Since the 1950s, the infamous Golden Triangle has become a major drug source around the world, a breeding ground for violent crime and a haven for lawbreakers.
The dangers of drugs are well known, and almost all countries are advocating it. So, why can humanity tolerate such a existence as the Golden Triangle for a long time, and not send troops to eliminate it in one go?
The Golden Triangle is a special product of a number of special historical events, which were first born at the end of the 19th century, during the British colonial period in South Asia. At that time, in order to expand the opium industry, the British chose a site at the junction of Thailand, Burma and Laos, bought labor, and planted poppies on a large scale. After the end of World War II, the Nationalist general Li Mi fled to the Golden Triangle, established an army, and received american support, training warlord leaders such as Kun Sha, Luo Xinghan, and Peng Jiasheng.
In the mid-1950s, Li Mi's troops withdrew, and the area no longer had political significance, becoming a drug-producing area controlled by warlords.
The reason why the Golden Triangle can survive to this day is mainly due to several reasons:
First of all, the Golden Triangle has a special geographical location, is not subject to the political jurisdiction of any neighboring countries, and to put it bluntly, it is a "three-way" zone. Moreover, the location of the Golden Triangle is between the mountains, and it is full of rain forests, which is wet and rainy all year round, and the traffic is extremely inconvenient, which is a natural barrier for mechanized troops, which is really easy to defend and difficult to attack. With the military strength of Thailand, Burma, and Laos, it is not easy to completely eradicate them.
Secondly, drug cultivation has long become a pillar industry in the Golden Triangle and the most important economic source for people. This is related to the climatic environment of the Golden Triangle: the terrain is large, the cultivated land is sparse, and it is almost unrelated to agriculture and animal husbandry, but it is very suitable for poppy cultivation.
As we all know, the poppy is a source of high-purity drugs such as heroin and is a crop with great economic benefits. Locals have long relied on this to make a living, and even make a lot of windfalls, and it is simply difficult to make them "good". Once there are external forces trying to destroy this black gold industry chain, they will be attacked by the crowd. Nowadays, the total population living in the Golden Triangle is more than 1 million, there are more than a dozen ethnic groups, and the people's customs are fierce and extremely difficult to surrender.
Third, the economic backwardness and political turmoil of the three countries around the Golden Triangle not only failed to distract themselves from dealing with this drug den, but suffered greatly: many military generals and government officials were tempted by heavy money to become umbrellas for drug dealers, delivering weapons to the latter, opening the door to convenience, and each side took what they needed.
Finally, although the existence of the Golden Triangle endangers the whole world, it is itself a regional political and racial problem, and other countries that want to cross the three countries of Thailand, Myanmar and Laos to launch military strikes against the Golden Triangle are equivalent to interfering in the internal affairs of other countries.
Therefore, the reason why the Golden Triangle is difficult to be destroyed is that its own strength is on the one hand, and the special geopolitical environment is the main reason. At this stage, the only feasible way for us to avoid its poisoning is to strictly grasp the anti-drug work.
For example, in the past 2021, the mainland's public security departments have launched joint anti-drug operations with Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand and other countries, set up forward command centers in border areas, arrested a total of 150 drug lords and fugitives, more than 4,000 fugitives, destroyed 4 drug processing plants, 5 drug warehouses, and seized 15.48 tons of various drugs, forming a strong deterrent and effectively ensuring the safety of the country and the people.