Guest Posted October 27, 2003 Report Share Posted October 27, 2003 >>>That helps me understand why the author speaks of various US congressmen coming to Mong La on fact-finding missions<<< those sort of officials also are going much further up to places where ordinary people have no access to on their factfinding missions, trust me on that one. mong la is just the jump off point to those areas. it's weird - it is a pain in the arse to get there from the burmese side, you gotta go over some of the worst roads imaginable, roads which are not possible to pass during the rain season, through territory where the SSA are staging regular ambushes, crossing checkpoints of three or four different armies, just to arrive in a territorry which has a regular public bus service from china. but obviously not open to non-chinese and non-wa citizens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
didierhardy Posted October 28, 2003 Report Share Posted October 28, 2003 What is the best route to go to Mong Na from Bangkok? Thanks Didier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 28, 2003 Report Share Posted October 28, 2003 mong na? dunno, but as it is in china i guess you'll have to fly to kunming. to go to mong la you'll have to go rangoon, fly to cheng tung, and then by car. i don't know if you are allowed to there when you cross from the overland border with thailand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted October 28, 2003 Report Share Posted October 28, 2003 mong la is just the jump off point to those areas. ----------------------------- Of course. the book just mentionned their presence in passing. as it is in China ---------------------- Well, i undertand it's easier of access from China, but i still read it is in Burma: http://www.irrawaddy.org/database/2003/vol11.1/a-mongla.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 28, 2003 Report Share Posted October 28, 2003 >>>Well, i undertand it's easier of access from China, but i still read it is in Burma<<< mong LA is in burma, but according to the web mong NA is in china. i can't open the link at the moment, but i would be a bit careful with the irrawaddi.org website as they have been in many cases wrong, especially regarding wa state. they rely on third hand information on that territory, and often politically motivated misinformation as well. the amount of misinformation on wa state, and the UWSA is incredible, mostly written by writers and others who have never set foot into wa state and have to rely on more than unreliable sources of opposing armies. people devilise the burmese junta without really looking into the complex nature of drugpolitics and the actual situation of the territories of the golden triangle. nothing there is simply black and white. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted October 28, 2003 Report Share Posted October 28, 2003 people devilise the burmese junta ----------------------- Poor burmese junta!!!!!!! sniff, sniff..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 28, 2003 Report Share Posted October 28, 2003 Says pattaya127: people devilise the burmese junta ----------------------- Poor burmese junta!!!!!!! sniff, sniff..... well, you know, it is a question of alternatives. and the ones in the positions in power are definately better than the ones who are waiting for a chance to rule again (don't think that the NLD has any chance whatsoever to rule in the near future - that is not going to happen, and could easily result in renewed warfare in the tribal areas). at least now you have people who somewhat try to make peace, try to open burma to the ouside world. it's a very slow process though, but at least things are moving into a better direction. so, be happy for what you have now there, as any other feasable alternative would be very bad news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pattaya127 Posted October 29, 2003 Report Share Posted October 29, 2003 as you know, i disagree totally with your premises, but no politics on the forum.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 29, 2003 Report Share Posted October 29, 2003 believe me, i would very much like to disagree with myself here - unfortunately though i have to accept certain realities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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