TEXT: by
  Neal Hyde
  SOUTHEAST
  ASIA
  SOURCEBOOK
  SOUTHEAST
  ASIA
  SOURCEBOOK
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  2
  SOUTHEAST ASIA SOURCEBOOK
  A Resource for Millennium’s End
  Written by Neal Hyde
  Additional Material by Chris Parke and Ryan Pendergast
  Edited by Chris Parke and Ryan Pendergast
  Production & Design by Ryan Pendergast
  Special Thanks to Charles Ryan for the Millennium’s End universe and to Dann
  Ernstsen for arranging publication of this sourcebook.
  Illustrations borrowed from various Millennium’s End game manuals, the Twilight:
  2000 game module Bangkok: Cesspool of the Orient, and the Rolemaster game
  genre book Black Ops.
  First e-Printing
  © 2003 Neal Hyde, text and content.
  All illustration copyrights remain with the original publishers and the use of these
  illustrations in no way implies consent or permission of the copyright holders and no
  infringement on the rights of these individuals and entities is intended.  This material is
  provided solely for the personal entertainment use of players of the Millennium’s
  End game system.
  No Portion of this text may be reproduced without the express written consent of
  Neal Hyde.
  http://www.millenniumsend.com
  
  by Neal Hyde
  SOUTHEAST
  ASIA
  SOURCEBOOK
  SOUTHEAST
  ASIA
  SOURCEBOOK
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  4
  FOREWORD
  This sourcebook was originally to be printed by the late lamented Chame-
  leon Eclectic Entertainment in 1997. I proposed the sourcebook to Charles
  Ryan and he commissioned a 70,000 word book. The work took longer
  than I intended and before I could finish it, CEE became insolvent. I
  finished up some of it and put it aside, sorry for the loss. I discovered
  millenniumsend.com in 2001 and resurrected the work, but shortly after-
  ward had a hard drive meltdown that I believed had claimed the files. It
  wasn’t until 2003, when cleaning up a variety of computer-related junk,
  did I find that I had backed up an earlier incarnation of the files onto disk.
  They are yours now.
  The Southeast Asia Sourcebook is taken from my personal experience
  living in Thailand working with Cambodian refugees, melded with the
  world setting of Millennium’s End. I hoped to present a holistic, all en-
  compassing feeling that gave an experience as thick as Bangkok’s sum-
  mer heat. Also, I wanted to provide a launching point for players in the
  great city of Sydney.
  A note to the graphics: none were created for the book, but I used maps
  that were readily available from the Web and various atlases when writ-
  ing and I believe that most players will be able to discover the real-world
  locations listed.
  Enjoy.
  Neal Hyde
  
  Introduction
  5
  CONTENTS
  Foreword
                                                                4
  Introduction
   6
  Chapter One
  Welcome to Southeast Asia
  10
  The Land 10 . . .The People 12 . . .Past and Present 16 . . .Bangkok, Thailand
  16 . . .Chiang Mai, Thailand 19 . . .Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Saigon) 20 . . .
  Phnom Penh, Cambodia 22 . . .Vientiane, Laos 24 . . .Yangon, Myanmar
  (Rangoon, Burma) 26
  Chapter Two
  Sydney - Gateway to Adventure
  34
  Australia in 1999 34 . . .Sydney 36 . . .BlackEagle Sydney 39
  Chapter Three
  Governments & Organizations
  50
  Situation Report: January 1, 1999 50 . . .The Kingdom of Cambodia 51 . . .
  Lao People’s Democratic Republic 55 . . .Union of Myanmar (Burma) 58 . . .
  Thailand 61 . . .The Socialist Republic of Vietnam 66 . . .Foreign & International
  Agencies 70
  Chapter Four
  Business in Southeast Asia
  82
  United World Environmental Services 83 . . .Theap Fishing 85 . . . Saraburi
  Manufacturing Inc. 87 . . .Quinn & Potok, Archeological Merchants 88 . . .Bin
  Hoa Microsystems Ltd. 90 . . .Pac Rim Courier Service 91 . . .Media 93
  Chapter Five
  Syndicates & Insurgencies
  96
  Little Fish - Bandits & Pirates 96 . . .Big Fish - Organized Crime & Insurgents
  98 . . .The Fringe - Mercenaries & Saints 100
  Appendix One: Pieces of the Picture
  120
  Appendix Two: Names & Faces
  132
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  6
  INTRODUCTION
  The dim light of a naked bulb reflects off a stained concrete wall as a
  Burmese political dissident waits, listening to the boots of her torturer
  as they echo closer and closer.  That same night, in the back room of a
  Bangkok go-go bar, a Chinese youth grabs a red-hot iron coin, searing
  his flesh with an allegiance to a criminal organization older than most
  nations.  In a jungle camp on the Thai/Cambodia border, a fourteen-
  year-old slaps a magazine into her automatic rifle; already a veteran,
  she will lead her squad in an ambush that will push a corrupt regime
  closer to collapse.  Meanwhile, in a faceless government building out-
  side Hanoi, tired old men conclude that a bitter war to secure food for
  their country is less dangerous than the prospect of a hungry peace.
  For most Westerners, Southeast Asia is the other side of the world.  It’s
  exotic, ancient, and dynamic.  It’s lush tropical jungles and the darkest of urban
  hells.  It’s the ultimate contrast between the haves and the have-nots.  For
  visiting operatives or those based out of Sydney, Australia, Southeast Asia is
  where adventure can still be found on a planet that is running out.
  Although definitions of Southeast Asia differ, for the purposes of this book,
  it is limited to the nations of Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and
  Vietnam.  Others possible entries could be Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Borneo,
  and The Philippines.  Those locations are being left out as there is more than
  enough information to fill a single sourcebook from just the five countries men-
  tioned above.  Also included in this book is a complete description of the Sydney,
  Australia office of BlackEagle/BlackEagle.
  Like other sourcebooks for the Millennium’s End system, The Southeast
  Asia Sourcebook is primarily for the GM.  However, the first chapter has been
  formatted as an introduction to Southeast Asia and should be read by both play-
  ers and GMs.  Chapter Two, BlackEagle Sydney, may also be read by players
  if their campaign is to be based there for any length of time.  Chapters Three
  through Five contain more specific information regarding the governments, mili-
  taries, criminal underworld, insurgencies, businesses and other items of interest
  to the players but should be read only at the GM’s discretion.
  This sourcebook is more than a collection of unrelated geographic refer-
  ences, character studies, and occasional scenes.  It is a real world of hugely
  diverse peoples and places that are interconnected and form a total environ-
  ment for characters and GMs to explore.  To create this, a holistic approach has
  been adopted so that the region may be viewed as a whole.  Like topics are
  grouped together so that they may be compared and contrasted.  Examples are
  given as often as possible to both provide material to be immediately used by
  GMs as well as to be a template for others of the GM’s creation.
  Although this book is based on the fictional world of the Millennium’s End
  
  Introduction
  7
  role-playing game, as much of the real world as is possible has been intermixed.
  Some of the people and places mentioned do exist but have been tweaked to fit
  the Millennium’s End time line as well as references in other publications in the
  Millennium’s End series.
  The first chapter begins with the physical setting of Southeast Asia and is a
  basic introduction to the geography, ethnography, and nations of the region.
  Larger cities and important areas of interest are highlighted and explored in
  depth.  This chapter also covers the people of Southeast Asia and their lan-
  guages and customs.
  Chapter Two covers the BlackEagle/BlackEagle office in Sydney, Austra-
  lia as well as some background on that city.  The office, personnel, security, and
  current history are given.  This is an excellent background for a campaign based
  out of this office or for visiting player characters.
  The governments and laws of Southeast Asia are explored in Chapter Three.
  One of the things that makes Southeast Asia so dangerous is the state of near
  constant conflict between individual countries as well as internal insurgencies,
  ethnic strife, and criminal empires.  How these nations deal with their citizens
  and outsiders varies from place to place.  Smart players will want to know their
  environments and use it to their advantage.
  The economic boom of the eighties has turned to bust with the worldwide
  depression but this hasn’t shut down business as a whole.  With increased pres-
  sures to perform and generate profits business ethics have become an oxymo-
  ron and the Japanese philosophy that “all business is war” reigns supreme.
  Dirty tricks, industrial espionage and sabotage are common.  Six businesses
  listed in Chapter Four are part of the cutthroat competition.  They range from
  the small-time entrepreneur to the corporate conglomerate with power to effect
  entire nations.
  Chapter Five deals with the other side of the law, the criminal empires and
  insurgencies that are often so intermixed that it is difficult to tell them apart.
  Opium from the Golden Triangle fuels vast empires and ancient syndicates as
  well as providing rich pickings for small-time gangs and pirates.  While some
  fight for money, others wage war for freedom from oppression, ideology, racial
  bias, or simply power.  These insurgents may be freedom fighters or terrorists,
  depending on whom you talk to, but they are major players in the region.
  BlackEagle/BlackEagle Database information reveals to players what is known
  while Real Scoops provide what is true to the GM.
  Finally, the appendices deals with the people, places and things that make
  Southeast Asia different from the rest of the world.  Specific examples are
  given to flesh out the generalities given in the first chapter.  There are also NPC
  stereotypes and fully fleshed out NPCs and material for GMs to mold and cre-
  ate from as they wish.
  Throughout the book are sidebars containing information about particular
  facets of Southeast Asia and the Golden Triangle.  These anecdotes and snap-
  shots of life in Southeast Asia give greater depth to the region in addition to
  providing stats for game play.
  Players can immerse themselves in the world of Southeast Asia or merely
  dip their toes, but they’ll never be the same again.  They will be faced with
  struggles for freedom and unspeakable oppression, power without conscience
  and endless compassion, abject poverty and wealth beyond avarice, ecological
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  8
  ruin and, possibly, a ray of hope for the future.  The people, places, and events
  described in this sourcebook do not exist in a vacuum.  They are interconnected
  in a human ecosystem that will act and react to the events of the game.  The
  characters will, in their own way, change the world around them depending
  upon the choices they make.  For the sake of the future, they must be the right
  ones.
  
  Introduction
  9
  SOUTHEAST ASIA
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  10
  CHAPTER  ONE
  WELCOME  TO
  SOUTHEAST  ASIA
  Southeast Asia, as found on a map, is a large peninsula to the east of India and
  south of China.  Its northern tip is the foothills of the Himalayas and it stretches
  over thousands of kilometers of jungles, forests, grassy plains, swamps, rivers,
  and ivory-colored beaches to the island nations in the south.  The first known
  peoples came here from China and were fleeing genocide at the hands of tyran-
  nical rulers to the north.  Fueled by vast natural resources they founded empires
  to compare with the mightiest in the world.  Today, Southeast Asia is a center of
  the worldwide storm of civil and economic chaos.  Its people look into the future
  and see the dark clouds of conflicts already underway and even greater ones to
  come.
  This chapter covers the bare bones of Southeast Asia and is a brief intro-
  duction from which a more complete picture will be given throughout the book.
  It is not intended to provide all the answers for every nook and cranny of the
  region, but an overall feel and sense of place from which individual details
  emerge.  Southeast Asia is like a mural in a Bangkok temple; the impression
  comes not from a single carved figure, but from the total image to the viewer.
  This chapter lays the groundwork from which the image can be assembled.
  THE LAND
  Geographically, Southeast Asia is amazingly diverse.  Most people think of it as
  a vast steaming jungle plain and much of the area qualifies for that description.
  However, there is much more - temperate forests, dry desert-like zones, and of
  course, the artificial climates of the modern cities.  As a rule, the further north
  you go, the more mountains and fewer people you encounter.  To the south,
  fertile plains and plateaus provide the annual crop of rice so important to the
  teeming masses of the region.  Most people live in the southern part of South-
  east Asia, in a fertile crescent running from Yangon in Myanmar, through cen-
  
  Chapter One: Welcome to Southeast Asia
  11
  tral Thailand, across Cambodia, and
  terminating on Vietnam’s shores fac-
  ing the South China Sea.  North of
  this crescent is an area where
  Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos meet-
  the world famous Golden Triangle.
  The Mountains
  The northern latitudes are so moun-
  tainous and steep that they provide a
  natural barrier to invasion and com-
  munication. This band of sharp geo-
  logical uplifting covers northern
  Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Viet-
  nam and is the tail end of the same
  mountain chain that contains the
  Himalayas.  The hill tribes that have
  survived there for centuries have only
  recently been introduced to the out-
  side world and new technologies.
  Rain forests cover the lower eleva-
  tions and temperate forests rise on
  the mountains.   Less than seven per-
  cent of the red, sandy soil is arable
  and much of that is dedicated to grow-
  ing opium, the region’s largest export
  crop.  Despite being close to the equa-
  tor, temperatures can fall to near freezing.  Roads are few and often available
  only during the dry season.  During the rainy season most minor roads become
  rivers of mud.  Transporting goods in and out is usually done the old fashioned
  way - on the back of a porter or a mountain pony.
  The Flatlands
  From the eighteenth parallel south, the land becomes flatter and more arable.
  The water runoff from the northern mountains comes tumbling towards the
  oceans, creating huge swamps such as the Mekong Delta and the mouth of the
  Irrawaddy River.  Although vast tropical jungles covered the flatlands for centu-
  ries, most of it has been destroyed by slash-and-burn agriculture and natural
  resource extraction.  Those areas that remain are like small islands of ecologi-
  cal diversity.  However, even these refuges are being squeezed by increased
  demand for building supplies and the search for land on which to feed the people.
  The Coasts
  The coastlines of Southeast Asia are usually narrow strips of sand and rock that
  quickly become hill terrain, making entry into the central areas difficult.  They
  are usually tropical in climate but there are exceptions.  Central Vietnam has a
  climate more akin to the Baja of Mexico than the Amazon, and the western
  coast of the Murgui Peninsula can be cold and windy like the Pacific North-
  west.  Rocky islands topped with green foliage just offshore attract tourists and
  pirates alike.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  12
  Rivers
  All the rain that makes Southeast Asia a tropical jungle heads to the sea in some
  of the largest rivers in the world.  The Mekong River is the most prominent with
  its headwaters in the northern highlands, it meanders about, creating the border
  between Laos and Thailand, through eastern Cambodia and finally exiting in the
  Mekong Delta.  Other massive rivers are the Irrawaddy in Myanmar, the Chao
  Phraya of Thailand, and the Tonle Sap in Cambodia, each of which run through
  a capital city.  Rivers are common everywhere and can vary in depth and dan-
  ger from season to season.  Its no surprise that with traveling by river has been
  the norm for centuries, a fact BlackEagle operatives shouldn’t forget.
  The Weather
  Weather in Southeast Asia can be summed up in two words - hot and wet.  With
  the exception of the mountain highlands the area is possibly the warmest and
  most humid place in the world where people live in large numbers.  Travelers
  stepping off the dry, air conditioned environment of jetliners have described the
  change as something akin to a physical blow.  For example, Bangkok tempera-
  tures hover between 35 and 40 degrees (C) (roughly 100 degrees Fahrenheit)
  and humidity levels of ninety-eight percent are not uncommon.
  The average rainfall in the region varies between 75cm and 150cm, ap-
  proximately twice that of Miami.  The Dry Season (meaning rain only every
  other day) runs November to February and sometimes as late as March.  Dur-
  ing this time temperatures are more tolerable but rarely dip below twenty de-
  grees (F) (roughly 70 degrees Fahrenheit).   The Rainy Season runs April through
  October with heavy monsoons opening and closing the season.  Flooding is an
  annual experience and a recognized part of life to the natives but recent weather
  has been extreme, even by these standards.  In 1998, an off-season monsoon
  struck coastal Vietnam and tore through central Southeast Asia, killing thou-
  sands and wrecking the rice harvest.
  The Mekong Delta
  The Mekong Delta is where “The River
  of Evil Memory” meets the South
  China Sea.  The delta is a broad jungle
  swamp.  Only twenty percent of the
  land has been cleared for agriculture.
  The rest remains virgin jungle, too for-
  bidding and difficult to clear to make
  the effort worthwhile.
  The people of the delta are mostly
  ethnic Cambodians who wish to remain
  as independent of the rest of Vietnam
  as possible.  Small villages dot the
  swampy jungle and exist free from gov-
  ernment interference, primarily be-
  cause they are too small and remote to
  bother with.  This lack of enforcement
  makes the delta a favorite site of pi-
  rates and smugglers.
  THE PEOPLE
  There are a lot of nuances and differences among the peoples of Southeast
  Asia.  From the mountain hill tribes of Myanmar and Thailand to the swamp
  dwellers of the Mekong Delta, dress, language, and beliefs can change from
  kilometer to kilometer.  Specific areas have their own peculiarities and many
  are discussed in the relevant section of this book.   However, for every differ-
  ence there are a dozen similarities and even more coming to be as the modern-
  ization (and some say the Westernization) of the region continues.
  Ethnicity plays a greater role in Southeast Asian affairs than it does in America
  and Europe and people identify strongly with their heritage.  Its primary ethnic
  group, i.e. Thais in Thailand, Vietnamese in Vietnam, governs each nation. In
  addition, there are literally hundreds of smaller ethnic groups such as the Shan,
  Wa, Chin, Chams, Hmong, Rhade, Montagnard, and more.  For the most part,
  these groups are not in the mainstream of society and live separate from the
  general population.  Often, they are persecuted and attacked by the dominant
  ethnic groups.  Some struggle for independence while others work to join the
  mainstream.
  The exception to the rule of ethnic minority exclusion is the Chinese.  They
  have managed to both maintain their separate identity and still join the main-
  stream.  Ethnic Chinese are heavily involved in business and commerce, owning
  
  Chapter One: Welcome to Southeast Asia
  13
  as much as half of all businesses within any given city in the region.  This
  remains true even in rural areas.  A negative aspect of this inclusion into the
  general population is that they are visible targets during civil unrest and are
  often made scapegoats for economic problems.  Chinese shops and homes are
  always among the first to be sacked and looted during riots.
  Ethnic Conflict
  Even between the major ethnic groups there is considerable animosity.  Al-
  though they are shrouded in nationalist language, the roots of many modern
  conflicts are ethnic.  The Burmese and the Thais have been at each other’s
  throats since the Burmese massacred nearly a million Thais in 1767 and the
  Thais stole the sacred Emerald Buddha from Burmese-occupied Laos a few
  years later.  During Burma’s tenure as an English colony, English troops spent
  most of their time and energy keeping the two forces apart.  There is currently
  an undeclared war simmering between Burma, now Myanmar, and Thailand
  with daily skirmishes and cross-border raids.
  Relations between the Thais and the Cambodians have never been particu-
  larly warm.  King Rama I, the same who acquired the Emerald Buddha, also
  acquired large parts of the fading Khmer empire.  Today, Thailand’s military
  allows the Khmer Rouge to establish bases on the Thai side of the border from
  which they attack government forces, destabilizing Cambodia. Thai soldiers
  shoot Cambodian refugees fleeing the conflict and those who do make it into
  Thailand are forced into squalid refugee camps.  Due to its weakness, the Cam-
  bodian government has been able to do little more than lodge protests with the
  United Nations.
  The Cambodians and the Vietnamese have a running quarrel over who
  owns the fertile Mekong Delta; most of its population is ethnic Cambodian and
  it was a part of the Khmer empire but the Vietnamese occupied it at the begin-
  ning of the eighteenth century.  The occupation of Cambodia by the Vietnamese
  to expel the murderous Khmer Rouge in 1979, although relatively benevolent,
  was humiliating for Cambodian national pride.  The Vietnamese troops have
  withdrawn and Cambodia is still very dependent upon Vietnamese assistance,
  but the old tensions are still there.
  Clothing
  One way that ethnicity has been expressed is in clothing, but not as sharply as
  before.  The average farming peasant - the majority of the population - is des-
  perately poor and wears simple pants or cloth wraparound and long-sleeved
  shirt.  The head is covered from the tropical sun by a straw hat or checkered
  cloth wrap.  Footwear, when available, are usually sandals made from native
  materials or old tires (known to Westerners as “Ho Chi Minh sandals”). Bright
  colors and loud prints are popular, particularly in countries that have been under
  communist rule as these fabrics were not available for a long time.
  City dwellers dress according to their financial situation.  Tailored silk suits
  and Italian leather shoes are common in business districts throughout Southeast
  Asia.  In other, less affluent regions, pants and shorts are common as are T-
  shirts with American sayings and logos.   Traditional dress is usually worn only
  on holidays or special events such as weddings or funerals.  Ideology also af-
  fects fashion; older communists still cling to their drab pants and tunic popular-
  ized by communist party chairman Mao Zedong of China.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  14
  Religion
  Buddhism is by far the most prevalent religion.  Each culture has its own brand
  of Buddhism, but all revolve around the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, an
  Indian prince who transcended normal existence and became the deity known
  as Buddha.  Buddhism teaches that desire is the root of discontent and that
  through meditation, prayers, and ordinances a person can achieve an enlight-
  ened state of happiness.  Buddhists believe in reincarnation and that a person’s
  actions in this life will affect his or her status in the next.  Throughout Southeast
  Asia, particularly in Myanmar, there are temples and even entire cities dedi-
  cated to the worship of Buddha.  People are expected to dedicate at least part
  of their lives to serving as Buddhist monks or nuns, usually for a year when
  around the age of fourteen.  In every village and city, saffron-robed monks can
  be seen meditating and chanting.
  Just as Christianity affects the Western world, Buddhism does so in South-
  east Asia.  The emphasis on denial of desires and emotions can most easily be
  seen the in the social form of keeping a cool head at all times and avoiding
  physical contact in public.  Temple attendance is encouraged but there is no
  single day of the week devoted to worship.
  Other common religions are Christianity, native animist beliefs, and Islam,
  which is usually associated with the Chams, a minority group descended from
  Malaysian immigrants.  Often these beliefs are blended together by individuals
  who see no conflict between them.  Buddhist monks with animist tattoos and
  Islamic Imams wearing shamanic charms are not uncommon.  The only true
  religious strife in Southeast Asia is between Vietnamese Catholics and conser-
  vative Buddhists in Ho Chi Minh City.  The communist government suppressed
  the conflict but now gangs from both sides attack each other with increasing
  ferocity.
  Language
  There are four primary native language groups in Southeast Asia: Mon-Khmer,
  Thai, Burmese, and Vietnamese.  The primary languages of the area include
  Thai, Lao, Khmer, Vietnamese, Burmese, and Chinese.  Of these, Thai and Lao
  have the most in common and someone who knows one can often understand a
  person speaking the other. All others, particularly Burmese, are separate and
  must be learned individually.  What language and dialect are spoken in a given
  area is more rooted in ethnicity than geography, but most people speak more
  than one language.  Unlike some European countries, Asian people are gener-
  ally not offended if a Westerner attempts to speak their language but does so
  poorly.  Most will be pleased at the attempt to learn the language and will offer
  assistance.  (See Languages in Appendix One)
  English, French and some Russian are the dominant foreign tongues and
  teaching them is a major industry.  Volunteers from the Peace Corps and the
  United Nations teach for free and there are hundreds of private schools.  Thou-
  sands of American and French college students come to Southeast Asia to
  teach during their summer breaks, usually earning enough to pay for the rest of
  their education.
  Customs and Politeness
  Civility costs nothing but making the
  wrong impression can be expensive
  indeed.  This is especially true in
  Southeast Asia, where the complex
  rules of behavior can seem a little over-
  whelming.  However, the people are
  very friendly and forgiving to unin-
  tended slights.  Some  rules of thumb
  always apply and are listed below.
  Role-playing these gives a real sense
  of locale to a game as well as provides
  GMs things to do with flubbed Diplo-
  macy rolls.
  - When greeted, return the greeting
  in kind ( bowing, shaking hands, etc.)
  A traditional, informal greeting is a
  short bow with the palms pressed to-
  gether.
  - Shoes should be removed before
  entering a home or temple.
  - The head is the center of the spirit
  and therefore the most sacred part of
  the body.  Never touch anyone on the
  head, even children.
  - Likewise, the feet are the lowest
  and least sacred.  Do not point your
  feet at anyone.
  - Public displays of affection or emo-
  tion are frowned upon.  Keep a cool
  head, especially when angry, and con-
  ceal emotion at all times.
  - Never insult or act inappropriately
  when dealing with Buddhism, a temple,
  or monks.
  
  Chapter One: Welcome to Southeast Asia
  15
  PAST AND PRESENT
  Southeast Asia is an ancient land where vast empires once existed only to have
  faded away and been reclaimed by the jungle. The history of the region can be
  traced back thousands of years before Rome was built.  Almost every part of it
  can be said to have been the dominant center at a particular time.  Each succes-
  sive empire engulfed the others and made itself wealthy while controlling the
  destiny of all within the area.  The result of this cycle is found in the fierce
  ethnic conflicts within the region.
  More recent history has been filled with turmoil and difficulty.  After World
  War II, Vietnamese, Laotian, and Cambodian independence movements suc-
  cessfully fought to overthrow French rule in the First Indochina War.  Native
  governments took the place of the French colonials but quickly became en-
  gulfed in internal squabbles.  At roughly the same time, Burma was granted its
  independence as the British left the Indian sub-continent.  Thailand had never
  been under the European dominance and was quick to assert itself as the new
  leader of the infant nations.
  Peaceful coexistence quickly fell by the wayside as communist insurgen-
  cies sprang up and Southeast Asia became a focal point in the ideological battle
  between the USSR and the West.  The Second Indochina War raged for sev-
  eral decades.  The American phase of this war cost the lives of  more than
  58,000 American soldiers and divided the nation.  Communist forces won in
  Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, causing American aid to Thailand, its only re-
  maining ally is Southeast Asia, to increase dramatically.
  The brutal regimes that came to power sought to rearrange the social fabric
  to meet their exacting standards and refugees began streaming across the Thai
  border.  Even with the communist victory, conflict didn’t end as the communist
  nations fought among themselves.  Vietnam invaded its neighbor Cambodia in
  1979 and forced the Khmer Rouge, genocidal lunatics that had killed over one
  million of their own people, into hiding on the Thai border.  That same year,
  conflicts over  border territories between Vietnam and China escalated into
  war.  Thousands on both sides were killed and it was only after the intervention
  of the Soviet Union that peace was reestablished.
  The Cold War simmered in Southeast Asia until the 1980s when commu-
  nism collapsed in Europe and Thailand saw unprecedented growth in its economy.
  Even hard-line communists were forced to admit the failures of their system
  when faced with Thailand’s abundance.  Slowly, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos
  opened their doors and economies to western ideas and cash.  Southeast Asia’s
  annual growth skyrocketed to over 10% and the quality of life improved for
  nearly everyone.
  Ironically, while the rest of Southeast Asia was opening up, the Burmese
  government collapsed in 1988 and out of the ashes rose the State Law and
  Order Restoration Committee (SLORC).  At first the SLORC was a positive
  force that opened up the economy and promised reform.  However, it wasn’t
  long before the SLORC brutally cracked down on protesters, killed and impris-
  oned thousands, and restricted travel and personal freedoms for all citizens.
  The SLORC is now an international pariah engaged in constant border clashes
  with Thailand.
  The brighter future envisioned at the start of the 1990s has fallen apart after
  the global depression set in.  Record unemployment, decades of environmental
  abuse, the growing scourge of AIDS and other deadly diseases, and even natu-
  ral disasters have combined to make a once promising future nothing but bitter
  memories.  The United Nations, once a powerful force for peace in Southeast
  Asia, is now reduced to protecting refugee camps.  National governments have
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  16
  become powerless to help the common person after becoming bogged down in
  internal conflicts and civil wars.   Civil law, always tenuous in the region, is
  limited to select neighborhoods of the cities while the countryside is left to fend
  for itself against a growing tide of anarchy.  Corporations, free of what little
  supervision existed before, now hold greater power than ever.
  Despite this, the average citizen of Southeast Asia has a more hopeful view
  of the future than the typical Westerner.  On the streets of Bangkok and Ho Chi
  Minh City people often refer to a time ‘when things become better again.’
  Perhaps it is because they don’t have an apocalyptic view of the millennium, or
  maybe its because they have endured so much and still managed to survive.
  Detailed on the following pages are the major cities of the region.  These
  give an overview of the cities, their neighborhoods, and specific locations within
  them.  Hotels, restaurants, nightspots, and other points of interest are described.
  Also included are a series of Hot Spots describing specific areas of conflict.
  These include the history of the violence, the deployment of troops, and the
  action that is occurring.
  Bangkok has been Thailand’s capital since 1782 and is Southeast Asia’s eco-
  nomic center.  Bangkok, called Krung Thep by the Thais, means “City of An-
  gels”.   However, most residents say that angels are an endangered species, if
  they haven’t been killed off altogether by criminals, overzealous soldiers, or
  simply choked to death on the gray-brown clouds of carbon monoxide produced
  in the city’s traffic.  The ornate golden spires of over four hundred Buddhist
  temples, called wats, compete for space with soaring modern skyscrapers.  Seven
  million people are crowded into the city, most living well below the poverty line
  while a handful live like kings.
  Modern life came to Thailand quickly in the boom times of the 1980’s and
  the way of life changed almost overnight.  But not everything changed and now
  Bangkok is a mix of ancient and modern.  Saffron robed monks record ceremo-
  nies with camcorders,  three-wheeled motorcycle taxis  sit next to BMW’s in
  the interminable traffic jams, and ATM’s are as common as Buddhist shrines.
  But the advantages of modern life have brought a host of new problems.
  The air is so polluted that many people are forced to constantly wear surgical
  masks.  Public water is no longer safe to drink and visitors are encouraged to
  drink only bottled products.  Street crime has traditionally been almost nonexist-
  ent but with the depression thousands of the unemployed and hungry have turned
  to robbery and violence.  Rioting breaks out with every new set of layoff or
  announcement of government cutbacks.  Gaunt faces and sunken eyes on people
  in the street serve as constant reminder that Bangkok is the center of Southeast
  Asia’s AIDS epidemic.
  Getting around in Bangkok is a nightmare on wheels.  The streets are nar-
  row and clogged with vehicles in a nonstop traffic jam.  Smaller side streets are
  less crowded but drivers must be careful of people, children, animals, and the
  occasional riot.  Moving about by water is common and the Chao Phraya River
  is clogged with water taxis, barges, and cargo ships. The inner city is criss-
  crossed by klongs (canals) but many have been paved over.  The most efficient
  way to get around is by motorcycle, bicycle, or on foot.  Of course, these op-
  tions have their own dangers.
  Dusit is the government center of Bangkok and Thailand.  Here modern
  office buildings sit side-by-side with ancient temples and the home of the Thai
  Royal family, The Grand Palace.  Outside the palace complex are fields where
  BANGKOK , THAILAND
  Women in Southeast Asia
  Although most First World nations
  have generally been successful at in-
  tegrating women into the workforce
  and government, as a rule, most Third
  World nations have yet to do so and
  Southeast Asia is no exception.
  Women are no longer legally consid-
  ered property and all nations recog-
  nize their right to vote and own prop-
  erty.  In developed areas, women work
  outside the home in a few culturally
  acceptable roles such as teacher, nurse,
  and retail clerk, among others.  Com-
  munist nations are much better at inte-
  grating women into the work force and
  the military, and women serve along-
  side men in most respects.  Despite
  these advances, sexism is the norm and
  women who achieve a higher status
  must work twice as hard to earn the
  same respect given to a man.  There is
  also a “glass ceiling” of social norms
  present throughout the region, which
  prevents women from achieving posi-
  tions of rank and status.
  
  Chapter One: Welcome to Southeast Asia
  17
  pickup soccer games are always on
  the go.  An attempted bombing the
  Palace by Thai communists in 1995
  was foiled when the terrorist’s car
  bomb exploded prematurely. The most
  constant feature of this neighborhood
  is the heavily armed soldiers and po-
  lice carefully watching the tourists.
  While the rest of Bangkok runs
  headlong into the future, Chinatown
  is the least changed neighborhood in
  all the city.  Centered around Yaowarat
  Road, modern conveniences have in-
  truded but are alongside traditional
  shops, stands, and buildings.  This is
  also the home of Bangkok’s Chinese
  Triads.  Each Triad controls its own
  section of Chinatown and the bound-
  aries are relatively stable but conflict
  between members is common
  Chakraphet Road is home to a
  large population of Indians and this is
  known as Indiatown.  Despite the ten-
  sions at home, Sikhs and Hindus have
  coexisted peacefully and Indiatown is
  one of the safest places in Bangkok.
  However, a cell of the extremist Dal Khalsa terrorists arrived in late 1998 and
  are preparing to bring their war to Thailand.
  Silom is Bangkok’s financial district and is similar to Dusit in that it mixes
  the old and the new into a fusion that is peculiar to Bangkok.  Silom is the home
  of Bangkok’s volatile stock market and all of Thailand’s large banks.  Army
  checkpoints make movement through Silom difficult.  Silom is also the home of
  raunchy Patpong road, famous for its go-go bars and massage parlors.
  Siam Square is Bangkok’s district of wealth and conspicuous consumption.
  Traditional markets compete with super department stores and the streets look
  like BMW and Mercedes showrooms.  Even modest homes here are priced
  well into the seven-digit mark and are well guarded.  If you have to ask the
  price, you should probably leave before you get thrown out.
  Sukhumvit is where everybody who isn’t filthy rich or desperately poor
  lives.  Cutbacks in city services have reduced police presence, fire protection,
  and garbage disposal.  Demonstrations occur in the neighborhoods parks on an
  almost daily basis but the police break up most of them before they ferment into
  full-blown riots.  Still, some blocks are burned out shells as a result of the sum-
  mer riots of 1998.
  On the other side of the Chao Phraya River, Thonburi is slower and more
  introspective than fast-paced Bangkok.  The southern half of Thonburi is more
  middle class than the northern half, which is made up largely of shantytowns,
  sweatshops and a large Cambodian refugee camp.
  Lumpini Boxing Stadium - Thai boxing events are scheduled seven days a
  week, from dusk to midnight in this stadium that seats 27,000.  Gambling occurs
  in the muggy upper levels where fights break out with almost the same fre-
  quency as those in the ring.  Many underworld contacts are made here in the
  anonymity of the sweaty, roaring crowd.
  Popular Vehicles
  Vehicles of Japanese and Korean manu-
  facture are more popular than Ameri-
  can or European vehicles.  This is in
  part due to economics - they are
  cheaper - and partly due to practical-
  ity - Japanese and Korean manufac-
  tured vehicles are smaller and more
  maneuverable in the tight streets of
  Southeast Asia.  For stats for the ve-
  hicles, see the Millennium’s End v2.0
  rulebook or the Millennium’s End Ve-
  hicle Sourcebook.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  18
  Saovabha Institute - The International Red Cross manages this center where
  poisonous snakes from around the world are raised and milked for their venom.
  From this venom anti-venom is created and shipped around the world.
  Khao Din (Dusit) Zoo - A world-class zoo that focuses on rare and soon-to-be
  extinct animals from the dwindling jungles of Southeast Asia.  The zoo has
  several teams of zoologists who scour the region and have a tacit agreement
  with the government that allows them to smuggle captured specimens into the
  country.
  Patpong Road - Bangkok has many red-light districts but Patpong Road is in a
  class all by itself.  Literally wall-to-wall with brothels, go-go bars, discos, opium
  and heroin dens, just walking down the road is a risk to morality and hygiene.
  Police rarely venture here except to pick up their monthly payments.
  DEA Compound - The DEA compound covers several square blocks of
  Sukhumvit and is closed to the public.  Access is only through heavily guarded
  checkpoints (See Drug Enforcement Administration, page 77).
  Taskin Bridge - This slim and ornately decorated bridge links Silom and the
  financial district with Thonburi.  Its narrow lanes and constant jam make it a
  favorite ambush site for robbery and murder.
  Wat Phra Keo - Home of the Emerald Buddha, this temple was constructed to
  house the priceless image after a long history of being the target of invasions
  and theft.  The Emerald Buddha is carved from a single emerald stone and
  although only inches in height, is so valuable as an
  artifact of the Thai people that King Bhumibol’s body-
  guards protect it.
  Bobby’s Arms - A respectable pub, Bobby’s Arms is
  home to American and British expatriates- everyone
  from business execs to mercenaries.  Simple informa-
  tion is exchanged freely as long as you’re buying, and
  the more costly kind can be arranged for a proper fee.
  Cat’s Eye Club - This is the kind of go-go bar that
  comes to mind when most people think of Bangkok
  nightlife.   Located on Patpong Road, the Cat’s Eye
  Club features dancers, loud music, watered down
  drinks, and hostesses who can take care of even the
  most jaded taste.  Cat’s Eye owner Robert Vang also
  sells black-market weapons from his basement wine
  cellar.
  Siriraj Hospital - Not the only, or the best, public
  hospital in Bangkok, but its emergency room special-
  izes in trauma, particularly gunshot wounds.  The 24-
  hour total chaos and easily bribed employees virtually
  guarantee privacy on demand.
  The Oriental - Considered the best hotel in Asia by
  business travelers, the Oriental started in 1876 as a
  
  Chapter One: Welcome to Southeast Asia
  19
  venture by two sea captains who failed to find their fortunes in Thai gold.  The
  Oriental has everything necessary to conduct business in total luxury.  Privacy
  is assured and Oriental security is easily the best in business.  Rooms and suites
  are priced to match its reputation for excess.
  CHIANG  MAI, THAILAND
  The opium capital of the Golden Triangle, Chiang Mai is an ancient city finding
  revitalization through the immense cash flow of the drug trade.  The old city
  was walled against foreign invaders but now the walls are made of silence
  against those who wish to disrupt this most lucrative of industries.
  Originally a separate kingdom, northern Thailand has been the possession
  of Thai, Burmese, Hmong, and Laotian kings.  The people are still independent,
  speaking their own dialect of Thai and having a distinct culture that is a blend of
  traditions from the Golden Triangle.
  The Chiang Mai of today has expanded well beyond the stone walls that
  originally contained it.  It has a population of 250,000 and is the second largest
  city in Thailand.  However, the city is still amazingly small and compact, cover-
  ing only three square kilometers.  It is fully modern but lacks the manic drive of
  Bangkok.  This more laid back approach is considered by many to be the true
  Thailand.
  Chiang Mai is built on the banks of the Mae Ping river and was originally a
  walled city.  The walls have since decayed but the ancient city is still the center
  of activity.  French restaurants, health spas, clothing boutiques, and art galleries
  have sprung up throughout the Old City.  Tourists, Chiang Mai’s number one
  legal industry, walk the streets looking for bargains between excursions to na-
  tive villages and jungle treks.  Getting around Chiang Mai is easy even though
  the streets are narrow and winding.  Public transportation is available and streets
  are rarely congested.
  Despite the amount of drug trafficking through Chiang Mai, either down
  Highway 110 from Chiang Mai or through Chiang Mai International Airport,
  there is little violence.  Each opium syndicate has its holdings here and rarely do
  they bother each other.  City officials are so completely in the drug industry’s
  pocket that the smugglers need not worry about raids and arrest.  Chiang Mai is
  a kind of neutral ground to the drug industry and a place where the opium lords
  can go to spend the mountains of money they make on modern pleasures.
  Chinese Consulate - Everybody wants a piece of the action, even China.  This
  consulate represents Chinese interests in business and industry.  Many on the
  staff are members of the Republic of China’s military intelligence who are ac-
  tive in espionage throughout Southeast Asia.
  Komevong Road - Chiang Mai’s nightlife is much tamer than Bangkok but for
  those seeking a seedier experience there is Commoving Road.  This short side
  street is home to go-go bars, brothels, and other institutions offering the plea-
  sures of the flesh.  Visitors to the north often think that because of its distance
  from Bangkok, the chances of contracting AIDS in Chiang Mai is less than in
  Bangkok.  Actually, it’s about the same with roughly 70% of those working in
  Commoving Road being infected with AIDS or its precursor, HIV.
  McCormick Hospital - The hospital features a well-equipped laboratory used
  by the Red Cross, the World Health Organization, and occasionally the Ameri-
  can Center For Disease Control to identify viruses and bacteria.
  Opium
  Opium is Southeast Asia’s number one
  cash crop and the sole source of in-
  come for dozens of hill tribes.  Anti-
  drug efforts spend millions of dollars
  and cost hundreds of lives every year.
  Millions of heroin and opium addicts
  in the United States and Europe
  struggle to get their next fix from a prod-
  uct grown half a world away.
  Opium, codeine, morphine, and
  heroin are the end products of a long
  process that refines and condenses the
  narcotic properties of the poppy into
  an ingestible form.  It all begins with
  the oriental poppy, Papever
  somniferum, a hardy plant native to
  Asia’s high mountain areas.  Poppy
  growers slit the sides of the immature
  bulbs and allow the resin inside to drip
  out and harden.  The tacky, brown
  resin drops are collected and bundled
  together and transported on the backs
  of strong mountain ponies to hidden
  refining centers.  Every kilogram of raw
  opium condenses down to about a
  tenth of its original weight in refined
  opium.  This may be further processed
  with the addition of acetone, benzine
  and other chemicals to form codeine,
  morphine, and heroin.  The chemicals
  necessary to create opium derivatives
  are a valuable commodity by them-
  selves and there is an active black
  market for them.
  This process generally occurs within
  the Golden Triangle, but since every
  country in Southeast Asia has official
  laws against drug trafficking, getting
  the drugs out of the Triangle requires
  smuggling.  The central smuggling
  route is through Thailand to Bangkok
  where the drugs are warehoused and
  shipped to buyers around the world.
  Most drugs enter Thailand over moun-
  tain passes and jungle trails on the
  backs of the same ponies that carried
  the raw opium.  Chiang Mai, Thailand’s
  second largest city, is the undeclared
  opium capital of Thailand and it is
  there that most narcotics are split up
  to be smuggled by automobile, boat,
  or airplane to Bangkok.  Chiang Mai
  has recently finished its international
  airport and some smugglers have cho-
  sen to bypass Bangkok
  (con’t. next page)
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  20
  Opium (con’t.)
  and ship directly from Chiang Mai.
  Opium has a huge impact on South-
  east Asia’s economy and is the sole
  support of many Golden Triangle hill
  tribes.  Hill tribe villages are paid only
  pennies for every kilogram of raw
  opium product they collect.  The refin-
  ery workers who process and package
  the drugs are also paid very little and
  the refineries themselves are cheap
  and easy to create.  Only the chemists
  necessary for some of the more deli-
  cate procedures and testing the refined
  product are paid much beyond sub-
  sistence levels.  The major price jump
  occurs once the product has been
  smuggled to the distribution level
  where a kilo of heroin costing a hun-
  dred dollars to produce sells for sev-
  eral thousand.  Heroin sales alone earn
  an annual income of over 100 billion
  dollars.
  Around Mai Restaurant - This four-star restaurant is a favorite hangout for
  wealthy tourists and newly wealthy heroin smugglers.  City officials and drug
  lords sit across the isle from each other and enjoy the finest French cuisine
  outside of Bangkok.
  Tribal Research Institute and Library - This anthropological center is run by
  Chiang Mai University and is one of the world’s foremost sources of informa-
  tion on the primitive tribes of Southeast Asia.  Anthropologists here are on a
  first-name basis with many tribes and villages and can provide introductions and
  directions
  Riverside - A health spa built on the Mae Ping River, Riverside is very popular
  with the Chinese community in Chiang Mai.  It is also a sort of neutral ground
  among Triads where deals can be arranged and conflicts arbitrated without
  interference.  The sulfuric nature of the natural spring beneath Riverside guar-
  antees no electronic surveillance because any listening devices in the spa is
  quickly reduced to junk.
  Chiang Mai Orchid Hotel - Despite its small size, only ninety-six rooms, the
  Orchid is the best hotel in town.  A private suite is always reserved for opium
  magnate Khang Sar.
  The National League for Democracy of Burma - When the Karen strong-
  hold that was home to the NLD was overrun by SLORC troops in 1995, the
  Burmese activists moved outside the country to Thailand.  Security is tight and
  all windows on the orange and tan building have been bricked over.  Radio Free
  Burma is broadcast from here and a tall red and white radio antenna rises up
  from behind the building (see The NLD, page 118).
  Kipling Gallery - There is no evidence that Rudyard Kipling actually visited
  Chiang Mai, but the owner of this fine art gallery, Alice Ko Vang, entertains
  customers with several stories in which he did.  Actually, the gallery is a front
  for her real business, the buying and selling of stolen art.  Many of the opium
  lords and smugglers have pretensions of culture and feed their egos by acquir-
  ing objects d’art for their private collection.
  HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM  (SAIGON )
  In 1975 the city of Saigon fell to invading North Vietnamese communist troops
  who thought they had conquered the south and ensured a lasting worker’s uto-
  pia.  Nearly a quarter of a century later, its difficult to tell who conquered
  whom.  Ho Chi Minh City, otherwise known as Saigon, is more alive and capi-
  talist than ever.  As the primary source of income to a cash-poor nation, Ho Chi
  Minh City is the de facto capital and more important decisions are decided here
  than in the dour official capital of Hanoi.  Even the worldwide depression can-
  not put out the determination of the city to be known as “the Pearl of the Orient”
  once again.
  Ho Chi Minh City is certainly the most western of Southeast Asia’s cities
  besides Bangkok.  The Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, the reformist
  minded city council, had made major efforts to bring in foreign investments and
  have been very successful.  In the fifteen years that Vietnam has embraced
  Western dollars, Ho Chi Minh City has shed the utilitarian look of its communist
  years.  Bicycles, motorcycles, and trishaws dominate the streets but more and
  more private vehicles are appearing.  Foreign tourists and business travelers are
  
