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81Heroin — A narcotic derived and refined from the latex of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum). Its various grades, usually injected into the bloodstream with a needle, are much stronger and more addictive than opium, which is usually smoked. Not only… …
82Lashio — Amajor town in northern Shan State, with an estimated population of over 110,000 in 1996. It serves as the terminus for the railroad line running south/southwest to Mandalay and Rangoon (Yangon), and before World War II linked Burma s capital… …
83Lo Hsing-Han — (Luo Xinghan, 1934 ) Born in Kokang in northeastern Shan State, Lo Hsing han served in forces commanded by the ruling Yang family before defecting to the Ne Win government in 1963 and becoming leader of a Ka Kwe Ye militia force. By the… …
84Military Intelligence — (MI) The State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) has operated an extensive military intelligence apparatus that not only provided the Tatmadaw (armed forces) with reliable information on conventional national security matters the task of …
85Mong Tai Army — (MTA) In the Shan language, Mong Tai means Shan State, thus Shan State Army. Commanded by the drugdealing warlord Khun Sa, it was one of the most powerful ethnic minority armed groups in the early 1990s, with a total armed strength of as… …
86National Convention — (NC) The constitution drafting body established by the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) in 1992. According to SLORC Announcement No. 1/90, a transfer of power from the military regime to a civilian government cannot occur… …
87National Unity — Although Aung San recognized ethnic minority aspirations for administrative and cultural autonomy at the Panglong Conference of February 1947, in principle promoting unity through diversity and limited federalism, the government of General Ne… …
88Opium — Burma s most profitable cash crop. Opium and its derivatives, especially heroin, generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue annually. Raw opium latex is extracted from the pods of the opium poppy (Papaver somniferum), which is… …
89Shans — (Tai) Burma s most numerous ethnic minority, comprising an estimated 9 percent of the total population (more than 4 million people). They call themselves Tai. The Burmese name for them, Shan, apparently shares a common origin with Siam, the …
90State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), Internal Dynamics — Because of the secrecy of its operations and tight state control of sensitive information, knowledge of the internal political dynamics of the military SPDC junta is limited, though rumors abound. Before the purge of Lieutenant General Khin… …
