Thread by @CarlZha

That time in 1953 when CIA financed remnant KMT army took over Northern Myanmar as an anti-Communist base agst People's Republic of China and turn the area into the world's largest source of opium/heroin production. Air America helped to fly out drugs and fly in US weapons

KMT army remnant in Myanmar was commanded by Li Mi. He abandoned his troops to die in Chinese Civil War Huahai Campaign by disguising as civilian. Chiang send him 2 Yunnan w new Army. defeated again by PLA in 1950 and fled into Myanmar. right: Li greets Americans in N Myanmar

After Korean War broke out, Chiang ordered KMT army to stay in N Myanmar to setup anti-Communist base to retake China. CIA supplied fund and weapons. KMT forces took over local Opium trade. CIA airline flew in weapons/flew out drugs. Many KMT soldiers married local women

With CIA backing, Li Mi expanded his KMT forces in N Myanmar to over 30k men and invaded China w 20k men in 1951 capturing several border towns til defeated again by PLA. several more raids launched in 1952. Myanmar army couldn't dislodge them bc KMT had US funding and weapons

US finally decided Myanmar Army is more useful than KMT remnants in quelling local Communist insurgencies, and decided to comply to Myanmar's demand to withdraw its KMT proxy force frm N Myanmar. KMT forces in Burma with CIA airline (CAT, Civilian Air Transport) in background

But thousands of KMT troops like these child soldiers remained behind Myanmar even after US mediated withdrawal in 1954. Finally Myanmar invited PLA to cross the border to evict them in 1961. Right: KMT remnant forces arrive in N Thailand frm Myanmar

The legacy of CIA backed KMT proxy war in N Myanmar is the Golden Triangle in Myanmar, Laos and Thailand border: the World's largest production base of Opium/heroin before NATO occupation of Afghanistan.

Source: 2016 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Tell me again how "benign US hegemony bestowed peace and stability upon Asia" and I will tell you a story abt US Empire fuckery in Asia in next installment of Silk and Steel #podcast @SteelSilkn patreon.com/silknsteel