  Chapter One: Welcome to Southeast Asia
  21
  common and the Vietnamese people welcome them with open arms, albeit with
  palms up.
  The city is divided into districts, each covering approximately 2.5 square
  kilometers.  The Dot Canal borders on the east by the Saigon river, and on the
  south the central area that is actually Saigon.  Although some areas of Ho Chi
  Minh City are still rural, most are very urban and an extensive network of
  streets and roads bisect the connect the city.  Many new and modern buildings
  have been built, including several by Kern & Williams of Miami.
  Expanded personal freedoms have allowed other, less positive, influences
  to rise to the surface.  District Four is the district of the “five no’s”- no sewer, no
  water, no electricity, no jobs, and no hope.  This poverty-stricken neighborhood
  is the home of Ho Chi Minh City’s poorest people.  The narrow streets and
  canals are polluted and filthy.  Disease is rampant and the infant mortality rate is
  four times the national average.  Crime, once almost unheard of, is on the rise as
  is drug abuse, prostitution, and suicide.  In Cholon, the city’s Chinatown and
  home to nearly half a million ethnic Chinese, organized crime Triads have had a
  renaissance of their own.  Even religious violence has reared its ugly head with
  clashes between gangs of Catholics, Muslims, and Buddhists.
  More troubling is a problem that virtually no one has identified - food is
  becoming more expensive and harder to come by.  Street children and the poor
  have always suffered from malnutrition but actual starvation is now occurring.
  Pasteur Street - A name left over from the French period, Pasteur Street is
  where the city’s trendy come to see and be seen.  Its crowded and noisy but
  nothing like Bangkok’s Patpong Road - all the entertainment is above the waist.
  Notre Dame Cathedral - Catholicism was imported by the French during the
  colonial period and there are many cathedrals in the city but this is the grandest
  of them all.  In 1997 a gang of militant Buddhists stabbed two young men to
  death on its doorsteps.
  Xa Loi Temple - Near the War Crimes
  Exhibition is the Xa Loi Temple, a large
  multistory tower with surrounding gar-
  dens.  Monks from Xa Loi self-immo-
  lated themselves in protest of the Diem
  regime in the mid 1960s and protested
  the communist crackdown against re-
  ligion in the 1970s.  Today the temple
  promotes freedom of expression and
  it has become a center of philosophy
  for the reform movement.
  Reunification Palace - The former
  Presidential Palace before North Viet-
  namese tanks burst through the gates,
  effectively ending the war of reunifi-
  cation.  The palace is now important
  as a rallying point for hard-line com-
  munists and military veterans.
  Buffalo Blues - The only jazz bar in
  the Vietnam, Buffalo Blues has been
  kicking out soulful music for over
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  22
  twenty years.  Booths and conference rooms allow for private conversations
  and the owner, Quinn Than Le, has the place electronically swept weekly.  Le
  has connections with Chinese Triads that allow him to acquire unusual informa-
  tion and materials.
  Norfolk Hotel - A cut-rate hotel popular with budget travelers, the Norfolk
  Hotel is owned and operated by John and Sybil Wyzanski, an Australian couple.
  The Wyzanski’s are wanted for fraud and high-tech bank robbery in Australia
  and smuggled themselves into Vietnam illegally.  They have continued their
  attacks on financial institutions around the world by long-distance hacking and
  take advantage of the chaotic banking laws of Vietnam.
  Independence Hall - The residence of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Com-
  mittee, the Saigon Word newspaper describes the building as “wallpapered
  with bribe money”, a colorful but realistic description of the rampant corruption
  within the city government.
  Ho Chi Minh City Botanical Gardens - This sprawling park at the end of
  Nguyen Du Road is the home of thousands of species of plants.  Many species
  have yet to be identified and are left to grow unattended until the overworked
  botanists can study them.
  PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA
  Phnom Penh was founded as a religious center in 1433 on the site where the
  Mekong, Tone Sap, Bassac Rivers converge. The French discovered the sleepy
  backwater town in 1863 and declared Cambodia part of its colonial Union
  Indochinoise.  The city is stamped with its French colonial past - vanilla col-
  ored mansions and broad, palm-tree lined roads remind visitors of Paris or
  Marseille.
  But it is more recent history that has most colored Phnom Penh.  In April
  17, 1975 the Khmer Rouge seized Phnom Penh, marching all its occupants into
  the countryside for the beginning of its brutal reign of terror.  The city was
  almost empty for three years while its citizens were murdered and tortured in
  concentration camps.  It wasn’t until the Vietnamese invasion that Phnom Penh
  was repopulated, and then at only about one-half its previous level.  Three years
  of vacancy hadn’t been kind, nor had the fighting between Khmer Rouge and
  Vietnamese, and parts of Phnom Penh had to be rebuilt.  The lack of resources
  forced Cambodians and their Vietnamese occupier “friends” to improvise.  The
  constant state of warfare between government forces and the Khmer Rouge
  have added shell craters and bullet pockmarks to the picture.  Water and elec-
  tricity comes and goes and these services are often out for weeks at a time
  after a Khmer Rouge attack.
  Phnom Penh is a small city.  A fifteen-minute drive in Bangkok or Ho Chi
  Minh City gets you more Bangkok or Ho Chi Minh City.  A fifteen-minute drive
  in Phnom Penh gets you rice paddies and water buffalo.  Despite its small size,
  visitors can find the maze of streets and similar-looking construction disorient-
  ing.  All streets have been renamed at least once by the successive regimes and
  even locals have a hard time giving directions.  There is no public transportation.
  Fortunately, there is no shortage of people willing to show visitors the way, for a
  small fee.
  The city is roughly triangular in shape with the top point in the north and the
  eastern side defined by the Tone Sap and Mekong Rivers.  The French Quarter
  with its decaying colonial mansions, faded billboards, and soldiers populate the
  Ruins
  People have lived in Southeast Asia
  for thousands of years and many civi-
  lizations have risen, thrived, dwindled,
  collapsed and been reclaimed by the
  jungle.  The most massive and impres-
  sive of the known ruins is the Angkor
  Wat complex in northwestern Cambo-
  dia (See the Ankor Wat Sidebar) but
  there are hundreds of smaller decay-
  ing structures and statues covered in
  vines and bushes throughout South-
  east Asia.  Only a fraction have been
  discovered, let alone studied and
  documented.
  Ruins need not be ancient, however.
  Villages near mineral deposits are built
  and abandoned almost overnight.  In
  Cambodia, shallow mass graves reveal
  gruesome testimonies to the genocide
  perpetrated by the Khmer Rouge.
  Hundreds of cannons, vehicles, and
  aircraft from several wars have been
  left to rust in the jungle.
  
  Chapter One: Welcome to Southeast Asia
  23
  northern tip of Phnom Penh and is
  home to Cambodia’s elite.  This is
  mostly members of the Hun Sen gov-
  ernment, foreign diplomats, and a few
  westerners who have made their in-
  vestment in Cambodia work.  This is
  also the area where those foreign na-
  tions with diplomatic ties to Cambodia
  maintain their embassies.  Security in
  this area is tighter than usual with mili-
  tary checkpoints and roving patrols.
  The southern two-thirds of the city
  is a hodgepodge of neighborhoods.
  Buildings are one or two stories tall, if
  they exist at all.  Large vacant lots
  have 
  been 
  transformed 
  into
  shantytowns for the growing popula-
  tion of refugees fleeing fighting to the
  north.
  The people of Phnom Penh are
  often as scarred as the city they live
  in.  Amputees, usually victims of land
  mines, scoot about on crude wagons
  or hop on donated prostheses.  Chil-
  dren are everywhere (the average age in the city is twelve).  The lucky ones
  have families but there are many orphans who live on the streets.
  Street crime is limited to petty theft and unsophisticated scams.  Govern-
  ment soldiers have checkpoints at most major intersections and patrol on a
  regular basis, but discipline is poor and few will intervene unless directly or-
  dered to do so.  The United Nations Headquarters in the old Wat Phnom Hotel
  is generally a safe area, unless the Pakistani and Bangladeshi troops are on
  alert.  Khmer Rouge terrorists have infiltrated the city and stage bombings,
  rocket attacks, and drive-by machine gun attacks on an almost weekly basis.
  Visitors to Phnom Penh are urged to review warnings posted at Pochentong
  Airport for recent Khmer Rouge activity but are also warned that the warnings
  are often inaccurate.  It’s an appropriate welcome to Cambodia.
  National Assembly - Constructed in 1954, the National Assembly was demol-
  ished during fighting between the Khmer Rouge and Vietnamese forces.  It was
  rebuilt by the Vietnamese in 1982 and has been the seat of power for Cambodia
  ever since.
  United Nations Transitional Authority Command (UNTAC) Headquarters
  - The UN mission to Cambodia to restore order and remove land mines is
  planned and coordinated from the Phnom Penh headquarters located in the
  former Wat Phnom Hotel.  The hotel itself is a white four-story building, one of
  the tallest in Phnom Penh, and surrounded by a concrete wall topped with
  concertina wire.
  Royal Palace - This palace constructed in the mid 19th century by the French
  was a gift of appreciation to the King for allowing them to take over his country.
  It was partly destroyed by the Khmer Rouge but the job was finished in 1997
  when General Hun Sen turned against his co-premier, Prince Rannarid, for
  supposedly conspiring with the Khmer Rouge.  Royalist Party supporters fled to
  Angkor
  Located 7km from Siem Reap, the
  Angkor ruins are one of the world’s
  greatest archeological treasures.  The
  Ankor complex is actually a series of
  temples, pools, and terraces that cov-
  ers are area about as large as Los An-
  geles County.   Some are little more
  than crumbling stone and brick piles.
  Others, such as Ankor Wat and Ankor
  Thom, are massive buildings that can
  take days to fully explore.
  Both nature and man have abused
  the temples and the jungle has already
  claimed some.  Many of Angkor’s
  temples are covered in bullet holes
  from bored Khmer Rouge soldiers.
  Researchers from the Oriental Institute
  of Chicago and Thammasat University
  of Bangkok work feverishly to repair
  what damage they can and prevent
  future damage.  They face constant
  harassment by the Khmer Rouge,
  mines, poisonous snakes, and worst
  of all, the jungle itself.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  24
  the palace and were attacked with tanks and rockets by the Cambodian People’s
  Armed Forces.  Many were killed and those who surrendered were either im-
  prisoned or exiled.  Today, the Royal Palace is nothing but a pile of rubble.
  Wat Phra Keow - Also known as the Silver Pagoda, this temple’s floors are
  constructed of over 6000 silver blocks, approximately six tons in total.  One of
  the few temples not completely trashed by the Khmer Rouge, it also contains a
  large crystal Buddha as well as a gold Buddha covered in over 1300 diamonds.
  Tuoi Sieng Genocide Museum - This former high school was converted into a
  prison and torture house by the Khmer Rouge through which over 70,000 people
  were processed, seven of which survived.  Bloodstained torture devices are
  displayed as well as large memorial made up entirely of human skulls.
  Hospital Calmette - A private hospital run by French physician Dr. Rene Sorel,
  the Calmette is well stocked with emergency supplies but drugs are usually in
  short supply.  Dr. Sorel does not speak English but has several on his staff who
  do.
  Quinn & Potok - Within sight of the red stone monument to Cambodian Inde-
  pendence is the warehouse where Quinn & Potok restore and merchandise the
  country’s past.  The warehouse is constructed of corrugated tin and bamboo but
  is reinforced around the entrances.  An armed guard is always found outside the
  structure with another on the roof.
  Restaurant Neak Somot (Sea Dragon) - Found on Sisowath Quay Street,
  Phnom Penh’s answer to Sunset Boulevard, Restaurant Neak Somot is owned
  and operated by Cambodian-American Tola Vong.  Vong only recently returned
  to Phnom Penh from San Diego, California and can often be seen riding a jet ski
  on the Mekong and Tone Sap rivers.
  Heart of Darkness Café - A small diner spot in the Khmer Area owned by
  Tyler Matthews, an American hippie.  Matthews came to Phnom Penh in 1984
  as part of “spiritual tour” and has been here ever since.  He and his wives, at
  last count he had four, offer guided tours of Phnom Penh and surrounding loca-
  tions.
  VIENTIANE , LAOS
  When the Friendship Bridge between Thailand and Laos was opened in 1994,
  the communist leadership was afraid that their capitol would be inundated with
  foreign influences and become a bustling haven of capitalism.  They need not
  have worried.  The first busload of businesspeople that entered the city found
  that the Pathet Lao communists had made everyone equal.  Equally poor.  Equally
  uneducated.  Equally suspicious of anyone from the other side of “The Bamboo
  Curtain”.
  Vientiane was founded in 1526 but was destroyed in the mid eighteenth
  century by invading Thais.  The city remained nothing but rubble until the French
  arrived in the mid nineteenth century and rebuilt it.  Although technically neutral
  in the conflict between the democratic South Vietnam and communist North
  Vietnam, Laos was a major battleground with both sides fielding large armies
  throughout the dense hill terrain.  Vientiane was the home of the CIA-run war in
  Laos as well as the CIA’s own airline, Air America.  When Vietnam fell and
  American support for the Hmong and other tribal warriors faded, the country
  fell to the Pathet Lao communists who seized Vientiane and made it the com-
  Getting Around
  All nations will require a current pass-
  port and all except Burma (Myanmar)
  will issue temporary visas upon entry
  (See the Getting Around Burma
  sidebar).  If a person has any criminal
  record or outstanding warrants upon
  entry, they will be arrested by customs
  officers so it’s a good idea to make
  sure things are cleaned up from the
  last assignment before returning.  Cus-
  toms laws vary but a good standard is
  that people may enter a country with
  two cartons of cigarettes, a bottle of
  liquor, medication as allowed by a doc-
  tor (doctors may have an emergency
  bag), and NO WEAPONS.  Since most
  B/E operatives will usually wind up go-
  ing someplace nasty and wanting their
  favorite firearm when they get there,
  that leaves three alternatives- bribing
  customs officials, smuggling them-
  selves and their gear into the country,
  or arriving legally and obtaining sup-
  plies there.
  Travel within Southeast Asia can be
  troublesome.  Urban areas are con-
  gested columns of choking carbon
  monoxide and traffic rules are often
  ignored.  Bicycles are the most com-
  mon form of transportation followed
  by motorcycles and trishaws.  Fast-
  paced car chases will happen only on
  open highways well outside the cities.
  In rural areas, vehicles with heavy
  suspensions and four-wheel drive are
  a must.  Roads are rutted and muddy
  and often impassable during the rainy
  season.  Characters may mind up trav-
  eling on the backs of horses, mules,
  elephants, and water buffalo.  Rivers
  are good alternatives but have their
  own risks - rapids, dangerous wildlife,
  and river pirates.  In cities, most espe-
  cially Bangkok, the polluted canals,
  called klongs, are a common form of
  travel.  Long distances are best taken
  care of via train, helicopter or airplane.
  
  Chapter One: Welcome to Southeast Asia
  25
  munist capital.
  Vientiane doesn’t have much to offer a visitor, except perhaps a case of
  intestinal parasites.  Little has changed since the communist takeover and the
  city remains more a collection of villages that happen to connect than a me-
  tropolis of 400,000.  There have been no improvements to the water, sewer, or
  electrical systems.  A short-lived building spurt in the mid 1980s gave the city a
  handful of new structures, each with that drab look prized by Russian archi-
  tects.  There is no public transportation and streets are laid out according to
  ancient buffalo trails.  Fortunately, there are no street signs to confuse travelers
  with information.
  Wattay International Airport - Even travelers experienced with the third world
  have a hard time with Wattay International Airport.  The runways are too short
  to accept modern jet aircraft and so all flights are on ancient turboprop air-
  planes, usually of Russian or Chinese manufacture.
  KM-6 - Located six km south of the city, hence the name, is the former CIA/Air
  America headquarters, also known as Silver City.  This is now the headquarters
  for the Pathet Lao communist party and the National Congress but they have
  kept the name Silver City and those who work here are nicknamed “Silvers”.
  This complex of buildings and hangars now has red stars hanging on every
  available space and the airfield provides for Laos’ minuscule air force.  Security
  is tight and visitors are not allowed without a pass, but money talks and the mere
  suggestion that you are foreign investors is usually enough to get you through
  the front gate.
  Mahosat Hospital - The People’s Hospital, Mahosat is a relatively modern
  hospital with staff having both western and eastern medical training.  Conse-
  quently, patients are likely to receive herbal remedies in addition to antibiotics.
  Only half of the three-story complex is devoted to patient care.  Soviet scientists
  used the other half was used by to conduct their chemical weapons research.
  When the Soviets pulled their weapons research out of Laos in the late 1980s
  the area was sealed off.  Improper storage of some chemicals has made the
  area hazardous.
  Australian Clinic - Located on the eastern edge of Vientiane is the Australian
  Clinic, a charity clinic run by Aussie volunteers.  The best thing to be said about
  the clinic is that the Australians know when they have something serious on
  their hands and can arrange for medical evacuation to Thailand, either via bus
  or airplane from Wattay Airport.
  Lane Xang Hotel - This Soviet-manufactured hotel has been redecorated with
  pastels and abstract art so that it looks like a set from the television show “Mi-
  ami Vice”.  Operatives from BlackEagle’s Miami office who see this may feel
  more at home.
  May 1 Restaurant - A popular hangout for Soviet and Cuban visitors to Laos’
  workers paradise, the May 1 Restaurant serves a variety of foods, including the
  only pizza available in Laos.
  Friendship Market - This unique market can be called the ultimate surplus
  sale and is open only to foreign investors.  This 500 square meter lot is covered
  with the leftovers of communism- statues, monuments, desks, helmets, pre-
  Second World War machine tools, and the list goes on.
  Holidays and Festivals
  Like the rest of the world, Southeast
  Asia has its share of holidays, festi-
  vals, and other excuses not to work.
  The following are important holidays
  and festivals.  Some are specific to a
  particular nation or ethnic group and
  are so noted.  Regardless, most are
  spent in the same way - big feasts and
  everybody goes to the nearest temple
  or public center and has a good time.
  All dates are for 1999.
  January 1st - New Years Day (official
  in all countries).
  January 6th - Pathet Lao Day (Laos
  only).
  February 7th through 13th - Tet (Viet-
  namese New Year, also everyone in
  Vietnam’s birthday).
  February 18th - Cambodia/Vietnam
  Friendship Day.
  April - Bon, Buddhist holiday.  The
  actual day of celebration varies from
  country to country.
  May 1st - Labor Day.  Big in commu-
  nist countries, less so in others.
  July 19th - Martyrs Day (Myanmar
  only).  Commemorates assassination
  of Myanmar’s first leaders in 1947.
  October - Bonn, Buddhist holiday.  The
  actual day of celebration varies from
  country to country.
  November 9th - Cambodian Indepen-
  dence Day (Cambodia only).
  December 5th - King Bhumibol’s Birth-
  day (Thailand only).
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  26
  YANGON , MYANMAR  (RANGOON , BURMA)
  Perched on the edge of the Irrawaddy River delta, Yangon (no one actually calls
  it that, preferring the original name of Rangoon) is one of the oldest cities in the
  world.  No one knows when it was founded but the Shwedagon Temple was
  begun 2600 years ago on a previously occupied site.  Like the rest of Myanmar,
  Temples are extremely important and they litter the cityscape like convenience
  stores do in America.
  The tranquil, pious image of the city is misleading; Yangon is suffering.
  Starvation is widespread.  Outbreaks of disease happen regularly.  Most impor-
  tantly, hope for the future is dying.  SLORC (State Law and Order Restoration
  Committee) soldiers patrol the streets and secret police watch every move of
  the population.  Giant billboards encourage the population to be grateful to the
  government for its “benevolent protection” and also encourage people to wash
  their hands regularly - cholera is a major problem.
  Although the government presence is almost overwhelming, there are still
  those who would rather die shouting than live in silence.  Demonstrations are
  organized by the NLD on important anniversaries and protestors distribute pam-
  phlets and information in the marketplaces.  The SLORC reaction is typically
  brutal with soldiers attacking the activists, often shooting indiscriminately into
  the crowds.
  Not only does Yangon feel oppressed, but it looks it, too.  Electricity and
  water are random events and not to be counted on.  Almost all buildings pre-
  date the 1948 independence.  Paint is expensive and in short supply resulting in
  the entire city looking as if it were peeling away and falling apart.  Only govern-
  ment buildings are maintained and walls, barbed wire, and the ever-present
  SLORC soldiers surround these.
  Yangon is perched on the muddy delta of the Irrawaddy River and is criss-
  crossed with canals, minor rivers, and lakes.  Lake Inya provides a northern
  boundary to the city with the Irrawaddy River and its many inlets and tributaries
  on the other three sides.  Unlike most cities in Southeast Asia, overcrowding is
  not a major problem with the exception of downtown Yangon.
  In the north of the city, on the shores of Lake Inya, the Yangon Arts &
  Sciences University is the central core of dissent against the SLORC regime.
  Many leader of the National League for Democracy have come from its stu-
  dents and faculty, although most are currently in exile or prison.
  The large, walled complex of the Shwedagon Temple is located between
  Ahlone Road and Shwe Gon Daing Road, in almost the exact center of the city.
  It dominates the Yangon skyline and is one of Buddhism’s most important and
  impressive monuments.  The temple itself is just less than 100 meters tall and is
  covered in gold and precious gems and the top spire contains 1100 diamonds
  and even more miscellaneous gems, including a 76-carat diamond.  The temple
  is in constant use by hundreds of monks and thousands of pilgrims and worship-
  ers each day.  The perimeter of the complex is heavily patrolled but weapons
  and soldiers are not allowed inside.
  Sandwiched between the Shwedagon Temple complex and the Irrawaddy
  River is Yangon’s downtown business center.  These tightly compacted city
  blocks still have a semblance of their colonial era beauty and are the home to
  the few major business in Myanmar.  The SLORC has its offices and official
  trappings in the People’s Government Center, right on the shores of the river.
  Further upriver are Yangon’s port facilities.  There are only thirteen berths and
  broken cranes and damaged docks from the 1998 monsoon compound the prob-
  lem.  Ships will often wait as long as a month to offload and receive new cargo.
  Because the country is too poverty stricken to have a traffic problem, get-
  Getting Around Burma
  Foreign visitors to Burma are very lim-
  ited.  Getting permission to enter the
  country is next to impossible and even
  then, only one-day visas are granted.
  Vehicles are in short supply and army
  checkpoints slow travel to a crawl.
  The 11pm curfew applies to everyone,
  including foreigners, and movement
  after that is extremely risky.  Some visi-
  tors have likened visiting Burma to vis-
  iting Nazi occupied Europe during
  WWII.
  Needless to say, assignments in
  Burma are difficult to conduct.  Stan-
  dard procedure for operatives who do
  go to Burma is to enter the country
  illegally and have a ready supply of
  pre-forged visas, one for each day.
  
  Chapter One: Welcome to Southeast Asia
  27
  ting around is relatively easy, although military checkpoints on every block are a
  major inconvenience.  Public transportation is virtually nonexistent and those
  few busses that still manage to run on jury-rigged parts are crowded to the point
  of being rolling deathtraps.
  Strand Hotel -  The fading glory of British colonial rule had been preserved in
  one of Southeast Asia’s most famous hotels and the decor and politeness can
  make a visitor feel as if they have stepped backwards in time a century or more.
  The Strand is also one of the few hotels that is allowed to serve foreign visitors
  and is riddled with Myanmar secret police and informers.  Still, it’s the only
  place in Yangon that you can get Western food and drink, even if it is British.
  Sulang An Kyu Sui’s House - Located near the University, this is the home
  and prison of Sulang An Kyu Sui (pronounced Su-lang An Kyoo Soo),
  Myanmar’s most famous activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner.  Behind a high
  stone wall and tall trees is her modest home, constantly guarded by three pla-
  toons of SLORC troops.  Those who linger outside the house are arrested and
  even U-turns are not allowed on University Avenue.  For a brief time, Kyu Sui
  was able to speak to visitors outside the walls but that privilege had been re-
  scinded.
  Prison No 57 - This three-story former shoe factory does not officially exist.  It
  is not recorded on any maps and no one who lives in the neighborhood will
  acknowledge what it is.  Prison Number 57 is where most political prisoners are
  held and endure a daily routine of torture and interrogation.
  Bogyoke Aung San Open Air Market - Bogyoke (pronounced boog-yook) is
  one of the few places in Rangoon where people can congregate without being
  arrested.  Bogyoke is a noisy, smelly, hodgepodge of just about everything avail-
  able in Myanmar, which isn’t much.
  Myanmar International Airport -  MIA (an ironic but appropriate acronym)
  has seen little change since 1948.  It is located 19 kilometers northwest of
  Rangoon and consists of a primary and secondary terminals, an air traffic con-
  trol tower, and a collection of huts and sheds for storage and maintenance.
  Myanmar Air, the national airline, services MIA but most of the jets and helicop-
  ters on the tarmac are military and there is a military base opposite the termi-
  nals.  Needless to say, SLORC soldiers are everywhere.
  Disco American - The 11:00 PM curfew in Yangon is strictly enforced every-
  where but some places manage to slip between the cracks.  Run by the son of
  a prominent SLORC general, young Burmese dance and drink to Western mu-
  sic from dusk until dawn at Disco American.
  Botataung House- This run down two-story building is no different from the
  rest on Ahlone Road but it does have the distinction of being the only active safe
  house the NLD has in Yangon.
  Myanmar National Hospital - Located downtown, Myanmar National Hospi-
  tal is one of the few modern hospitals in the country.  The well-trained staff
  suffers from lack of medicines and from constant supervision by SLORC se-
  cret police.  Protestors injured during demonstrations against the government
  are forbidden treatment at the hospital and so the injured are laid on the ground
  outside and the doctors and nurses can treat them there.
  
  The “wild west” of Southeast Asia, no place is more home to chaos and carnage
  than Northern Cambodia.  The site of constant warfare and atrocities since the
  late 1960s, Northern Cambodia is now the center of conflict between the Khmer
  Rouge and the Hun Sen regime of Cambodia.  Both sides are locked in a battle to
  the death and neither side is able to back down.  Meanwhile, the area becomes
  a no-man’s land of minefields, roving bandits, and those too terrified to leave.
  Northern Cambodia is separated from Thailand by the Dangrek Mountains, a
  spine of low hills that run west-to-east starting from the Laotian border to Thailand’s
  National Highway 33.  From there, the border makes a curve southward to the
  Kravanh Mountains and down to Gulf of Thailand.  The land is broad, flat, and
  swampy, particularly surrounding Lake Tone Sap, the dominant geographic fea-
  ture of the region.  Most travel is limited to the main roads but these are often
  damaged to the point where alternative routes must be found.  There is a single
  rail line from Phnom Penh in the south to Batdambang in the north, whole reliabil-
  ity is demonstrated by the local nickname “the Train to Hell”.  Border crossings
  into Thailand have been closed for many years but Thailand’s national highway
  33 meets with Cambodia’s National Highway 4 and travel between the two coun-
  tries is not uncommon.  In fact, several roads from Sisophan to Preah Vihear are
  kept in good condition to facilitate trucks carrying Cambodia’s natural resources
  to Thailand.
  The geography changes dramatically in Cambodia’s southwest, which is
  occupied by the Kravanh Mountains.  These steep mountains rise out of the flat
  surrounding ground like stone giants and are almost completely impassable to
  wheeled vehicles.  Few villages exist in the mountains and so far no one has
  taken advantage of the obvious wealth of natural resources they possess.  There
  are occasional forays by the Khmer Rouge through these mountains but as there
  are few people to terrorize, the patrols are more exhausting than productive.
  As of January 1, 1999, fighting between the Khmer Rouge and the Hun Sen
  regime in Phnom Penh has been fierce throughout the region and the battle lines
  are very fluid.  The Khmer Rouge have launched an offensive during the dry sea-
  son and have made progress against government forces.  Several cities, includ-
  ing Sisophan and Preah Vihear have been occupied and Khmer Rouge guerillas
  are active throughout the countryside.  Intense battles have been fought outside
  Batdambang, Siem Reap, and along National Highway 4.  The Khmer Rouge are
  in possession of the northern end of Cambodia, starting at the western border
  along the Kravanh Mountains to Batdambang, across the northern end of Lake
  Tone Sap.  From Lake Tone Sap, the Khmer Rouge line of control runs east to
  Siem Reap and across the country to Preah Vihear, and finally to where the
  borders of Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand converge.  This is not a front of units as
  in a normal war but more accurately reflects the point at which government sol-
  diers cannot go beyond without risking being cut off and annihilated.
  Behind the lines, towards the Thai border, things are relatively quiet but still
  deadly.  Between the Khmer Rouge camps on the Thai border and the battle lines
  are roughly 500,000 Cambodians seeking to keep their lives in the face of starva-
  tion, disease, and Khmer Rouge butchery.  Whole villages have fled the fighting
  or been slaughtered and now stand eerily empty.  Those that remain are either
  unable or unwilling to leave, despite the obvious threat.
  Khmer Rouge forces: The Khmer Rouge are divided into Army groups and
  further divided into divisions and battalions.  Army Group East covers the left flank
  of the assault against the government and consists of approximately 7,000 Khmer
  Rouge divided into two Divisions stretched between Preah Vihear and National
  Highway 4.  Most of these units are new and full of untried recruits from training
  camps along the Thai border.  These units have seen little action and have little
  heavy equipment or weaponry.  Army Group East is under command of General
  Key Sok, who is more a political figure than a military leader and is a cautious
  man.
  Army Group Center is the largest and most active of the Khmer Rouge Army
  Groups and is currently leading the offensive against government forces.  45,000
  trained soldiers divided into six divisions with artillery and a handful of armored
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  28
  
  HOT SPOT:
  NORTHERN
  CAMBODIA
  vehicles have pushed the Government forces back to the shores of Lake Tone
  Sap.  His units are divided almost evenly between the UN Safe Zones of
  Batdambang and Siem Reap and are attempting to drive southward through the
  swampy territory to seize either National Highway 4 or 5.  General Sovan
  Santapeap leads Army Group Center and has personally conducted several battles
  from the front lines.
  While the rest of the Khmer Rouge forces fight and die against government
  soldiers, the 19,000 Khmer Rouge in Army Group West under General Moen
  Phat (pronounced pat) in Pailin province west of Batdambang remain curiously
  detached from the fighting.  Phat has fortified his defenses and has refused to
  answer calls by the other Khmer Rouge generals to join in an attack on the UN
  Safe Zone of Batdambang or assist in the offensive.
  Cambodian Government Forces: The Khmer Rouge offensive of 1998/
  1999 has not gone well for the Hun Sen regime, primarily due to the incompe-
  tence of its leaders and the generally poor quality of the soldiers.  Those that
  have demonstrated an ability to retain their coherence under fire and not flee have
  been pushed to the front lines time and again and not given sufficient rest or
  resupply.  Meanwhile, vast resources are required to patrol the entire country
  against Khmer Rouge guerilla forces that seem to be everywhere.
  The Cambodian First Army has deployed itself in a ragged semi circle twenty-
  five kilometers south of the UN Safe Zone of Batdambang.  The Army’s 22,000
  soldiers straddle National Highway 5 and terminate on the shores of Lake Tone
  Sap.  First Army has access to two battalions of artillery for fire support but the
  artillery is short on ammunition for their antiquated field pieces.
  The Cambodian Second Army is located on the opposite side of Lake Tone
  Sap and has taken the brunt of the Khmer Rouge offensive and is down to 18,980
  soldiers from its original 23,000.  The Division is currently in the process of re-
  treating down National Highway 4 to approximately 45km south of Siem Reap.
  The retreat has been relatively organized, for once, but the Division is still in a
  precarious position.  Those units on the front lines are exhausted in both soldiers
  and supplies and their fire-support has already been moved out of range.  The
  commander of the Second Army is General Heng Khong, but he was wounded
  when his armored car struck a mine and now each of the army’s division com-
  manders have begun issuing orders and counter-orders in a storm of chaos.
  Third Army, the unit tasked with internal security and the defense of the
  capital, has taken steps to tighten security and increase the number of soldiers
  on the street.  Impressment gangs have swollen the ranks of the army from
  15,000 to 16,200 but all of these are raw recruits who have no training.  The bulk
  of these soldiers are inside the capital itself but 2,300 are in Kampong Chnang
  with the 11th Division and the 3,400-strong 7th Division is deployed in Kampong
  Cham.
  Action: The Khmer Rouge offensive is well under way by January 1, 1999
  and the action has been hot and heavy.  Most of the fighting has centered on the
  northern and eastern side of lake Tone Sap and National Highway 4.  The Khmer
  Rouge Army Group Center has clashed with the Cambodian Second Army sta-
  tioned outside Siem Reap.  The fighting was fierce and although the Khmer Rouge
  suffered heavy casualties, the government forces began to retreat.
  As the new year rolls on, more of the same is expected.  Assault in the west
  against First Army have failed to create a breakout and so the Khmer Rouge will
  focus on pushing the Second Army back towards Kampong Cham.  However, the
  Khmer Rouge are stretching their supply lines further than ever, leaving them
  vulnerable to a counter-attack, in the unlikely event there is one.
  The wild card in the action is General Moen Phat and the Khmer Rouge Army
  Group West.  The general has already refused to join the offensive, leaving the
  Army Group Center vulnerable from the west.  More importantly, Phat has quietly
  sent messages to the Hun Sen regime that he, and his forces, would defect from
  the Khmer Rouge if they were allowed to retain control of Pailin Province.  If this
  were to occur, the Cambodian government First Army could strike northward and
  encircle Army Group Center, possibly destroying it.
  Chapter One: Welcome to Southeast Asia
  29
  
  A long spine of low mountains divide Myanmar and Thailand and have been the
  border between the two countries for centuries.  The jungle-covered mountains
  provide a thick barrier through which no army has managed to cross without
  giving time for the enemy to mobilize.  Only a handful of passes exist between
  the nations and no invasion of one country by the other has ever been successful
  without holding one.  As Thailand and Myanmar engage in a cross-border feud.,
  these passes become increasingly valuable and contested.  As it has been since
  the sixteenth century, the most contested pass is near the city of Mae Sot.
  Occasional areas of timber cutting and agriculture break the thick jungle of
  the mountains but these are few and far between.  Mae Sot located a mere seven
  kilometer inside the Thai border, is a city of 8,000 and is located in a narrow valley
  between three mountains and is accessible only by land.  The Mae Sot Pocket,
  a small valley on the Myanmar side of the border, has been occupied by Thai
  troops and is also a zone of intense conflict
  On the Myanmar side of the mountains, the land opens up into the Karen
  state of Myanmar,  a gently sloping, marshy plain that has been heavily devel-
  oped for agriculture.  Villages and towns dot the region and are populated mainly
  by Karens, a Christian tribe native to the region that has been severely repressed
  by the SLORC regime.  The area was in rebellion until 1995 when MPA troops
  destroyed the Karen Resistance Headquarters in Thailand.  MPA units are posi-
  tioned throughout the region to prevent further uprisings.
  To the south of Mae Sot lies the Mae Sot pocket, a loop of the border around
  a damp valley that has traditionally been a part of Myanmar.  Thai forces occu-
  pied the pocket in 1997 after the MPA attempted to use it to circumvent Mae Sot.
  After bitter fighting which demolished two MPA divisions and one Thai division,
  the Royal Thai Army pushed the MPA to the other side of the Dawna mountains
  and occupied the valley.  Since then, the SLORC has placed a high priority on
  returning the pocket to Burmese hands but has yet to accomplish anything be-
  yond harassment of the occupation forces.
  Both sides of the conflict have been plagued by the fact that they are en-
  gaged in the wrong type of activity for which they are deployed.  The Thais have
  been fighting a primarily defensive battle with troops reacting to MPA moves but
  are restricted by the terrain.  The Burmese, on the other hand, are engaged in an
  offensive effort to dislodge the Thais from Mae Sot but are unable to bring their
  widely scattered units together for an assault.  This fact is actually to the relief of
  many MPA officers, who consider an assault on Mae Sot suicidal.
  Thai Forces: Thanks to the terrain, the number of Thai soldiers deployed in
  this theater of operations has been minimal.  The Thai 4th Division has been
  located in the city of Mae Sot since 1975 and has been reinforced by a company
  of M-60 tanks and a self-propelled artillery battalion from the 3rd Division.  Al-
  though Mae Sot has no airport facilities, Royal Thai Air Force sorties are flown
  out of the airport at the city of Tak, 52km away.
  To the south of Mae Sot, in the Mae Sot Pocket, the 3rd Division has taken
  residence.  The pocket was considered a strategic objective and taken in late
  1997 after strong resistance.  The two divisions, the 3rd and 2nd Mountain Divi-
  sions had both suffered tremendous losses and remaining elements of the 2nd
  were absorbed by the 3rd to form a single unit.  Since then, the 3rd Division has
  been deployed in the valley and the subject of occasional attacks by MPA air
  strikes and artillery.
  Thai Rangers from the 6th Ranger Battalion, based out of Tak, patrol the
  mountains in platoons and rely heavily on helicopters for both transport and fire-
  support.  The Rangers have ventured as far as Kawkareik, over 25km into Myanmar,
  to make their attacks.
  Myanmar Forces: Due to the dual role of the MPA to both suppress the
  local population as well as launch attacks against Thai forces, the Myanmar
  People’s Army presence is considerable but widely scattered.  The largest single
  entity, the 24th Division, is based out of Kawkareik and the nearby villages of
  Kaunmu and Ale Mekane on the border.  The nearly 6000 soldiers in the division
  have been recently deployed in late 1998, replacing the 10th Division which was
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  30
  
