Wei Hsueh-kang
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Born May 1952 in Yunnan, China, Wei Hsueh Kang is an infamous drug kingpin currently operating as UWSA’s Southern Commander (alongside the Thai border). Closely associated with notorious drug baron Khun Sa during the height of opium production in the Golden Triangle, Wei remains wanted by the INL for drug offenses committed within the United States, which is offering a $2 million reward for information leading to his capture. He is currently believed to be in Myanmar, probably within UWSA controlled territory.
Wei was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Thai Government in 1987, but jumped bail – he has since had his Thai nationality revoked (his Thai name is Prasit Cheewinnitipanya). Like many Southeast Asian drug lords, Wei is a native of China’s Yunnan province, historically the heart of the Asian opium trade – he comes from a successful opium farming family. Originally a member of Khun Sa’s Mong Tai Army (MTA), he was one of the original founders of the UWSA in the late 1980s following the factional division of the old Communist Party of Myanmar (CPB).
Recent reports suggest that Wei Hsueh Kang has downsized his involvement in drug trafficking, partly in response to his ‘wanted’ status by the US. However, his continued affiliation with the UWSA brings unique experience and expertise in drug production and trafficking, and reinforces doubts about the extent of their commitment to stamping out the trade.
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