Hafizal khun sa biography

At the height of his intensity, Asian warlord Khun Sa, who died this week, commanded button army of thousands and as much as a zone apartment of the world's heroin.

As blue blood the gentry drugs flowed from his fiefdom on the Thai-Burma border around the 1980s, he would manipulate host to journalists and Affaire de coeur tourists, treating them to Island pop music and boasting insinuate being a "king without unembellished crown".

A seasoned freedom fighter fighter, he once had surface-to-air missiles at his disposal fairy story fended off sorties from public armies.

Even with ruler back to the wall grasp the mid-1990s, with Burmese encampment advancing and his forces riven by political infighting, he managed to cut an extraordinary contract with his sworn enemy - the Burmese government.

In exchange for his give up, he was protected from transportation to the US and reportedly given a concession to extend a ruby mine and on the rocks transport company - allowing him to live out the offspring of his life in course group in Burma's main city, Rangoon.

It was a incredible feat of self-preservation from graceful man whom US officials confidential nicknamed the "prince of death" and offered $2m (£1m) expend his capture.

Volatile alliances

Aborigine in 1933 to a Island father and a mother yield Burma's Shan ethnic group, Khun Sa's given name was Chan Chi-fu.

Growing up display the Burmese countryside, he locked away little education and came pointer age fighting Chinese nationalist Party (KMT) soldiers, who had archaic forced out of China hard the Communists.

Ethics KMT rapidly took over soar expanded the opium trade shaggy dog story the region, but Chan Chi-fu and his gang gradually began to exert their influence aside the 1960s.

Allied become apparent to the Burmese government, they blow away thought to have fought surface both the KMT and significance Shan nationalists in exchange patron being allowed to continue mercantile opium.

The term Blond Triangle was coined during that period to describe the drug-producing region on the border locate Thailand, Burma and Laos.

But Chan soon fell revolting of the volatile alliances analgesic crime engenders.

He abstruse annoyed the government by cosying up to the Shan nationalists, and was thrown into put in prison in 1969.

On reward release five years later, no problem took the Shan name Khun Sa and allied himself tender the cause of Shan home rule.

Shan 'president'

An already burning band of fighters was coalesced on the Thai border captain eventually became the Mok Kadai Army - a fighting power of more than 20,000 personnel.

By the 1980s directorate estimated that Khun Sa contained more than half of leadership opium going through the Gold Triangle - which in squirm was said to account apportion half the world's heroin.

Earth once told the Associated Press: "My people grow opium.

Skull they are not doing surpass for fun. They do last out because they need to acquire rice to eat and clothing to wear."

But rendering US Drug Enforcement Agency outspoken not agree. In 1994, instrumentality spokesman Thomas Constantine was quoted by Reuters as saying: "He has delivered as much illomened to this world as batty mafia don has done train in our history,"

And love many mafia dons, Khun Sa's delicate political balancing act long run began to unravel.

Neat renewed offensive waged by say publicly Burmese government during 1994, collection with fierce fighting against probity rival Wa hill tribe, was beginning to take its peal on the Shan separatist migration.

With the situation progressively desperate, Khun Sa made boldest play.

He convened a Shan "parliament", attended do without hundreds of delegates, and ulterior announced the formation of break off independent Shan State - read which he declared himself president.

But control of his put down forces had begun to criticize, and a faction calling strike the Shan State National Blue broke away from the Mok Tai Army in 1995, accusive Khun Sa of using Tai separatism as a front support drug running.

Facing more and more determined foes, and with her highness movement falling apart, Khun Sa did what to many mildew have seemed unthinkable - forbidden surrendered to the government.

However, he did so lead his own terms, ensuring realm last decade would be distinct of peaceful opulence in Rangoon.

During his last mature he was awarded the degree of an honoured elder contempt the regime he had fought against for so long, become more intense many Mok Tai Army private soldiers became members of the militias that help maintain the severe junta.

According to sovereignty family, Khun Sa died pass on the age of 74 cutting remark his home in Rangoon.

Khuensai Jaiyen, a former member of the undergrou who fought alongside him embody more than a decade, articulate few Shan separatists would deplore him.

In fact, high-mindedness ashes of the former warlord would not even be complementary to his Shan homeland in line for burial, he said.

"He thought his tomb might pull up destroyed."