  HOT SPOT:
  MAE SOT
  POCKET
  failing to meet the expectations of the SLORC in Yangon.  General Nye, the
  10th’s leader, has spent the better part of 1998 preparing his troops for the area
  and feels that they are the best chance his country has of seizing the Mae Sot
  pass.  He has already conducted probes of the Mae Sot defenses and is formu-
  lating his plan of attack.
  To the south of Kawkareik the 19th Division has been deployed.  This Division
  has been tasked with the retaking of the Mae Sot Pocket from the Thais but has
  yet to make a move.  Karen resistance fighters remain a problem in the area and
  have made communication and supply difficult for the 19th.
  To the north of Kawkareik the 28th Division has been deployed.  Like the 24th
  Division, this unit has been preparing for an offensive against Mae Sot but prepa-
  rations have not gone as well as planned.  The division is still only has an under
  strength company of artillery and not enough vehicles.  Desertion is becoming an
  increasingly large problem.  General Kyo, commander of the 28 th Division, has
  expressed his displeasure to his troops by having ten soldiers executed for fail-
  ure to perform their duties.
  Action: The beginning of modern hostilities between Myanmar and Thailand
  started in this region when Myanmar forces crossed into Thai territory to strike at
  Karen resistance bases.  The Karen bases also housed the headquarters for the
  National League for Democracy, Myanmar’s exiled political opposition.  Counter-
  strikes by the Thai’s decimated the Burmese and both sides have sought to gain
  a strategic advantage ever since.
  Constant cross-border raiding has cost both sides in soldiers and equip-
  ment.  The Royal Thai Army has reinforced Mae Sot and the border with tanks but
  the armor is limited to travel on the road and vulnerable to infantry with anti-armor
  weapons.  With the exception of a disastrous attempt on Mae Sot in early 1996
  by the MPA, the lines have effectively stabilized.  The bulk of the fighting and
  casualties has been between the infantry, usually in groups no larger than com-
  pany size.
  The future will be different as both sides have begun to change their strate-
  gies.  The MPA 10th Division under General Nye is nearly finished preparing for the
  an assault on Mae Sot.  His stockpiles of equipment and fuel fill a small tent city
  outside of Kawkareik.  He has several teams who have trained heavily in using
  Chinese man-portable anti-armor missiles and he plans to use these as his tank
  breakers.  Other teams have trained in using Chinese HN-5 shoulder-fired anti-
  aircraft missiles to stop the rain of death dropped by the Royal Thai Air Force.
  Nye plans to make his attack at the end of 1999, when the rainy season has
  passed.
  The Thais have also begun to rethink their defensive strategy.  The conflict
  has been waged on-and-off since 1995 with no change in the fundamental lines of
  battle and no sign of a peace in the future.  Some within the military’s hierarchy
  have begun discussing the possibility of occupying the fertile valley west of Mae
  Sot and forcing the SLORC to negotiate a truce.  So far, it has only been talk but
  if the border-conflict should escalate further, this plan will no doubt be raised
  again.
  Meanwhile, the Karen resistance has been receiving training and equipment
  from the Thai Rangers and often accompany the Thais on long-range reconnais-
  sance into Myanmar.  The crushing defeat they suffered in 1995 has been largely
  forgotten as thousands of Karens slip over the border to join the fight to free the
  Karen state from the SLORC.  At any single moment, there are a half-dozen
  squads of Karen resistance fighters roaming the Karen state, gathering intelli-
  gence and causing headaches for the MPA leadership.
  Chapter One: Welcome to Southeast Asia
  31
  
   Although not as active as the fighting in the north, the Mergui Peninsula is the site
  of constant sea-born raids and guerrilla attacks.  Offshore, the Royal Thai Navy and
  the Myanmar People’s Navy play deadly games of cat-and-mouse among the thou-
  sands of islands and reefs that dot the western coast.  Thai Marines stage amphibi-
  ous operations against both military and civilian targets in an attempt to depopulate
  the area and deprive Yangon of valuable agricultural resources.  Meanwhile, Myanmar
  guerillas destroy bridges and roads, hoping to divide the country and deprive Bangkok
  of a land bridge to Malaysia.
  The nearly 400km stretch of land is important to both sides for the fishing,
  agriculture, and timber it possesses as well as being the easiest way to reach
  Malaysia and Singapore.  The large distances between population centers and the
  rugged terrain make it difficult to defend with any success.  The Thai side of the
  border is much more developed and industrialized but this presents drawbacks as
  well as benefits.  Thai forces must take a defensive role, patrolling roads and rail
  lines and guarding factories and towns.  Infiltrators from Myanmar stage hit-and-run
  attacks, sabotaging lines of communication and stealing valuable commodities
  and equipment.  Most of those killed by these infiltrators have been civilians living
  along the western coastline or attacked as they traveled Highway 4.  Unlike other
  zones of fighting, no territory has been occupied, although large areas are now
  empty as its residents flee to the protection of the population centers.
  Terrain in this area is punctuated by a spine of rolling hills covered in jungle
  down the center.  These hills rise to an average height of 300m with narrow valleys
  in between.  The border follows the eastern edge of the spine, starting at the Thai
  city of Ranong in the south and reaching up to its narrowest point (about 8km wide)
  at the Thai city of Pracheap Khiri Khan, which has been the site of many infiltrator
  attacks against rail lines and civilian facilities that support the Thai military.
  Most fighting in the area has come in the form of hit-and-run attacks staged
  from the sea on the western coast.  The two navies have engaged in combat among
  the maze of islands, with the dangerous currents and reefs claiming almost as
  many lives as fighting.  Many of the small fishing villages that used to dot the coast
  at regular intervals have been abandoned or destroyed.
  Thai Forces: Two army divisions, the 15 th and the 12th, have been assigned to
  defend the area and stage limited offensive operations and are augmented by air-
  craft of the Royal Thai Air Force located at Pracheap Khiri Khan and Surat Thani.
  The Royal Thai Navy, based out of the port city of Phuket, patrols the area with
  vessels large and small, as well as launching raids by Royal Thai Marines.
  The 15th division, a mechanized infantry division, with its headquarters in the
  town of Pracheap Khiri Khan, are tasked with the maintenance of National Highway
  4 and the rail lines that run parallel to it.  The 15 th patrols Highway 4, augmenting
  the National Police, who perform more mundane civil law tasks.  An entire brigade
  and a battery of artillery have heavily reinforced the city of Pracheap Khiri Khan.
  The Royal Thai Navy, who maintain both a squadron of patrol aircraft and A-7E
  Corsair II ground attack planes, has commandeered the civilian airport.
  The 12th Division, also a mechanized infantry Division, is much more offensive
  in its character and has an attached company of Thai Rangers who operate on and
  beyond the border.  The headquarters in Surat Thani is well behind any fighting but
  elements of the 12th are posted as the towns of Chumphon and Ranong, where
  fighting has been heavy.  Thai Rangers based out of Ranong regularly go on long-
  range patrols into Myanmar and also engage in counter-insurgency efforts along
  the border.  A flight of eight F16 Falcon fighter-bombers is stationed out of Surat
  Thani as well as a squadron of twenty-four UH-1H Iroquois helicopter gunships.
  The Royal Thai Navy patrols up and down the coast from its base in the port
  city of Phuket.  Few of the tourists who flock to the resort city know that Phuket is
  also home to the Royal Thai Navy’s Western Command and is home port for sev-
  eral destroyers and coastal patrol boats.  These vessels patrol against Myanmar
  infiltrators and raiders as well as against smugglers and pirates.  Royal Thai Ma-
  rines are deployed from these and other vessels in commando raids as far north as
  Mergui.
  With the exception of the Thai Rangers, most of these units are deployed in a
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  32
  
  HOT SPOT:
  MERGUI
  PENINSULA
  defensive posture, dug in at strategic towns and villages and patrolling the outlying
  areas against infiltrators.  The strongest defense is with the 12th Division in Surat
  Thani and northward along Highway Four to Chumphon.  The territory of the 15 th
  Division, from Chumphon to Pracheap Khiri Khan is more lightly defended, primarily
  because of the large distances involved.  Units are more mobile but strung out over
  greater distances and rely much more heavily on aerial reconnaissance.  Poor
  communications and the high level of traffic on Highway 4 further hamper reaction
  times by elements of the 15th Division.
  Myanmar Forces: Three Divisions of the Myanmar People’s Army , the 9 th,
  10th, and 21st, occupy the Myanmar side of the Mergui Peninsula and are engaged
  in cross-border raids and guerilla activity.  Over 400 troops operate inside Thailand
  as guerillas and infiltrators, attacking targets of opportunity and harassing enemy
  forces.  In addition, the fledgling Myanmar People’s Navy based out of Mergui has
  launched operations far more successful than anticipated.
  The MPA’s 9th and 10th Divisions have their headquarters in Mergui and stretch
  south and west to Bokpyin and the Thai border.  Both divisions take a defensive
  posture, spreading their collective troops along the border and only rarely allowing
  commanders to venture into Thai territory in large numbers.  Both the 9 th and 10th
  Divisions are veterans of the area and have been in place since the onset of hostili-
  ties.  They were originally much more offensive, striking at Pracheap Khiri Khan,
  Chumphon, and Ranong.  However, they were severely mauled by the Royal Thai
  Air Force and the 15th Division and forced to retreat to the border.  These losses
  have never been fully replaced and both divisions are severely under strength.  Of
  the roughly 6000 soldiers in the two Divisions, only 3700 are fighting soldiers, the
  other 2300 being conscripted laborers who are unarmed and are effectively slaves
  of the Myanmar military.  Morale is low and desertion is common.
  The 21st Division of the MPA has been newly organized and is led by General
  Pyong Kho, an ambitious man who seeks to make a name for himself in the Mergui
  Peninsula.  The 21st is based out of Bokpyin and it makes regular patrols through-
  out the southern tip of Myanmar and conducts offensive operations into Thailand.
  In addition, Kho has created an oversized company of guerilla fighters from soldiers
  within his division.  These guerillas, only 400 strong, conduct most of the raids and
  attacks within Thai territory and have been very successful in tying up Thai military
  forces that would otherwise go to areas of more intense fighting.  Their losses have
  been heavy, with groups as large as platoons being wiped out in a single action, but
  Kho has seen that they receive the best equipment and training that his country
  can provide.
  The Myanmar Peoples Navy, actually a sub-organization of the MPA, has proven
  itself to be an effective nuisance to the Thai navy and a danger to unprotected
  villages.  Although it has no large craft like Thailand’s Chakri Naruebet, the small
  vessels and ships of the MPN have launched hit-and-run raids on villages up and
  down the Thai coastline as far south as Phuket.  They take advantage of their small
  profiles and high speeds to maneuver through tight channels and hide in shallow
  coves.  The SLORC regime in Yangon has added to its meager naval resources via
  an archaic but effective means - the letter of marques.  Several pirates that have
  plagued the west coast of the Mergui Peninsula have gained  a measure of respect-
  ability, at least in Myanmar, thanks to the conflict.
  Action: Most of the combat in this region has been limited to guerrilla attacks
  and minor skirmishes.  Villages have been torched, bridges and roads destroyed,
  and agricultural centers damaged.  From the start of the conflict, most fighting has
  occurred along Highway 4 and up and down the western coastline.  The town of
  Ranong has become an armed camp, its perimeter ringed by tanks and soldiers of
  the 15th Division and Thai Rangers.  The town of Chumphon has been similarly
  fortified.  Both have become swelled with refugees fleeing the violence in the coun-
  tryside.
  On the Myanmar side of the border, the damage has been as severe.  Raids by
  Thai Rangers and Marines have deprived the Burmese of electricity, clean water,
  and basic commodities.  General Kho’s success with his guerrillas has failed to
  bolster support among the population, who blame the SLORC for their distress.
  National Highway 4
  National Highway 4 is the lifeline of
  southern Thailand and a major
  route of commerce for all of South-
  east Asia.  The millions of people
  living in Singapore, Kuala Lumpur,
  and the whole of the Malay penin-
  sula represent a vast market for the
  industries of Thailand, a market
  they cannot live without.  The High-
  way itself is a four-lane asphalt and
  concrete road built on an elevated
  berm.  There are many bridges to
  cross the ever-present rivers and
  streams that populate the area and
  it is these that have been the most
  common target of Myanmar infiltra-
  tors.  Infiltrators have also set am-
  bushes along the highway, using
  explosives and small arms to at-
  tack civilian and lightly protected
  military vehicles.  Although National
  Police cruisers patrol National
  Highway 4 they are accompanied
  by Thai Army APCs and armored
  vehicles.
  Chapter One: Welcome to Southeast Asia
  33
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  34
  CHAPTER TWO
  SYDNEY -
  GATEWAY TO
  ADVENTURE
  AUSTRALIA IN 1999
  Southeast Asia is a place for action, adventure, and danger for BlackEagle/
  BlackEagle operatives.  There are plans to eventually open a Bangkok or Kuala
  Lumpur office but these have not yet come to fruition, making Southeast Asia a
  place where operative are very much on their own.  Without the immediate
  availability of backup, logistics, or even friendly governments to turn to, they
  must rely upon their own wits and ingenuity to survive and fulfill their contracts.
  However, sometimes an individual cell’s capabilities are not enough and they
  must turn to someone else for help.  That help comes from the nearest BlackEagle
  office in Sydney, Australia.
  Most contracts that call for B/E cells to work in Southeast Asia are either
  arranged through or coordinated with the Sydney office.  All BlackEagle cell
  activities, L&P assistance, and communications coordination within the region
  is done through the office by its staff of experienced and professional opera-
  tives.  The office itself is designed with both resident and visiting teams in mind
  and the staff is familiar with the region and can offer considerable assistance to
  those who find themselves in Southeast Asia and in need of help.
  The nation-continent of Australia is no different from the rest of the world at the
  millennium’s end.  The world depression has a stranglehold on the economy,
  crime is up, employment is down, and optimism has given way to cynicism.  A
  drought has plagued much of the continent for three years running and each
  new Christmas has seen a record high temperature.
  
  Chapter Two: Sydney - Gateway to Adventure
  35
  Still, Australia is a decent place to live.  Called “Oz” by its citizens, Australia
  has far fewer people that the U.S. spread over a larger area and boasts an
  equal if not better standard of living.  More importantly, Australia has what can
  only be described as a generally more relaxed environment.  Socializing is of
  great importance and Australia champions the rights of the individual to do their
  own thing.  For the most part, Australia is  a friendly, pleasant place to live.
  Australian history is one of succeeding migrations, the first of which oc-
  curred circa 40,000 years ago when the Aboriginal people emigrated from Asia.
  Although the first Western explorer to find Australia in 1606 was Dutch, it was
  the English who established modern Australia in 1770 when Capt. James Cook
  landed near Sydney.  Having lost America as a dumping ground for convicts and
  troublemakers, King George III turned to Australia and began a process of
  forced emigration in 1787.  January 26 is celebrated as Australia Day and com-
  memorates the landing of the first of these resettlements in Port Jackson, now
  known as the city of Sydney.  The discovery of gold in 1851 brought droves of
  pioneers from around the world and by 1860 the population had reached one
  million.  Independence from direct English rule occurred in 1901 and Australia
  became a commonwealth. Although it was independent, the country still re-
  tained its close ties to Britain.
  When the White Australian Policy ended in 1972 a new wave of immigrants
  from Asia occurred.  Southeast Asian refugees, Koreans, Japanese, Indians,
  and a host of others found a new home in the land down under.  Meanwhile, the
  Aboriginals returned from near extinction to gain citizenship and a place in the
  cultural melting pot.  In 1999 the population has approached 20 million with over
  one quarter having been born outside of Australia’s shores.
  Although Australia is a modern industrialized nation, the vast majority of it
  remains wild and unsettled “bush” or wilderness.  Eighty-eight percent of the
  population lives within 20 kilometers of the coast and only 3% live in the bush in
  small towns or on vast sheep and cattle stations (ranches).  This fact, combined
  with the stigma of having been a convict colony, resulted in a national inferiority
  complex that has only recently been expunged with world-wide recognition of
  Oz’s uniqueness and success.  This new national pride was cemented with the
  awarding of the 2000 Olympics to Sydney, an event the entire nation is gearing
  up for with an almost religious fervor.
  Aboriginal Peoples
  In the race to settle Australia by the
  western world, the Aboriginals have
  fared poorly.  Three hundred thousand
  aboriginals inhabited Oz at the begin-
  ning of western settlement.  Through
  disease, loss of land and outright
  genocide, that number had shrunk to
  a few thousand at the turn of the cen-
  tury.  Efforts to provide citizenship and
  civil rights to the aboriginals began
  after the end of WWII and culminated
  in the ruling of the High Court that all
  unoccupied land with an Aboriginal
  history is the property of Aboriginal
  people.  Consideration for Abo (short
  for Aboriginal) religious practices, sa-
  cred places, and culture has also in-
  creased.
  For the average aboriginal, this
  hasn’t meant much.  On average, edu-
  cation and economic levels are lower,
  substance abuse and unemployment
  are higher.  Political and social organi-
  zations continue to seek aid but with
  the current economic difficulty there
  isn’t much on the horizon.  Roughly
  30,000 of the 288,000 Australian
  Aboriginals live in Sydney, mostly in
  the ghettos of King’s Cross.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  36
  The 2000 Olympics
  If there is one thing that has inspired
  hope and pride in Sydney, it is the
  Olympic Games that are to be held here
  in the summer of 2000.  Despite eco-
  nomic difficulties the city of Sydney is
  determined to show the world that it
  can put on a first-class show.  Existing
  sports facilities have been expanded
  and new ones have been built provid-
  ing much needed jobs.  Kids are al-
  ready hawking t-shirts and baseball
  caps with the Olympic logo.
  To ensure public safety, the Sydney
  police department and national
  anti-terrorist teams have already be-
  gun to prepare.  Their goal is to have
  no repeats of Atlanta or Munich.
  SYDNEY
  Sydney is Australia’s oldest and most populous city with 60,000 people living in
  Sydney proper and roughly four million in greater Sydney.  The city is built on
  the low hills that surround Port Jackson, Australia’s premier harbor.  The harbor
  is busy with one third of the nation’s sea traffic as well being the home of the
  Royal Australian Navy.  The Parramatta River divides Sydney between north
  and south, with the southern half having the dominant business and industrial
  areas while the north is largely suburban.  These two halves are united by many
  bridges, not the least of which is the world-famous Sydney Harbor Bridge, often
  seen with the equally famous Sydney Opera House in the background.
  Sydney bills itself as the gateway to Oz, a reputation that it lives up to.
  Almost all of Australia’s visitors begin their travels in Sydney as do most immi-
  grants.  In addition to the usual tourist stops, Sydney has a great deal to offer
  visitor and resident alike.
  The central business district is the center of the steel and glass canyons that
  mark downtown Sydney.  Defined roughly from the transportation hub of Circu-
  lar Quay (pronounced “key”) where ferries and JetCats carry people around
  the Parramatta River, southward to the beginning of Chinatown.  Hyde Park
  and the Royal Botanical Gardens mark the eastern boundary and Darling Har-
  bor defines the western boundary.  The City Circle Line, an elevated monorail,
  rings the district.  Traffic conditions are crowded and the streets are often filled
  with the cursing of Indonesian taxi drivers.
  West of central business district, The Rocks and Millers Point mix historic
  buildings built by convict labor and the latest in pubs, restaurants, and disco-
  theques.  Ferrari’s, Mazerratti’s, and Roll’s Royce’s make the streets a virtual
  showroom.  Catering to the wealthy and elite of Sydney, a private security firm,
  SecuriMax, patrols the streets in addition to the city’s police forces.  Jurisdiction
  conflicts between the two have flared up and neither side has a favorable view
  of the other.  A series of drug-related torture/murders in December of 1998
  shocked the city with their brutality and exposed a darker side of the neighbor-
  hood.
  The western edge of the business district is now a major tourist attraction
  featuring the Darling Harbor Convention Center, Sydney Aquarium, a water-
  front promenade, Harbourside Marketplace, and to the south, the Chinese Gar-
  den.  Its a crowded place and popular with BlackEagle/BlackEagle contractees
  who want an anonymous meeting place.
  South of the central business district, lies Chinatown.  This is something of
  a misnomer.  Although Chinese are definitely the majority population, there are
  also large populations of Vietnamese, Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian, and
  Micronesians.  These ring Chinatown like jewels on a crown and add their
  distinct flavor to the area.  Conflicts between the ethnic groups rise and fall with
  traditional holidays being the time of the fiercest fights.
  For rougher tastes, Kings Cross is the most infamous red- light district out-
  side of Bangkok’s Patpong Road.  “The dirty half-mile” of Darlinghurst Road is
  south and west of the central business district and it spills out for half a kilome-
  ter in all directions.  In addition to the stunning variety of sexually oriented
  businesses, King’s Cross is one of the poorest parts of Sydney.  Crime is ram-
  pant, as is drug use.  Almost half of the murders committed in Greater Sydney
  happen in the King’s Cross area.  Although it’s not a place for children, the
  tenement buildings and houses are full with families who have no jobs, no future,
  and no hope.
  Nearly three and one half million people live in the suburbs and surrounding
  Sydney and many of these have their own unique flavor.
  
  Chapter Two: Sydney - Gateway to Adventure
  37
  The 
  suburb 
  of
  Paddington, with its Victo-
  rian mansions and cast-iron
  trellises, is the down-under
  version of New York’s
  Greenwich Village.  Called
  “ Paddo” 
  by 
  locals,
  Paddington is about 4.5 ki-
  lometers south of the city
  center, just north of
  Kingsford Smith Airport.
  Formerly home to wealthy
  families rich from Australia’s
  immense natural resources,
  the neighborhood slowly
  decayed until it was barely
  hanging on.  A move to
  renovate the area resulted
  in one of the most pleasant
  Sydney suburbs.  The Vic-
  torian-era mansions are
  now home to corporations,
  clubs, pubs, and, of course,
  the BlackEagle/BlackEagle Sydney office.
  Glebe and the nearby University is a bohemian paradise featuring coffee
  and poetry pubs and a cluster of art galleries.  Glebe has always been more laid
  back and liberal than the rest of Sydney.  Although not the best neighborhood in
  town, crime is uncommon and violent crime a rarity.
  On the eastern side of Sydney facing the South Pacific Ocean is Bondi Bay,
  home to some of the world’s greatest surfing.  Surf Carnivals take place during
  the warmer months (November through March) and pit amateur and profes-
  sional surfers against each other for prizes and recognition. Many BE/BE op-
  eratives take advantage of the world-class surfing and nude sunbathing here.
  Bondi Bay is patrolled for sharks, another native Australian swimmer.
  Although not the nation’s capital (Canberra, Australia’s capital, is only a
  four-hour drive away), Sydney is a trade and manufacturing center for not just
  Australia but the entire Pacific Rim.  Corporate headquarters for most of
  Australia’s big businesses are found here as well as hundreds of smaller corpo-
  rations. Technology and research and development are the fastest growing in-
  dustries, but the largest business sector deals with resource extraction: oil, gas,
  lumber, wool, etc.
  Despite its self-promoted image of a tourist and business mecca, Sydney
  has problems.  Since the depression, many people have come here in search of
  jobs in the oil refineries, wool markets, and chemical plants that ring the city but
  most are unable to find work.  High unemployment and poor race relations
  between Anglos, aboriginals, and minorities have led to riots and an upsurge in
  hate crimes.  Overloaded city services are breaking down- sewer, water, gar-
  bage collection, etc.-and the tax base to support them is dwindling.  Crime, like
  everywhere in the world, has risen, but a person is still twenty times more likely
  to be murdered in Los Angeles than in Sydney.  Still, police have adopted similar
  tactics and equipment as that of other cities such as Miami and Los Angeles.
  Kingsford Smith Airport - The gateway to Sydney and Oz for millions of
  tourists, Kingford Smith is one of the world’s busiest airports.  Many of the
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  38
  runways have been artificially extended
  into Botany Bay, giving those with window
  seats the impression that their plane is
  about to crash into the sea.  Security is
  professional and quiet and a SWAT team
  is on alert at all times.  Kingsford Smith
  was the site of a hostage drama in late
  1998 when a deranged man claiming to
  have a bomb forced his way onto a Qantas
  747.  Live television footage of the SWAT
  team subduing the lunatic thrilled millions
  of Aussies.
  Sydney Precious Gem Exchange - Fu-
  eled by the opal trade, the Sydney Pre-
  cious Gem Exchange is one of the largest
  exchanges outside of Europe.  Millions of
  dollars in cut and uncut diamonds, emer-
  alds, rubies, and opals are bought and sold here every day.  As can be expected,
  security is high-tech, high-threat, and completely uncompromising.
  Queen Victoria Building - This huge building occupies the entire block and is
  known locally as the QVB.  It was formerly the city’s produce center but was
  restored in 1986 and now houses a few shops and restaurants.  A fire in July of
  1998 destroyed the northwest corner of the building and those areas have been
  cordoned off.  The worldwide depression has left many of the shops vacant and
  empty and the buildings many tall arches and stained glass windows give shop-
  pers the feeling of being in an abandoned church.  Squatters have taken over
  the damaged areas of the QVB and many refuse to shop there for fear of being
  attacked.
  Sydney Mint - This is Australia’s literal moneymaking facility.  A museum con-
  taining displays of gold and silver coins is also on the grounds but the real action
  occurs behind several locked doors and under the watch of hundreds of Federal
  agents.  There were three attempted robberies of the mint in 1998 and all were
  intercepted, although authorities failed to capture the would-be thief in the last
  attempt.  Knowledge of these robbery attempts has been withheld from the
  media.
  Dian Chinese Restaurant - One of many restaurants that dot Chinatown, the
  Dian serves delicious Cantonese and Sezuan meals.  It is also the headquarters
  of the Shining Saber triad.  The Shining Sabers are the dominant triad in
  Chinatown but by no means the only one.  Conflict over drug territory between
  it and the Sun and Key triad has resulted in several murders.  Because the
  Shining Sabers employ Vietnamese gangs to perform their dirty work, they have
  managed to disguise the real nature of the murders as ethnic violence.
  Sydney Football Stadium - Rugby, soccer, Aussie football, and just about ev-
  ery other sport played on a field has a club home here.  In addition to the modern
  stadium that seats 27,000, there are several practice fields located outside the
  building.
  Australia Boomerang Association - This group is dedicated to maintaining
  Australia’s indigenous weapon, the boomerang.  A practice field and indoor
  
  Chapter Two: Sydney - Gateway to Adventure
  39
  court allow for boomeranging any time of the year and competitions are held
  monthly.  Hunting trips are also organized but those attending must demonstrate
  a proficiency with the weapon and survival skills before they are allowed out
  into the bush.
  Sydney Cricket Grounds - Cricket has a fanatical following in Sydney, more in
  line with that of India or Pakistan than the UK. Test matches against any of the
  other cricket playing nations are always popular, while one day games are in-
  variably sold out. The New South Wales cricket side plays here against other
  state sides, and these match are also well attended. Crowd problems in recent
  years have seen alcohol sales limited to light beer (an outrage in the eyes of
  many Aussies).
  BLACKEAGLE SYDNEY
  B/E Sydney is typical of the many smaller B/E offices around the globe, but its
  size is not a reflection of the work it does.  In addition to taking care of its own
  cells, the office is a stopping point, safe house, armory, and temporary head-
  quarters for any cell on assignment in Southeast Asia. Because of its busy
  nature and the number of transient operatives, the office has had a laze-faire
  attitude but this is changing.  Due to recent events (See The Osprey Incident
  sidebar and Neighbors) the office has taken on a dark “siege” mentality.  Sydney
  operatives are closing ranks and the usual practical jokes and intense competi-
  tion between cells has been replaced with a deep sense of camaraderie and
  internal support.  However, this has not prevented the B/E operatives from
  maintaining their reputation for a relaxed and casual approach to a decidedly
  dangerous business.
  1998 was a momentous year for the Sydney office.  The office ran sev-
  enty-eight assignments in 1998, with the majority occurring after August.  When
  Japan fell into turmoil and the B/E office in Kyoto began having difficulties with
  the new government, much of its business was shifted to Sydney - including the
  office of the Far Eastern Theatre Head, Miromi Ohguro.  In July, BlackEagle
  made Sydney the preferred staging point for cells with contracts in East and
  Southeast Asia.  By November, the number of contracts being serviced had
  doubled and the Logistics & Procurement division’s needs had tripled.  Extra
  space was made to house visiting teams and their equipment and the communi-
  cations facilities were improved considerably.  The Sydney training facility, an
  abandoned concrete plant on the outskirts of Sydney, was renovated to allow
  for multiple cells to use it simultaneously.  Despite the amount of pressure placed
  on the office, BlackEagle Sydney has risen to the challenge and there is the
  promise of more legal and L&P help on the way.
  With East Asia as a responsibility, the variety of assignments that come
  through the office is stunning.  Hostage rescue and tactical assignments can be
  found running side-by-side with murder investigations.  Although many of the
  contracts are in Australia, most require travel to Southeast Asia, with Thailand
  and Cambodia being the current hot-spots.
  Just as the missions vary, so do the operatives.  Twenty-two languages and
  dialects are spoken by various operatives including Thai, Laotian, Khmer, Viet-
  namese, Cantonese and Mandarin.  Although the number of college graduates
  is slightly lower than usual, the number of experienced operatives of Veteran 2
  and up is higher.  The office is very cosmopolitan with the majority of operatives
  being born outside of Australia.
  The Osprey Incident
  In July of 1998, the Australian envi-
  ronmental group contracted the
  Sydney office Environmental Protec-
  tion League (EPL) to investigate sev-
  eral incidents of illegal pollution. In-
  vestigators uncovered a large-scale il-
  legal dumping operation in the Aus-
  tralian outback.  The EPL publicized
  the information and several corpora-
  tions paid millions of dollars in fines
  and some of the organizers went to
  jail.
  In November, an EPL representative
  contracted with B/E to investigate the
  Osprey Nuclear Power Plant near
  Sydney.  EPL believed that the plant
  was illegally storing spent nuclear ma-
  terial and wanted the operatives to in-
  filtrate the plant and gather proof.
  While the B/E operatives were in the
  plant, the environmental terrorist group
  Gaia’s Fist attacked.  In the confusion,
  B/E operatives were confused with the
  terrorists and fired upon.  The opera-
  tives returned fire, killing one guard
  and wounding two others.  The terror-
  ists fled unharmed but the operatives
  were not so lucky and were arrested.
  They are now free on bail while B/E
  legal experts attempt to formulate a
  defense.
  The incident has captured the at-
  tention of the news media.  Tabloid
  journalists have branded BlackEagle
  as a mercenary organization.  The at-
  tacks on B/E in the media and in the
  House of Parliament by reactionary
  members has led to a siege mentality
  in the Sydney office.  Reporters and
  photographers sometimes hound op-
  eratives.  While this has merely been
  annoying, B/E fears that it will lead to
  a botched assignment.
  The trial, set for March of 1999, prom-
  ises to be a media event.  The opera-
  tives will be tried for murder and ter-
  rorism and the prosecution will attempt
  to link B/E with the eco-terrorist group.
  B/E has hired several prominent law-
  yers to defend the operatives but the
  outcome is in question.
  Meanwhile, EPL claims to have made
  the contract in good faith and to have
  no connection with Gaia’s Fist (which
  has denied responsibility for the at-
  tack).  The EPL leadership is cooperat-
  ing with B/E in investigating what hap-
  (con’t. next page)
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  40
  The McGuire House
  The Sydney office is located in the formerly residential neighborhood of
  Paddington and is surrounded with Victorian-era mansions and brownstones
  that have been rezoned and renovated as professional business offices.  Finely
  manicured lawns and luxury automobiles are the norm and provide a contrast to
  some of the more rough-and-tumble operatives.  The office is located in a three-
  story Victorian mansion built in 1905 by an immigrant who made his fortune in
  the opal trade.  Named after the immigrant family, The McGuire House is on
  the Australian National Historic Register and will most likely become a pro-
  tected site in 2005.  B/E acquired the property in an auction in 1994 and has
  remodeled and restored it to its original Victorian style.
  On first glance, the McGuire House appears no different from the many
  other mansions in the area that now houses investment firms, corporate head-
  quarters, and think tanks.  Its three-story front is painted a light gray with red
  trim and it sports a dark gray-shingled roof.  A turret sits in the southeast corner
  and vines along the wall reach up to the second story.  A driveway allows
  access to the rear of the building.  The lawn is immaculately manicured and a
  thick wall of bushes grows along the fence at the rear of the house.  A garage
  and outdoor patio fill out the back of the property.
  On closer inspection, the house does have some unusual features.  The
  most obvious is the cluster of radio, microwave and satellite antennas that sprout
  from the rooftop.  The black wrought-iron fence that surrounds the property is
  dotted with closed-circuit television cameras as well as less obvious sensors.
  Cameras are also mounted discretely on the house.
  The back of the McGuire is as well maintained as the front. It is surrounded
  by 3-meter tall hedges for privacy and sports a concrete patio and a small sand
  volleyball court. On-duty operatives with nothing to do can often be found here
  sunbathing, playing one-on-one volleyball, and cleaning their firearms.  A brick
  barbecue grill is also available and cookouts are common during the cooler
  evenings.
  The garage is part of the original construction of the house and was a stable
  before being outfitted for automobiles.  It has the same stone construction as
  the house but is not as well restored.  The garage is used to maintain the ve-
  hicles owned by B/E such as an electronics investigation van and an armored
  Land Rover, as well as repair operatives’ vehicles that are damaged in the
  course of an assignment.  Sanford Jennings, a burly aborigine in his late fifties is
  the undisputed ruler of the garage and his word is law.  He requires all opera-
  tives to sign out for any tools borrowed from the garage and won’t hesitate to
  use any means necessary to retrieve them.
  Entrance to the House is always through the rear and not the front.  This is
  primarily because most clients prefer the anonymity afforded by this entrance
  as well as fitting the remodeled floor plan.  The normal entrance doors are
  reinforced solid oak with brass handles and bulletproof stained-glass windows.
  The service entrance is a metal overhead sliding door leading to the loading
  dock that is used only when necessary.
  The receptionist buzzes clients and visitors in after visual identification at
  the door.  Linda Mather, a woman of remarkable talent and constant sunny
  disposition normally sits at the front desk in the reception area.  The room is
  decorated in a Victorian fashion to match the exterior with an accent on oak
  paneling.  A half-dozen high-backed, overstuffed chairs imported from England
  are arranged in a circle at the center of the room.  Small tables and lamps fit
  snugly into the corners and give the office the feel of a parlor or smoking room.
  Current magazines, a daily newspaper and many oversized books featuring ex-
  The Osprey Incident (con’t.)
  pened but little headway has been
  made.
  What B/E and the EPL do not know
  is that there is a leak within EPL.  One
  of EPL’s members is actually a mole for
  United World Environmental Services,
  one of the corporations uncovered in
  the first assignment.  When the B/E
  operatives informed EPL of their plan,
  the mole told UWES which then hired
  mercenaries to make the attack, dis-
  guised as Gaia’s Fist terrorists.
  
  Chapter Two: Sydney - Gateway to Adventure
  41
  otic locations and military history are kept here, more to occupy B/E operatives
  acting as security than for clients.
  Entrance to the rest of the house is through a pair of double doors located
  behind Ms. Mather.  The richly decorated hallway makes an abrupt turn to the
  right.
  On one side is a conference room decorated as a library.  Shelves of legal
  and general reference books line the walls.  A large conference table and set of
  chairs seat eight comfortably and a large-screen multimedia presentation sys-
  tem is set into the shelves.  Isaac Silverman and Luther VanPelt are often here
  to research cases and prepare legal briefs.
  On the opposite side of the hallway are a set of four offices, each with a
  solid oak door and brass doorknob.  The first belongs to the Senior Cell Leader,
  Sean “Stubby” Waugh.  His office is personalized with mementoes of past
  assignments (including a genuine shrunken head from Borneo), family pictures,
  and his collection of knives and other edged weapons.  His desk is usually
  covered with papers and half-empty coffee mugs.  On the wall behind his desk,
  Waugh keeps a large American Central Intelligence Agency map of the world
  with red pins and sticky notes representing various cells and their activities.
  The second office is that of Kim Ly, the Executive Secretary to the Senior
  Cell Leader and unofficial “old man” of the office.  His office is a sharp con-
  trast to Waugh’s in that it is always immaculately clean.  The usual pictures and
  personal affectations are conspicuously absent and the desktop is always bare
  except for a decorative pen and pencil set.  More than one rookie has mistaken
  the office for being unused.
  The third office is that of Administrative Head Logan Vincennes.  This
  office is by far the noisiest of the four as Vincennes is constantly on the phone
  or teleconferencing with clients and cell members.  Vincennes is fond of plants
  and his office reflects it with fichus trees, philodendrons, and an assortment of
  flowering plants tastefully scattered around.  Vincennes has removed the couch
  from his office, preferring to use the space for pacing and thinking on his feet.
  The fourth and final office used to be the Legal Department’s until the
  arrival of Hiromi Oghuro, the Far Eastern Theatre Head.  It was agreed that
  Oghuro would need to be close to Waugh and Ly and although the work being
  done by Legal was vital, it could be done elsewhere.  Legal was moved upstairs
  to the second floor and Oghuro took up residency.  It is considered a temporary
  office, but with the continuing difficulties in Japan showing no signs of letting up,
  the office will likely become permanent.
  Oghuro keeps his office similar to Ly’s, but it has more of a lived-in appear-
  ance.  There are a few personal effects, notably those from Oghuro’s days as a
  Tokyo SWAT commander, as well as a collection of photos of Oghuro’s family.
  When he moved in, Vincennes gave Oghuro a potted fern and Oghuro tried
  valiantly to keep it alive.  Despite his efforts, the fern died and Oghuro, not
  wanting to offend Vincennes, replaced it.  However, he has not had any better
  luck with those that followed it.  Oghuro is now on his fourth plant and it is
  rapidly withering.  He doesn’t look forward to smuggling another into the office.
  The hall forms a ‘T’ with another hallway leading from the service doors.
  At this junction are the stairs and a small elevator set into the turret of the
  house.
  The second floor is less decorated and is dedicated office space for resi-
  dent and visiting cells as well as the legal office. There is also a day room and
  miniature kitchen.  This area is more casual in design as well as in atmosphere.
  Visitors are barred from any floor but the first, but Waugh’s three children
  sometimes make their way here searching for the office mascot, Spickles. When
  the children are on the floor, the crude language, profane personal insults, and
  BlackEagle Mascot: Spickles
  Spickles, a large German shepherd
  adopted as a mascot by the office,
  keeps his home in the Day Room on
  the second floor.  He was found as a
  puppy at the concrete factory where
  he had been abandoned.  Although he
  was nearly dead of dehydration and
  starvation, an operative nursed him
  back to health.  The dog was smuggled
  into the B/E office and the other cells
  conspired to keep knowledge of his
  presence from Waugh, who is allergic
  to dogs.  The cover was blown when
  Spickles (named after an ice-cream treat
  the dog was fond of) wandered down
  to the first floor while no one was look-
  ing.  Waugh initially wanted the dog
  gone but realized the value of it as a
  mascot and allowed it to stay, provided
  clients do not see it.  He often com-
  plains that the dog is more popular
  than he is.
  Spickles has grown to become a
  large dog and is very friendly.  Some
  of the operatives have taught him to
  sit, stay, bark on command, and chase
  a Frisbee.  No one is sure what the dog
  would do if a friend were threatened
  but there is no argument that if
  Spickles did attack the results would
  ugly.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  42
  scatological humor is toned down.
  The first door is now the office of Isaac Silverman and
  his assistant Luther VanPelt.  It is separated from the gen-
  eral office area filled with cubicles by a wood-paneled wall
  that is an almost, but not quite completely, useless noise
  barrier.  The Legal office has an unfinished look, primarily
  because it is temporary and the wood paneling is secured to
  the floor and ceiling by a handful of screws.  Because the
  walls are so poor at preventing sound, Silverman and VanPelt
  usually don’t bother to close their door.  The legal office
  has a couch, two desks opposite each other, and a filing
  cabinet in the corner.
  Along the south and east walls are traditional office
  cubicles used by the cells.  As in other B/E offices, each
  cell occupies a single cubicle although only the first four are
  permanently occupied with Sydney’s resident cells.  Each
  cubicle is supposed to contain a desktop workstation, a pair
  of cabinets, a small table, and three or four chairs, but resi-
  dent cells have been known to steal chairs, drawers, and
  even the computers from unused cubicles.  This has led to
  some problems with visiting cells that are assigned a cu-
  bicle only to find it little more than a place to stand.  Few
  cells complain as most are capable of finding their own
  resources (often by helping themselves to their neighbor’s.)
  The most often-used space on the second floor is the
  day room.  Several comfortable couches surround a flat-
  screen television and VCR and a mini-kitchen occupies the
  far wall.  The kitchen doesn’t see much use as most opera-
  tives prefer to cook and eat outside in the backyard if
  weather permits.  In the corner is a large bean-bag chair
  that serves as Spickles’ bed.  His food bowl and water dish
  are next to it and all the cells share the responsibility of feeding and watering.
  The third floor is even less decorated than the second and is divided into
  two large rooms. The first is the communications room, which is mostly empty
  except for a bank of computers, servers and radio and microwave equipment
  that occupies most of the north wall.  Dat Vu, Sydney’s L&P specialist, is
  technically in charge of this area but his expertise is limited.  Instead, cells take
  turns manning the equipment with Oghuro and Waugh taking over when neces-
  sary.  This room is usually kept dark to better read the half-dozen monitors and
  is also always kept cool by a squadron of air conditioners to protect the equip-
  ment from overheating.  Anyone staying in the room for long periods of time will
  want to wear a long-sleeve shirt or a sweater.  A trapdoor in the ceiling leads to
  the attic and the antenna array.
  The other room on the third floor is primarily used for storage for equipment
  and has been converted into an overnight stay area with the addition of a few
  cots.  Large cardboard boxes and wooden crates line the walls.  In the center of
  the room are five army cots.  There is a running joke among the operatives that
  the cots are so uncomfortable they could only have been designed by the Mar-
  quis De Sade.  There must be something to the rumors because the cots have
  gained a reputation in B/E offices around the world spread by visiting cells.
  Unlike the room next door, this room is usually warm to the point of being
  uncomfortable.  From the window to the south is a very nice view of the sur-
  rounding neighborhood.
  The basement of The McGuire House has a small exercise room with a set
  
