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would be attractive to the insurgents because it would give them an air of respectability, if not legality, and would be tacit acknowledgement of a degree of independenca a position which they might, and almost certainly would exploit. The quid pro quo would appear to be that the insurgents should agree to fight the Burmese Communist forces either as individual guerilla units, or in combination.
Although there are signs that the long adjourned trial of Lo Sing Han is about to resume at Nengnon, nevertheless the enme source indicates that the Burmese Government may be considering doing a deal with him which would lead to his relcase from prison. If this occurred it would be significant since prior to his arrest by the Thais in July, 1373 (end subsequent deportation to Rengoon) he was one of the principal opium traffickers in the Shan State and an important insurgent leader.
These are interesting moves en the Furmase chess board which will be watched with closa interest. If anything comes of them and No Win does in fact succeed in buying 'insurgent rpium' in substantial quantities, it could alter the entire pattern of illicit trafficking out of the golden triangle end open new avonues of approach to deal with the problem. But these are very early days yet; obviously there must be a long way to go before any firm picture along these lines could emarge end crystaðlise.
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A aplicata copy of these papers is attached for the
F.C.0.
C.J. Train, Esq., (2), Asst. Secretary of State, Home Office,
Remnay House,
Marsham Street,
LONDON, S.W.1.
Encl:
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(N.G. Rolph) Commissioner for Narcotica
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