if they could work in collaboration with NLD Sein Win. “
MTA representative Sai Yee and DEA agent Lt. George Buddy Burns seen in London in front of their rented house (The DEA agent collaborated with Scotland Yard in apprehending John Palmer). “Didn’t they give any concrete assistance? “ “I’ve told you all I know. I don’t know what other forms of assistance they night have given. Neither do I know what else they did afterwards. The MTA representatives were in London for a fortnight and they returned to Headquarters via Bangkok. Scotland Yard awarded these people with medals of honour as you can see very well from the photographs. “ “And that was it. It was a case of mutual help you know scratching each other’s backs. “ “I must say the MTA has connections in high places. Even I, am beginning to think quite highly of you. “ “That wasn’t all you know. A guy from the CIA also came to us to hold talks. As for the mixed bag of bureaucrats and members of a variety of investigative departments from the country next door, they behaved as if they owned the place and came and went as they pleased on all sorts of errands, for consultations, discussions and what have you. I’ll tell you more about it later. For now, let’s take a rest.” “You’re impossible. Just when you get to a highly interesting part, you stop and say to be continued the next day” just like the video films on Myawady and Myanmar Television Stations. “ |