  Chapter Two: Sydney - Gateway to Adventure
  43
  of free weights and exercise machines as well as a set of lockers and showers.
  Because the water heater for the house is rather small and there are only a few
  showers available, operatives are asked not to tie them up more than necessary.
  The basement also houses the L&P office as well as access to the office
  secure storage in what was formerly the wine cellar.  Dat Vu’s office can
  hardly be called an office and it’s fortunate he doesn’t mind the cramped quar-
  ters. It is usually overflowing with newspapers and magazines from dozens of
  countries.  Vu also keeps three computers in his office running at all times to
  maintain communications with the offices in Atlanta and London as well as his
  own peculiar contacts.
  The secure storage is actually a walk-in safe that was original to the house.
  The mechanical lock has been replaced with an electronic one and security
  systems have been installed but the thick metal door is imposing by itself.  Weap-
  ons, evidence and valuables are stored here as well as digital recording ma-
  chines, which record all phone conversations from within the House.  Surveil-
  lance video is also recorded and stored here on readable/writeable compact
  disks, which are rotated every three to four days.  Only Vu, Waugh, Ly, Oghuro
  and the cell leaders know the safe’s combination.
  The central heating unit for the house fills the final room and keeping it
  running is relegated to Sanford Jennings, the office mechanic.
  Personnel
  Far Eastern Theatre Head (temporary), Hiromi Oghuro
  When the military took nominal control of the Japanese government in 1998,
  any organization that presented even the possibility of becoming a destabilizing
  force was placed under watch.  Although the majority were the many organiza-
  tions that organized the rioting that had wracked the country, it also included
  religious cults, extreme political organizations, and even marching and drill clubs.
  Of course, the BlackEagle/BlackEagle office in Kyoto fell under this category.
  Although the initial interference was slight - verification of weapons permits
  and the like - the government also began a campaign of observation of the
  office.  After the office smuggled corporate officers wanted by the government
  out of the country, the military intervened and placed the office in receivership
  on the pretense of tax violations.  Although operations were allowed to continue,
  it was with government supervision.  Consequently, many of B/E’s less than
  entirely legal contracts have gone elsewhere.
  Because of the difficulty of operating with observers around every corner,
  the Far Eastern Theatre Head, Hiromi Oghuro, has moved to the Sydney office.
  He is responsible for coordinating and giving assistance to cells from the other
  offices that have assignments in East Asia.  Because of the nature of his job, he
  works in close cooperation with Sydney’s Senior Cell Leader, Stubby Waugh.
  Oghuro is physically unassuming and average-looking, at least in the blue
  business suit he favors at work.  However, when off-duty he likes to wear a
  jump-suit from the Osaka SWAT team he led in the early 90’s.  He is a vigorous
  athlete and enjoys long-distance running.  Although some of the operatives tend
  to think of him as a cold fish because of his constant politeness and lack of
  humor, those who have been with Oghuro out on the town after hours know
  differently.
  Senior Cell Leader, Sean “Stubby” Waugh
  Most operatives have trouble believing that Sean “Stubby” Waugh is the Senior
  Cell Leader on their first meeting.  Waugh, who prefers the nickname Stubby,
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  44
  FAR EASTERN
  THEATER HEAD
  Hiromi Oghuro
  FAR EASTERN
  THEATER HEAD
  Hiromi Oghuro
  SYDNEY SENIOR
  CELL LEADER
  Sean “Stubby” Waugh
  CELL 3 LEADER
  CELL 3
  CELL 2 LEADER
  Michael Chang
  CELL 2
  CELL 4 LEADER
  CELL 4
  VISITING CELL
  LEADER
  VISITING CELL
  VISITING CELL
  LEADER
  VISITING CELL
  CELL 1 LEADER /
  DEPUTY SENIOR
  CELL LEADER
  Rene “Chappy”
  Chapdelaine
  CELL 1
  VISITING CELL
  LEADER
  VISITING CELL
  OPERATIONS
  ADMINISTRATIVE
  HEAD
  Logan Vincennes
  ADMINISTRATIVE
  RECEPTION
  Linda Mather
  EXECUTIVE
  SECRETARY TO THE
  SENIOR
  CELL LEADER
  Kim Ly
  L&P LIASON
  Dat Tieng Vu
  L & P
  OFFICE LEGAL
  AIDE
  Isaac Silverman
  LEGAL
  LEGAL AIDE
  (UNOFFICIAL)
  Luther VanPelt
  can be typically found wearing a New York Yankee’s baseball cap that barely
  contains his curly blonde hair.  His moustache comes and goes with the seasons
  as does his collection of Hawaiian style shirts.  With short legs, he stands at just
  under 174cm and weighs about 110kg.  Some have remarked that he looks more
  like a janitor than a cell leader.
  Looks are deceiving.  Starting at age fifteen, Stubby worked a string of jobs
  including bouncer, kick boxer, law enforcement, and private detective.  He has
  a quick mind and a nearly photographic memory.  In addition, he currently holds
  the world’s record for shattering the most blocks of ice with a single blow.  He
  offers classes to those operatives with the time and inclination in his form of
  martial art, Kenpo Karate, and fo-
  cuses on street-fighting tech-
  niques.
  Despite his rough image,
  Waugh is a devoted family man
  with a wife and three children.
  His blonde-haired kids can
  often be found wandering the up-
  stairs offices in search of the of-
  fice mascot, Spickles.
  Administrative Head,
  Logan Vincennes
  The day-to-day management of
  the Sydney office falls to Logan
  Vincennes, a young accountant of
  French-Canadian heritage.  His
  quiet style and subtle maneuver-
  ing allows the office to run as if it
  were a natural process that would
  occur all by itself.  He works
  closely with Waugh, Oghuro, cell
  leaders and clients to ensure that
  rooms are available, schedules are
  met, and most importantly, bills are
  paid.  His accented voice, no mat-
  ter how quiet, is always listened
  to.
  Vincennes came to Australia
  at twelve to live with his uncle
  after being arrested on several
  counts of breaking and entering
  in Quebec.  Practically alone on
  his uncle’s farm, Vincennes turned
  from crime to adventuring.  After
  graduating early from secondary
  school Vincennes spent several
  years wandering the globe, par-
  ticularly Southeast Asia.  When
  he finally entered college at
  twenty-three, he had visited six-
  teen different countries and spoke
  three languages.  Logan came to
  B/E originally to work as an op-
  
  Chapter Two: Sydney - Gateway to Adventure
  45
  erative but his administrative abilities outshone his tactical skills and he was
  moved to his current position.
  “Logan never met a conspiracy he didn’t like,” is one of Waugh’s favorite
  quotes regarding Mr. Vincennes.  Vincennes is a dedicated believer in con-
  spiracy theories, UFO’s, and an assortment of monsters, including the Yowii,
  Australia’s Bigfoot.  He claims to have seen a UFO and often spends his week-
  ends and off-hours researching unusual phenomena.
  Reception, Linda Mather
  Ms. Mather is usually the first person people see upon entering the House and
  she tends to make a very strong impression.  At 202cm and with a bodybuilder’s
  shoulders, Linda is also very attractive and possesses a winning smile.  She
  prefers conservative dress when on duty but dresses down on off-hours.
  Like Logan Vincennes, Linda always seems to know where everyone and
  everything are.  She has an uncanny ability to place names with faces and will
  often address clients by name even before they have introduced themselves.
  With the help of Vincennes, Mather always keeps the meeting rooms clear at
  the appropriate time.
  Like most of the members of the office, Linda is single.  However, she has
  been dating an operative in a resident cell and rumor has it that their relationship
  has become quite serious.
  Executive Secretary to the Senior Cell Leader, Kim Ly
  A refugee from Cambodia and a professional soldier for all of his adult life, Kim
  Ly adds a remarkable touch of class to the office.  In his late fifties, Ly is at an
  age when most men would be considering retirement.  Instead, Ly is more
  active than ever, keeping Waugh updated with information and reminding him of
  his obligations.  Although his English is heavily accented and he often struggles
  for the correct wording, Waugh and the other operatives respect Ly’s opinions
  and council.  He is more of an aide de camp than secretary.
  Ly stands at 165 cm and walks with a limp.  His left hand is missing three
  fingers, courtesy of a Khmer Rouge torturer, and he has several crude animistic
  tattoos on his torso and arms.  His hair and moustache are salt-and-pepper gray
  and he keeps them trimmed and neat.  He has been shot multiple times and
  bears an impressive number of scars.  However, the most obvious thing about
  Ly is what can be called his ‘presence’.  He walks, talks, and holds himself
  exactly to he is; a professional soldier of the old school.
  While most of the operatives in Sydney know about the Southeast Asian
  conflict from history books, Kim Ly was there.  An ethnic Cambodian, Ly came
  from the Mekong Delta of Vietnam and served in the South Vietnamese Army
  working alongside US Special Forces teams throughout the long war.  Sensing
  the future fall of South Vietnam, Ly and his family left for Cambodia and settled
  near Siem Reap in 1974.  The specter of war followed him and he fought on the
  side of the Cambodian government against the Khmer Rouge until 1976.  When
  the Khmer Rouge came to power he and his family were separated.  Ly suf-
  fered several years of forced labor and torture before he was able to escape to
  Thailand in 1978 where he worked as a guide and lived in a squalid refugee
  camp.  He returned to Cambodia to search for his family in 1981 and joined the
  Vietnamese-backed government militia.
  In 1994 Ly was hired as guide and translator for a B/E cell providing protec-
  tion for UN personnel removing land mines.  During an attack by the Khmer
  Rouge, Ly came to the rescue of the cell despite being wounded.  The cell
  leader sponsored him to immigrate to Australia and he has been working for
  BlackEagle ever since.  Although his job as Executive Secretary keeps him
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  46
  very busy, he still occasionally accompanies cells on assignments as guide and
  translator.
  Ly still searches for his wife and children and often spends his vacation time
  roaming through refugee camps on the Thai border.  Although he has yet to find
  anything, he still hopes that they survived and that they might one day be re-
  united.
  Office Legal Aide, Isaac Silverman
  Isaac Silverman has only recently been brought into the office after the previ-
  ous attorney was lured away by a wealthy client.  Silverman had barely had
  time to put his wife’s portrait on his desk when the Osprey Incident fell into his
  lap.  Silverman worked long and hard to arrange bail and release of the opera-
  tives and is now working with the cell and Waugh to determine exactly what
  happened.  Although the Osprey Incident hangs over the office like a cloud and
  Silverman has yet to come up with a strategy, he has proved himself to be a
  valuable addition to the staff through his handling of more routine legal matters.
  However, the long hours have taken a toll on Silverman’s personal life and
  he is currently separated from his wife.  More often than not, he spends the
  night on the couch in his office.  Although B/E supports employee families as
  much as possible, there isn’t much that can be done in this circumstance.
  Unofficial Legal Aide, Luther VanPelt
  Although not officially on the roster, Luther VanPelt is Silverman’s “Boy Fri-
  day” and all-around gopher.  A law student at the University of Sydney, VanPelt
  came to B/E on an internship program and simply hasn’t left.  Because of the
  pressing needs for legal assistance and much of Silverman’s time being spent of
  the Osprey Incident, VanPelt gets to do much of the actual lawyer work.  In
  addition to research and writing reports, VanPelt has had to fill in for Silverman
  when he is out of the office.  VanPelt has had to conduct long and grueling
  GenNet and phone conferences, falling into his chair exhausted at their conclu-
  sion.
  VanPelt has barely turned twenty-two years-old and appears even younger.
  He’s enamored with the lifestyle at B/E and wouldn’t change his position for the
  world.  He’s had a crush on receptionist Linda Mather for some time but knows
  that she is dating someone else.
  L&P Liaison, Dat Tieng Vu
  Dat Tieng Vu acts as the Sydney office’s source of information, secure chan-
  nels of communication (mostly handled through the equipment at the office),
  and transportation.  Vu is in constant contact with the L&P facilities in Atlanta
  and London but because of the distances involved often relies instead on his
  own private and unorthodox pool of resources.  Vu’s greatest value to the office
  lies in an almost inexhaustible knowledge of movers, shakers, and suppliers
  around the region.  From a safe supplier of weapons in Yangon to a photo of an
  agricultural undersecretary in Hanoi, Vu either has it or knows who can get it.
  Often operatives are advised to follow a “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy regarding
  the products they receive.
  Because of the small nature of the office, forensics support is farmed out to
  several private labs in the Sydney area, or to L&P in Atlanta or London.
  Vu left his native Vietnam not more than three years ago under what
  Vincennes refers to as “unusual circumstances”.  Actually, he left under a hail
  of bullets from Vietnamese border troops and Vu has the scars to prove it.  He
  prefers not to discuss his past but obviously doesn’t miss his native land.  Vu has
  had several opportunities to return to Southeast Asia and he has refused them
  Clients
  The following are Sydney BlackEagle
  office’s top five clients of 1998 as de-
  termined by the total revenue earned..
  This list reflects the change in
  Sydney’s status as the preferred stag-
  ing office for contracts in South and
  Southeast Asia.
  The United Nations - eighteen con-
  tracts
  Security of UN Mine Clearing Pro-
  gram in Cambodia, WHO relief mis-
  sions throughout the region.
  Drug Enforcement Administration -
  seven contracts
  Assistance in drug raids, surveil-
  lance of suspected sites inside the
  Golden Triangle, and inspection of  the
  wreckage of a Royal Thai Air Force
  helicopter carrying DEA agents that
  was shot down over the Thailand/
  Cambodia border.
  Direction Generale de la Securite
  Exterieur (DGSE) - four contracts
  Industrial or diplomatic espionage.
  The City of Sydney – four contracts
  Security and investigations.
  Staporn Winarnpreecha - three con-
  tracts
  A wealthy businessman with com-
  mercial and political ties in Thailand,
  Winarnpreecha hired B/E cells for se-
  curity for political candidates and ac-
  tions against a Bangkok street gang.
  
  Chapter Two: Sydney - Gateway to Adventure
  47
  all.
  Although rumors to his origins are rampant throughout the office, Vu has
  chosen to ignore them all.  At one time, there was an office pool about Vu but it
  has since been forgotten.
  Vu likes fast cars, tailored clothes, and watches from small, neutral, Euro-
  pean nations.  In addition to nearly perfect English, he speaks Thai, Lao, and
  Burmese.  He has a new girlfriend every week and can often be seen in some
  of Sydney’s hippest spots.  Although his salary from BlackEagle is decent, he
  obviously has another source of income.
  Vu’s real name is Tony Nguyen, and his place of birth is Lynne, Massachu-
  setts, nearly six thousand miles from Vietnam’s sunny shores.  The last of six
  children born to parents who immigrated to the United States in the early 1960s,
  representatives of the American CIA contacted Nguyen while he was in col-
  lege.  Upon graduation with a degree in Computer Science, he entered the
  shadowy world of international espionage.
  His assignment as a covert operative in communist Vietnam came as no
  surprise to him.  From 1991 to 1996 he lived in Ho Chi Minh City as a civil
  servant and infiltrated the communist party.  He rose through the ranks of the
  party to become an assistant to one of Vietnam’s chief business negotiators.
  Thanks to the inside information and influence Nguyen provided, many Ameri-
  can companies have secured valuable contracts.  He also used this information
  to build a considerable nest egg stashed in accounts across the globe.
  Nguyen’s downfall began when he fell in love with a Vietnamese woman.
  He demanded to be pulled out along with his sweetheart but the CIA refused,
  citing his value as a mole inside the Vietnamese system.  Infuriated at the re-
  sponse, Nguyen made plans for them to escape the country by his own means.
  After several weeks of careful planning, Nguyen and the woman traveled to the
  Vietnamese/Cambodian border.  There, his sweetheart pulled a gun on him and
  announced that she was a member of the secret police and that he was under
  arrest.  Nguyen fought with the woman, catching a bullet in the thigh in the
  process, and escaped.
  Nguyen was further surprised to learn that the CIA had frozen almost all of
  his accounts, yanking his nest egg out from underneath him.  However, they had
  not found all of them and Nguyen used this to enter Australia and acquire a false
  identity.  He entered service with B/E and has since divided his time between
  working for the company and hacking into his frozen accounts, freeing his hard-
  earned money.
  The Blacklist
  The people and organizations listed
  below are on the BlackEagle/
  BlackEagle blacklist and contracts with
  them are not allowed.
  The Khmer Rouge
  The Khmer Rouge have repeatedly
  threatened to kill all foreigners they
  capture.  They made good on this
  threat in early 1998, executing two op-
  eratives kidnapped from a UN relief
  supply mission.  The Khmer Rouge
  also attacked a UN mine clearing team
  with a laser-blinding device, injuring
  several of the operatives providing
  security.
  The State Law and Order Restoration
  Committee (SLORC) of Myanmar
  The SLORC regime has been black-
  listed for its terrible human rights
  record by order of B/E President
  Clifton BlackEagle.
  United World Environmental Services
  UWES has been blacklisted after the
  corporation sued B/E for raiding its
  computer database and revealing its
  illegal waste dumping operation in
  Australia’s outback.  Several lower
  courts have dismissed the suit, but
  UWES has continued to appeal the
  decision.  The suit is now scheduled
  to be brought before the High Court in
  late 1999.
  Office Security
  Security is a real issue at the Sydney office, especially since the increased
  attention from the Osprey Incident.  In addition to the press, which has practi-
  cally camped outside the gates of the office, there are at least a dozen organiza-
  tions that have threatened BlackEagle in the past year.  Even with this, an
  operative is far more likely to be killed or injured on the drive to and from work
  than at any occurrence at the office but that is hardly an excuse to be any less
  observant.
  Because B/E owns the McGuire House, security has been customized to fit
  the unique needs of the business.  The designed is by Clifton BlackEagle him-
  self and is based on a multi-layered security plan.  The physical construction of
  the house, particularly the thick walls (AV of 30) made it possible to remodel the
  building without losing any of the original flavor.  The small windows common to
  the era have been opaqued but with a light substance that makes the windows
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  48
  appear less like mirrored sunglasses and more like windows with drawn cur-
  tains.  The window panes are vacuum sealed and miniature speakers from a
  radio set to a local station specializing in opera make them foolproof against
  laser microphones and other eavesdropping devices.
  The exterior fence is six feet tall, made of wrought iron and reinforced
  every twenty feet with concrete and brickwork posts.  It is more intended for
  decoration than security but it does have motion sensors and remote operated
  surveillance cameras hidden in the shrubbery planted at its base.  Entrance to
  the driveway is through a remote-operated gate that can only be activated from
  the secretary’s desk or with an electronic passkey.  The front and back are
  lighted at all times and motion-sensing floodlights are mounted on the house
  itself.
  Access to the house itself is had only through the regular and service en-
  trances located in the rear.  These can only be opened from the secretary’s
  desk.  In the past, operatives usually let themselves in with an electronic pass-
  key but now visual identification is required.  Beyond the front doors are an-
  other set of double doors that lead to the reception area, creating a small ante-
  chamber.  The antechamber has remote metal and EM sensors that allow the
  secretary to determine if the person entering is armed.  Although both sets of
  doors are usually unlocked when the front door is buzzed, the second set can be
  locked again if necessary, trapping the target in the antechamber.
  A silent alarm built into the secretary’s desk allows off-duty operatives to
  be discreetly summoned.  If a client is known to carry firearms or have an
  armed bodyguard, an operative is usually placed in the reception area ahead of
  time.
  The service entrance is less sophisticated but also requires visual identifica-
  tion.  Operatives always accept deliveries outside and then haul the items inside
  themselves.
  Inside the house, banks of hidden cameras allow visitors to be monitored
  without being intrusive.  Linda Mathers’ desk has eight small monitors with
  constant feeds from outside and the two entrances.  The other five monitors
  rotate between internal cameras although they can be programmed to follow a
  particular subject.  Other cameras around the house and grounds can be ac-
  cessed on command.  Any motion on the grounds will be immediately displayed
  on a monitor.
  Because the reception desk has so many responsibilities, there is always an
  operative on duty when Linda is not.  A silent alarm from the desk, triggered
  from either under the desk or from a wristband the receptionist wears, activates
  a twofold response.  Operatives are alerted through flashing red bulbs spread
  throughout the house (except in the reception area itself) and activation brings
  every operative in the House running.
  The alarm also contacts local authorities via dedicated lines to the nearest
  police station.  A cellular backup exists in case the primary line is interrupted.
  Police response varies but a delay of at least ten minutes is likely.  Waugh
  believes the police should arrive well after any action has taken place, giving the
  operatives time to take whatever measures they deem necessary.
  In the event of an actual attack on the office, the internal structure of the
  house lends itself well to defense.  Like the outer walls, most of the inner walls
  are thick (AV of 20) and offer good protection from small arms and small explo-
  sives.
  The reception desk itself is armored (AV of 25) and there is a holster with
  a Glock Model 19 and three loaded magazines bolted to the underside of the
  desk.  Because Linda Mather is not very experienced with firearms yet (she is
  taking lessons) there is also a sawed-off double-barrel shotgun nicknamed ‘the
  
