THIS WEEK IN VIOLENCE: Tatmadaw’s Shiny Happy People Committee for Lo-Fi Beats to Study To (AUDIO)

Ok, great intro episode, I’m so excited to hear y’all’s take on the Burma conflict. I’ve been fascinated by the Golden Triangle since I was a kid (“so nothing like the Bermuda Triangle? This one is drugs?”). Are you going to talk about the scam compounds in the golden triangle? There are tens of thousands of mostly Asian slaves living in armed compounds being forced to run pig-butchering scams. A lot of those otherwise inexplicable “border skirmishes” between Cambodia, Thailand, and various armed Burmese groups are actually just battles for control of various scam compounds. China afaik doesn’t have any scam compounds on its side of the border but it has a huge interest in controlling what happens there, and every now and then they’ll catch and execute one of their nationals for drugs/scams. It’s a huge mess, especially because it’s largely in the other countries’ various interests to keep the golden triangle crimes going - not officially, of course, but the regional forces on the ground are in on various schemes. I can’t remember if I’ve recommended this book here, apologies if so, but Narcotopia by Patrick Winn is a fascinating look at one of the major players in the golden triangle itself, the former headhunters turned narco-city-state Wa tribe. Another really great read is The Opium Queen by Gabrielle Palluch, about a Kokang princess born about a hundred years ago who refused to stay a princess and instead became Uncle Olive, a wildly successful drug and arms smuggler. Olive was something between gender nonconforming and a transman, but their extended family never rejected them. Even if you don’t read the book, please do look up some pics of … her? The family is extremely loose with pronouns but definitely loved Olive deeply. The Mafia ain’t got shit on the Golden Triangle tribes, y’all.

I’ve barely even started and I already have to comment off-topic: have you seen Ansarallah’s Toyota army? As a former horse girl turned war nerd, I shriek with delight whenever the modern steeds take to the plains.