Six well-known druglords in Burma, who represented the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), are among those selected on the 7 November elections, according to sources in Shan State North.

Two of them, Liu Guoxi, candidate of USDP who ran for a seat in upper house at Northern Shan State’s Constituency No.11 and Bai Xuoqian, a candidate for state legislature in Laogai Constituency No.2 won their seats automatically as there were no rivals in their areas, a source from the Sino-Burma border said.

Liu Guoxi, 75, was dubbed as a drug kingpin in the Far Eastern Economic Review during the mid 90’s. He is deputy of Bai Xuoqian, who ascended to the leadership of Kokang, following the overthrow of his predecessor Peng Jiasheng by the Burma Army last year.

Panhsay Kyaw Myint

The other four are U Myint Lwin, U Ti Khun Myat, U Kyaw Myint and U Keng Mai, the junta-backed local militia chiefs, who are notorious among local people as drug dealers in Shan State North’s Kutkhai, Muse and Namkham townships.

Myint Lwin and U Ti Khun Myat were from Kutkhai, both contested for State legislature in Kutkhai.

U Myint Lwin, aka Wang Guoda, 60, is Kokang Chinese chief of Tamoeng-ngen militia group and U Ti Khun Myat, 57, is the leader of 600-strong Kutkhai militia and was one of the shareholders of Myanmar Mayflower Bank which was terminated for washing black money into white money a few years ago.

U Kengmai is from Muse and U Kyaw Myint is from Namkham.

U Kengmai, 50, is chief of 200-strong Mongpaw militia unit in Muse, who has been “elected” for the State legislature in Muse Constituency No.2.

According to local election watchers and voters, Kengmai won the seat with the help of the local election commissions and local authorities.