  Chapter Two: Sydney - Gateway to Adventure
  49
  housecleaner’.
  Electronic assault and eavesdropping is also a serious consideration and the
  office is routinely searched with EM detectors.  The sensitive antenna array is
  shielded, as much as is possible, against high-energy radio frequencies with a
  series of breakers and dampeners.  Although the breakers perform well in tests,
  in an actual situation no one is sure what might happen.
  Operatives are also asked to keep an eye out for visual observation, which
  has been more common recently with several news organizations having ‘staked
  out’ for ambush interviews and potential clues to activities within the office.
  Thanks to operatives paying attention, this has yet to be a problem.  Some
  operatives take pride in sneaking up on their witless observers and playing prac-
  tical jokes on them.  More than one reporter has attempted to follow a vehicle
  leaving the McGuire House only to find the tires on his car flat.
  The Warning Shot
  Because socialization is so important
  in Australia the pub is not just a tradi-
  tion, it’s a requirement.  B/E operatives
  have adopted The Warning Shot, a
  Paddington pub about two blocks from
  the McGuire House, as their unofficial
  second office.  The Shot was a ‘cop’
  bar frequented by off-duty police when
  B/E opened the Sydney office and
  operatives quickly took a liking to its
  decor and massive barbequed Carpet-
  bag Steaks (steak stuffed with oysters).
  Nowadays, the clientele is a mix of
  police, B/E operatives and the occa-
  sional corporate security type.
  The owner, Jerry “Ocker” Nelles, an
  avowed noir film buff, has decorated
  the Warning Shot.  The lights are kept
  low and the walls are covered with
  movie posters from the 30s and 40s
  featuring James Cagney, Edward G.
  Robinson, and Ocker’s favorite,
  Humphry Bogart.  Ocker’s most prized
  possession is hung in a protective case
  on the wall behind the bar; a movie
  poster from The Maltese Falcon
  autographed by Bogey himself.
  Neighbors
  During the 1980s Paddington suffered a noticeable depreciation as residents
  could no longer afford the upkeep on their homes.  In an effort to stave off a
  collapse of the historic neighborhood, much of Paddington was rezoned as a mix
  of business and residential sites.  Many corporations, think tanks, and other
  groups took advantage of the opportunity and the area was saved.
  Paddington is a good neighborhood, even in such bad times as 1999.  Lawns
  are cut and gardens are manicured.  The streets are kept free of trash and the
  trees that line the road are pruned as often as the city can afford it.  There is
  also the Paddington Coalition, an ad hoc group of local owners that provide input
  and information to the Sydney city council.
  The immediate surroundings of the McGuire house are pleasant.  Across
  the street is a single acre park with trees, a walking path, and a small pond.
  Reporters staking out the House will often spend their time here.
  To the north is the brokerage firm of Danielson & Myles, a firm that spe-
  cializes in natural resource investments and futures.  D&M (as their logo reads)
  has yet to voice any opinions whatsoever about the B/E office and is not an
  active part of the Coalition.
  To the south is the opulent mansion housing the Somers Club, a private club
  with membership by invitation only.  Only the social, political, and business elite
  can become members and even a current member must sponsor them.  The
  mayor, several councilpersons, and several MPs (Members of Parliament) and
  the wealthiest of Sydney belong.
  Somers Club is the single most vocal opponent of the B/E office and have
  been since the company purchased the McGuire House in 1994.  There are
  rumors that Somers intended to buy the house and expand their current property
  but BlackEagle outbid them.  Alexandra Copland, proprietor of Somers Club,
  regularly attends Coalition meetings and plans on campaigning as board presi-
  dent next year.
  Copland has her own reasons for wanting BlackEagle out of the neighbor-
  hood and they have nothing to do with property.  With B/E in the center of a
  media firestorm, the Somers Club’s other enterprises risk exposure.  In addition
  to presenting balls, cotillions, and being a center for gossip, the Club also offers
  unique, and illegal, services to its clients.  An on-site escort service offers
  high-class prostitutes and drugs of all sorts are available.  Other more jaded
  tastes can also be met, for the right price.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  50
  CHAPTER THREE
  GOVERNMENTS &
  ORGANIZATIONS
  SITUATION REPORT: JANUARY 1, 1999
  Like the rest of the world, Southeast Asia is divided into nations, which are
  further divided into states and provinces.  Although the major ethnic groups of
  the country dominate these, the Asian people have a strong history of autocratic
  governments and respect for law.  They represent law and order and an orga-
  nized society and are the building blocks on which all ethnic groups, majority and
  minority, build their lifestyles.  Despite the chaos that is growing at the end of
  the millennium, governments still have a great deal of influence.
  On the international scale, defining governments as good or bad is difficult
  and the guidelines are murky.  Individual perceptions vary and opinions of coun-
  try change rapidly.  One suggested guideline is respect for human life, liberty,
  and property but when does a government go from being orderly to repressive?
  The governments of Southeast Asia have often trampled human rights in an
  effort to prevent civil unrest, but the eventual goal has been to ensure their own
  survival and by doing so, the survival of the people.
  The information presented here is not to be taken as gospel truth for every
  member of the government that players encounter.  Governments are made up
  of individuals, each with their own motivations and desires.  Not all Myanmar
  SLORC officials promote torture and repression and not all Thai policemen
  have the good of the public at heart.  Each is a small part of the greater whole.
  Southeast Asia, like the rest of the world, is suffering from the problems of
  economic depression, political strife, ethnic conflict, civil uprisings, and actual
  warfare between countries.  Those who wish to operate in the region must
  understand the situation or risk getting caught up in it.
  The most intense conflict of the region is that between the Cambodian
  government and the Khmer Rouge insurgents.  The fighting has already cost
  hundreds of thousands of lives and with the Dry Season offensive launched by
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  51
  the Khmer Rouge now under way, that number is sure to go up.  The Cambo-
  dian government, a tyrannical regime in its own right, has the general support of
  the populace who have no desire to see the genocidal Khmer Rouge come back
  into power.
  A low-intensity conflict between Myanmar and Thailand has been simmer-
  ing since 1995 when troops from Myanmar entered Thai territory to attack
  rebel bases.  The Thai response was a deadly rain of steel.  After four years,
  the two sides still vie for position and the chance to strike at each other’s weak
  points.
  While Myanmar fights this battle, the State Law and Order Restoration
  Committee (SLORC) continues to oppress its own people with cold-blooded
  efficiency.  Cries for reform from international groups and exiled political activ-
  ists fall on deaf ears.
  Thailand, long the only democracy in a region of communists and tyrants, is
  slowly moving towards a more fascist agenda.  The worldwide depression has
  struck the economic giant with a vengeance and the military-controlled govern-
  ment seeks to make non-Thai Asians, farang, the scapegoats.
  While Thailand is a well-developed industrial power, Vietnam had only a
  taste of the benefits of a free-market economy before the depression struck.
  Reformists and hardliners compete for power, each fearing what will happen if
  the other takes control.  Meanwhile, food shortages bring an ominous shadow to
  the future and the military looks towards the fertile rice fields of Cambodia.
  Cambodia, with its internal conflict with the Khmer Rouge is in no position
  to fight back.  The nation that hasn’t been free of violence for over thirty years
  looks towards tomorrow and sees no end in sight.  Anarchy rules in the country-
  side as the nation self-destructs.
  THE KINGDOM OF CAMBODIA
  Few nations have experienced the kind of difficulties that Cambodia has faced
  in the last half of the twentieth century.  A series of civil wars culminated in the
  genocidal Khmer Rouge regime, under which over one million Cambodians lost
  their lives.  Invasion by Vietnam in 1979 forced the Khmer Rouge into flight and
  Cambodia enjoyed a sort of peace during their nine-year occupation.  In 1991,
  the United Nations created the United Nations Transitional Authority Council
  (UNTAC) and attempted to rebuild the country.  Like the efforts before it, they
  achieved little success.  Now Cambodia is engaged in another phase of vicious
  fighting with no end in sight.
  The current government in Phnom Penh is a republic with an executive
  branch headed by a Head of Government and a legislative National Assembly.
  The executive branch is empowered by Cambodia’s constitution to apply and
  enforce the rules, laws, and regulations drafted by the National Assembly.  This
  includes promoting the general welfare, enforcing civil regulations, and main-
  taining the national defense.   King Norodom Sihanouk is the Head of State but
  this is a figurehead position with symbolic duties only.  The National Assembly
  annually elects the Head of Government for the term of one year.  Since 1997,
  the Head of Government has been General Hun Sen.
  The National Assembly seats four representatives from each of Cambodia’s
  nineteen provinces and four from Phnom Penh, an independent municipality.
  Each representative is elected for four years.  The National Assembly meets
  twice yearly and for special sessions called for by the Head of Government.
  The constitution allows for multiple parties and in the past there have been
  coalition governments but in 1997, Hun Sen used his military forces to attack
  and drive the Royalist party and many others into exile.  Sen’s New Dawn party
  China
  China’s unstable leadership and dis-
  integrating union has led to a decrease
  in the nation’s ability to influence oth-
  ers.  Leaders in Beijing created new
  economic reforms with the intention
  of creating a system of limited capital-
  ism controlled under communist au-
  thority.  They badly miscalculated.
  Shanghai, Hong Kong and other “eco-
  nomic zones” became the real centers
  of power before the communist party
  leadership even began to understand
  what had happened.  Instead of being
  replaced in a bloody revolution that
  the party had fought so hard to stave
  off, the old men in Beijing simply be-
  came irrelevant.
  Outside China, this translates into a
  complex foreign policy that is often
  contradictory and unrealistic.  For
  weapons and military support, nations
  go to the national government.  How-
  ever, for high-tech items and agricul-
  tural support, most governments and
  corporations go to informal ambassa-
  dors of individual provinces or com-
  panies.  When an official policy is
  handed down from Beijing, each prov-
  ince generally interprets it as it
  chooses.  Often this means ignoring it
  completely.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  52
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  53
  holds all the chairs in the National Assembly.
  The Cambodian government has been engaged in a brutal civil war with the
  Khmer Rouge, Cambodian communists, since the Vietnamese military occupied
  Cambodia, forced the Khmer Rouge into exile, and installed the present govern-
  ment.  The constitution that was so carefully drafted by UN advisors has fallen
  by the wayside and government in Cambodia resembles more of a military
  dictatorship than a republic.  The real power lies in General Hun Sen, who has
  illegally retained his control of the military and the civil government.  Sen has led
  the government almost single-handedly since the violent expulsion of the Royal-
  ist party in 1997.  Military officers and New Dawn political appointees have
  taken control of the executive branch, replacing anyone remotely opposed to
  Sen.  Since 1997, the National Assembly has met only when called for and acts
  as a rubber stamp for Sen’s policies.
  The New Dawn party is pro-military, fanatically anti-Khmer Rouge, and
  pro-Vietnam.   However, there are signs that the pro-Vietnam stance in chang-
  ing.  Despite the dependence Cambodia has had in the past on Vietnam for
  nearly everything, Sen has recently cooled relations with the Vietnamese in the
  hopes of currying favor with the Thai government.  His overtures to the Thai’s
  have been met with skepticism and have outraged hard-line leaders in Vietnam.
  The Hun Sen government has an atrocious human rights record and a repu-
  tation as being one of the most corrupt in Southeast Asia.  The last free news-
  paper was burned to the ground in May of 1998 and Sen took control of the few
  radio and one television station during his 1997 coup.
  Other political parties
  besides the New Dawn Party exist but are so actively persecuted that none
  have made any gains in years.
  Domestic support for the Hun Sen regime rises and falls with the fortunes
  of the military campaign but to the average Cambodian, the evils of the Hun Sen
  government are slight compared to those of the Khmer Rouge.  Few countries
  have done more than lodge complaints as they do not want to handicap the
  regime in its fight.
  Cambodian Internal Security Force
  The Cambodian Internal Security Force (CISF), a paramilitary group composed
  of politically reliable military personnel and civilians loyal to Sen, provide an
  active if disorganized police force.  Nightly raids by CISF death squads round
  up those suspected of opposing Sen or collaborating with the Khmer Rouge.
  Prisons once used by the Khmer Rouge to hold and torture have been resur-
  rected, albeit on a smaller scale.  In addition to those publicly arrested, thou-
  sands of Cambodians are missing and presumed victims of the CISF.
  Cambodian People’s Armed Forces
  The Cambodian People’s Armed Forces (CPAF) have been described as the
  “most ill equipped, maltrained, undisciplined, officer-heavy and corrupt” military
  forces in the world.  Impressment gangs that go from village to village taking
  their ‘quota’ of young men - which generally means anyone they can grab,
  handle recruitment.  Training is brief and rudimentary and sometimes skipped
  entirely before an offensive.  In addition, regiments often adopt orphans, allow-
  ing them to grow up in the army.  Child soldiers as young as twelve are not
  uncommon.
  The CPAF fields twenty-two Divisions and a handful of small, specialized
  Regiments.  These Divisions, which are undersized compared to most armies,
  consist of an average of 2500 soldiers.  The divisions are concentrated in three
  Cambodia at-a-glance
  Capital and Largest City:  Phnom
  Penh (1990 est. pop. 900,000).
  Population (1999 est.):  7,600,000 with
  11% urban, 89% rural.
  Official Language: Khmer.
  Literacy:  42% of adult population.
  Medical Facilities:  Poor.
  Life Expectancy:  Women 50, Men 47.
  Average Annual Income (1999 est.):
  $80.
  Government:  Republic.
  Economy:  Socialist, barter system.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  54
  primary areas of operation.  The first is  the defense of
  Cambodia west of Lake Tonle Sap.  The second covers
  territory east of Lake Tonle Sap.  The third is tasked with
  the internal security of Cambodia and is dispersed among
  the cities with a special military zone established for the
  capitol.  The CPAF has only four understrength Engineer-
  ing Regiments and is in desperate need of trained combat
  engineers for mine clearing and civil projects.
  Cambodia’s small air force operates primarily from
  Pochentong Airport near Phnom Penh.  While there are
  twenty MiG-21 fighters in the inventory, few are service-
  able, and a variety of small turboprop utility aircraft see the
  most use.  The air force also has a single squadron of four-
  teen Mi-17 helicopters that are frequently leased out to the
  U.N. and other relief organizations.
  The CPAF has advisors from several nations including
  “Green Beret” Special Forces soldiers from the United
  States and the SAS from Britain, ostensibly to provide
  counter-narcotics training.  This aid is kept quiet by the
  CPAF and all the involved nations as none wish to draw
  attention to it.
  The officer corps. of the CPAF is determined largely
  by political association, and leadership training is a two-
  week course taught in Phnom Penh.  The CPAF is officer
  heavy and many lower officers perform duties done by non-
  commissioned officers in other armies.  Few officers have
  demonstrated real leadership ability.  Discipline is weak,
  despite occasional attempts at enforcement.
  In the field it is difficult to distinguish between CPAF soldiers and bandits.
  Personal equipment is a mix of civilian items and what military gear has sur-
  vived from previous regimes, and is rarely found in good condition.  Civilian
  clothes equal the number of uniforms and there is no body armor whatsoever.
  Common firearms are the AK-47 and the newer AKM, although there are
  some M-16’s left over from the American presence in Southeast Asia.  Theo-
  retically, each infantry platoon is equipped with a machine gun, usually a PKM
  or M60, and a rocket propelled grenade launcher, recoilless rifle, or light mortar.
  Transportation usually consists of ancient Chinese-manufactured trucks or
  some of the newer Toyota Land Cruisers taken from departing UN troops.  The
  CPAF also possesses a formidable, if quite aged, mechanized force of 150
  Soviet T-55 tanks and 160 BTR-60 wheeled armored personal carriers.
  The CPAF is currently engaged in a life-and-death struggle with the Khmer
  Rouge.  Khmer Rouge soldiers, based in camps on the Thai side of the border
  and covertly supported by the Thai military, launched a major offensive against
  the CPAF in 1993 and gained decisive victories.  Since that time, however, the
  fighting has become bogged down with neither side able to make a killing blow
  against the other.  In December of 1998, the Khmer Rouge launched a new
  offensive.  Fighting rages across the country but is fiercest in the northwest
  where the CPAF has been forced to retreat south in the face of Khmer Rouge
  opposition.  Throughout Cambodia, Khmer Rouge guerrilla units roam the coun-
  tryside and terrorist cells have infiltrated the cities.  Vast areas have become a
  no man’s land filled with bandits, land mines, and a cowering population.
  While the outcome of the civil war remains in doubt, the Khmer Rouge
  have recently acquired many new high-tech weapons that have turned the tide
  in several small skirmishes.  If these weapons are used on a larger scale, the
  tide of battle would decidedly turn against the CPAF.
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  55
  LAO PEOPLE’S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
  Laos has the distinction of being the least developed, least populated, and most
  ethnically complex of all the countries in Southeast Asia.  With the communist
  takeover in 1975, Laos began a process of isolation and self-preoccupation.
  Now, a new generation of leaders has begun the slow process of waking the
  country and introducing it to the twenty-first century.
  The one-party government of Laos has two parallel organizations: the Na-
  tional Congress of People’s Representatives and the Lao People’s Revolution-
  ary Party.  While the National Congress is the legislative body that produces the
  laws and oversees the administration of the government via President Nouhak
  Phoumsavan, the actual power lay in the hands of the communist party where
  leadership positions are decided.  The Central Committee Chairman, Khamtay
  Siphandon, who is also the Prime Minister of the National Congress, heads the
  Politburo, the leadership committee of the Lao communist party.  Currently, the
  Lao military dominates the government as six of the nine members of the Polit-
  buro are active or retired military officers.
  Compared to the rest of Southeast Asia, Laos has a relatively tranquil gov-
  ernment featuring smooth leadership changes and open internal debate over
  policy.  The lack of bloody purges and violent coups do not mean, however, that
  Laotian politics is free from conflict.  75% of the party membership joined
  before the communist victory in 1975 and are determined to maintain the isola-
  tionist status quo.  Attempts by the reformist minority to open the country to the
  world and establish free-market reforms are tolerated for the money generated
  but the hard-liners see them as a temporary means to an end.  They point to
  rising crime and increased political influence of Thai businessmen as negative
  side effects.
  The reformist minority, mostly younger Laotians educated in the former
  Soviet Union and China but also a few enlightened old veterans, see the world
  changing rapidly and believe the current regime is an anachronism.  They use
  Vietnam and China as examples of modern communist thought.  Deputy Prime
  Minister Khamphoui Keoboualapha, who at only 43 years of age is the youngest
  member of the Politburo, leads the reformists.  Keoboualapha is in danger of
  being ousted from the Politburo by the hard-liners but this has yet to happen.
  The one issue that everyone in the Laotian government agrees upon is the
  need to maintain the military as a force against the Meo and Hmong hill tribes in
  southern Laos.  These hill tribes, along with many others, have waged a bitter
  war against the Laotian majority since before the communist takeover.  During
  the late seventies and early eighties, the Vientiane government allowed their
  Soviet allies to conduct experiments in chemical warfare on the rebels.  The
  chemicals, what became known as ‘Yellow Rain’ in the western press, were
  dropped on villages and rebel strongholds throughout southern Laos, killing tens
  of thousands.  Despite these and other genocidal attempts by the Vientiane
  government, the Meo and Hmong hill tribes continue to be a thorn in their side
  and control large portions of southern Laos.
  Another issue that is beginning to make itself known is the increased num-
  bers of Vietnamese troops within Laos.  A 1977 ‘friendship agreement’ be-
  tween Laos and Vietnam established the border between the two countries but
  allowed the Vietnamese military to post soldiers inside Laos.  This became a
  major point of contention in 1988 before the Vietnamese pullout of Cambodia
  but since then the Vietnamese have only had a few hundred in Laos.  Now, the
  Vietnamese have moved nearly an entire division into Southern Laos in prepa-
  ration for their invasion of Cambodia.  This move and the invasion itself has
  been covert and only those most friendly to Vietnam have been informed of the
  plan.  However, if it were to be made public the Laotian government reaction
  Laos at-a-glance
  Capital and Largest City:  Vientiane
  (1999 est. pop. 200,000)
  Population (1999 est.):  4,100,000 with
  16% urban, 84% rural.
  Official Language:  Lao
  Literacy:  39% of adult population.
  Medical Facilities: Poor.
  Life Expectancy: Women 52, Men 49.
  Average Annual Income (1999 est.):
  $145.
  Government:  Communist one-party
  state.
  Economy:  Socialist with limited free
  market.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  56
  would be strongly against Vietnam - possibly to the point of war.
  Laotian Civil Police
  The Laotian Civil Police (LCP) is the law-enforcement branch of the govern-
  ment but is very limited in its capabilities and must often draw on the resources
  of the Laotian People’s Revolutionary Army (LPRA, see below).  The LCP has
  the right to arrest and detain but not to conduct trials, which are the responsibil-
  ity of the Laotian Justice Ministry.  LCP police wear military uniforms and have
  access to military weaponry but are usually armed with side arms only.  Al-
  though the LCP officially covers all of Laos, it is only found in the larger cities of
  northern Laos.  Everywhere else falls under the jurisdiction of the LPRA.
  Laotian People’s Revolutionary Army
  Like the rest of Laos, the Laotian People’s Revolutionary Army (LPRA) is
  backwards in technology but has a high state of morale and professionalism.
  The soldiers are individually well equipped and are well trained by Vietnamese
  instructors.  The LPRA is in a constant state of readiness against rebel hill tribe
  attack and rotate through areas of conflict frequently, giving it a high percentage
  of soldiers with combat experience.
  The LPRA is organized along the Vietnamese model, which follows Soviet
  doctrine.  Regiments are heavy on manpower but have no organic artillery, anti-
  aircraft, or engineering assets.  These assets are separate companies or battal-
  ions and are directed by Division headquarters, which prevents units in the field
  from directly calling for fire support or engineering assistance.
  A two-year term of service in the military is mandatory for all men and
  voluntary for women.  Training is based on the Soviet model with an initial six
  weeks of training and then additional training once assigned to a unit.  Non-
  commissioned officers are selected early in training and given special leader-
  ship training.
  The LPRA officer corps. is also based on the Soviet model and officer
  candidates receive a year of training before being assigned to units as junior
  officers.  Officer candidacy is determined as much by political reliability as
  leadership skill, but the military has managed to selectively assign those with
  true talent to vital positions while others get more mundane assignments.  The
  minimum term of service for an officer is four years.
  The LPRA soldier is equipped with a standardized uniform but no body
  armor.  Each soldier is issued a Chinese manufactured AKM and officers re-
  ceive a Makarov PM pistol.  Infantry platoons generally have a pair of PKM
  machine guns and a rocket propelled grenade launcher.
  Transportation is handled primarily through Soviet Ural-375 heavy duty 6x6
  trucks and Gaz jeeps.  The LPRA has a single armored battalion featuring about
  a dozen each of Soviet T-55 main battle tanks and PT-76 amphibious light tanks,
  as well as two dozen BTR-60 wheeled armored personnel carriers.
  The LPRA maintains an air wing armed with only a handful of operational
  MiG-21 fighter craft.  More numerous are the twenty-one Mi-17 ‘Hip’ helicop-
  ters that are frequently armed and used as assault transports.  Although Laotian
  airspace is jealously guarded, shadows created by the mountains make it rela-
  tively easy for aircraft to move undetected.
  Southern Laos has been the home of the Hmong and many other hill tribes
  for centuries.  Although the modern conflict is on the surface one of ideology, it
  is really about tribal independence and ethnic tension.  The tribes themselves
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  57
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  58
  are not unified but together are enough to deny the LPRA freedom of move-
  ment.  LPRA units can occupy an area but are subject to constant harassment
  and guerrilla warfare.
  Recently, the incredible sums of money generated by the opium trade have
  begun to have an effect on the conflict.  The hill tribes have long been the
  primary producers of raw opium and have agreements with various opium lords
  who purchase their products, including Khun Sa and Yeo Chelin.  These opium
  lords have made covert gestures to LPRA military leaders, offering huge “con-
  tributions” in return for less harrasment of opium producers and less vigilance in
  the border patrols.  In some cases, the LPRA has even provided protection for
  the huge opium convoys in the Golden Triangle.
  UNION OF MYANMAR (BURMA)
  The official title of the country is an oxymoron of epic proportions.  Since its
  inception as a nation independent of its British colonial rulers in 1946, Myanmar
  has been wracked with ethnic conflict, civil unrest, brutal military dictatorships,
  and natural disaster.  A nation that was once one of the world’s premier rice
  exporters has been reduced to a bare subsistence level for its own people.  The
  current incarnation of fascist rule is the State Law and Order Restoration Com-
  mittee (SLORC) that was born out of the demonstrations and bloody crack-
  down of 1988.  The SLORC is a political leper in the international community
  and has one of the worst records for human rights abuses in the world.  Finally,
  despite the overwhelming repression, ethnic factions and opium lords control all
  parts of the country not directly beneath the feet of government soldiers.
  Myanmar is a military dictatorship plain and simple.  The 1974 constitution
  was suspended following unrest in 1988 that came from the discovery that
  President U Ne Win had looted the treasury of over one billion dollars.  Demon-
  strations and rioting against the government ended when the Myanmar People’s
  Army (MPA) turned on the protestors, killing tens of thousands and placing
  hundreds of thousands under arrest in slave labor camps.  The leader of the
  crackdown, General Khun Nyung, founded the SLORC and quickly seized con-
  trol of the government.  Borders were closed to foreigners, especially journal-
  ists, and a strict martial law was imposed.  Curfew was set at four o’clock pm,
  gatherings of more than five people were banned, and all visitors were required
  to register with their hosts.
  International pressure led to elections in 1990 for a new constitution but
  when the overwhelming majority rejected the SLORC it negated the elections
  and attacked the winning National League for Democracy (NLD).  The leader
  of the NLD, Nobel Peace prizewinner Sulang An Kyu Sui, was placed under
  house arrest and other leaders were killed or imprisoned.
  The SLORC’s war with the ethnic minorities, most notably the Karen, Wa,
  and Shan hill tribes and Khang Sar’s Muang Thai Army has simmered down to
  a slow boil.  After several unsuccessful campaigns to retake the rebel territo-
  ries, the SLORC has declared an informal truce.  Government forces have
  even been known to aid the opium producing hill tribes by not attacking them
  during the harvest season and allowing the long trains of ponies carrying the
  raw opium paste into Thailand to pass unmolested.
  Not coincidentally, Myanmar’s undeclared war with Thailand has been heat-
  ing up.  Burmese troops have been mauled repeatedly and are plagued by bad
  tactical decisions and poor logistics.  Resources that would otherwise go to a
  starving populace are being pulled away to support the unpopular conflict.  Dis-
  satisfaction with the way the SLORC is handling the war is growing and is
  feeding resistance movements.  Even some in the military are questioning the
  Myanmar (Burma) at-a-glance
  Capital and Largest City:  Yangon
  (1999 est. pop. 2,670,700).
  Population (1999 est.):  43,700,000 with
  24% urban, 76% rural.
  Official Language:  Burmese
  Literacy:  78% of adult population.
  Medical Facilities:  Average.
  Life Expectancy:  Women 55, Men 51.
  Average Annual Income (1999 est.):
  $190.
  Government:  Military rule.
  Economy:  Socialist.
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  59
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  60
  handling of the war.
  Most importantly, the leader of the SLORC, General Khun, has slipped
  from mere megalomania to true insanity.  Khun suffers from paranoid delusions
  and sees enemies behind every corner.  He believes he is the reincarnated form
  of King Anawrahta, the eleventh century founder of Burma, and views himself
  as a kind of godlike savior of the Burmese people.  He has ordered the rebuild-
  ing of the ancient ruined capital city of Bagan by slave labor in the desire to
  recreate “his” ancient home.  Those closest to Khun have noticed a change in
  his behavior and an irrationality to his decisions but so far no one has spoken up.
  Khin’s mental state will continue to deteriorate and the only question is whether
  Burma will survive the reign of a madman.
  The Myanmar People’s Army  (MPA)
  The Myanmar People’s Army is one of the largest military forces in Southeast
  Asia with over 445,000 men, women, and children in uniform.  The MPA is
  large but it is stretched thin in an effort to combat rebel states and Thai incur-
  sions along its southern border while simultaneously repressing a population of
  43.7 million.  What it lacks in experience and technical capability it makes up for
  with blunt brutality.
  Service in the army is mandatory for all men over 18 and the average term
  lasts between two and three years, depending upon the needs of the military.  In
  addition to the mandatory service, SLORC impressment gangs routinely grab
  people off the street for military service.  This means that some in the army
  have already fulfilled their obligations to the country but are impressed for an-
  other twenty-four to thirty-six months.  The impressment gangs also take people
  for use as porters and other slave labor.  Some army units have as many slaves
  as soldiers and spend as much time guarding them as performing actual military
  service.
  Economic sanctions against the SLORC has forced the government to an
  even closer relationship with its only friend - China.  The military is trained and
  equipped with Chinese weapons and vehicles and Chinese officers are often
  observers for units in the field.  Although the government denies it, one out of
  every three pilots in the air wing is a People’s Republic of China officer.
  The average soldier is given a six-week course of basic training with all
  specialized training occurring in assigned units.  The army is based on the Chi-
  nese model with officers being selected from the recruits for their political reli-
  ability and trained separately.  NCOs are also selected at the outset of training
  and given a three-week leadership course.  Porters and other slave labor re-
  ceive no training except to obey or be tortured or killed.
  An MPA soldier wears a khaki and brown uniform and steel helmet, but the
  uniforms are not standardized and vary depending on the factory where they
  were manufactured.  The standard issue weapon is either a locally produced
  copy of the HK G3A3 assault rifle or a copy of the Chinese QBZ Type 97
  (designated as the K1).  Officers are issued either a FN Herstal High-Power or
  a Sterling submachinegun.  Infantry platoons are light on heavy weapons, with
  the Rheinmetall MG3 machine gun being the most common.  The one thing that
  the MPA has a lot of is man-portable mortars.  These small weapons can be set
  up in minutes to lob shells over the rugged Burmese terrain and into enemy
  fortifications.
  Transportation is generally handled through whatever trucks the army can
  muster, some of which date back to WWII and the never-completed Burma
  Road.  Even trucks are of limited use in the jungle hill country and the most
  common form of transportation is the porter - thus the large number of slave
  Crime and Punishment
  Although there are places and times
  where police look the other way that
  does not mean that crime is not taken
  seriously.  To the contrary, law enforce-
  ment is a very serious business indeed.
  The jails and prisons of Southeast Asia
  are full of natives and foreigners who
  failed to understand this fact.
  Arrest in Southeast Asia is different
  than in Europe or America.  There are
  no Miranda rights that must be read
  and police brutality is common.  Law-
  yers and translators are generally not
  provided and the police have few re-
  strictions on their interrogation meth-
  ods.   The criminal systems of South-
  east Asia work quickly and Western-
  ers are usually shocked to learn that
  the time between arrest and trial is
  measured in days, not weeks.  Being
  from another country is no excuse and
  harsh sentences, even the death pen-
  alty, are often given.  Foreign prison-
  ers may be able to contact their em-
  bassy but they can provide little as-
  sistance other than to notify relatives
  of the situation.
  The prison systems of the region
  make the worst prisons in the West
  look like resort communities in com-
  parison.  Food is minimal, and often
  putrid.  Water is sometimes contami-
  nated with disease.  Discipline is bru-
  tal with guards dispensing beatings at
  their leisure. Fellow prisoners can rep-
  resent even a greater threat.  Many
  families have been shocked to learn
  that their relative died in prison after
  being there only a short while.
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  61
  laborers.  The MPA employs a variety of light armored cars, but these are
  restricted to urban areas as a means of repressing the population and are not
  sent into the jungle where they are vulnerable to missile weapons and air strikes.
  The MPA does have a sizeable air wing with several squadrons of fighter
  jets, but aside from ten brand new MiG-29 Fulcrums, most of these are dilapi-
  dated Chinese copies of the MiG-21.  PRC instructors train Burmese pilots in
  China and these numbers are secretly supplemented by PRC pilots.  Myanmar
  airspace is guarded as much as possible but the air wing is no match for the
  Royal Thai Air Force, which has clear air superiority.
  For the first time in five decades the Burmese government and the Shan,
  Wa, and Karen peoples are not openly at war.  In 1995 the MPA successfully
  occupied the Karen state and destroyed Karen Resistance bases inside Thai-
  land.  Cease-fire agreements have been reached with most remaining rebel
  groups, most notably the Muang Thai Army, opium lord Khang Sar’s personal
  military.   This is not to say that the Army is in control.  Battle lines have been
  frozen in place, effectively giving autonomy to the rebels.  Although technically
  a victory for the rebels, both sides know the cease-fire will only last as long as
  the border conflict with Thailand does.
  That conflict with Thailand is draining resources and causing record deser-
  tions.  The undeclared war has not gone well for Myanmar.  After initial Bur-
  mese incursions into Thailand to strike at rebel bases, the Thai military has
  gained control of the border and strike into Myanmar at will.  Thai technical
  superiority and better training has overcome the MPA’s numerical superiority.
  The border is now a meat grinder that chews up MPA units as fast as they can
  be sent there.
  THAILAND
  Thailand is the 600-pound guerrilla of Southeast Asia.  Even in the difficult
  economic times of 1999, Thailand dominates its neighbors in business, industry,
  and diplomacy.  By far the most modern of the Southeast Asian nations, it also
  the most visited by tourists and generally the first country that foreigners think
  of when discussing Southeast Asia.  Prathet Thai, as it is called by its citizens,
  means land of the free, and Thailand has the distinction of being the only South-
  east Asian nation that was never a colony of the Europeans.  Thailand’s govern-
  ment is a complex balance of democracy and military rule, all overseen by a
  benevolent king who chooses to remain apart despite the immense respect he
  holds from the Thai people.
  Thailand is a constitutional monarchy where King Bhumibol Adulyadej (also
  called Rama IX) holds primarily spiritual and social duties.  Constitutionally,
  power lies in the prime minister, a cabinet, and the National Assembly, which is
  composed of an appointed Senate and an elected House of Representatives.
  The executive branch consisting of the Prime Minister and the elected cabinet
  are responsible for executing the laws created by the National Assembly and
  maintaining a court system based on the American model.
  Politics in Thailand is incredibly complex.  It is easiest to visualize it by
  thinking of three concentric circles of power.  The first is the elected govern-
  ments and the political parties.  These positions run the government and create
  and implement their ideas about how Thailand should be run.  Elections are wild
  and violent and resemble gang fights more than democracy.  Each party main-
  tains its own enforcers who attack rival party rallies and keep discipline within
  the group.  Assassination is common and rallies often turn to riots.  Party mem-
  bers are passionate in the promotion and defense of their party platforms and
  elections laws are routinely trampled.  The last election, held in 1996, was con-
  Thailand at-a-glance
  Capital and Largest City:  Bangkok
  (1999 est. pop. 6,109,000).
  Population (1999 est.):
  59,450,000
  with 18% urban, 82% rural.
  Official Language:  Thai.
  Literacy:  88% of adult population.
  Medical Facilities:  Good.
  Life Expectancy:  Women 68, Men 62.
  Average Annual Income (1999 est.):
  $965
  Government:  Constitutional monar-
  chy and National Assembly legisla-
  ture.
  Economy:  Free market.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  62
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  63
  sidered the dirtiest and most corrupt with over 1.2 billion dollars being spent on
  vote-buying and dozens of candidates murdered before election day.
  The second circle of power lies in the Thai military.  The military exercises
  its power in both subtle and overt ways.  Although it is illegal to be an active
  member of the military and serve in the civilian government, the military spon-
  sors several political parties, most notably the New Aspiration Party.  The NAP
  is composed almost entirely of former and active army, navy, and air force
  officers, many of whom still draw active duty pay and wear their uniforms while
  holding office.  The NAP promotes greater control of the government by the
  military, protecting and strengthening Thailand’s dominance of Southeast Asia,
  and the purging of Thailand of all farang, non-Thai Asians.  Economic difficul-
  ties and social factors have pushed the NAP to the forefront of power and it
  plans on being there for a long time.
  While the military influences politics through its own pet parties, there have
  been many times when it has openly intervened - brutally seizing control of
  power, dissolving the government, arresting dissenters and even firing on crowds.
  The last time the military took over was after students demonstrated across the
  country in 1992.  Army troops opened fire on the demonstrators with automatic
  weapons, grenades, and even tanks and armored personnel carriers.  Thou-
  sands were killed and Thailand’s international image as a democracy was badly
  damaged.  Power returned to the civilian government but the military presence
  is felt throughout the country in the form of the thousands of soldiers that walk
  the city streets, man checkpoints,  and patrol country roads performing ‘internal
  security.’
  The third circle of power that encompasses both the civilian government
  and the military is held by a single man - seventy-two year old jazz musician,
  poet, sailor, historian, and the longest reigning monarch in the world, King Bhumibol
  Adulyadej.  During the crisis of 1992, King Bhumibol called the military and
  political leaders before him in a televised meeting.  He chastised the military
  leaders for their brutality and the civilian leaders for letting the protests get out
  of hand.  He made the leaders bow before him and promise to set things to right.
  They did exactly that and the crisis passed.
  King Bhumibol’s power lies in the immense respect and love the people of
  Thailand have for their monarch.  His rule has been one of calm and consis-
  tency throughout the political and civil upheavals since he was crowned in 1950.
  He is considered nearly if not completely divine and Thais avoid defacing his
  image, not even licking the postage stamps that bear his portrait.  Speaking ill of
  the King is a felony crime but those who do so will probably worry more about
  being killed by an angry mob than being arrested.
  Despite this immense authority, King Bhumibol is reluctant to use it, prefer-
  ring to allow the country to follow the constitution and be led by a civilian gov-
  ernment.  Only the most outrageous offences against the Thai people will cause
  him to intervene.  However, when he does, Bhumibol, who’s name means
  “Strength of the Land, Incomparable Power”, always has the last word.
  The current government of Thailand is a coalition government consisting of
  the New Aspiration Party (NAP), a pro-military party, and the Democratic
  Party, a pro-industrial party.  However,  if the coalition splits along party lines,
  the vote usually swings to the Chart Thai party, a small group of reform-minded
  politicians.  The Prime Minister is retired general Chawalit Yangchaiyut (NAP)
  but the cabinet is held by a bare Democratic party majority.  Constitutional
  reform is a major issue before the government but nobody is anxious to have
  another election anytime soon.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  64
  National Police of Thailand
  During the civil unrest of 1992 all of Thailand’s police forces were nationalized.
  After the return of civil government, the police forces have remained national-
  ized although each region and city force has considerable independence in how
  it is managed.  The National Police maintains peace and law and order in all of
  Thailand’s rural and urban areas and on the highways linking the massive cities.
  National Police are very similar to police officers throughout the western world
  and have a reputation for politeness and understanding when dealing with
  westerners.  Farang, non-Thai Asians, on the other hand, know the National
  Police as an abusive agency that harasses and arrests them at every opportu-
  nity.
  National Police are trained in Royal Police academies located throughout
  Thailand and receive instruction in weaponry, law enforcement, and crowd con-
  trol.  Some return to the academies to train in bomb-disposal, special weapons
  and tactics, and languages.  Officers carry SIG/Sauer or Glock 9mm pistols and
  have access to HK33E assault rifles and FN P90 or HK MP5 submachineguns.
  In situations requiring heavy firepower, the police call upon the military for as-
  sistance.
  The Royal Thai Army, Air Force, and Navy
  The Thai military is by far the most well-trained, well-equipped, and profes-
  sional in Southeast Asia.  It has a long and relatively honorable history of pro-
  tecting Thailand from enemies both internal and external.  The military enjoys
  considerable domestic support and respect on the international scene as a tough
  and competent force.
  The Thai military is also much more.  The military has been the single
  greatest influence on the development of modern Thailand and can be described
  as a benevolent, if sometimes brutal, dictatorship.  It is a major political power in
  its own right and organizes and supports many political parties including the
  coalition leader New Aspirations Party.  The military has brutally intervened no
  less than twelve times since 1950, each time recreating the government at the
  cost of thousands of lives.  Even during times of relative calm, there are almost
  as many soldiers on the streets as there are orange-robed priests.
  In addition to affecting the political powers that be, the Thai military, without
  consent of the civil government, has secretly forged several illegal treaties with
  the Khmer Rouge.  In exchange for allowing the military and companies close
  to it to extract natural resources such as wood and gems from western Cambo-
  dia, Thailand turns a blind eye to Khmer Rouge bases on the Thai side of the
  border.  From these bases the Khmer Rouge recruit and train new soldiers as
  well as plan, supply, and launch their campaigns against government forces.
  The profits realized from the arrangement have allowed the Khmer Rouge to
  purchase supplies as well as several new high-tech weapons such as laser
  blinding devices, chemical artillery warheads, and anti-electronic weapons.  This
  arrangement is so secret that Thai commanders shot down a military helicopter
  carrying American DEA agents who had overflown the area and discovered
  the extensive network of roads that honeycomb the border.
  On the social level, the military is promoting a fascist agenda of eliminating
  Asian non-Thais from Thailand.  Foreign Asians, referred to as farang, are
  subject to harassment, public humiliation, and worse at the hands of soldiers, the
  National Police, and civil officials.  The NAP has introduced several measures
  that revoke the citizenship of those few foreigners that have it and eliminated
  programs that aid or assist them.  Subtle media influences have turned public
  Thai Death Squads
  Few foreigners realize how much in-
  fluence the military has in Thailand.
  The routine patrols and checkpoints
  are the most visible signs of that influ-
  ence but it doesn’t stop there.  Covert
  units within the military operate as
  enforcers of the military’s agenda and
  to drum up support for pro-military
  politicians during elections.
  Actually, the death squads rarely kill
  - murder has been found to be coun-
  terproductive and attracts unwanted
  attention to their activities.  Instead,
  the squads harass, beat, extort, and
  publicly humiliate those that warrant
  their attention.  However, that doesn’t
  mean that thousands of people
  haven’t died in suspicious fires, acci-
  dents, of strange illnesses while in
  custody, or simply disappeared never
  to be seen again.
  There are several national and inter-
  national watchdog groups in South-
  east Asia that report on the situation.
  They state that the most likely targets
  of the military are people with the
  wrong political viewpoints, but for-
  eigners and refugees are increasingly
  becoming victims.  The Thai govern-
  ment denies that the death squads ex-
  ist but continue to pursue their anti-
  foreigner policies.
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  65
  sentiment against them and they are often made scapegoats for the end of
  Thailand’s economic boom times of the 1980s.  This program has been primarily
  aimed at Burmese guest workers and Cambodian refugees who have streamed
  into Thailand seeking a better life, but has also affected Malaysians and Viet-
  namese and the hill tribe peoples of the Golden Triangle.  Non-Asians and Japa-
  nese and Chinese have not been targeted and are generally accepted for their
  economic contributions to Thailand.
  The largest and most powerful branch of the Thai military is the army.  The
  Royal Thai Army has 190,000 members compared to the Navy with 68,000 and
  the Air Force’s 48,000.  Not coincidentally, the Army has greater political influ-
  ence.  There is considerable friction between the branches but only at the top
  command levels - it doesn’t affect joint operations, which are common.
  Military service is once-again compulsory, although there was a brief at-
  tempt to make it an all-volunteer army.  Border conflicts with Burma and in-
  creased internal security needs have required greater manpower and a twenty-
  four month term of service is required of all citizens.  Training is extensive and
  taught by experienced instructors.  An eight-week boot camp is followed up
  with specialist training and then an apprenticeship program once assigned to a
  unit.  Advancement within the ranks is determined by time served and the soldier’s
  service record.  Non-Commissioned Officers, the backbone of any modern
  army, are chosen for their qualifications and are usually veterans of at least one
  term of service.
  The Thai officer corps and command structure is based on the American
  model.  Soldiers may become officers via an Officer Candidate School or by
  graduating from one of the military’s academies.  The minimum term of service
  for an officer is five years.   Political reliability is less important than skills but
  those showing dedication to the Thai military and its unique position in Thai
  politics advance faster than those who do not.
  The Thai soldier is equipped with a stan-
  dardized olive drab uniform and steel helmet.
  Some specialized units have adopted body ar-
  mor but these are exceptions to the rule.  The
  HK33E and the Colt M16A2 are the most com-
  mon assault rifles issued but the internal secu-
  rity forces in urban areas are armed with the
  HK MP5 submachine gun.  Officers are issued
  either the Colt M1911A1 or Glock 17 as side
  arms but some go for more macho weapons
  like the .357 magnum.  Infantry platoons are
  heavy on firepower with a M60 or Minimi ma-
  chine gun for every six soldiers on average.  Ad-
  ditional firepower comes from grenade launch-
  ers and LAW rockets.
  Unlike the rest of Southeast Asia’s militar-
  ies, most Thai infantry are motorized and are
  transported in trucks and armored personal car-
  riers.  The Thai army is well equipped with tanks;
  unfortunately not much of the country is acces-
  sible to tanks, and infantry and helicopters make
  a better combination.  The armored units con-
  tain a mix of updated American M60A1/A3 main
  battle tanks and older M48A5’s along with
  M113 armored personnel carriers.
  Thailand possesses a large special opera-
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  66
  tions force with two Special Forces divisions.  There are also the Royal Thai
  Rangers, the Tigers, a Brigade of highly trained unconventional warfare spe-
  cialists.  The Rangers undergo rigorous selection and training similar to that of
  the US Army Rangers of the United States and have an excellent reputation
  among the world’s military elite.  In addition to hounding Mynamar People’s
  Army troops along the border, a specialized unit of the Tigers, Task Force 90,
  has received additional training in anti-terrorist tactics and are Thailand’s pre-
  mier counterterrorist unit.
  The Royal Thai Air Force is small but capable with over one hundred fighter
  craft and nearly that many ground-attack planes.  In 1993, Thailand purchased
  fifty American F-16s and there are another forty on order.  Less attention has
  been paid to ground-attack aircraft where the RTAF flies aging, Vietnam War-
  era F5 Freedom Fighters.  The RTAF also maintains a large fleet of attack and
  transport helicopters, mostly Bell Hueys and Cobras, with a handful of UH-60
  Blackhawks.
  The Royal Thai Navy has carved a niche for itself in Southeast Asia as
  fierce smuggler and pirate hunters.  The blue-water navy patrols the Gulf of
  Thailand, the South China Sea, and the Andaman Sea in a variety of ships
  ranging from the Chakri Nareubet light aircraft carrier with its seven Harrier
  jump jets to small coastal patrol craft armed only with light machineguns.  Al-
  though many have been purchased from foreign navies as they were decom-
  missioned they have racked up an impressive number of captures and kills as
  well as rescues in spite of being second-hand.  The most recent additions have
  been two Israeli-built submarines which are seeing a good deal of use inserting
  and extracting Thai commandos into SLORC territory.  The Thai navy reserves
  the right to stop and board all sea borne traffic in Thai waters as well as sus-
  pected smugglers and pirates in international waters.
  The navy also maintains a brown water section that patrols the country’s
  waterways and inlets.  The brown water navy is primarily geared to anti-smug-
  gling and counter-insurgency operations.  Its small boats emphasize stealth and
  firepower and are often used by Thai Marines for insertion and fire support
  along the Burmese coastline.  The most common of these is the Napco Raider,
  a small fiberglass boat with a low profile, shallow draft, quiet engine, mounts for
  three machine guns and high-speed capability.
  The cross-border conflict with Burma is the most active assignment for the
  Thai military, but not the only one.  Anti-smuggling efforts are given public
  recognition out of context to their small size.  Internal security is also taken very
  seriously in the face of demonstrations, rioting, and terrorism.  Finally, the bor-
  der with Cambodia is a hot zone of activity, mostly between the Thai military,
  fleeing Cambodian refugees, and the Khmer Rouge.  Only those units consid-
  ered politically reliable are assigned to this zone.
  THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
  Vietnam was the rising star of Southeast Asia before the worldwide depression
  sunk its bright vision of the future.  It still has more going for it than any other
  country in Southeast Asia except Thailand and the recent discovery of petro-
  leum deposits off its coast has created a flurry of activity though they have yet
  to pay off.  Politically, Vietnam is a nation in transition.  Like China, the country
  has adopted a “one country, two systems” approach to its economy - state
  industries and communism alongside privately owned businesses and open mar-
  kets.  The hard-line policies of the government have been softened by a new
  younger generation of communists who seek to bring Vietnam out of the past
  and into the future.
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  67
  On paper, Vietnam is a communist republic with a National Assembly rep-
  resenting the people.  From this Assembly, the Council of State and ministers
  are elected to run the government.  These elected people are responsible to the
  National Assembly, which monitors their activities.
  In real life, power lies in the hands of the Vietnamese Communist Party.
  The party elite determines who is to be elected to the National Assembly and
  who is to be a minister.  Usually the party elite takes the choice roles in govern-
  ment and fills the subordinate positions with those loyal to them.  Very little
  debate happens in the National Assembly as all major decisions are deliberated
  and decided upon at party headquarters well in advance.
  Vietnam is a relatively peaceful country now that all those who opposed the
  communists have been killed, forced into exile, or otherwise silenced.  The
  occupation of Cambodia by Vietnamese forces has ended and the military has
  shrunk, allowing resources normally applied to it to go to the public.  Unlike the
  rest of Southeast Asia, Vietnam has little ethnic violence and the greatest con-
  flicts have been economic.
  The collapse of communism in Europe and the apparent fracturing of China
  has left Vietnam without much in the way of allies, politically and philosophi-
  cally.  Efforts to boost the sagging economy in the 1980’s led to profit incentives
  and opening the country to limited foreign investments.  The success of these
  years as compared to the disastrous years of strict communism quickly led to
  further reforms.  Now Vietnam has two systems, a policy officially called dio
  moi - capitalism on a small scale that has been successful and state socialism
  that has been a dismal failure.  Agricultural production has improved since the
  party allowed peasants to operate private farms but several years of bad weather
  has prevented the country from being able to feed itself.  More reforms to
  liberalize the economy are being currently debated by the party.
  Young reformers have become a vocal minority in the communist party and
  have won victories that have allowed the limited capitalism to exist in Vietnam.
  They point to the success of profit incentive and the potential for future growth
  when allied with foreign investment.  They see Vietnam’s future in shedding the
  isolation of the past and joining the rest of the world.  Reformers are most
  predominant in southern Vietnam.
  Opposed to these reformers are the older hard-line communists, most of
  who fought in the war to unite the two Vietnams.  Many are still active mem-
  bers of the military and despise the idea of allowing foreigners, many of whom
  they fought against, to buy a place in their worker’s paradise.  They believe the
  global depression is the final death throes of capitalism predicted by Marx and
  that the reformers are at best dangerous radicals and at worst traitors and
  capitalist spies.  Hardliners are almost exclusively from northern Vietnam.
  Between these two groups is a large group of communists who favor a
  middle ground.  They desire the security the communist system offers to the
  people but enjoy their VCRs and cell phones.  This group swings like a pendu-
  lum back and forth between the hardliners and the reformers.
  In the background of all this debate over economics lies one fact that has
  been glossed over due to poor reporting methods and foreign imports - Vietnam
  is slowly starving to death.  Bad weather and poor harvesting as a result of
  communist mismanagement have defeated increased rice production efforts.
  1994 through 1997 were drought years and the promising harvest of 1998 was
  destroyed in a single day by a freak monsoon.  Vietnam has been purchasing
  food stocks from other Asian countries and America but it is now deeply in debt.
  Personal levels of consumption have dropped steadily and malnutrition is be-
  coming epidemic in the countryside.  This is a quiet famine because the state
  takes all the food and sends it to the cities where the bulk of the population lives.
  Vietnam at-a-glance
  Capital:  Hanoi (1999 est. pop.
  2,623,000).
  Largest City:  Ho Chi Minh City (1999
  est. pop. 4,812,800)
  Population (1999 est.):  67,037,000 with
  81% urban, 19% rural.
  Official Language:  Vietnamese.
  Literacy:  83% of adult population.
  Medical Facilities:  Average to good.
  Life Expectancy:  Women 66, Men 62.
  Average Annual Income (1999 est.):
  $300.
  Government:  Communist one-party
  state.
  Economy:  Controlled free market.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  68
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  69
  But it won’t be long before starvation begins to creep into the urban areas too.
  Vietnamese Police
  The Vietnamese police are not a nationalized force but an observer would have
  a difficult time discovering that for all the uniformity the police agencies have.
  Officially under the Ministry of Justice, police agencies are organized into small
  jurisdictions that fall under the larger umbrella of the provincial government.
  Agencies are coordinated within provinces to work together but will always
  respect one another’s areas of jurisdiction.  Although there is a national agency
  to assist the provinces to work together, it has been largely ignored and coop-
  eration between provinces is limited.  Police officers are armed with Russian
  and Eastern European firearms but many have begun adopting American and
  Western European weapons for both their superior quality and status.
  The Army of Vietnam
  The Army of Vietnam remains the political stronghold of communist hardliners
  and a source of great pride for the nation.  Although the military has been
  reduced in numbers and resources it remains a very potent and professional
  force.
  A thirty-month service in the army is mandatory for all youths between the
  age of eighteen and twenty-four.  Unlike other Southeast Asian nations, women
  are expected to perform equal service with men albeit in separate units.  There
  are no impressment gangs but failing to join when called for is a criminal of-
  fense.
  The Army of Vietnam is based on the Soviet model with the exception that
  all new recruits, including officer candidates, attend the same six-week boot
  camp.  Instructors are often former Soviet officers now seeking employment in
  the Far East.  Following the initial training comes specialty training and the
  officers are separated from enlisted personnel.  The army is officer heavy and
  junior officers often fulfill jobs normally performed by enlisted soldiers in west-
  ern armies.  Among NCOs rank is less important than time served with soldiers
  having served more months outranking new ones.
  The standard Vietnamese soldier is equipped with a standardized light brown
  uniform and pith helmet (which provides no armor for the head).  The AK-74 is
  the most common assault rifle but reserve units may use AKMs or even Ameri-
  can M-16s from three decades ago.  Infantry platoons usually have three PK
  machine guns and a rocket propelled grenade launcher.  Heavier weapons are
  relegated to specialized squads that supplement the platoons.
  Transportation is almost exclusively Soviet heavy-duty 6x6 trucks and light
  jeeps.  While Vietnam has over 2,500 tanks and armored vehicles of Soviet and
  Chinese manufacturer, they are increasingly unserviceable and their employ-
  ment is rare.
  The exception to this rule is anything to do with anti-aircraft, a subject the
  army has a passion for.  Vietnam has one of the largest air defense forces in the
  world with over 12,000 self-propelled and towed anti-aircraft guns, as well as
  nearly seventy fixed SAM sites.  Despite the numbers, these weapon systems
  are largely 1960’s vintage and would be of limited use against a modern air
  force.
  The Vietnamese Air Force, a branch of the army, is a strong part of the air
  defense system and operates nearly 200 Soviet fighters and bombers, including
  twelve of the advanced Su-27.  As with the army, many instructors are former
  Soviet pilots.  In addition to fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters are an important part
  POWs and MIAs
  In the Paris Agreements of 1973 in
  which the United States officially with-
  drew from the Vietnamese conflict, all
  American prisoners of war were to be
  released.  Hundreds of POWs, mostly
  pilots and navigators shot down over
  Laos and Vietnam, were repatriated to
  the US and grateful families.  However,
  there still remained over one thousand
  soldiers missing in action, or MIA.
  Over the past two decades, there
  have been reports of American POWs
  seen in Vietnam and Laos.  There have
  been several attempts to search for
  them, both by the American govern-
  ment and private adventurers.  None
  returned with convincing evidence.
  In fact, Vietnam did not return every
  POW.  125 were kept by the Vietnam-
  ese as hostages to ensure that the
  United States would pay reparations
  agreed to in the Paris Agreements.
  When the United States refused to pay
  the reparations and the American
  presidency unexpectedly changed
  hands in the wake of the Watergate
  scandal, the prisoners were moved
  permanently to Laos.  After a planned
  American rescue attempt was made
  public in 1981, the prisoners were qui-
  etly shipped to the Soviet Union where
  they were interrogated by the KGB and
  then sent to prison gulags in Siberia.
  As of 1999, each of these men is dead
  from the harsh treatment of their cap-
  tors.  With the thaw in relations be-
  tween Vietnam and the United States
  and the complete dissolution of the
  Soviet Union, this information was
  buried.  Only a handful of powerful
  people in each country know the real
  fate of the last POWs of the Vietnam
  war.  All of these people have a vested
  interest in guaranteeing that this in-
  formation remains a secret.
  One positive side effect of the im-
  provement in political relations has
  been the creation of several teams of
  forensic archeologists who seek out
  crash sites of downed US airplanes and
  recover the remains.  These teams are
  often working several sites at once in
  the most difficult terrain Laos and Viet-
  nam have to offer.  Despite their limita-
  tions, dozens of families across the
  United States have found closure to a
  war that officially ended twenty-six
  years earlier.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  70
  of the air wing with the dangerous Mi-24 ‘Hind’ making up the backbone of the
  helicopter fleet.
  Vietnam also maintains a small navy.  Most ships are former Soviet naval or
  commercial vessels converted to military use.  Along with the surface ships, the
  navy maintains two North Korean-built midget submarines.  A special brown
  water unit of the army patrols the many rivers of Vietnam and the large Mekong
  Delta.
  Unlike every other country in Southeast Asia, Vietnam is not engaged in
  conflict.  This moment of peace will not last as the hard-line communist leaders
  have realized the extent of the progressive starvation and are determined to
  secure a new source of food.  They plan to invade Cambodia, a nation they had
  previously occupied until 1988, and secure the rice harvest there.  In fact, the
  plan was supposed to occur in 1998 but the same freak typhoon that savaged
  that year’s harvest also swamped roads and made travel impossible.  26,000
  troops covertly inserted into southern Laos were forced to abandon their plans.
  Now, the soldiers have returned and are preparing for another attempt.  The
  invasion date is scheduled for February 18.  Ironically, this is Cambodia’s Viet-
  nam Friendship Day, a holiday that commemorates the signing of a treaty be-
  tween the two nations.
  For the hard-line communists in the Vietnamese military to successfully
  invade Cambodia and avoid international wrath, they must first have a semi-
  legitimate reason.  The carefully orchestrated plan created for the action is to
  insert a special operations team inside Cambodia armed with shoulder-fired
  anti-aircraft missiles.  The team will then shoot down a Vietnamese civilian
  airliner.  Once the plane has been shot down and the Khmer Rouge identified as
  those responsible (something everyone would believe they are capable of) the
  Vietnamese forces massed on the border will invade in an effort to “protect the
  citizens of the world from Khmer Rouge terrorism.”
  The fact that the plan involves the deliberate murder of over one hundred
  people has been debated and the hardliners have declared it both “a calculated
  risk” and the deaths as “regrettable but acceptable losses.”
  FOREIGN & INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES
  The modern world is interconnected and Southeast Asia is no exception.  The
  global drug trade, peace missions, industrial competition, and international con-
  flicts are all reasons the world focuses its attention on the relatively small re-
  gion.  Most of these international players have a stake in the events that come
  The United Nations
  Despite several high-profile interventions in
  Southeast Asia in the early 1990’s, financial
  cutbacks and political failures have placed the
  United Nations in a difficult position.  The in-
  creasing anarchy and civil disturbances of the
  region have required an increased military pres-
  ence while the more cost effective health,
  agriculture, and disaster relief programs have
  been curtailed.  Although still a powerful voice
  in the politics of the region, the UN is increas-
  ingly lacking in the money and muscle to back
  about.  Others just want to make sure they
  don’t get blindsided by events happening on
  the other side of the world.
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  71
  up its demands.
  The United Nations has several non-military programs running in Southeast
  Asia including the World Health Organization, Agricultural Assistance Program,
  and the Maritime Observation Group.  These groups promote general welfare
  by educating and assisting governments and people in preventing disease, grow-
  ing more food, and regulating ocean-going trade.  Because these groups work
  with local governments and have no authority in themselves, their effectiveness
  depends upon the cooperation offered.  As can be expected, the level of suc-
  cess varies considerably.
  World Health Organization (WHO)
  When founded in 1948, the goal of this UN agency was to see “the attainment
  by all the peoples of the highest possible level of health.”  Functions include
  teaching assistance, research, technical assistance, setting international health
  standards, and aiding victims of natural disaster.  Safe drinking water, maternal
  and child welfare, and the eradication of disease have been ongoing projects.
  In 1999 WHO has more than its hands full.  Although the organization
  continues to pursue its more mundane objectives on paper, almost all of its
  resources have been directed to dealing with the seemingly unending number of
  disease outbreaks.  In 1997 the Ebola virus was brought to Thailand via an
  African businessman from Zaire.  The outbreak that struck lower Bangkok was
  deadly but didn’t spread thanks to the efforts of WHO agents.  WHO has been
  less effective at dealing with cholera epidemics that have repeatedly struck
  Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.  Worst of all, the continuing AIDS plague
  has left hundreds of thousands dead and only recently shown signs of letting up.
  By 1999, WHO is faced with an overwhelming task.  It must protect the
  populace from becoming casualties in a micro biotic war while its own resources
  are being limited and help from native governments has been limited at best.
  Even with its best estimates, WHO in Southeast Asia will be out of money, and
  therefore out of business, by April.  To prevent this, WHO administrators have
  been releasing a mountain or reports detailing the kind of catastrophe that can
  occur if the agency is allowed to die.  Ironically, these same reports are respon-
  sible for creating the kind of apathy that haunts the world at the end of the
  millennium and prevents help from coming.
  WHO resources in Southeast Asia include one hundred thirty full-time doc-
  tors and nurses with another seventy or so available part time.  Backing up the
  doctors and nurses is a small army of medical technicians and trained assis-
  tants.  While this force may seem formidable, most of the personnel are as-
  signed to rural hospitals and refugee camps where the doctor to patient ratio is
  several thousand to one.  Plus, they must work under primitive conditions, some-
  times under fire, and with what medical supplies WHO can buy, beg, borrow, or
  steal.
  The WHO Regional Headquarters are located in Bangkok, near the Swed-
  ish embassy.
  The only advantage that WHO currently has is that as a UN mission, it can
  draw on UN material and personnel to help.  Most often this comes in the form
  of transportation and protection of doctors and nurses as they visit rural territo-
  ries.  Sometimes, particularly when dealing with outbreaks of disease, WHO
  personnel conscript entire units for help in quarantining an area, caring for the
  sick, and disposing of the dead.  In 1998, a Bangladeshi infantry battalion did just
  that when a cholera outbreak threatened a province of Cambodia.
  Occasionally, WHO will contract with B/E to protect a shipment of medi-
  cines or personnel through areas experiencing unrest.  With the coming money
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  72
  crunch, it is unknown if they will continue to do so.
  UN Military Forces
  The UN currently has sizable military forces in Cambodia and Myanmar.  These
  are associated primarily with the Safe Zones established in those countries where
  refugees of the endemic fighting have been able to retreat.  In addition to pro-
  tecting safe zones, the UN is also continuing its early 1990s program of removal
  of land mines from Cambodia.
  UN Safe Zone - Myanmar
  In Myanmar, where ethnic warfare has been non-stop for forty years, Canadian
  forces under the UN banner protect an ethnic enclave located approximately
  forty miles north of the Thai city of Mae Hong Song.  Primarily the Shan and
  Wa hill tribes occupy this enclave. This enclave lies in a narrow valley sur-
  rounded by steep hills and resupply for the Canadians and the refugee camps
  comes via an access road from Thailand.  Approximately 25,600 refugees live
  in the narrow valley in squalid refugee camps but are generally safe from the
  fighting.  A mechanized infantry battalion with armor and helicopter support
  defends the area and rarely ventures out except to guard supply columns enter-
  ing from Thailand.  Because fighting has shifted to other areas of the country
  the safe zone has been successful.  Ironically, the most provocative action came
  in 1998 when members of the Nouveau Armie pour le Liberation du Quebec
  terrorist group placed a bomb in a crate of relief supplies, which killed seven-
  teen refugees.
  UN Transitional Authority and Command - Cambodia
  UN operations in Cambodia are more extensive and much more dangerous.
  Starting in the early 1990’s, the United Nations created the UN Transitional
  Authority and Command (UNTAC) with the two-fold objective of providing an
  opportunity for free elections to be held and the clearing of the millions of land
  mines that outnumber the people two to one.
  All UN operations in Cambodia are organized and supplied from the UN
  headquarters located in the former Wat Phnom hotel in Phnom Penh.  The Wat
  Phnom hotel is a beehive of activity with the parking lot filled with white UN
  Toyota Land Cruisers and the occasion armored personnel transport.  Inside,
  diplomats and soldiers scurry about trying to avert the crisis of the week.  Secu-
  rity is tight and provided by veteran Pakistani and Bangladeshi troops.  A num-
  ber of rocket propelled grenade and mortar attacks by the Khmer Rouge have
  done little actual damage but have put the troops on edge.
  The UN also has its own hangers and aircraft load/unload area at Pochentong
  Airport, approximately four miles from Phnom Penh.  This area is cordoned off
  from regular airport business by rows of concertina wire and sandbagged firing
  positions.  Just as with the headquarters, attacks and threats by the Khmer
  Rouge have the soldiers in a ‘shoot first and ask questions later’ mentality.
  UN Safe Zone - Battambang
  The city of Battambang lies northwest of Phnom Penh along the Sangker River
  and is an important railhead and market center for the rich, rice-growing lands
  of Western Cambodia.  It has been the site of some of the fiercest fighting
  between Khmer Rouge, non-communist rebels, and government soldiers, and
  has changed hands many times.  In 1997 the city was declared a UN safe zone
  and all combatants left - at least in theory.  Now, the nearly 210,000 people live
  in what amounts to a medieval walled city patrolled by Pakistani, Bangladeshi,
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  73
  Argentine, and French troops under the UN banner.
  In truth, the fighting has not stopped but has shifted to the areas outside of
  the city.  The nightly handful of Khmer Rouge mortar shells thrown at the city
  are so poorly aimed that they are rarely lethal.  All sides recognize the value of
  keeping the city intact.  In this way, Battambang has become a prize to go to the
  victor in Cambodia’s civil war, if there ever is one.
  UN forces in and around Battambang travel in squads or platoons (never
  fewer than four individuals) with one heavy weapon per squad.  Helicopters
  often accompany convoys and large patrols.  Any unit in Battambang can call
  upon artillery support from a French battery of 105mm guns.
  In addition to ground troops, UN forces in Battambang have sixteen Super
  Puma helicopters at the airport, with four armed as gunships.  Transport aircraft
  constantly shuttle between Battambang and Phnom Penh to supply the UN
  forces.
  UN Safe Zone - Siem Reap
  Located just a few miles from the spectacular Angkor ruins, Siem Reap is in
  northwestern Cambodia, just a few miles north of Lake Tonle Sap.  The city has
  a low population for Cambodia - only 12,000 people - but is important to the
  United Nations because of the Angkor complex and their effort to preserve
  what are some of the most incredible ruins in Asia.  Forty-three researchers and
  historical preservationists work with hundreds of laborers to repair damage to
  the site from natural and unnatural sources.  Most of the researchers believe
  that they will eventually be forced to leave the site in the near future and so they
  are preparing the ruins for an extended period of neglect.
  A battalion of Royal Marines from Great Britain have a headquarters in
  Siem Reap itself as well as a presence at the town’s airport.  Although the UN
  troopers are far fewer than at Battambang, they are much more aggressive.
  An attack in 1998 by forty guerrillas on motorcycles armed with rocket pro-
  pelled grenades left several British soldiers dead and caused the commander to
  change the way they protected the area. Instead of hiding in bunkers and mov-
  ing in armored columns, the Marines make heavy use of local guides and con-
  duct foot patrols through the ruins and nearby countryside.  As Siem Reap
  province is a provincial base for the Khmer Rouge, contact with the enemy
  occurs often.
  With so much enemy contact this battalion is one of the most combat-expe-
  rienced in the British military.  When Khmer Rouge activity is high, the Brits will
  sometimes quietly supplement the Marines with squads of SAS troopers who
  come more for the experience than the extra firepower.  The SAS units are
  typically not UN sanctioned or approved by the Hun Sen regime.  However, the
  effectiveness of these unconventional warriors has been such that no one has
  yet to complain.
  A typical unit from Siem Reap consists of nine Royal Marines split between
  one squad leader and two fire teams of four.  Each fire team has one man-
  portable heavy weapon.
  UN Mine Clearing Program
  Since the early 1990’s the UN has fielded teams of engineers throughout Cam-
  bodia to clear the country of the millions of mines laid during the conflict.  By
  and large, the program has been successful and vast areas once impassable are
  now being cultivated.  However, the program won’t be completed until the
  beginning of the next century and the UN has committed to the work, despite
  the current anarchy.
  A typical mine clearing team consists of a half-dozen engineers, a dozen or
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  74
  so laborers, and a security team of six to ten.  Because of the extent of the
  program and the reluctance of UN commanders to give up manpower, outside
  security forces are often hired.  BlackEagle/BlackEagle has been a favorite
  source for security personnel because of its highly trained people who can often
  assist in the process.  It was a B/E security team that protected the engineers
  and eventually led to them safety after the Khmer Rouge employed a laser
  blinding device in Kampong Cham.
  The process of mine clearing is slow and dangerous.  When possible, mines
  are detonated where they lay.  If that is not possible, the engineering team will
  carefully remove the mine, deactivate it, and dispose of it.  Because disposal is
  done in large groups, the deactivated mines are temporarily stored in safety pits
  surrounded by large mounds of dirt.  These stores of deactivated mines and the
  valuable explosives they contain are a popular target for the Khmer Rouge and
  bandits.  Many unfortunate B/E operatives have been forced into a firefight
  with their backs to thousands of pounds of high explosives.
  Central Intelligence Agency (USA)
  The American Central Intelligence Agency has a long and colorful history in
  Southeast Asia as well as a reputation for Machiavellian politics.  When French
  Indochina crumbled and Vietnam was segregated into a communist north and
  democratic south, the CIA had already established itself, taking over the turf of
  the French intelligence service.  As the war heated up and more and more
  soldiers were imported to fight, the CIA increased its presence until the South-
  east Asia branch was the largest in the organization.  CIA operatives gathered
  electronic and photoreconnaissance, trained entire hill tribe armies, ran deep
  penetration missions into southern China, operated the Phoenix assassination
  program, and ran the largest “commercial” airline in the Pacific, Air America.
  During the post-Vietnam War era, the CIA remained active in Southeast
  Asia, but primarily from Thailand.  With the war officially over, the CIA still
  aided rebels in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia against the communists and gath-
  ered information, but it was just a shadow of its former self.  It wasn’t until the
  late 1980s and the economic boom in Southeast Asia that the CIA began to
  regroup and reform.  Industrial espionage, counter espionage, and paramilitary
  training became organization’s specialties.  Anti-drug efforts by the CIA have
  been half hearted at best as CIA agents claim that drug eradication is really the
  responsibility of the DEA.
  The CIA in Southeast Asia sees itself as a shadowy protector of an inno-
  cent American people and their interests in a hostile world.  A philosophy of the
  ends justifying the means has permeated the CIA and almost any illegal or
  immoral action can be sanctioned so long as the final result is positive for the
  USA.
  The CIA has a great deal of resources in Southeast Asia, including the
  cooperation of the Thai government.  Field offices are disguised as businesses,
  often import/export, which allows the Agency to operate free of embassy su-
  pervision and maintain some physical assets such as vehicles and communica-
  tions equipment.  Field offices have been established in Bangkok, Chaing Mai,
  Phnom Penn, Ho Chi Mihn City, Hanoi, and most recently in Yangon (Rangoon).
  Thanks to good funding and some extracurricular activities the CIA is well
  funded and is far more liberal with its funds than other intelligence agencies.
  The real reason behind the lack of enthusiasm for anti-drug efforts is be-
  cause the CIA is up to its neck in the business to the tune of $650 million dollars
  annually.  Not a large amount compared to the rest of the industry, but still
  sizable, particularly for an American government agency. The CIA never com-
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  75
  pletely cut off the rebel hill tribes in Laos and Burma or dismantled Air America.
  Hill tribe troops were supplied through the black market in deals set up by CIA
  agents and paid for in money derived from opium smuggled into Thailand through
  CIA resources.  Chief among these smuggling organizations was Air America’s
  successor, Si-Chang Flying Service (see the Si-Chang Flying Service, fol-
  lows).
  Now the CIA is entrenched in its smuggling efforts despite the fact that
  most of the nations the hill tribes fight against are liberalizing their systems to
  become less socialist and more democratic.  This institutionalized smuggling has
  also been lining the pockets of CIA section chiefs and others in the system and
  is a lucrative source of cash for the Agency.
  Some agents have had second thoughts about the smuggling considering the
  apparent victory of the West over communism.  A few have spoken out against
  the operation, citing drug abuse in America as a major problem and themselves
  as contributors.  These agents are the minority and any that speak out are either
  transferred, blackmailed, or silenced.
  Si-Chang Flying Service
  Getting things to the backcountry of Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia can be dif-
  ficult.  There are few roads and often they become brown, muddy rivers during
  the rainy season.  Vehicles are hard to come by and not always reliable.  Be-
  sides natural dangers, bandits and insurgents can threaten property and life.
  Even if you do manage to get something someplace, getting back can be just as
  much an adventure.
  Enter the Si-Chang Flying Service of Chiang Mai, Thailand.  This company
  offers delivery service to the most remote parts of Southeast Asia via its small
  fleet of airplanes and helicopters.  Si-Chang promises the safe delivery of just
  about any item or person to nearly anywhere - for a price.  Definitions of “safe”
  and “delivery” vary as the most common way
  of “dropping off” a package  (people included)
  is often kicking it out the back of the airplane
  with a parachute attached but Si-Chang has one
  of the greatest success rates in the business.
  Famine relief goods, anthropology students, live-
  stock, mail, and even delicate computer com-
  ponents have entered the jungles of Southeast
  Asia thanks to Si-Chang Flying Service and lived
  to tell about it.
  Like most of the other flying services in
  Chaing Mai, Si-Chang is not entirely legal.  The
  majority of its contracts come from smuggling
  opium into Thailand from the Golden Triangle
  and to destinations around the region.  Smug-
  gling flights occur on an almost daily basis and
  the Si-Chang hangars at Chaing Mai Interna-
  tional Airport are beehive of activity.  Customs
  inspectors and military personnel are always
  nearby but so far Si-Chang has yet to have a
  single one of its smuggling flights seized by au-
  thorities.  Si-Chang pilots and ground crew are
  experienced and highly intelligent but that is not
  what keeps it in business.  The difference be-
  tween Si-Chang and the others is in its bene-
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  76
  factor - The American Central Intelligence Agency.
  At the end of the American involvement in the Vietnam War the CIA suf-
  fered from major criticism of its Air America program.  Air America, based out
  of Vientiane, Laos, was the CIA’s own air delivery service for its operations in
  Southeast Asia and was widely used for transporting weapons and supplies to
  rebel hill tribes in the Golden Triangle and smuggling the hill tribe’s opium out.
  Congressional oversight killed the program and the Air America assets were
  sold off at auction.
  One of the major buyers of the assets was the Chinese airfreight company
  Si-Chang.  Si-Chang, however, existed only on paper and was in fact a CIA
  import/export company out of Bangkok.  Chiang Mai became the new home of
  Si-Chang and within a month the CIA paid pilots had traded their grease-stained
  Air America baseball caps for shiny new Si-Chang ones.  It was business as
  usual and that business continues today.
  Si-Chang Flying Service is more than just a drug smuggling operation.  It
  does limited but brisk legitimate service - the famine relief, anthropology stu-
  dents, livestock, mail, and computer components mentioned above, as well as
  tours of the beautiful Doi Inthanon National Park adjacent to the city.  It also
  offers a freelance insertion and retrieval service to those who wish to enter and
  leave the Golden Triangle discreetly.  Costs are determined by range, weight,
  and risk with prices reaching up to the tens of thousands of dollars.  A typical
  insertion and retrieval across the Thai border into Burma or Laos generally runs
  $1000 a passenger, which is doubled if the flight crew must enter combat.  All
  payments are due in advance.
  Si-Chang has many aircraft to meet the needs of its varied customers.
  Most are at least one or two decades old but are kept in good condition with
  frequent maintenance.  All are designed for unimproved airfields and short take
  off and landing.  Since combat with ground forces is often a threat, many air-
  craft have mounts for weapons at their doors but none have any fixed weapons.
  Electronic CounterMeasure (ECM) packages and flare dispensers are installed
  on some of the larger aircraft but not all.
  The largest and most common transport plane is the French C-160 Transall.
  Capable of carrying up to sixteen tons, the Transall is a double engine propeller-
  driven aircraft with rear loading ramp and port and starboard doors.  Si-Chang
  also has two CV-22 Ospreys that can carry can carry up to nine tons, has side
  doors and a rear ramp, and also a hoist over the forward cabin door for lifting
  people or objects aboard during vertical flight.  The Osprey is a complex ma-
  chine and requires a great deal of maintenance for every hour of flight, and
  prices for transport in an Osprey are doubled.
  Si-Chang also flies several different types of helicopters.  These are geared
  more towards the transport of personnel than people but some can carry heavy
  loads. One of the heavy haulers is the CH47 Chinook.  This twin-rotor helicop-
  ter is capable of lifting up to 7 tons and has a rear cargo ramp in addition to
  doors on either side.  The UH-1 Iroquois, commonly called Hueys, can carry
  1000kg or six passengers.  Many of the Hueys in the Si-Chang inventory are
  military surplus from the American phase of the Vietnam war and are experi-
  enced warhorses.  Rounding out Si-Chang’s helicopter inventory is the Hughes
  Model 500, also called the Little Bird.  This bubble nosed helicopter can carry
  1000kg or four passengers and is very swift and agile.  Its open cockpit and
  many windows make it excellent for sight seeing or observation.
  Obtaining the services of Si-Chang isn’t very difficult.  For legitimate trans-
  port, a phone call and credit card will do fine.  For less legitimate missions, Si-
  Chang will refer people to planning specialists and pilots who will negotiate the
  price.  Because of its unusual connection, anything that Si-Chang knows, the
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  77
  CIA also knows.  If a contract goes against CIA operations, for example, the
  aircraft may experience engine trouble or the B/E operatives could find them-
  selves deposited in the middle of some very unfriendly natives.
  Drug Enforcement Administration (USA)
  The United States represents the single largest consumer of illicit narcotics in
  the world.  Thousands of tons of drugs and billions of dollars move through what
  is the nation’s largest underground industry, an economic force equaled by only
  the largest legitimate industries.  As such, the US government takes a keen
  interest in illegal and legal narcotic production around the world.  At the fore-
  front of this effort is the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
  The Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States plays an active
  role in monitoring drug manufacturing, distribution, and consumption around the
  world in both the legal and illegal varieties.  Although a national agency with
  powers technically limited to within the US, the DEA has made special arrange-
  ments with various governments allowing DEA agents onto foreign soil with
  law enforcement powers.  DEA agents typically come as a kind of package
  deal along with anti-drug money.  The agents supposedly just monitor the use of
  those funds by the host countries, but in reality act as assistants, trainer and
  even leaders in anti-drug efforts in countries where the local authorities are too
  ill-equipped, ill-trained, inept, or corrupt to do it themselves.   Of the roughly
  7,000 DEA agents, 5,500 are Special Agents with law-enforcement powers and
  approximately 130 of these agents are assigned to the Far Eastern Branch with
  its headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand.
  Unlike DEA operations in Colombia and other nations, the DEA presence in
  Southeast Asia is not just a paramilitary force, although it has that capability.
  The DEA in Southeast Asia conducts investigations, performs lab analysis, co-
  ordinates intelligence gathering on drug manufacturing, and actually arrests drug
  smugglers and dealers.  Needless to say, in a region that thrives on the opium
  trade, the DEA makes few friends.
  Bangkok Field Office
  The DEA has a special cooperation agreement with the Thai government that
  extends back to the 1980s, far longer than any other foreign operation in the
  DEA’s history.  All of the DEA’s operation in Thailand and the rest of Southeast
  Asia are planned and conducted from the office and its adjacent compound.
  Although most of the DEA’s activity is within Thailand, operations often take
  agents over the border and into hostile territory.
  DEA activity in Southeast Asia is hampered by a combination of corruption
  and incompetence, at the heart of which lies the drug syndicates that they have
  been tasked with destroying.  From the very beginning of DEA activity in coop-
  eration with Thai officials, the agency has been forced to deal with the fact that
  the majority of those they must entrust information, evidence, and their very
  lives with are not playing on the same team.  Thai police salaries have always
  been low and corruption is not viewed with the same distaste as in the West.   In
  fact, up until recently, Thai police were expected to make up the difference
  between their official incomes and their living expenses with the bribes they
  received from the criminals they were supposed to arrest.  With campaigning by
  the American government and honest Thai officials at home, this is changing,
  but not very quickly.  There are some Thais that have earned the trust and even
  admiration of the DEA and these are used extensively - but they are few and
  far between.
  Corruption
  Unlike in the West, civil servants in
  Southeast Asia who are not on the take
  are the exception to the rule.  In fact,
  many jobs in government offer low
  salaries with the expectation that the
  person make up the difference in
  bribes.  Although some countries do
  take corruption charges seriously, only
  rarely is it investigated by itself.  Cor-
  ruption charges that do come about
  usually do so in conjunction with some
  other charge such as failure to perform
  their duty and obstruction of justice.
  Bribery is by far the most common
  form of corruption.  Minor incidents
  can be smoothed over with a carton of
  cigarettes or bottle of liquor.  More so-
  phisticated acts may require cash,
  American, if you please.  While this
  may prove an inconvenience or a
  boon to operatives, it is simply a part
  of life in Southeast Asia.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  78
  Consequently, the DEA factors this into their plans and Thai officials are
  only given the barest of information and opportunities to send the information
  back to the drug lords.  Often, the DEA will run parallel operations - the first as
  a dummy investigation to provide cover for the real action in the second.  Agents
  call these dummy investigations “hush-puppies”.
  The DEA compound in Bangkok, of which the field office is only one of
  several buildings, contains the agency’s inventory of vehicles and weapons,
  communications cluster, headquarters, as well as living space.  It is the largest
  foreign office in the DEA and the second largest overall, with the office in
  Miami having only slightly more personnel.
  The walled compound resembles an American suburb with tract housing, a
  school, and a convenience store.  Most of the houses are now decrepit and few
  of the lawns maintained.  Much of the government housing is empty or has been
  converted into office space.  The school and convenience store are vacant,
  symbols of a time when the administration allowed agents to bring their families
  to Thailand.  In 1987, after the murder of several agents, the administration
  declared the Bangkok office as too dangerous for dependants and the families
  were moved out.
  Security is provided by the US Marine Corps, a platoon of which live in the
  compound along with the agents.  The Marines occupy the entrance/exit check-
  points as well as maintain roving patrols along the walls and empty streets.  A
  typical patrol consists of two HMMWVs with a mounted heavy weapon (the
  M240G or SAW machine guns being most common) and six soldiers.  In an
  emergency, the full platoon of fifty soldiers can be mustered and ready for
  action within five minutes.
  Operations
  With the Presidential mandate to attack drug manufacturing wherever it may be
  - not just where DEA agents have law enforcement powers - the nature and
  scope of the DEA has changed drastically.  In addition to deep cover operations
  where DEA agents  take weeks and even months preparing for a bust and the
  arrest of smugglers and manufacturers, agents are now jumping aboard heli-
  copters for quick search and destroy operations, oftentimes on the wrong side
  of the Thai border.  Agents must be prepared to switch from police force to
  soldier without warning.
  In general, the cross border raids come with the blessing of the Thai mili-
  tary.  Because of border conflicts between Myanmar and Thailand, the Thai
  military is only too happy to assist in what amounts to commando raids in the
  name of drug interdiction.  The cooperation between the Burmese drug syndi-
  cates and the Myanmar government virtually guarantees that striking one will
  have a negative affect on the other.
  On Thailand’s eastern border with Cambodia, however, things are differ-
  ent.  DEA investigations in this area have come close to revealing the Thai
  military’s covert trading with the Khmer Rouge and active participation in the
  rape of Cambodia’s natural resources.  Although not in the DEA’s area of inter-
  est, if this relationship were to be revealed to the public, the negative exposure
  would be tremendous.   Thai military officials have been uncooperative with the
  DEA in its investigation of any possible Cambodian drug manufacturing and in
  many instances have been openly hostile.  In October of 1998, an air-to-ground
  missile shot down a helicopter carrying DEA agents investigating satellite im-
  ages of maintained roads in the border region.  The Thai military blamed the
  Khmer Rouge but the DEA has its doubts.  The fact that the DEA has its hands
  full in the Golden Triangle and that drug production in Cambodia is currently low
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  79
  keeps the full attention of the agency away from this area, much to the relief of
  the Thai military.
  The militarization of the DEA in Southeast Asia has not meant that they
  have become sloppy investigators.  There are a dozen investigations of smug-
  gling and opium production occurring at any one time.  Undercover agents have
  infiltrated the opium empires and provide information otherwise unavailable.
  DEA Special Agent-in-Charge Charlie Novak determines if the war on drugs
  would be best served by an arrest or a surgical strike.  Unfortunately, he has
  been forced to choose the latter more often as the opium syndicates become
  better armed.
  Resources
  The DEA relies upon US military and intelligence satellites for imagery and
  intelligence but the majority of information comes from its human assets.  Agents
  have multiple cells of informants within the criminal underworld and the extent
  and detail of the information gained is remarkable.  It is rare for any criminal
  enterprise to pass unnoticed, even if the DEA is unable to do much about it.
  Due to a peculiarity in the agreement between the US and Thailand con-
  cerning the DEA, the agents must rely on the Thai military for its air support.
  For operations on the Thai/Burma border this rarely poses a problem.  Thai
  helicopter pilots have a reputation as “great stick and rudder” pilots who will
  face withering ground fire to retrieve personnel and provide fire support.  More
  than one pilot has received a case of champagne from a grateful team that
  otherwise wouldn’t have made it home.
  Operations on the Thai/Cambodia border have received far less coopera-
  tion and are often canceled at the last minute due to “mechanical failure.”
  Agents have found ways to circumvent the agreement.  Agents have culti-
  vated relationships with some small charter flight companies who have a will-
  ingness to do more than the usual sightseeing tours.  Some of these outfits are
  actually captured smugglers who were offered a deal in exchange for the occa-
  sional favor.  So far, these unorthodox methods haven’t done more than raise
  politician’s eyebrows but it wouldn’t take much to create a diplomatic incident.
  On the ground, the DEA is much more intimidating.  In addition to its under-
  cover agents, the DEA maintains seven special operations teams for tactical
  operations.  These teams are mostly filled out with former military personnel
  and occasionally some that are ‘borrowed’ from active military units.  Navy
  SEALs and Army Green Berets have been known to cycle through as trainers,
  although it is debatable who really gets the training.  The teams are most active
  in the Thai/Burma border region where they conduct search and destroy opera-
  tions against drug syndicates and the Muang Tai Army.  Operations within ur-
  ban areas as backup for police raids are also not uncommon.
  Direction Generale de la Securite Exteriure (France)
  Like most of the first world powers, France has an active interest in Southeast
  Asia and has both diplomatic and intelligence resources in the area.  As French
  industries gained closer ties with Southeast Asia, so too did the French govern-
  ment.  Where goes French interests, so goes the French intelligence service, the
  DGSE (Direction Generale de la Securite Exteriure).  The success of the French
  people, whether in business, diplomacy, or militarily is its goal.
  Political infighting, poorly managed operations, and general bad luck plagued
  the institution until the late 1980s but a series of internal overhauls rebuilt the
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  80
  DGSE into a highly professional, apolitical organization.  France’s support of
  Chad in its war with Libya has given the DGSE many agents with combat
  experience as well as a cadre of battle-hardened commandos.  French opera-
  tives have performed tactical raids, hostage rescue, reconnaissance, and occa-
  sionally, assassination.  The DGSE prefers to keep its operations in-house but
  has been known to hire mercenaries for special assignments that require ano-
  nymity.
  Like the KGB, the DGSE prefers to establish its field offices in embassies
  where the agents may enjoy diplomatic immunity as bodyguards, cultural at-
  taches, and other low-level posts.  The current theater field office is in the
  French embassy in Ho Chi Minh City.  Each field office has from five to twelve
  full-time agents, each of whom specialize in a particular facet of espionage.
  Each field agent generally manages two or more active sources of information
  while simultaneously recruiting more.  Compared to other intelligence agencies,
  the DGSE is cash poor and recruiting methods rely less on monetary gains and
  more on blackmail, seduction, and information and resource exchange.  Despite
  this financial handicap, the DGSE has managed some remarkable success in-
  cluding the turning of a high-level Thai diplomat.  A DGSE operation also dis-
  cover that Resources Unlimited had found petroleum reserves off the Vietnam-
  ese coast, allowing a French oil company to successfully bid for the right to drill
  before the Vietnamese knew what a bonanza they had.
  The DGSE is on friendly terms with the British MI-6 and also the American
  CIA, albeit less enthusiastically.  There is an unstated opinion among DGSE
  agents that Southeast Asia is “their” territory by virtue of France’s colonial past.
  The Southeast Asian theater has suffered from lack of attention compared to
  the shooting war in Chad but as the government swings to the right and nostal-
  gia for “the good old days” of colonialism rises, the SEA branch is sure to see its
  star rise.
  
  Chapter Three: Governments & Organizations
  81
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  82
  CHAPTER FOUR
  BUSINESS IN
  SOUTHEAST
  ASIA
  Southeast Asia is one of the world’s busiest financial and industrial centers.
  Thailand and Vietnam are known as new economic dragons whose annual
  growth, prior to the worldwide depression, were in the double digits.  It was said
  that anyone could make money in Southeast Asia and many people did.  Since
  the depression, however, factories have become silent and unemployment hov-
  ers near the fifty-percent level.  Uncompleted skyscrapers fill the skies of Bangkok
  and Ho Chi Mihn City like decaying skeletons and give these cities the appear-
  ance of having been bombed.  Those businesses that remain have found that
  survival requires the ability to move quickly and efficiently and to keep an eye
  on the law - usually from the other side.  Ethics and morals have become two
  more casualties of downsizing.
  Asian manufacturers have always been good at industrial espionage and
  stealing products from western companies, and the competition between them
  is no less fierce.  Sabotage, computer theft, and attacks on employees are not
  uncommon.  Corporate security often has more clout and firepower than local
  police and generally prefers to solve problems themselves rather than go to the
  authorities.  The authorities are often more than happy to allow the corporations
  to do as they will, so long as they receive a substantial cut.
  Even in the hard times at the turn of the century, Southeast Asia still has the
  ingredients for a strong economy - cheap labor, natural resources, low govern-
  ment oversight, and a huge pool of potential customers.  The world still wants
  cheap electronics, food, and other products that the region manufactures and
  those companies that have taken the risks have been richly rewarded.
  Doing Business In
  Southeast Asia
  Much of Southeast Asia’s deal mak-
  ing occurs not in the corporate board-
  room, but in bars and restaurants.
  Business relationships are taken per-
  sonally in Asia and chief executives of
  corporations are expected to be friends
  as well as partners.  A night on the
  town complete with food, drink, and
  entertainment is as much a part of busi-
  ness as contracts and lawyers.  Who
  picks up the tab for this business ex-
  pense depends on who needs the deal
  the most.
  
  Chapter Four: Business in Southeast Asia
  83
  UWES
  UNITED WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
  As the industrial world continues to grow, industrial waste becomes a larger
  problem.  Environmentally safe methods of disposing of the chemical, biological,
  and nuclear materials left behind by a modern society are becoming increas-
  ingly difficult and expensive to come by.  No one wants the material in his or her
  backyard and it is no longer feasible to store the material on-site.  United World
  Environmental Services (UWES) offers an alternative to disposal in the expen-
  sive and heavily regulated industrial nations.  UWES personnel are skilled envi-
  ronmental engineers and waste management specialists.  The company’s fleet
  of specially designed cargo ships and transport vehicles remove the offending
  waste and dispose of it in the less restricted and therefore less costly third
  world.
  UWES founder Peter Corvell, a former waste management expert for the
  United States’ Environmental Protection Agency, opened negotiations with sev-
  eral Southeast Asian governments to allow the disposal of foreign waste on
  their soil.  He promised that UWES would meet the same standards as those
  imposed by the EPA, and that the facility would pay handsomely in taxes.  These
  assurances, as well as large bribes, soothed the concerns of the government
  ministers.  The first UWES facility opened on the remote northeast tip of Indo-
  nesia in 1992 and was soon operating at maximum capacity.  The next facility
  opened a year later in Thailand and new storage and disposal sites are built
  throughout Southeast Asia at a rate of one per year.  UWES facilities are oper-
  ating in Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, and recently, the Philippines.
  Corvell was killed in a plane crash in 1997 and the company is currently
  engaged in a proxy war between two of the original investors - Anita Corvell,
  widow of Peter Corvell and a consortium of European investors known as the
  Luxemburg Group.
  Market
  Industrial corporations are the primary source of UWES business but many
  nations employ UWES to clean up messes left behind by government services,
  particularly militaries.  UWES has three branches in addition to its corporate
  bureaucracy.  The first deals with on-site cleanup of hazardous materials by
  UWES personnel and equipment and is the most expensive.  The second branch
  handles the transportation requirements by UWES personnel to remove the
  materials to a secure storage or disposal site.  The third deals with the actual
  storage and disposal of the wastes, and although it is more demanding of per-
  sonnel and equipment the reduced costs of the Third World allow it to be the
  least expensive.
  UWES rates fluctuate depending on the what the waste is, its expended
  lifespan, and the amount of personnel and equipment required to handle it safely.
  Because biological and most chemical waste can be incinerated or otherwise
  made inert, they are relatively less expensive to handle.  Nuclear waste cannot
  be destroyed and must be stored in such a way that no leakage occurs during
  the material’s half-life, often tens of thousands of years.  Nuclear waste storage
  is by far the most expensive and sought after service offered by UWES.
  Company Resources
  The ability to deal with hazardous materials anywhere in the world quickly,
  quietly, and inexpensively is United World Environmental Services’ primary ap-
  peal.  UWES maintains a fleet of six specially designed cargo ships
  UNITED WORLD ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
  UWES
  United World Environmental
  Services Inc.
  Giving Back to Nature
  Corporate Headquarters:  19
  Siphaya Road, Bangkok, Thailand
  Due to the dispersed nature its
  business, UWES has teams
  active around the world. The
  Transportation HQ is located
  in Sattahip, Thailand. UWES
  also maintains a fast reaction
  team and air transport at Don
  Muang Airport, Bangkok,
  Thailand.
  President:  Anita Corvell
  Senior Executives:
  VP-Accounts:
     Robert Hartway
  VP-Field Operations:
     Christopher Perry
  VP-Security: Rotjana Sisarn
  VP-Transportation:
     Emile Parriaux
  VP-Site Operations:
     Brent Jones
  Gross Revenue (FY 1998):
  $522,481,000
  Oustanding Stock:
  not publicly traded
  Controlling Interest:
  The Luxemburg Group
  Top Shareholder:  unknown
  Subsidiaries:
  PrimaChem Corp., Vietnam
  Employees:
  Total: 24,550
  Bangkok Area: 7,612
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  84
  (unimaginatively named UWES One through Six) that can transport both equip-
  ment and waste.  Each ship can carry an entire waste removal unit, its vehicles,
  and detoxification equipment as well as thousands of tons of toxic waste.  Each
  vessel is triple-hulled and has extensive fire fighting and spill management sys-
  tems installed.  In addition to the UWES ships, the company also keeps a pair of
  C-130 transport aircraft at a leased hanger at Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport.
  Although these have been reserved for emergencies only, they were put to use
  eight times in 1998.
  The central headquarters of the transportation branch and homeport of the
  UWES cargo ships is the city of Sattahip, approximately forty miles southeast
  of Bangkok.  An entire dock and its adjoining warehouses are leased by UWES
  and security is tightly maintained.  Only UWES personnel and Thai customs and
  environmental officials are allowed inside.  Occasional protests by environmen-
  tal groups occur outside the facility gates and are usually broken up by Thai
  police after a few hours.
  UWES does not maintain corporate offices outside of its Thailand head-
  quarters and counts on the cooperation of local authorities to assist them in their
  jobs.  As UWES always reserves the right to back out of a contract if coopera-
  tion is not given and as UWES is often the only option available to its clients,
  they rarely have a problem.
  Cleaning up waste requires a large number of specialized chemicals.  UWES
  has established PrimaChem, a small processing facility that is exclusively con-
  tracted to UWES.  Located outside Ho Chi Mihn City, PrimaChem is ironically,
  a major polluter and has been cited by Vietnamese officials many times for
  sloppy procedure and damage to the water supply.
  The Real Scoop
  Corvell’s goal behind UWES was to provide proper waste disposal services
  more inexpensively than illegal dumping or other ecologically unsound methods.
  During his time as President and CEO, UWES generally followed guidelines
  similar to those established by environmental protection agencies in the United
  States and Europe.  However, as the day-to-day operations of the incinerator
  plants and storage sites became too much for one person to monitor, Corvell
  placed his trust in people whose motives were less noble than his own.  His
  biggest mistake was placing his wife in charge of the new location in Vietnam.
  Anita Corvell quickly realized that although UWES was financially successful,
  it could be much more so if some of the more expensive regulations were fol-
  lowed less stringently.
  With the aid of Corvell’s business partners, a consortium of European in-
  vestors called the Luxemburg Group, UWES began to relax its safety proce-
  dures and cut back on staff.  Waste improperly stored in temporary facilities
  was left unsupervised.  Nuclear waste was mislabeled, smuggled into the coun-
  try and buried in large pits deep in the jungle.  The few government monitors
  were bribed or threatened into silence.
  In August of 1997, Peter Corvell made several surprise inspections and
  realized the depth of the conspiracy.  He confronted his wife and she admitted
  it all to him hoping that by implicating him he would back down.  Instead, he
  threatened to go to the press.  He was on his way back to Bangkok with incrimi-
  nating evidence in his possession when the bomb planted on his wife’s authority
  exploded in the cargo compartment of his private jet.
  UWES has twelve field teams, each comprising between fifty and several
  hundred waste management experts, technicians, engineers, drivers, and nec-
  essary hangers-on.  Although some contracts require secrecy, toxic waste re-
  
  Chapter Four: Business in Southeast Asia
  85
  moval is not easily hidden.  Instead of stealth, UWES employs guile.  Vehicles
  are repainted, jackets with false logos issued, all personnel are given bonuses
  for silence, and security teams haunt work sites and follow employees.  This
  method has been successfully employed many times in the past.
  As can be expected, environmentalists and groups opposed to the exploita-
  tion of the Third World detest United World Environmental Services.  Protests
  at waste sites and at storage and disposal facilities have increased.  UWES’
  headquarters in Bangkok is under constant police guard to keep an eye on
  protesters whose numbers vary from a handful to several thousands.  ETG and
  Gaia’s Fist have both lodged threats against UWES and security against terror-
  ist attacks has been tightened.
  Not only has site security been expanded, but also UWES, under Anita
  Corvell’s leadership, has taken a much more pro-active stance on those who
  oppose the corporation.  After one of UWES’ illegal dumping operation was
  uncovered in Australia’s outback by BlackEagle operatives under contract with
  the Environmental Protection League, Corvell placed a spy within the environ-
  mental group.  In November, the spy informed Corvell that the EPL had con-
  tracted with the BlackEagle cell to inspect the Osprey Nuclear Power plant,
  she hired mercenaries to attack at the same time, framing the cell (see The
  Osprey Incident sidebar in Chapter Two).
  Other actions have been less public.  In July of 1998, a team of Gaia’s Fist
  terrorists attempted to infiltrate an incinerator facility in Malaysia and were
  captured.  UWES guards, under orders from Corvell, executed the three terror-
  ists, and disguised their deaths as a jeep accident.
  The world is hungry and growing more so everyday.  The demand for food
  drives a powerful market that is every bit as cutthroat and competitive as those
  of the microchip and genetics.  No longer just a collection of local fishermen, the
  fishing industry features fleets of huge factory trawlers towing driftnets miles
  long, scouring the seas for anything edible.  In the eighties, the Japanese and
  Polish fleets dominated the industry but at the end of the millennium, the Theap
  Fishing fleet of Vietnam has taken a step towards the forefront.
  When the Vietnamese government relaxed its communist system to allow
  for small-scale capitalist ventures, Theap was born.  Two brothers, Min and
  Van Theap convinced their fellow fishermen in their village collective to pool
  their resources and invest in modern sonar equipment, upgraded engines, and
  other material.  A fortunate first year saw their investment returned many times
  and the original company has since grown into the third largest fishing fleet in
  the world.
  Min Theap is now the sole owner of the enterprise after pirates killed his
  brother in late 1992.  As a consequence of that murder, Min Theap places a high
  value on the security of the boats, the catch, and his employees.
  Market
  Theap sells its catch  worldwide but caters to the Southeast Asian market, with
  most of its catch coming from the Pacific and Indian oceans.  Japan and China’s
  Kwangsi Chuang, Kuangtung, and Hong Kong provinces are also major buyers
  but will defer to nationalist fishing enterprises if at all possible.  In addition to
  fresh fish, Theap owns a modern processing facility at its port headquarters in
  Cam Ranh Bay where millions of tons of fish are dried, canned, frozen, pureed,
  etc.  The distinctive Theap label, two fish locked in a Yin and Yang symbol, is
  THEAP FISHING
  Theap Fishing Corporation
  Fine Fish For You
  Corporate HQ:  Theap Fishing
  Building, Cam Rahn Bay, Vietnam
  Theap Fishing has both its
  headquarters and manufacturing
  facilities at the former Soviet
  Naval base in Cam Rahn Bay,
  Vietnam.
  President & CEO: Min Theap
  Senior Executives:
  VP Fleet Operations:
     Cho Viet Oanh
  THEAP
  FINE FISH
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  86
  found on shelves and in markets just about everywhere in Southeast Asia and in
  specialty stores around the world.
  Company Resources
  The Theap fleet is organized like a military fleet, with a central command and
  control and smaller, picket vessels ringed around it.  The average ship is a small
  ocean going fishing ship with five to ten crewmen.  The flagship of the fleet is
  the Ca Na, named after the town the two brothers came from.  This immense
  factory ship receives the catch from the smaller ships as well as that from its
  own driftnets that extend for miles.  The Ca Na and its sister ship, the Van
  Theap, trade places approximately every other month while one is in port for
  offloading, maintenance and repairs.
  The company headquarters in located in the former Soviet naval base at
  Cam Ranh Bay.  Unlike when the Americans left the Philippines, the Russians
  left the base relatively intact and Theap Fishing quickly occupied it.  The port
  facilities have been specialized for fish processing and the surrounding area is
  dotted with factories churning out the processed meat and also the accompany-
  ing cans, cartons, and other goods.  These secondary products are manufac-
  tured by subsidiaries of Theap Fishing, increasing its profit margin considerably.
  The once sleepy town of Cam Rahn is once again a bustling center of activity.
  Unfortunately, the crystal blue waters that made the bay famous are turning a
  silty gray from industrial affluvient.
  The greatest investment the company has made is in a program of near
  constant modernization and upgrading of the fleet.  As a result, the company is
  relatively cash poor but has faster ships, better communications, and a higher
  catch-to-ship-tonnage ratio than any similar company.  Also, Theap has devel-
  oped a close relationship with Resources Unlimited and receives hourly updates
  on fish migrations and potential hot spots based on satellite photo analysis and
  other sources from the Miami corporation.  Despite the current government ban
  against Resources Unlimited in Vietnam, Theap Fishing has received a special
  dispensation allowing the relationship to continue.
  The Real Scoop
  A newcomer to the commercial fishing industry, and still considered an upstart
  by its Japanese and Polish competitors, Theap Fishing has been quick to adopt
  methods that are considered unethical at best.  One of the primary reasons
  behind its initial success was the purchase of radio equipment that allowed the
  company to eavesdrop on other commercial fishermen, learning the locations of
  catches and tracking future movements.  Also, Theap made extensive use of
  spies on the docks around the region as well as a few well-paid moles.  More
  recently, these moles and spies have been used to sabotage competitors by
  damaging ships, cutting nets, and erasing computer files.
  In addition to industrial espionage and sabotage, the early days of Theap
  Fishing were marked by episodes of piracy.  If employees came across an
  isolated boat and fisherman and the opportunity allowed, they were encouraged
  to pirate his catch and sink the boat.  It was on one such raid that Van Theap
  was killed.
  Theap Fishing isn’t the only company to resort to such measures.  Almost
  every commercial fishing company has similar operations and competition is
  fierce to the point of open warfare on the sea.  Ships have been known to ram
  each other and gunfire is sometimes exchanged.
  With these conditions, it comes as no surprise that security is becoming an
  VP Manufacturing: Thao An Quy
  Gross Revenue (FY 1998):
  $188,679,900
  Outstanding Stock:
  not publicly traded
  Controlling Interest: Min Theap
  Top Shareholder: Min Theap
  Subsidiaries: (incomplete)
  Qay Food Products Ltd.
  Theap Canned Goods Inc.
  Yin Yang Products Co.
  Fish-In-A-Cup Ltd.
  Oriental Frozen Foods Co.
  Employees:
  Total: 15,060
  Cam Rahn Bay: 14,601
  Empty Nets
  Overfishing in the waters of the Gulf
  of Thailand and the South China Sea
  has created an impending environmen-
  tal disaster.  Catches are down between
  fifty and seventy percent throughout
  the region.  Since more than two-thirds
  of the protein in the Southeast Asian
  diet comes from fish, it’s hard to un-
  derstate the problem.
  For the commercial fishing fleets of
  Thailand, Vietnam, and other coun-
  tries, this means that the competition
  is fierce and becoming more so.  Un-
  fortunately, some are also reverting to
  illegal drift nets to increase their
  catches, much to the alarm of
  Greenpeace and other ecological or-
  ganizations.
  While the problem is bad for com-
  mercial fishermen, it is catastrophic for
  the millions of small-time fishermen
  who count on the catch to feed their
  families.  Some villages are facing star-
  vation.  Pot-bellied children up and
  down the coastlines go hungry at night
  while their fathers return with empty
  nets.  In some areas, mostly southern
  Vietnam and western Thailand, villages
  have been all-but abandoned as the
  families leave to search for non-exis-
  tent work in the cities.
  (con’t. next page)
  
  Chapter Four: Business in Southeast Asia
  87
  increasingly large concern.  At the beginning of 1998 Theap Fishing began to
  carry security personnel armed with automatic weapons and trained in marine
  combat.  Although the primary reason is as a deterrent to piracy, many Polish
  and Japanese boats that have come too close have fled with their superstruc-
  tures riddled with bullet holes.
  Empty Nets (con’t.)
  One positive result of the problem
  is that some villages have adopted
  aquiculture techniques that allow them
  to maximize their catches while not
  harming the fish population.  These
  programs are sponsored by universi-
  ties or government programs and have
  met with mixed success due to internal
  quarrels, poaching, and lack of coop-
  eration.  However, those villages that
  have been successful have seen their
  catches increase while others around
  them are starving.
  SARABURI MANUFACTURING INC.
  The international weapons black-market has been flooded with a deluge of
  high-tech weapons and military systems.  This quiet revolution occurred thanks
  to several Japanese industrialists who sold advanced technology secrets to sev-
  eral Pacific Rim and Southeast Asian manufacturing companies.  Saraburi
  Manufacturing Inc., previously a maker of cheap electronics for clock radios, is
  a leader in the sales of several new systems that threaten to change the world.
  Market
  Saraburi Manufacturing specializes in the creation and sales of weapons
  systems that many have yet to realize even exist.  They make no distinction
  between legitimate governments, insurrection groups, and even terrorists.
  Saraburi is more concerned with a customer’s bank balance rather than their
  ideological stripe.  The only exception being any who would use the weapons to
  threaten Thailand.
  Foremost among their inventory is a vehicle-mounted HERF (High Energy
  Radio Frequency) gun (see Appendix One).  This system looks like a radar
  antenna mounted on the back of a heavy duty truck but its energy beam can
  disrupt and burn out electronics miles away.  It can be tightly focused for a
  specific target, such as an airplane, or set for a wide pattern that can disrupt a
  small city (though less effectively).
  Another popular Saraburi product are military-grade lasers (see Appendix
  One).  Banned by international treaties, these laser weapons don’t disintegrate
  tanks and buildings like in science fiction but have a more sinister purpose - they
  blind people.  Most eye protection is useless and the wide-beam laser causes
  permanent injury, leaving an enemy maimed and helpless.  The lasers can be
  broken down and carried by a squad of soldiers or mounted on a vehicle.
  A recent entry to the inventory is Saraburi’s new line of drones.  These
  systems are similar to miniature helicopters and are intended for use in surveil-
  lance and reconnaissance but can be outfitted with explosives and light fire-
  arms.  A single person can operate them and require almost no take off and
  landing space.  Saraburi Manufacturing predicts that they will be hot items in
  1999.
  The company also makes many items that are less exotic, but previously
  only available to first-world militaries.  These include inexpensive AWACS sys-
  tems and integrated AA systems, laser designators and guidance packages for
  missiles and bombs, sophisticated battlefield ammunition, and military-grade ra-
  dios and satellite phones.  Sales of their products has been brisk and they have
  already turned the tide of several conflicts.
  Company Resources
  The primary manufacturing center is in Saraburi, Thailand, near Bangkok.  This
  center is a mix of ultra-tech clean rooms and robotic production where the
  delicate electronics are created, and the traditional sweatshop where the sys-
  tems are assembled.  Corporate offices are in Bangkok where clients may be
  SARABURI
  Saraburi Manufacturing Inc.
  Tomorrow’s Strength Today
  Corporate Headquarters:  291
  Silom Road, Bangkok, Thailand
  A successful high-tech weapons
  venture, Saraburi Manufacturing
  Inc. has agents around the
  globe.  Manufacturing center is
  located in Saraburi, Thailand.
  President:  Nikorn Phasuk
  Senior Executives:
  VP Accounts:
     Pongsak Ponsena
  VP R&D:
     Dr. Pira Sudham
  Gross Revenue:  $782,573,000
  Outstanding Stock:
  not publicly traded
  Controlling Interest:
  Phomvasong Investment Group
  Top Shareholder:
  Nikorn Phasuk
  Subsidiaries:  none
  Employees:
  Total: 1152
  Saraburi Area: 932
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  88
  entertained more easily.  Research and Development is conducted at a secret
  location in western Thailand under the watchful eye of the military.  Many
  projects are developed in cooperation with the Thai military, which provides
  combat testing.
  The Real Scoop
  Saraburi Manufacturing is generally up-front about its products and market-
  after all, there is no law in Thailand against their manufacture and they have the
  blessing of the military.  Saraburi advertises heavily in defense magazines and
  aggressively attends weapons shows.  Special delivery and payment programs
  are available to those who have unique needs.  Demonstrations are arranged
  through the Thai military, often in combat along the Thailand/Myanmar border,
  so prospective buyers can get a feel for how the products handle under real
  conditions.
  The Thai military has a greater hand in Saraburi Manufacturing than any-
  one except the corporate heads realize.  As much as half of all research is
  subsidized by the Thai government through grants and low interest loans.  Through
  these, the government, primarily the military, control the company and influence
  decisions.  There has been talk in some government circles about nationalizing
  the company but the current consensus is to allow the company to exist as a
  private entity, so long as it serves the needs of the state.
  Despite its climbing revenues Saraburi Manufacturing has a problem.  The
  plans for its new line of drones were purchased from an industrial spy who stole
  them from Israel Military Industries Ltd.  The Israeli intelligence agency Mossad
  has traced the stolen plans to Saraburi only to realize they are too late to stop
  production of their top-secret drone.  Not willing to forgive the trespass, Mossad
  agents have already begun plans to sabotage the company.
  Quinn & Potok
  Archeological Merchants
  QUINN & POTOK, ARCHEOLOGICAL MERCHANTS
  People have been living in Southeast Asia for millennia and many empires have
  been born, thrived for a time, and then perished.  The jungle reclaimed the
  majestic cities and temples and they were lost until rediscovered in the late
  nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.  Now, the remains of those empires
  are prized around the world and Quinn & Potok have risen to meet the demand
  for high-quality archeological specimens.
       Two university professors interested in the preservation of the ruins of South-
  east Asia founded Quinn & Potok. Carlisle Quinn and Chandy Potok of Oxford
  University and the University of Phnom Pen respectively were involved in sev-
  eral restoration and preservation projects in Cambodia and Thailand during the
  1980s.  During this time they saw the pillaging of the Khmer ruins for their
  valuable artifacts.  Initially, they intended to preserve some artifacts by remov-
  ing them from locations where they were likely to be stolen.  In an effort to raise
  cash for their project, it was determined that some items of lesser archeological
  value could be sold.  Now, almost half of the specimens recovered from the
  Cambodian jungle are slated for sale on the open market.
  Market
  The primary market for archeological specimens comes from interior decora-
  tors that want to provide an atmosphere of realism to their Asian design.  Cor-
  porate offices and large resort complexes around the world have Quinn & Potok
  statuary and base reliefs adorning their walls and hallways.  Some even go so
  far as to recreate the original setting for their purchases.
  Quinn & Potok
  Bringing The Past To Life
  Phnom Penn Office:  478
  Samdech Preah Sihanouk,
  Phnom Penn
  Presidents:  Carlisle Quinn and
  Chandy Potok
  Senior Executives:
  Managing Director:
     Colette Dumas
  Gross Revenue (FY 1998):
  $29,072,000
  Outstanding Stock:
  not publicly traded
  Controlling Interest:
  Carlisle Quinn and
  Chandy Potok
  Subsidiaries:  None.
  Employees:  146
  
  Chapter Four: Business in Southeast Asia
  89
       Another buyer of Quinn & Potok’s products are wealthy private collectors
  and galleries. These customers are less interested in the aesthetics of the indi-
  vidual pieces and more in their documentation.  They want to know where an
  item came from, who made it, and when.
       Quinn & Potok have been blacklisted from selling their products to muse-
  ums and universities for turning to “Indiana Jones archeology” and the commer-
  cialization of their profession.  Even their alma mata, Oxford University, refuses
  to accept their offers to donate specimens.
  Company Resources
  Quinn & Potok have expanded since their original partnership and now have
  four teams of archeologists scouring the green Southeast Asian jungle for undis-
  covered or poorly guarded sites.  Each team consists of five to seven archeolo-
  gists, twenty porters and diggers, and a handful of mercenaries for security.
  Locals are hired as guides and diggers  Teams have access to Land Rovers,
  satellite data, and digging supplies.
       The corporate headquarters is located in turbulent Phnom Penn near the
  Wat Phnom Hotel, home of the UN.  Quinn & Potok occupy an entire ware-
  house filled with vehicles, equipment, and specimens.  The offices are primitive
  but linked to the outside world through satellite and radio equipment.  Six em-
  ployees have been trained to restore the specimens and are constantly at work
  on new acquisitions.
  The Real Scoop
  Quinn & Potok are constantly straddling the line between thievery and archeol-
  ogy.  Unlike their university sponsored colleagues, Quinn & Potok archeologists
  look upon a new site more as a mining venture.  Sites are surveyed, inventoried,
  cataloged, and finally excavated.  Unique statues and artwork are recorded on
  video and sent to prospective clients and the company often has a buyer before
  work is begun.
       The original founders have hired a business manager, Colette Dumas, to
  perform the day-to-day running of the operation while they specialize in acquir-
  ing and restoring new items.  Both Quinn and Potok have become wealthy from
  their venture but they still crave the professional acceptance they have lost.
  Both have written articles under pseudonyms that have been published in pro-
  fessional journals.
       Since buying and selling historical treasures is a capital offense in Cambodia,
  the company has had to make some very large payments to many members of
  the Hun Sen regime. In addition, their work often takes them across the border
  into Thailand, an area infested with Khmer Rouge soldiers.  Equally large pay-
  ments to the Khmer Rouge has allowed the company to operate in these areas
  without too much difficulty.  However, the Khmer Rouge have demanded more
  money and Dumas is attempting to negotiate a settlement with them.  The
  negotiations are long and difficult as each site has a different Khmer Rouge
  leader who must be placated.
       The greatest find for the company has come late in 1998.  A team was
  exploring the upper reaches of the Tonle Sap river in Cambodia when they
  uncovered a Buddhist temple that had been submerged by a change in the river
  course nearly a thousand years before.  The heavy silt of the Tonle Sap had
  covered the temple before too much damage occurred and a quick diving expe-
  dition recovered two jade statues of Buddha worth millions of dollars.  The site
  has been marked but the negotiations with the Khmer Rouge have forced the
  company to delay further excavation.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  90
  BIN HOA
  BIN HOA MICROSYSTEMS LTD.
  Cost effective electronics make new technology affordable for the average
  person and allow the world to increase the speed at which it communicates and
  operates.  At the forefront of this revolution is Bin Hoa Microsystems.
       Kenji Ryuno, a researcher for Phoenix Instruments, one of the world’s larg-
  est electronics manufacturers, discovered a new method for imprinting circuit
  boards for microchips that made them smaller and more efficient. He was shocked
  when Phoenix Instruments rejected his discovery and refused to allow him to
  publish his research.  The computer industry was in a slump and Phoenix Instru-
  ments had just completed a very costly upgrade to its systems using the old
  technology and was not about to invest more.  Ryuno threatened to leave the
  company and take his expertise elsewhere.  Shortly after his threat, while on
  vacation with his family, their car was attacked and riddled with bullets.  Ryuno
  survived but his wife and child did not.
       Ryuno left Japan as soon as he could walk and fled to friends in Vietnam.
  There, he presented his research to a group of investors who agreed to finance
  the building of a state-of-the art manufacturing center.  Using Ryuno’s research,
  Bin Hoa Microsystems now manufactures the least expensive, fastest, and
  smallest computer processors in the world.
  Market
  Bin Hoa produces chips for a variety of customers, mostly for home appliances,
  automobiles, and, of course, computer makers.  The architecture of the Bin Ho
  chip allows for many operations previously done by several different resistors,
  capacitors, and transistors to by done by a single chip.  This appeals to industries
  that require small and lightweight products.  Bin Hoa chips are found in every-
  thing from toaster ovens to cruise missiles.
  Company Resources
  Sales of Bin Hoa’s new chip has generated large amounts of cash in a very
  short period of time.  However, much of this has gone to repaying the original
  investors, research and development, and expanding the company’s manufac-
  turing capability.  Besides chips, Bin Hoa now manufactures all kinds of elec-
  tronic components using the new technology.
       The original manufacturing center in Ho Chi Minh City has been added to
  several times and new centers are being opened in Da Nang and Hanoi.  Bin
  Hoa has also created a large distribution center near the airport.  The company
  continues to expand and employ more and more people, and has become a kind
  of a celebrity within the Vietnamese government.
       Kenji Ryuno continues to manage operations and still do a great deal of
  research and development.  His new passion comes not from electronics but
  biotics - so called wetware that merges the biological and electronic worlds to
  create new kinds of technology.  He has successfully implanted microchips into
  insects and can influence their behavior.
  The Real Scoop
  Bin Hoa Microsystems currently has the lead in technological advances but is
  well aware that its lead could evaporate in a nanosecond.  Industrial sabotage
  and espionage are a problem and there have been several assaults on the Bin
  Hoa computer systems by hackers.  Each passing day sees the company be-
  coming increasingly paranoid.  The security section has already tripled in size
  Bin Hoa Microsystems Ltd.
  We Make It Happen
  Corporate HQ:  616 North
  Nguyen Trai, Ho Chi Minh City,
  Vietnam
  Ho Chi Minh City Manufactur-
  ing Center:  Chuong Duong Road
  Hanoi Manufacturing Center
  (incomplete): 80 Cao Van Street
  Da Nang Manufacturing Center
  (incomplete): 107 Dong Khoi
  Road
  President & CEO: Kenji Ryuno
  Senior Executives:
  Finance: Yoko Tomita
  Manufacturing: Tola Vong
  Research & Development:
     Kenji Ryuno
  Gross Revenue (FY 1998):
  unknown
  Outstanding Stock:
  not publicly traded
  Controlling Interest:
  Natsumi International Ltd.
  Top Shareholder: Izo Miyagawa
  Subsidiaries:
       Loi Information Systems Co.
       Bo Son Communications Inc.
  Employees:
       Ho Chi Minh City:  9,009
       Total:  9,831
  
  Chapter Four: Business in Southeast Asia
  91
  and further expansions are planned.
       The research that Ryuno has done into biotics has taken an unexpected turn.
  The wetware interface, the part that actually connects with the nervous system
  of the insect, has stimulated regrowth in damaged areas.  Ryuno has observed
  this only recently but has already deduced that the technology could possibly
  heal victims of paralyzing wounds and diseases.  He has quietly arranged for his
  wetware to be tested on human subjects in Ho Chi Minh City’s Saigon Hospital.
       Ryuno has done a competent job of leading Bin Hoa but he has divided his
  time equally between research and management.  As a result, he has failed to
  fully devote himself to either and there are many in the company hierarchy who
  complain that their CEO spends too much time in the lab.  Efforts to replace him
  as CEO are underway by the original investors.  Unbeknownst to Ryuno, the
  original investors are tied to the Japanese mafia, the Yakuza.  The Yakuza are
  very pleased with their return on the investment but would like to own the
  company completely.  They plan to leave Ryuno as head of research and devel-
  opment, a position he is really happiest at, but if he balks they will resort to
  eliminating him.
  PAC
  RIM
  PACRIM COURIER SERVICE
  With the billions of bits of data being sent around the world via GenNet and
  satellite communications every day, it’s difficult to believe that there are still
  some things that must be delivered in person.  Most of these must be handled in
  a particular manner, such as legal documents and contracts, but often there are
  security considerations that require constant monitoring and protection.  PacRim
  Courier Service guarantees delivery of any package lighter than 10 kilograms to
  any destination within the Pacific Rim and Southeast Asia within 24 hours.
  Unlike other couriers, PacRim couriers are armed and expected to protect them-
  selves, and more importantly, their package.
  PacRim Courier Service was founded in August of 1986 as a traditional
  courier service and it balanced on the line between profit and bankruptcy for
  several years.  However, in March of 1992, hijackers attacked one of its couri-
  ers, Carlton Daley, while he rode on Australia’s lonely Eyre Highway.  Daley
  successfully fought off the attackers thanks to a handgun he carried, despite
  company policy against it.  Daley recognized the need for an armed courier
  service in a rapidly deteriorating world and hit up his friends and family for
  investments to buy his company.  Since Daley purchased PacRim Courier Ser-
  vice in early 1993, the company has hired on over one hundred new employees,
  many former military or police officers, and seen the company come out of the
  red and leap headlong into profitability.
  Market
  PacRim Courier Service contracts with multinational corporations throughout
  the Pacific for its expensive but valuable service.  Australia is still the primary
  source of contracts, but companies in Southeast Asia, Japan and the Philippines
  are being signed up every day.  For a typical courier run, costs begin at $5000
  and rapidly escalate depending upon the package, the security risk, and the
  destination.  The guarantee for delivery is without exception, regardless of dif-
  ficult conditions, attacks on personnel, and even the weather.  Thanks to PacRim’s
  talented couriers and intelligent planning, PacRim has only had to make good on
  its promise six times since 1993.
  A new client that was personally sought out is the International Organ Trans-
  plant Foundation.  This non-profit group matches donated organs in programs in
  PacRim Courier Service
  When It Absolutely Has to Get
  There
  Corporate HQ: Floor 26, Sydney
  Tower, Sydney, Australia
  Sydney Operations: Kingsford
  Smith Airport
  A small company specializing in
  protective courier services within
  the Pacific Rim and Southeast
  Asia.
  President and CEO:
  Carlton Daley
  Senior Executives:
  Operations Manager:
     Alice Daley
  Personnel:  Brent Stockdale
  Security:  Arthur Crawford
  Diplomatic Oversight:
     Tamera Daley
  Gross Revenue (FY 1998):
  $41,338,700
  Outstanding Stock:
  not publicly traded
  Controlling Interest:
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  92
  Carlton Daley
  Subsidiaries: none
  Employees:
  Total: 171
  Sydney Area: 81
  countries around the world and to possible recipients based on need.  Daley
  benefited from this program in 1997 when he underwent a heart transplant after
  a massive coronary and was so grateful that he contracted with foundation to
  deliver the organs at reduced prices.  Now, couriers are as likely to be trans-
  porting a cooler with a chilled kidney as they are sensitive documents.
  PacRim has developed a tough reputation for protecting it packages and it
  couriers.  Its record for delivery is the best in the business.  Several couriers
  have died in the process but in each case, the package never fell into the wrong
  hands.
  Company Resources
  PacRim’s greatest resource is its pool of couriers.  Daley has personally se-
  lected all and PacRim’s chief of security, Eli Openshaw for their skills, creative-
  ness, and above all, a drive to accomplish their objective.  As stated, many are
  former police or military and several are former BlackEagle operatives.  Couri-
  ers are highly trained, highly motivated, and well paid.
  In an effort to limit costs, and also for security, most packages are carried
  by a pair of couriers on regular public transportation.  PacRim employs travel
  and diplomatic specialists who make arrangements with airlines, trains, and pri-
  vate drivers as well as all customs notifications necessary.  The service also
  employs a customs officer from each country on a full-time basis to inspect all
  outgoing packages.  Keeping the customs officers on the payroll for what usu-
  ally amounts to only a few hours work per week is expensive but is ensures
  speedy travel.
  PacRim training focuses on escape and evasion techniques rather than con-
  frontational approaches as their couriers are usually outgunned.  Packages are
  handcuffed to one of the couriers at all times and carried in a bulletproof case.
  Couriers are expected to check in a specified times and to be within reach at all
  times.  The cases are equipped with transmitters and anti-tampering devices
  that will destroy the contents before they can be retrieved.
  The Real Scoop
  PacRim Courier Services is organized much like a BlackEagle office, with Carlton
  Daley as the chief executive and his daughter Alice as operations manager.  All
  deliveries and contracts are coordinated at the Sydney office, which occupies
  the entire twenty-sixth floor of the Sydney Tower.  Daley’s second daughter,
  Tamera, who is also pursuing a graduate degree in international relations at
  Sydney University, handles diplomatic liaisons.  All customs inspections and
  packaging of the protective cases takes place at airports around the Pacific rim
  in rented sites near the country’s primary airport.
  Only one third of PacRim’s couriers live in the Sydney area.  The rest are
  scattered around the Pacific.  Couriers receive notification by pager or GenNet
  and pick up the material to be delivered, take it to the airport and has it inspected
  and repackaged in the protective case, and then travel via commercial airline to
  the airport closest to their destination.  From there, couriers will either rent a
  vehicle or be picked up by a prearranged driver to finish the final and most
  dangerous leg of the journey.
  PacRim Courier Services has the best reputation for delivering secure pack-
  ages in the business.  This is in part because of good security and intelligent
  couriers but also because of ruthlessness and connections to organized crime.
  Of the six instances where the package was not delivered in 24 hours, four
  were due to attacks on the couriers and the theft of the package.  After each
  
  Chapter Four: Business in Southeast Asia
  93
  attack, Wilton, a former soldier in the British SAS, and a handpicked team of
  couriers went after those responsible.  Anyone who took part in the attack was
  hunted down and murdered.  Although they didn’t advertise who had exacted
  revenge, it wasn’t long before the criminal underworld recognized the value of
  leaving PacRim couriers alone.
  PacRim has also made contacts with various organized criminal groups
  such as Triads in Bangkok, Russian mafiya in Sydney, and Yakuza syndicates in
  Kobe and Tokyo.  In exchange for leaving the couriers alone, PacRim agrees to
  provide small-scale smuggling services to these groups.  Some of the protective
  cases are built with secret compartments and the customs officials hired by the
  service are given bonuses for not looking too closely at the packages.  After the
  initial legal delivery the couriers make covert deliveries, exchanges, and pick-
  ups.  Most of this smuggling involves many of the same type of documents as
  done by PacRim’s legitimate customers, but can also include firearms, explo-
  sives, and drugs.
  MEDIA
  The media in Southeast Asia is as alive and vibrant as any in the world but
  suffers from a lack of credibility.  Unlike in the United States and Europe where
  the media is relatively independent of government and political parties, media in
  Southeast Asia is almost always identified with a particular group and all infor-
  mation coming from that viewpoint.  As a result, people have become experts at
  reading between the lines and are distrustful of the media.
  Another problem the media faces in Southeast Asia is the lack of guaran-
  tees to freedom of speech.  All governments censor copy before it goes to the
  public and can legally shut own newspapers, radio, and television stations for
  disseminating information the government would rather not made public.  In
  extreme cases, offices have been trashed and burned and reporters and editors
  imprisoned and even executed.
  Despite these problems, the media of Southeast Asia trudges on.  Most
  good newspapers are published in a native and foreign language edition, usually
  English, and also publish an on-line edition.  Radio and television stations are
  almost exclusively in the native language but will have times when news and
  entertainment is broadcast in English or French.
  Some of the better media sources are listed below.
  The Guardian (Myanmar)
  The Guardian is Yangon’s only newspaper not directly tied to the SLORC re-
  gime and suffers from heavy censorship.  However, it is cleverly written to
  avoid as much censorship as possible and savvy readers can infer a great deal
  of information by reading between the lines.  Although the Guardian is bills itself
  as a daily newspaper, shortages and government shutdowns make it more of a
  weekly.
  The Nation (Thailand)
  This daily newspaper specializes in local stories in and around Bangkok.  This
  newspaper has strong investigative reporting and has uncovered many incidents
  of corruption within the Thai government.  The Nation was temporarily shut
  down in 1997 by the new coalition government after a scathing review of elec-
  tion fraud.
  The Sex Industry of Thailand
  Thailand is known the world over for
  its legal prostitution and sex industry.
  Hundreds of thousand of girls and
  boys are employed in the sex trade in
  the brothels of Bangkok and Pattaya.
  Most of them are from small villages in
  the provinces or from Burma and Cam-
  bodia, and send money back home to
  their families.  Some are less fortunate
  and have been sold to gangs by their
  families in exchange for badly needed
  cash.
       The life of a prostitute in Thailand
  is short and harsh.  They are subject
  to beatings, rape and murder at the
  hands of their pimps and most are ad-
  dicted to heroin or other drugs.  HIV
  infection is so common (seventy per-
  cent in some areas) that many prosti-
  tutes simply consider death within a
  decade as part of the job.  Other sexu-
  ally transmitted diseases such as
  syphilis, gonorrhea and herpes are
  even more common.
       Although not wanting to intrude on
  operative’s personal lives, BlackEagle
  strongly suggests that operatives in
  Thailand refrain from engaging in
  sexual relations with anyone.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  94
  The Bangkok Post (Thailand)
  The Post is the other major newspaper of Bangkok and it has more extensive
  coverage of international events and the world stock market.  Famous for its
  quirky style (reporters and editors insert their opinions in parentheses), the Post
  has been around since 1946.
  Channel 4 (Thailand)
  This is a military-owned television station that broadcasts Thai and Chinese
  movies, documentaries, and stock market reports.  What makes this station
  interesting is not the military news, which is boring and not very informative, but
  the program schedule itself.  When the military wishes to influence a particular
  subject, many of the movies and programs will have that subject as a central
  theme.  For example, when the new coalition government was first established
  the military wanted to encourage cooperation between the parties.  For the next
  week Channel 4 broadcast patriotic movies and programs, most of which dealt
  with the forging of a modern Thailand from many diverse elements.
  Saigon Word (Vietnam)
  The Word is bi-weekly news magazine that has only recently been established.
  The editor’s goal is to make the Word as different as possible from the commu-
  nist party newspaper and as a result the it tends to look more like a supermarket
  tabloid than a reliable paper.  Don’t be fooled by the cover photos of women in
  skimpy bathing suits.  Word reporters have several highly placed sources within
  the communist party the Ho Chi Mihn City People’s Committee and the news-
  paper is often used as a tool by the reformers to embarrass hard-line commu-
  nists.  Not surprisingly, Saigon Word has been closed many times by the govern-
  ment and even when it is open, it suffers from shortages of state controlled
  supplies.
  On-Line Publications
  On-line publications and magazines are gaining popularity as computer literacy
  grows.  The Burmese National League for Democracy took advantage of this
  cheap method of reaching millions of people early in the 1990’s and sponsors
  several GenNet sites where information, on-line communication, and video re-
  corded events can be found.
  
  Chapter Four: Business in Southeast Asia
  95
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  96
  CHAPTER FIVE
  SYNDICATES &
  INSURGENCIES
  LITTLE FISH - BANDITS & PIRATES
  This chapter focuses on those organizations that are counter to the established
  governments of Southeast Asia.  Some are small bands of loosely structured
  thugs similar to those found in gangs around the world and others are larger,
  more elaborate groups with complex connections and hidden agendas.  All walk
  on the wrong side of the law and must contend with government agencies, even
  entire armies, bent on their destruction.
  The groups listed here are representative of organizations that are either
  unique to the region or have a particular twist that separates them from crimi-
  nals and insurgents the world over.  As with every organization, they have traits
  that reflect the personalities of their members.  Ethnic issues, ideological clashes,
  and viciousness vary from group to group, depending upon the parts that make
  the whole.
  Bandits
  A combination of economic troubles, lack of law enforcement, and the abun-
  dance of trained soldiers in Southeast Asia has led to the infestation of the
  countryside with small groups of bandits.  The bandits roam the countryside in
  groups of five to fifty and attack anything vulnerable.  Villages are attacked for
  food and women, corporations are blackmailed, and trucks and trains are am-
  bushed for their cargos.  In central Cambodia and western Thailand, the prob-
  lem has gotten so bad that even military units have been attacked and there are
  large areas left unplanted because the peasants have fled.
  These bandit groups are usually centered around charismatic or successful
  leaders in gang organizations.  Membership is very fluid with new members
  being allowed to join and old members being killed or leaving.  Bandits generally
  come with their own equipment and have some military training.  Handguns and
  
  Chapter Five: Syndicates & Insurgencies
  97
  rifles are the most common weapons but some larger groups have civilian and
  military explosives.
  Bandits are predators, but attack only the weakest of targets and then from
  ambush.  Even minor resistance is enough to discourage most and virtually none
  will stick around for a real firefight.  Bandits are useful for information and can
  be hired as mercenaries if the pay is good.
  Pirates
  What bandits are to the open countryside, pirates are on the shipping lanes and
  open seas.  Incidents of piracy have increased a hundred fold since 1990.  The
  global depression and failing fishing grounds make crime an attractive alterna-
  tive to many who earn their living from the sea.  Everything from overcrowded
  refugee boats to monstrous oil tankers have been attacked and the loss of ships
  and lives mounts daily.
  Most pirates act in small groups, sometimes as few as three or four mem-
  bers with a single boat.  Larger groups have greater numbers of pirates and
  boats but  come together only for large targets.  Organized crime syndicates will
  often direct pirates to targets and handle the sales of stolen goods and vessels.
  Modern pirate ships are nothing like the sailing ships from years past.  They are
  usually smaller vessels disguised as fishing boats or small trading ships.  They
  emphasis speed and disguise over firepower, cargo capacity, and even safety.
  Although high-powered speedboats are sometimes used, these tend to draw
  attention and are more often used by smugglers.
  The weapons of the pirate are not much different from gangs on the street:
  handguns, small arms, automatic weapons, and grenades.  Some have access to
  heavy weapons such as machine guns and rocket propelled grenades, but these
  are the exception to the rule.
  Pirates search shipyards and docks for potential targets.  A syndicate may
  point them to a particular ship and cargo.  If the ship is to be stolen, the pirates
  will acquire the vessel’s registry information and create a forgery for it.  During
  the actual attack the pirates attempt to sneak
  aboard by stealthily pulling alongside, or use their
  weapons to force the ship to stop.  The crew
  will be locked into a cabin, tied up, or simply
  killed.
  Small-time bands usually go for the con-
  tents of the captain’s safe instead of more prof-
  itable but bulky cargo.  Larger groups go after
  the cargo and possibly the ship itself.  Favored
  targets are electronics, cars, expensive food-
  stuffs, and fuel.
  A new problem is state-sponsored piracy.
  Anti-smuggling patrols often receive a bounty
  on the cargos they capture and some naval
  captains refuse to wait for smugglers.  The
  Chinese navy has a reputation for boarding ships
  well into international waters and forcing them
  to the nearest Chinese port.  There the cargos
  are confiscated and the crews held in prison
  for smuggling.
  The worst areas for piracy have been the
  Gulf of Tonkin (the Chinese are especially ac-
  tive there), the Gulf of Thailand, the Straits of
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  98
  Malacca, and the western coast of the Murgui Peninsula.  The Thai and Viet-
  namese navies have been engaged in an anti-piracy campaign but limited re-
  sources prevent them from clearing the sea-lanes.  The most active interna-
  tional anti-pirate organization is the International Maritime Board which tracks
  pirate activity and provides warnings and information.
  Merchant vessels have found that an armed response to pirates is the best
  way to deal with them.  Pirates prefer defenseless targets and generally steer
  clear of anything that looks like it might put up a fight.  Captains have begun to
  arm their sailors and sometimes hire additional security.
  BIG FISH - ORGANIZED CRIME & INSURGENTS
  Triads
  Triads, also called Tongs outside of Asia, are Chinese crime syndicates orga-
  nized from ancient secret societies that have spread throughout the world.  They
  control the Chinese underworld and have considerable power and influence in
  Southeast Asia.  They favor sales and distribution of narcotics as well as more
  mundane crimes like gambling, loan sharking, protection rackets, and prostitu-
  tion.  In addition to crime, Triads have extensive corporate ties and their activi-
  ties are so blended together it is difficult to tell where one stops the other starts.
  The Triad power base is the deep loyalty of its members, which can number as
  high as 10% of the Chinese population in some areas.
  There are hundreds of different societies with each maintaining its secret
  rites and initiations.  Triads often have contact with other societies but there is
  no single overarching leader or group.  The Triads prefer cooperation to conflict
  and when two societies do have difficulties they will usually attempt to find a
  peaceful and profitable resolution rather than let it go to violence.
  This is not always the case and there are bitter historical rivalries.  Triads
  have access to practically any equipment, weaponry, and training and are dan-
  gerous foes.  Some societies specialize - the White Crane Society of Hong
  Kong is famous for its members using hatchets to chop their victims to pieces.
  Triad organization is based on a fraternal organization.  The head of the
  society oversees many “vice presidents,” each with an area of specialty (smug-
  gling, prostitution, etc.).  Beneath each VP is a bureaucratic layer involving
  Accounting, Enforcement, and Collections.  The lowest level is the gang mem-
  ber who is answerable to all of the above.  In addition, the head can create a
  “crisis manager” for special actions who holds the equivalency of a VP.
  In the past, all Triad headquarters were located in Hong Kong, regardless
  of where the gang had its territory.  With the transition of Hong Kong to com-
  munist Chinese rule, some fled to locations within the former British Common-
  wealth such as Vancouver, Sydney  and even as far away as London.  Others
  moved their headquarters to their resident territories.
  Law enforcement officials have a difficult time infiltrating and arresting
  Triad members for their crimes because of a lack of Chinese officers and the
  strict code of silence that all members swear to when they are initiated.  Triads
  accept only ethnic Chinese and these must be sponsored by blood relative or
  close friend.  On initiation, the new members make an oath of silence regarding
  the activities of the society and they and their families are punished, usually
  murdered, if that oath is ever broken.
  Opium Syndicates
  Unlike the racially homogenous Triads, most criminal organizations are less con-
  
  Chapter Five: Syndicates & Insurgencies
  99
  cerned with heritage and more concerned with the acquisition of money.  Mod-
  ern opium syndicates have been in existence for only a few decades but have
  roots in the opium trade that has centuries of tradition behind it.  Some, like the
  huge Khang Sar Syndicate, have adopted a military hierarchy as well as a politi-
  cal cause, but are really still criminal enterprises at heart.
  As is obvious, opium syndicates are characterized by their focus on the
  growth, manufacture, and sales of opium and opium-based products.  Rarely do
  these organizations branch out into prostitution, gambling, or other staples of
  organized crime.  Most don’t even have a street-level distribution system, pre-
  ferring to sell their products in bulk to the Triads and other organized crime
  groups who have their own distribution networks.
  That is not to say that the opium syndicates are not wealthy or powerful.  In
  fact, opium lords have more control in Southeast Asia than any other single
  force.  No government agency, no military, no group at all does anything if the
  opium syndicates object.  Fortunately, the single-minded pursuit of the drug
  trade has maintained the status quo.
  Opium syndicates are usually organized around a single individual, a leader
  who is both warlord and mafia Don.  Beneath the leader are vassals organized
  in either a gang or military hierarchy.  When the syndicate leader is removed,
  either assassinated or arrested, the syndicate falls apart.  Only when a new
  leader steps forward who has made agreements with allies and crushed his
  opponents is the syndicate reformed.
  Small Fish In A Big Pond
  Not all criminal organizations fall neatly under the categories of Triad or Opium
  Syndicates.  Many specialize in a particular type of crime and hire out their
  services to other groups.  Smugglers, auto thieves, and hundreds more perform
  what would be called contract service in legitimate industry.  While they may be
  allied to a powerful umbrella organization, these groups are independently oper-
  ated and may have many clients.
  Rebels and Insurgents
  The difference between a criminal and an insurgent is often a matter of opinion.
  Groups that seek to overthrow established governments are usually called crimi-
  nals by the government but in the eyes of many they are freedom fighters and
  patriots.  Some may even resort to criminal activity such as robbery, kidnapping,
  and murder to further their cause but it can be argued that these actions are
  simply striking back at the systems they are at war with.  For the purpose of this
  book, insurgent groups are defined as those organizations that pursue a particu-
  lar political goal as their primary motivation rather than the acquisition of wealth.
  Southeast Asia has a long and bloody history of insurgencies in almost ev-
  ery nation.  Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are all governments that were at one
  time rebels fighting against the established rulers.  As they have become the
  legitimate leader, they now deal with insurgents of their own.
  Civil unrest is usually marked by particular cruelty and violence and the
  conflicts of Southeast Asia have been bloodier than most.  Civilians have been
  massacred, prisoners tortured and executed, and so on.  Many, like the Khmer
  Rouge of Cambodia, desire an ethnic cleansing of their country and target mi-
  norities and foreigners.
  Even after an insurgent group has toppled the government and taken power,
  the attacks on their enemies continue.  As in Vietnam in the late 1970s, former
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  100
  enemy soldiers and leaders are often tried as criminals and sentenced to con-
  centration camps euphemistically called re-education centers.  Ironically, these
  harsh reprisals are often the cause of continued civil unrest and the root of
  future insurgencies.
  THE FRINGE - MERCENARIES & SAINTS
  Not everyone fits neatly under the category of criminal or rebel.  Mercenaries,
  often called mercs, work for whomever doing whatever as long as the price is
  right.  Some have an alternative agenda they are following and do mercenary
  work on the side while others are dedicated professionals who pursue a pay-
  check with no questions asked.  Political Activist Groups are the most unusual
  type in this chapter.  Many seek to right wrongs and see that justice and human
  rights prevail.  Many are more legitimate than the regimes that have branded
  them criminals.
  Mercenaries
  Southeast Asia has a wealth of natural resources, not the least of which is
  political conflict.  Not everyone has the time or the resources to create an army
  from the ground up and many find it easier to hire one.  It comes as no surprise
  that there is a large pool of able personnel who have military training, or at least
  a weapon and the will to use it.  Most are just freelance thugs-for-hire with
  minimum experience and are little better than street gangsters.
  With the collapse of the former Soviet Union and communism in Eastern
  Europe a number of highly trained and experienced soldiers have entered the
  mercenary marketplace.  Many are technicians and trainers who have found a
  new home in Southeast Asia repairing and training people to use Russian weap-
  ons and communications systems.   A handful are special-ops types who com-
  mand high fees for their services.
  Political Activist Groups
  Although violence is becoming the method of choice for many political organi-
  zations, there are still groups who want to bring about change through peaceful
  means.  Instead of seeking to overthrow established governments, activist groups
  use protests, strikes, boycotts, and international attention to affect policy.  Just
  because they are non-violent does not mean that they lack courage.  To the
  contrary, many activists must run the risk of arrest, torture, imprisonment, and
  even execution and yet they still persist in doing what they believe in.
  
  Chapter Five: Syndicates & Insurgencies
  101
  Dim Mak Pirates
  The Dim Mak pirates are typical of a small pirate organization.  There are no
  restrictions on race or gender but each member must be able to pull their own
  weight.  The group is based out of the Mekong Delta fishing village of Vihn Loi
  and preys on small ships and boats around the southern tip of Vietnam.
  The Real Scoop
  Together the Dim Mak number twenty-three pirates with four boats between
  them.  They usually operate independently of one another but gather for an
  especially lucrative target.  Although there are captains of the individual boats
  and an overall leader who directs the group, Somaly Sok (Van Phor was killed in
  a bar fight months ago), receives information and direction from a mysterious
  “businessman”.  This person provides them with ship’s registers, travel routes,
  and locations where the stolen goods can be sold.  Only Sok knows the identity
  of their benefactor.
  In fact, the “businessman” is Duang Hoa, an administrator of the Vietnam-
  ese Maritime Department.  His access to shipping schedules and manifests
  leaves him in an excellent position to pick and choose from targets.  He has
  hidden the money he has earned from the pirates and plans to immigrate to the
  United States in a few years.  There he will live out his life in wealth and luxury.
  While hardly the scourge of the ocean lanes, the Dim Mak are ruthless.
  They have attacked over forty ships and have been responsible for thirty-seven
  deaths, including the Shau Lu massacre.  Their annual income is in the millions
  of dollars but much of this goes to their “businessman” advisor and maintenance
  of their converted fishing boats.
  Not mentioned in the database is the fact that several of the Dim Mak have
  taken to raiding targets on land as well.  Five pirates acting independently from
  the group attacked the village of Do Qua, Vietnam.  Had Sok known of their
  plans, she would certainly have forbidden the attack as too risky and likely to
  bring more attention to their activities than they can handle.  Sok is still unaware
  of this independent action and if she were to find out she will be furious.
  A typical Dim Mak group consists of four to ten pirates in one or two boats.
  Each boat is equipped with a heavy weapon.  Use the Pirate NPC Stereotype
  (see Appendix Two p. 130) for standard pirates and the High-End Grunts
  Stereotype (Millennium’s End v2.0 p. 156) for Lieutenants or Captains.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  BlackEagle/BlackEagle Logistics & Procurement Branch, Data Support Section
  Results of Criminal Organizations Database Search: Dim Mak Pirates
  End Search
  Dim Mak Pirates
  #CR0001794
  Source:
  Interpol, International Maritime Board (IMB)
  Type:
  Piratical criminal organization
  Scope:
  Frequent acts of piracy, robbery and murder on international and territorial waters.  Limited to the
  Gulf of Thailand, South China Sea, and Mekong Delta [IMB].
  Affiliations:
  None
  Personnel:
  20-30
  Operating Since:
  1992
  Structure:
  Criminal hierarchy with a primary leader and each boat captain as a lieutenant.
  Leaders:
  Van Phor [#LL8818957]
  Legitimate Connections:
  None
  Resources:
  Small arms, explosives, some light military weapons and three converted fishing boats (15m to
  20m).  Believed to have a source of information inside the shipping industry.
  Suspected Criminal Activity:
  Sporadic attacks on fishing and small merchant vessels.  Blamed for the disappearance of the
  tramp steamer Shau Lu and its fourteen crew.  Suspected in attack on the fishing village of  Do
  Qua, Vietnam.
  Additional Commentary:
  Vessels that have fought back against the Dim Mak have been successful in driving them off.
  Coordination between boats is poor and few of the pirates appear to have had military training.  In
  one instance, the pirates left a wounded comrade to be eaten by sharks rather than risk a second
  confrontation with an armed boat.
  Last Update: November 18, 1998
  102
  
  Chapter Five: Syndicates & Insurgencies
  103
  The Red Sash Society
  The Red Sash Society has existed for over one hundred years and is the most
  powerful Triad in Thailand and possibly Southeast Asia.  Its control of the Bangkok
  harbor and the drug distribution in the hotels and bars of Thailand give it a solid
  income, which it has intermingled with legitimate businesses.  Using a combina-
  tion of political manipulation and violence, the Society protects its interests and
  expands the scope of its operations.
  The Real Scoop
  The power of the Red Sash Society is difficult to gauge, even for its leadership.
  While they occupy a niche in the top of the criminal underworld in Thailand,
  they also have managing interests in several of the world’s top one hundred
  corporations.  In addition, the Society favors politicians and public servants with
  extravagant bribes and campaign donations, gaining access to the highest levels
  of power.  Whether on the street, in the boardroom, or in the National Assembly,
  one doesn’t have to look far to find someone or something touched by the
  Society.
  The criminal enterprises operated by the Society are flanked by legitimate
  businesses that aid them and vice versa.  All elements of the society work
  together to maximize profits and minimize costs and exposure.  For example,
  the prostitution section handles the sois and brothels in Bangkok and Pattaya as
  well as high-priced escorts and prostitutes in Thailand’s resorts, many of which
  are owned by the Society.  However, the acquisitions of new prostitutes from
  neighboring countries, the sales of heroin and other drugs, and any muscle for
  protection come from smuggling, distribution, and enforcement, respectively.
  All money raised is then sent to an accounting department, which launders the
  cash and prepares it for use as the organization dictates.  This may seem like a
  chaotic manner in which to run a business but it has the advantages of compart-
  mentalization and has been the way of the Society for over a century.
  The Society is organized like most Triads.  The current head, Shan Wa Lin,
  is a Bangkok businessman who specialized in international trade and banking
  until he officially retired 1995.  Lin, an elderly gentleman approaching his eighty-
  fifth birthday, uses the two-dozen vice presidents as a board of directors for the
  society and relies upon them for advice as well as reporting information.  Among
  the vice presidents, the VP in charge of smuggling, David Han, emerged as
  Lin’s favorite after he orchestrated the relationship between the Red Sash So-
  ciety and Khun Sa’s opium empire.  This relationship has endured for nearly
  two decades and has earned the society millions of dollars in profit.
  On a day-to-day basis, the Society prefers to keep things quiet, peaceful,
  and organized.  Opposition is rarely openly attacked.  Instead, the Society will
  tap its immense cash flow and undersell a competitor.  At the same time, other
  resources that hinder the competitor such as delays in shipping, computer sabo-
  tage, and police scrutiny will be brought to bear.
  In the rare cases where violence is called for, it is quick, harsh, and public.
  The Red Sash Society favors drive-by shootings but has also been responsible
  for numerous bombings, kidnappings, and poisonings.  Mao Lo Fat, an upstart
  heroin dealer in Bangkok, was killed by Society enforcers who trapped his car
  in heavy traffic on the Taskin Bridge in Bangkok.  This killing was also a warn-
  ing to others.
  Competition isn’t the only time the Red Sash Society resorts to violence.
  The secrecy of the Society is all-important and when an investigative reporter
  for the English language newspaper Bangkok Post discovered a link between
  
  BlackEagle/BlackEagle Logistics & Procurement Branch, Data Support Section
  Results of Criminal Organizations Database Search:  Red Sash Society
  (also Hung Mun, Heaven and Earth League of Bangkok)
  End Search
  Triads
  #CR0000221
  Source:
  Interpol, CIA, MI-6, DEA
  Type:
  Narcotics smuggling and distribution, racketeering, gambling, extortion, prostitution,
  weapons smuggling and distribution
  Scope:
  Regional operations in Thailand.  Particularly strong in Bangkok and Pattaya.  Headquarters
  located in Hong Kong.
  Affiliations:
  Linked to Red Fist and Shining Swords societies.  Has “diplomatic” ties to Khun Sa and Cheo
  Lin organizations.
  Personnel:
  Estimated 15,000 member with 300+ active.
  Operating Since:
  Approximately 1885
  Structure:
  A loose bureaucratic model based on an a fraternal organization.
  Leaders:
  Shan Wa Lin [#LL8416072], David Han [#LL7086313]
  Legitimate Connections:
  The Red Sash Society has been linked to several Bangkok hotels, restaurants, and courier
  services.  Saraburi Electronics and the Phran Investment Group have also been linked to the
  Society.  David Han has been seen at many political fund-raising activities for Bangkok city
  officials and is close friends with Mon Phousovong, president of the Bangkok dockworkers
  union.
  Resources:
  In addition to the resources of their legitimate connections, the Red Sash Society has high-
  speed motorcycles, armored limousines, high explosives, automatic weapons, grenades, and
  ready cash exceeding $5,400,000 [Interpol].
  Suspected Criminal Activities:
  Prostitution, extortion, murder for hire.  The Red Sash Society is a major player in the smug-
  gling and distribution of illicit narcotics in Bangkok.  DEA and Thai customs officials have
  captured society members in numerous raids.  Red Sash gang members are also suspected
  in the machine-gunning of Mao Lo Fat and three of his bodyguards and have also been impli-
  cated in the suicide of Timothy Hatch, managing editor of the English language Bangkok Post
  [1997].
  Additional Commentary:
  The Red Sash Society is primarily interested in heroin smuggling through Bangkok harbor,
  where they have considerable influence.  The Society also distributes heroin in southeastern
  Bangkok and the resort town of Pattaya via a chain of hotels and restaurants owned by the
  Phran Investment Group, which is owned by Hong Kong businessman Shan Wa Lin.
  Members of the Society receive a tattoo of a red banner upon initiation and often wear a red
  strip of cloth.  Society enforcers favor western clothing, leather jackets, high-speed ‘bullet’
  motorcycles, and submachine guns.  A favorite murder tactic is to wait until the victim is
  trapped in one of Bangkok’s traffic snarls, swarm in between traffic lanes on motorcycles,
  riddle the victim’s car with bullets, and then scatter before the police can respond.
  Last Update: December 28, 1997
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  104
  
  Chapter Five: Syndicates & Insurgencies
  105
  the Society and Bangkok city officials, the editor was tossed from the roof of
  the Post’s eighth floor office.  The reporter failed to finish the article and has
  since disappeared.
  Despite this immense power and the flashy lifestyles of lower level mem-
  bers, the leaders of the Society prefer to live comparatively austere lifestyles.
  Lin sets an example by shunning the public’s eye and living in modest apart-
  ments, albeit under heavy guard, in Hong Kong and Bangkok.  Leaders with
  vices are admonished to keep them under control and those that fail to do so are
  removed from their positions.
  For game purposes, use the Cheap Thug NPC Stereotype (Millennium’s
  End v2.0 p. 156) or the Gangster NPC Stereotype (GM’s Companion p.117)
  for minor Triad members.  Use the High-End Grunt NPC Stereotype
  (Millennium’s End v2.0 p. 157) or the Mob Enforcer NPC Stereotype (GM’s
  Companion p. 119) for mid- and high-level Triad soldiers.
  Khang Sar and the Muang Tai Army
  The single most powerful organization in the production and smuggling of opium
  is the Khang Sar syndicate and the Muang Tai Army.  Centered on the charis-
  matic Khang Sar, the syndicate earns hundreds of millions of dollars a year and
  has virtually carved a new nation out of the Burmese hillside.
  The Real Scoop
  Khang Sar, an ethnic Shan from Myanmar, rose to power during the late 1970s
  and early 1980s by joining several different organizations together under his
  leadership.  In 1985, Khang Sar offered to help finance the Muang Tai Army in
  exchange for its assistance in his opium production and transportation.  As the
  one holding the purse strings he quickly gained control and now the Khang Sar
  syndicate and the Muang Tai Army is so integrated there is no real difference
  between the two.
  The Khang Sar syndicate is organized on a loose military model with mem-
  bers receiving rank or its equivalent in the Muang Tai Army (MTA).  The pro-
  curement branch makes deals with the hill tribes of the Golden Triangle for the
  purchase of their raw opium.  A transportation branch receives the raw product
  and transports it in heavily armed columns to central processing sites where it is
  converted to heroin or condensed into a consumable form of opium.  From these
  sites the product is moved across the border into Thailand via Chiang Mai and
  smuggled to Bangkok.  Once at Bangkok, the narcotics are distributed around
  the world.
  Select members of the Muang Tai Army handle all protection.  The quality
  of the MTA troops varies but is far above the average punk on the street and
  only the most fearless or foolhardy attempt to disrupt the organization.  The
  MTA also acts as a supply of ready-trained terrorists and assassins who are
  fanatical to Khang Sar.  They share Khang Sar’s hatred of the DEA, a group
  they believe they are as much at war with as the SLORC.  It was an MTA
  soldier who drove the truck bomb that exploded outside DEA headquarters in
  1996.  Other assassinations have led to the deaths of over twenty DEA agents.
  Khang Sar has not been seen since the Fall of 1998.  This is not because he
  is dead but because he has been personally overseeing the construction of one
  of his grandest dreams - a state of the art communication center complete with
  its own geostationary satellite.  This center, a large camouflaged complex of
  buildings, bunkers, and dishes, will allow him to run his syndicate free of elec-
  Drugs Imported into
  Southeast Asia?
  In a region saturated with the drug
  trade, it is difficult to believe that some
  people are smuggling drugs into
  Southeast Asia.  However, sales of
  cocaine from South American drug
  cartels has increased exponentially
  since the mid 1990s.  Solid numbers
  are not available, but anti-narcotic of-
  ficials in Thailand and Vietnam are con-
  cerned and plan to take action against
  the cartels in 1999.
  Ironically, the greatest obstacle to
  the cartels may be the opium lords who
  intensely dislike the idea of competi-
  tion in their own backyard.  Attempts
  at forming alliances have failed due to
  mutual animosity; the Asians consider
  the South Americans to be brash and
  foolhardy while the South Americans
  believe the Asians to be arrogant and
  deceptive.  The Asian syndicates and
  South American cartels have yet to
  have a major clash but if the trend con-
  tinues there is little doubt that they
  will.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  106
  tronic surveillance and disruption.  More importantly, the center will give him the
  tools to intercept DEA and anti-narcotic communications.  It is costing hundreds
  of millions of dollars to construct the center and purchase the satellite.  Its
  heavily guarded location on the peak of Loi Lan mountain in the Shan State is a
  secret to all but the highest members of the syndicate and the MTA.
  Although the primary interest of the Khang Sar syndicate is the production
  of opium, Khang Sar has made good on his promises to support a free and
  independent Shan state.  In 1997 Sar arranged for the first cease-fire between
  SLORC troops and the Muang Tai Army in forty-eight years.  Now, the Shan
  state of Myanmar is a separate country in all but name.  Tension between
  SLORC troops and Muang Tai troops has slackened.  The SLORC (State Law
  and Order Committee) of Myanmar, starved for cash, has put forward offers of
  cooperation to Khang Sar but so far the two have yet to make any formal
  agreements.
  In addition to the large-scale operations in the Shan state and Myanmar,
  Khang Sar has invested heavily in co-opping the Thai civil government and
  military forces.  The corruption and bribes exist in every level of government;
  from the lowest police recruit in the academy to members of the National As-
  sembly and generals of the army.  To say that the syndicate’s efforts have been
  successful is an understatement.  Khang Sar is the defacto ruler of the Golden
  Triangle.
  For game purposes, use the Guerilla NPC Stereotype (Terror/Counterterror
  p. 126) or a mix of Cheap Thug and High-End Grunts NPC Stereotypes
  (Millennium’s End v2.0 pgs. 156, 157) for Muang Tai Army soldiers.  For
  members of Khang Sar’s syndicate use the Mob Enforcer NPC Stereotype
  (GM’s Companion p. 119) or the High-End Grunt NPC Stereotype.
  The Circle Trade
  Of those businesses that fall on the shadier side of the law, none is more repug-
  nant than the slave trade.  The Circle Trade, an international consortium of
  slavers and smugglers, does brisk business in Southeast Asia, particularly Thai-
  land.
  Slaves are usually acquired in China, Burma, and northern Thailand.  Some
  pay several thousand dollars to the Circle Trade to smuggle them into the United
  States and other Western nations but are then forced into labor in brothels and
  sweatshops when they arrive.  Many of the young boys and girls in Thailand’s
  sex industry were sold by their impoverished families to representatives of the
  Circle Trade who promise good wages and treatment in exchange for services
  rendered.  Neither is true and the slaves soon find themselves in a personal hell
  of rape, forced drug addiction, physical punishment, and murder.
  Once a slave has been acquired, they are transported to warehouses lo-
  cated in and around Bangkok and Hong Kong.  There, the slaves are secretly
  examined for health problems, skills and talents, and potential troublemakers are
  singled out.  Each person is assigned a number and a sometimes a microchip
  containing their information is implanted beneath the skin.  This information is
  placed on the international black market and given to select customers and
  purchases are arranged.  Most slaves who leave Southeast Asia go to the United
  States and Europe but Japan and the Middle east are also large markets.  Prices
  vary from a few hundred to several thousand dollars for slaves of exceptional
  skill or beauty.
  While warehoused, the slaves are starved and tortured in an effort to break
  their spirit.  Injections of heroin and morphine are given to make the slave an
  
  BlackEagle/BlackEagle Logistics & Procurement Branch, Data Support Section
  Results of Criminal Organizations Database Search: Khang Sar
  End Search
  Khang Sar Syndicate
  #CR0001192
  (See also Muang Tai Army)
  Source:
  Interpol, CIA, DEA
  Type:
  Narcoterrorist syndicate
  Scope:
  Narcotics production and distribution organization operating primarily in Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, and
  Laos.
  Affiliations:
  The Khang Sar syndicate and the Muang Tai Army are so closely linked that it is impossible to separate
  the two.  Smuggling ties with the Red Sash Society triad.  Suspected ties with Thai military and anti-
  narcotics units [DEA].
  Personnel:
  Criminal syndicate members at 420 [DEA, Interpol] and Muang Tai Army at 10,000+ soldiers [CIA].
  Operating Since:
  Early 1980s
  Structure:
  Military hierarchy.
  Leaders:
  Khang Sar, Major General of the Muang Tai Army.
  Legitimate Connections:
  As leader of the rebellious Shan tribe of Burma and its Muang Tai Army, Khang Sar represents the
  embodiment of the tribe’s desire for autonomy.  Other rebel organization in Burma are in cooperation but
  not directly associated with the Khang Sar syndicate.   The syndicate has purchased hundreds, possibly
  thousands, of legitimate businesses, primarily in Thailand where the advanced banking connections and
  loose laws allow for easier laundering of money.
  Resources:
  Small arms, primarily modern military weapons.  Grenades, mortars, explosives, advanced communica-
  tions suites and suspected anti-aircraft capability.  Strong connections in the black market, excellent local
  intelligence assets, extensive training from mercenaries [CIA].  Excellent funding with the annual opium
  harvest grossing between $700 and $900 million [DEA, Interpol] and as much as 7% set aside for
  military investment.  Ready cash exceeding $50 million.
  Suspected Criminal Activities:
  Illegal narcotics production, smuggling, and distribution.  Hundreds of bombings, assassinations,
  kidnappings, and murders of police and military personnel and criminal competitors. Khang Sar has
  placed a $50,000 bounty for each DEA agent in Thailand killed.  In 1996, Khang Sar agents bombed DEA
  headquarters in Thailand, killing twelve agents and two civilians. Believed to have bribed and corrupted
  hundreds of Thai officials.
  Additional Commentary:
  The Khang Sar syndicate is not the only drug empire in the Golden Triangle, but it is the largest, wealth-
  iest, and most powerful in both military might and political influence.  The Khang Sar syndicate controls
  60% of the opium trade in the Golden Triangle and the Muang Tai Army fighting for Shan independence
  from Myanmar.  Only Cho Wei Lun, an ethnic Wa opium warlord, comes close to rivaling this power.  A
  “mutual cooperation” agreement in 1994 between Cho Wei Lun and Khang Sar has limited conflict be
  tween the opium superpowers and both have reaped record harvests.
  The syndicate’s headquarters is now at an unknown location deep in the Shan State of Myanmar.  The
  original headquarters was only two miles north of Mei Sai on the Thai border.  A cross-border raid in 1995
  by Thai officials and DEA agents forced the warlord to move his base despite the fact that the operation
  failed to actually reach the estate.
  Little is known about Khang Sar personally.  He has not been seen in public since November 1998,
  leading some to speculate about his death [Interpol].  No direct evidence supports this theory.
  Last Update: December 15, 1998
  Chapter Five: Syndicates & Insurgencies
  107
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  108
  addict and add another form of control.  The slavers are so practiced at destroy-
  ing people’s will that only exceptional individuals survive with their minds intact.
  Those who refuse to break are usually murdered as an example to the others.
  As many as one in three die from the harsh treatment or who will not succumb
  to their torturers, a number factored into the Circle Trade’s profit margin.
  Those slaves purchased in Southeast Asia are smuggled to their buyers in
  specially constructed semi-trucks and vans with cages and restraints.  Slaves
  purchased on the international market are often transported in large numbers,
  chained together and crammed into the stinking cargo hold of a tramp steamer,
  such as the one that ran aground off the coast of North Carolina in 1993.  Many
  are so docile from the experience that they can be transported in regular ve-
  hicles and will not attempt to escape even if given the opportunity.
  A new and even darker side of the slave trade has come into being only
  recently.  As the number of people requiring organ transplants increases around
  the world, the legitimate supply of donated organs has not kept pace.  Those
  who have money and connections can turn to a thriving black market in organs.
  Recognizing the value of this market, the Circle Trade has adopted a program of
  murdering slaves and harvesting their organs.
  During the inspections of the slaves, blood samples and organ matches are
  made and likely candidates selected.  These slaves are then given special, less
  harsh treatment and better food.  Vivisection takes place once a buyer has been
  found or sometimes, if the slave has a peculiar blood type that is always in
  demand, immediately and the organs stored for future sale.  The doctors who
  perform the vivisections are unscrupulous and will often let the slave die on the
  operating table.
  Circle Trade members are sadistic bullies.  Use the Gangster NPC Stereo-
  type (GM’s Companion p. 117) or the Cheap Thug NPC Stereotype
  (Millennium’s End v2.0 p. 156) for its members.
  The Khmer Rouge
  Few groups in history have been the cause of so much suffering, cruelty, and
  needless death.  The Khmer Rouge are despised the world over as violent
  madmen responsible for the genocide of nearly one seventh of their own people.
  Despite universal condemnation the Khmer Rouge have survived and once again
  are a major force in Southeast Asian politics.
  The Real Scoop
  The Khmer Rouge are poised to bring their nightmare utopia back into exist-
  ence.  A new campaign launched in December of 1998 against the Cambodian
  People’s Armed Forces (CPAF) and the Hun Sen regime has been successful
  in driving government forces from northern Cambodia and into the larger cities
  of southern Cambodia.  Khmer Rouge forces have freedom of movement in the
  countryside and are in complete control of at least 30% of the country.  Large
  areas have become zones of anarchy with neither side in control and the popu-
  lation living in fear.
  Despite being rabid communists the Khmer Rouge have recognized the
  value of trading with the Thai military.  Secret treaties between the Thai military
  and the Khmer Rouge have given Thai companies free access to timber, gems,
  and mineral resources, often extracted with Cambodian slave labor.  This rela-
  tionship also benefits the Thai military as it allows the Khmer Rouge to patrol
  the border and keep refugees from fleeing to Thailand where they are not wanted.
  The money generated from these sales has allowed the Khmer Rouge to supple-
  The Flesh Trade of Thailand
  Thailand is known the world over for
  its prostitution industry.  Hundreds of
  thousand of girls and boys are em-
  ployed in the sex trade in the brothels
  of Bangkok and Pattaya.  Most of them
  are from small villages in the provinces
  or from Myanmar and Cambodia, and
  send the money they make back home
  to their families.  Some are less fortu-
  nate and have been sold to gangs by
  their families in exchange for badly
  needed cash (see The Circle Trade).
  The life of a prostitute in Thailand is
  short and harsh.  They are subject to
  beatings, rape and murder at the hands
  of their pimps and most are addicted
  to heroin or other drugs.  HIV infec-
  tion is so common (seventy percent in
  some areas) that many prostitutes sim-
  ply consider death within a decade as
  part of the job.  Other sexually trans-
  mitted diseases such as syphilis, gon-
  orrhea and herpes are even more com-
  mon.
  Although not wanting to intrude on
  operative’s personal lives, B/E
  strongly suggests that operatives in
  Thailand refrain from engaging in
  sexual relations with anyone at any
  time.
  
  Chapter Five: Syndicates & Insurgencies
  109
  ment the supplies it receives from China.
  The Khmer Rouge army is divided into three groups:  Army Group West,
  located in Pailin and under the command of General Moen Phat, Army Group
  Center currently located just north of Lake Tonle Sap under the command of
  General Sovan Santapeap, and Army Group East stretched between Siem Reap
  and the northeastern city of Preah Vihear.  Each Army group is further divided
  into divisions, battalions, and companies.  Army group center is the largest and is
  also responsible for maintaining camps on the Thai/Cambodia border where
  conscripted slaves grow food and manufacture simple essentials.
  The Khmer Rouge also have hundreds of guerilla and urban terrorist cells
  spread through the country, backed by a network of supporters.  Each cell
  varies in size and activity but most are very active.  Phnom Penh has been
  especially hard hit by terrorist’s bombs and shootings and it is a rare day when
  no Khmer Rouge activity is reported.
  The Khmer Rouge are plagued by the fact that they have failed to make the
  transition from insurgent group to effective military presence.  Although they
  have the soldiers and the firepower, the leadership is still in the insurgent mindset.
  This is demonstrated in the fact that once an area has been occupied and taken
  by the Khmer Rouge, the occupying force is very reluctant to leave to pursue
  the battle elsewhere.  They prefer to stay where they are, taking command of
  the area like conquering feudal lords.  It is also demonstrated in the fact that
  cooperation between units, despite improvement in communications, is minimal.
  Each company sees only the battle directly in front of it and focuses on that
  alone.  Those soldiers trained in the camps on the border are better at avoiding
  these pitfalls but their commanders have yet to adapt to the situation.  Despite
  this, Khmer Rouge firepower and blunt force have allowed the insurgents to
  make dramatic headway.
  Several decisive victories for the Khmer Rouge have come thanks to the
  acquisition of new high-tech weapons.  The laser-blinding device encountered
  by the B/E cell providing security for a UN mine clearing team has been used
  against CPAF troops to great effect.  The Khmer Rouge have also purchased
  advanced shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles, and laser guided artillery rounds.
  The offensive underway as of January 1, 1999 is the largest ever and stands a
  good chance of further damaging the Hun Sen regime, if not toppling it.
  However, the Khmer Rouge are no longer unified.  General Moen Phat,
  whose forces occupy the province of Pailin, has refused to join other Khmer
  Rouge forces in the new offensive.  Phat has failed to join the Khmer Rouge
  high command for important meetings and has begun to forge his own agree-
  ments with the Thai military for access to the timber and gems in Pailin prov-
  ince.  General Sovan Santapeap and other Khmer Rouge commanders have
  accused Phat of breaking from the Khmer Rouge and attempting to forge his
  own miniature empire.  Confrontation between Phat’s troops and the rest of the
  Khmer Rouge have yet to happen but tensions are high.
  Unknown to Santapeap and the Khmer Rouge hierarchy, Phat has also sent
  quiet messages to the Hun Sen regime regarding his switching sides in the
  conflict.  Phat wants to keep the wealthy Pailin area to himself and will gladly
  defect to the government side if given assurances of autonomy.  To provide
  proof of his good intentions, Phat has revealed to the Hun Sen regime that
  kidnapped Union Carbide VP Jefferson Brown is still alive and being held in a
  Khmer Rouge camp on the Thai border.  Phat has also ordered the release of
  two Australian Jesuit priests captured by Pat’s Khmer Rouge soldiers on Christ-
  mas day, 1998.
  For game purposes, use the Guerilla NPC Stereotype (Terror/Counterterror
  p. 126) or a mix of Cheap Thug and High-End Grunts NPC Stereotypes
  The Death of Pol Pot
  The death of Pol Pot has not been veri-
  fied by any international agency and
  those few people who claim to have
  seen the aging leader’s body suggest
  that it was not him.  The body was
  cremated in a makeshift funeral pyre
  consisting of old tires, books and maga-
  zines, and the old man’s mattress.
  There was no autopsy and his remains
  have supposedly been scattered in
  Lake Tonle Sap.
  Many have suggested that Pol Pot
  is not dead and is still leading the
  Khmer Rouge from Pyongyang, North
  Korea, where he was last given medi-
  cal assistance.  Others suggest that
  Pol Pot is dead but was murdered by
  other Khmer Rouge, citing reports that
  the United States and Thailand were
  interested in capturing Pot and put-
  ting him on trial for the atrocities he
  perpetrated.  If such a trial had come
  about, the other Khmer Rouge would
  no doubt have been indicted.
  
  BlackEagle/BlackEagle Logistics & Procurement Branch, Data Support Section
  Results of Criminal Organizations Database Search: Khmer Rouge
  End Search
  Khmer Rouge
  (Also Khmer People’s Congress, Democratic Kampuchea, Communist Party of Kampuchea)
  Source:
  CIA, MI6, DGSE
  Type:
  Terrorist/insurgent organization
  Scope:
  Terrorist/insurgent organization operating primarily in Cambodia and the Thai/Cambodia
  border.
  Affiliations:
  Diplomatic and military ties to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
  Personnel:
  73,000 (believed) [DGSE]
  Operating Since:
  1948
  Structure:
  Military hierarchy.
  Leaders:
  Pol Pot [#LL0453410], Sovan Santapeap [#LL6582766], Ieng Sary [#LL7918874]
  Legitimate Connections:
  Receives funding, supplies, and training through PRC sources [CIA].
  Resources:
  Access to modern military weapons and training.  Excellent intelligence.  Good funding from
  sales of natural resources on Thai/Cambodian border [CIA].  Within the regions controlled by
  the Khmer Rouge the group acts as an infantry force with limited combined arms capability.
  Known to have many man-portable weapons systems, including heavy motors and light
  artillery.   The Khmer Rouge have yet to show possession of equipment requiring a large
  support staff such as aircraft and armor but are known to have sophisticated anti-personnel
  weapons, possibly a laser blinding device.  The Khmer Rouge have seized approximately
  40,000 peasants for use as slave labor growing food and making basic military supplies but
  these are non-combatants.
  Suspected Criminal Activities:
  The systematic starvation, torture, and murder of over 1,000,000 Cambodians from 1975 to
  1978.  The 1976 kidnapping, torture, and murder of four American sailors.  The 1978 attack on
  the American cargo vessel Orlando and the kidnapping of its crew.  Hundreds of assassina
  tions, kidnappings, tortures, rapes, and murders as well as firebomb and machine-gun attacks
  on industrial plants, railway lines, communications facilities, voting centers, and public works,
  1979-1999.  1982 bombing of Cambodian National Assembly, killing six civil servants.  1984
  hijacking of Thai Airlines flight and subsequent extortion of $10 million.  1985 torture-murder of
  reporter Jules Lou bet.  Protracted guerilla and military actions against the CPAF, 1986-1999.
  1988 kidnapping and murder of 6 American tourists in Pailin province.  Multiple attacks on
  UNTAC mine clearing teams, 1991-1999.  1991 assassination of Ohm Nigh (Cambodian
  District Judge) and mutilation of her children.  1992-1999, rocket attacks on UNTAC headquar
  ters in Phnom Penh.  1993 attacks on voting centers, resulting in 283 deaths.  1993 kidnapping
  and murder of three foreign tourists and thirty ethnic Vietnamese.  1995 rocket attack on Lake
  Tonle Sap ferry, sixty-eight killed.  1995 massacre of ethnic Vietnamese in Kong Kohl, seventy-
  one men, women, and children killed.  1996 attack on UNTAC relief trucks, resulting in twelve
  relief workers killed.  1997 kidnapping of WHO doctor.  1997 crucifixion and murder of Peru
  Sammy (Kampong Champ Chief of Police).  1997 torture deaths of twelve UN soldiers in
  Kampong Sam.  1998 attack on Pochentong train resulting in 148 deaths.  1998 missile attack
  on Thai military helicopter carrying four DEA agents.   1998 kidnapping of Union Carbide VP,
  Jefferson Brown.
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  110
  
  Additional Commentary:
  The Khmer Rouge, literally translated as “red Cambodians” referencing their communist
  ideology, came to power in 1975 after a long struggle with the Western backed Cambodian
  government.  The Khmer Rouge, led by Maoist Pol Pot, attempted to build an agrarian utopia
  by exterminating opposition and forcing the Cambodian people into huge communes in the
  countryside where they performed slave labor in the name of “Anka,” the state.  Cities were
  destroyed, modern facilities sabotaged, and currency outlawed in what became known as Year
  Zero.  The educated were killed and millions suffered from institutionalized torture, slave labor,
  and famine.  Conservative estimates of the number of deaths start at 1.4 million and some
  claim as many as 3 million [CIA].  At least 2 million people braved minefields and execution to
  flee to Thailand.
  In 1978 the Vietnamese invaded Cambodia and overran the country in just two weeks.  The
  Khmer Rouge were forced into refugee camps on the border and have remained there ever
  since.  From these bases the Khmer Rouge reformed their slave labor communes, created a
  new army, and launched several campaigns to retake Cambodia.
  Although the Thai government technically has no ties to the Khmer Rouge it is widely believed
  that the Thai military tolerates their presence in exchange for access to northwestern
  Cambodia’s natural resources.
  A typical Khmer Rouge soldier is a fanatic to the cause of “Anka”, the Khmer Rouge term for
  the communist hierarchy.  Khmer Rouge soldiers are given brutal training during which as
  many as one in five die.  Those that survive are athletic warriors indoctrinated in the ways of
  Maoist communism.  Khmer Rouge typically wear black “pajama” style clothes and carry
  Chinese AK-74’s, PK machine guns, and rocket propelled grenade launchers.  The Khmer
  Rouge prefer to move in large numbers  and patrols are usually conducted by company-sized
  units  rather than platoon sized units.
  At present the Khmer Rouge are engaged with the Cambodian People’s Armed Forces (CPAF)
  of the Hun Sen regime based out of Phnom Penn.  The Khmer Rouge possess the country
  side and can move at will during the day or night.  The UN safe zones of Battambong and Siem
  Reap are under siege and the Khmer Rouge occupied the city of Pailin in 1996.  The latest
  offensive was launched in December of 1998 and has been very successful, forcing CPAF
  soldiers to retreat to the south end of Lake Tonle Sap. The capital of Phnom Penn is currently
  government controlled  but under almost daily terrorist attack (last update December 10,
  1999).
  Leadership of the Khmer Rouge has been split between Sovan Santapeap and Ieng Sary, two
  commanding generals in the Khmer Rouge Army.  Each controls a major force of Khmer
  Rouge soldiers in the Siem Reap and Pailin areas respectively.
  A bizarre attempt at public relations occurred in 1997 when the Khmer Rouge put Pol Pot on
  trial for the atrocities committed during the reign of terror between 1975 and 1978.  The sev-
  enty-two year old Pot was convicted and sentenced to house arrest for the rest of his natural
  life.  Pot died in December of 1997, supposedly from complications related to his chronic
  malaria [DGSE].
  The Khmer Rouge have always been rabidly engaged in ethnic cleansing of all non-Khmers
  from Cambodia.  Entire villages of ethnic Cham, Vietnamese, and Chinese have been massa-
  cred.  Europeans and Americans are almost always executed if captured.
  During the UNTAC operation to rebuild Cambodia in the early 1990’s the Khmer Rouge dis-
  Chapter Five: Syndicates & Insurgencies
  111
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  rupted elections and continued its terrorist attacks.  UN sponsored mine clearing teams have
  been attacked by the Khmer Rouge many times.  A BlackEagle/BlackEagle security team foiled
  a Khmer Rouge  attack in 1998 in the Kampong Cham area during which the Khmer Rouge
  used an unknown blinding device, presumably a laser.  BlackEagle/BlackEagle operatives
  should be advised that the Khmer Rouge has issued a warning that all operatives captured in
  Cambodia will be executed as “foreign mercenaries and enemies of the people of Cambodia.”
  Operatives engaged in Cambodia for any reason should be compensated accordingly.
  Last Update: December 18, 1998
  (Millennium’s End v2.0 pgs. 156, 157) for Khmer Rouge soldiers.  For those in
  terrorist cells use the Urban Revolutionaries NPC Stereotype (Terror/
  Counterterror p. 127) or the High-End Grunt NPC Stereotype.
  Hmong Mercenaries
  The Hmong people have existed in the Golden Triangle for millennia and are
  one of the few truly indigenous peoples of Southeast Asia.  They are fiercely
  independent and have been oppressed by one rising empire after another.  But
  throughout history the Hmong have survived
  when all around them have faded away.  Now,
  they are in control of a large portion of the
  Golden Triangle’s opium crop and they fight
  for whomever has the money.
  The Real Scoop
  The Hmong people have been caught in the
  jaws of almost every conflict in Southeast Asia
  since the 1700’s.  Attacked by the Thais, Bur-
  mese, Vietnamese, and Laotians in turn, the
  Hmong have developed an independent cul-
  ture with a strong fighting tradition.  That tra-
  dition combined with their rich opium fields has
  made them a valuable commodity.
  During the American phase of the Viet-
  nam War, the Hmong acted as valuable allies
  to the Americans.  In exchange for money,
  supplies, and weapons the Hmong attacked
  communist forces in Laos and Vietnam.  Al-
  though outwardly the battles were one of ide-
  ology, the Hmong and the Laotians have al-
  ways had ethnic conflicts and the Hmong were
  only too happy to be paid to do what they prob-
  ably would have done anyway.  The CIA-
  owned-and-operated Air America supplied
  them with daily airdrops and moved the Hmong
  opium to buyers in Thailand and Myanmar.
  After the American pullout of the Viet-
  nam War, the CIA continued to supply the
  Hmong armies they had trained, but at a much
  reduced level.  In 1975 the Laotian govern-
  ment fell to the Prathet Lao, Laotian commu-
  112
  
  Chapter Five: Syndicates & Insurgencies
  BlackEagle/BlackEagle Logistics & Procurement Branch, Data Support Section
  Results of Criminal Organizations Database Search: Hmong Mercenaries (also Hmong hill tribe)
  End Search
  Hmong Mercenaries
  Source:
  Interpol, CIA, DGSE
  Type:
  Mercenary group with ties to narcotics production and smuggling.
  Scope:
  Northern Thailand, central and southern Laos
  Affiliations:
  Linked to Khang Sar and other opium syndicates [Interpol].
  Personnel:
  12,000 (estimated) [DGSE]
  Operating Since:
  Unknown.
  Structure:
  Military hierarchy parallel to Hmong tribal chieftains.
  Leaders:
  None (leadership is limited to village level).
  Legitimate Connections:
  The expatriate relief organizations of Laotians for a  Free Laos and the Hmong Relief Fund
  [DGSE].
  Resources:
  The Hmong possess some of the most fertile opium fields in the Golden Triangle and sell the
  annual crop to various criminal syndicates [Interpol].  Hmong mercenaries vary from village to
  village but generally have access to military arms, explosives, and heavy weapons [CIA].
  Suspected Criminal Activities:
  Narcotics production, smuggling, extortion, murder, attacking the Laotian People’s Revolution
  ary Army.
  Additional Commentary:
  The Hmong are not organized into a single unit but are a collection of villages, each with its
  own chief and military unit often no larger than twenty soldiers [CIA].  Each village is autono
  mous of the others and only charismatic leaders can convince the Hmong to join together for
  any kind of activity.  Agreements with one village have no weight in another and villages are
  often in conflict with each other.
  The Hmong have been fighting against the Laotian communists since the 1960s and were
  closely allied to the United States during its part of the Vietnam War.  The Hmong are not
  recognized as citizens in their own country and have suffered a great deal for their rebellion
  against the Vientiane regime.  Allegations of chemical warfare against the Hmong have never
  been proven but there is considerable circumstantial evidence to support them [CIA].  The
  conflict between the Hmong and the Laotian government has reached a stalemate with neither
  side able to secure a victory.  At present most villages have cease-fire agreements with the
  government along with assurances of autonomy [DGSE].
  The Hmong possess some of the best opium growing fields in the Golden Triangle.  In the
  beginning of the growing season the villages hold bidding competitions between opium syndi
  cates for the year’s crop.  Competition is fierce and sometimes violent.  In addition to the
  opium, the buyer gets the use of the Hmong soldiers for the duration of the season.  This
  opium trade allows the Hmong to continue their struggle against the Laotian government and
  support their population in their harsh mountain environment.
  Last Update: December 19, 1998
  113
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  114
  nists, and the oppression of the Hmong took on genocidal overtones.  Thou-
  sands of Hmong escaped into Thailand and thousands more perished in Laotian
  bombings and massacres.  The communist regime even allowed the testing of
  chemical weapons on Hmong villages by the Soviets, creating the legend of the
  deadly Yellow Rain.  Entire villages were wiped out in the single pass of a
  helicopter and remain barren dead zones populated only by aging skeletons.
  In the 1990s the Hmong have emerged from the conflict with the Lao
  People’s Democratic Republic as resistant survivors who have worn down the
  government’s desire to control them.  Treaties between Hmong villages and the
  government leave the Hmong in peace for the first time in generations.  Some
  units of the Laotian People’s Revolutionary Army even aid the Hmong in the
  production and transportation of the opium.  The CIA is still heavily involved
  with the Hmong opium trade with as much as a third of the opium being smuggled
  by the CIA run Si-Chang Flying Service.  Weapons and supplies purchased by
  the Hmong are also delivered by the same CIA air service.
  Since each village organizes its own force of mercenaries, larger villages
  field larger forces and wealthier villages provide better weapons and equip-
  ment.  Some villages specialize in a particular aspect of combat such as sniping
  or light artillery.  Hmong are disciplined and talented soldiers and have a detailed
  knowledge of terrain and jungle warfare.
  The average soldier equips himself with a submachine gun or assault rifle -
  the M16 and AK-47 being the most popular - and grenades.  Hmong are known
  for close-in fighting and are vicious with a knife or machete.  Leadership paral-
  lels the village hierarchy with the village chief or his appointee leading the group.
  Hmong mercenaries don’t coordinate well with groups outside their own village
  and so any Hmong army is actually a collection of loosely organized platoon
  sized-units.  Enemies of the Hmong have used this fact to their advantage many
  times.
  Hmong mercs are able and willing soldiers for almost any cause backed by
  the right cash. Use the Guerilla NPC Stereotype (Terror/Counterterror p.
  126) or a mix of Cheap Thug and High-End Grunts NPC Stereotypes
  (Millennium’s End v2.0 pgs. 156, 157).
  The Zhukov Brigade
  Although several thousand troops short of the an actual brigade, the Zhukov
  Brigade has carved a name for itself in the volatile world of international merce-
  naries. This small squad of highly trained individuals, all from countries in the
  Soviet bloc, sells its services from Ho Chi Minh City to customers around the
  Pacific Rim.  In keeping with their leader’s spetznaz training, the Zhukov Bri-
  gade specializes in demolition, search-and-destroy missions, and assassination.
  Captain Pavel Antonivich formed the Zhukov Brigade in 1994 when he
  suddenly found himself without a job, thanks to the downsizing of the Russian
  military and the shifting of the political winds.  Rather than face the bleak pros-
  pect of finding another career so close to his fiftieth birthday, Antonivich and a
  handful of trusted associates used their clandestine skills to leave Russia and
  travel to Vietnam.  There, Vladovich used his contacts within the Vietnamese
  military to establish themselves as a free-lance Special-Ops group.
  Business has been good for the Russians.  Their first job was the assassina-
  tion of a political opposition leader in Thailand, which they performed by inject-
  ing the victim with a deadly poison.  This job was quickly followed by others.
  Now, the Zhukov Brigade have the luxury of selecting their work.  Reflecting its
  Soviet background, the Brigade prefers to work for socialist governments and
  
  Chapter Five: Syndicates & Insurgencies
  115
  organizations that it considers to be friendly to the socialist cause.  However, the
  offer of large sums of cash is enough to make even the most capitalist client
  palatable.  The Zhukov Brigade commands an average fee of $100,000 per
  contract, with more being required for long-term or particularly dangerous ac-
  tivities.
  Player characters won’t find themselves working alongside the Zhukov
  Brigade as they prefer to work alone.  More likely, they will be in direct compe-
  tition if not conflict.
  Captain Pavel ‘Akula’ Antonivich (ret.)
  Captain Pavel ‘Akula’ Antonivich is both the founder and leader of the Zhukov
  Brigade. Antonivich, whose nickname means ‘shark’,  is a spetznaz veteran of
  over twenty-five years.  He served the Soviet Union in such far-away lands as
  Vietnam, Afghanistan, and in covert KGB operations in Western Europe and
  the USA.  His final action in a Russian uniform came during the uprising in
  Chechnya, where Anonivich coordinated spetznaz operations against separatist
  rebels.  True to his Cossack heritage, Antonivich stands at just less than two
  meters tall with narrow shoulders set on a wiry frame.
  49 year-old Caucasian man, 196cm, 108kg, Black hair, brown eyes, tan skin.
  Int
  58
  Sen
  66
  Aim
  42
  Agl
  34
  Cor
  48
  Autofire
  62
  Con 42
  Str
  47
  Smallarm
  58
  Per
  67
  App
  44
  Drive
  37
  Bra
  49
  Wil
  71
  Auto
  52
  Hiding
  45
  Perception
  61
  Conceal
  62
  Base Speed
  12
  Creep
  65
  Damage Rating
  5
  Medicine
  25
  Mass Factor
  0.7
  Emer. Med.
  32
  Military Science
  40
  Hardware
  50
  Tactics
  59
  Unarmed H-to-H
  39
  Punch
  58
  Equipment Carried: Tactical vest, one frag grenade, one smoke grenade,
  AK-74 (30 rnds ball/tracer) and two extra magazines ball/tracer and one AP,
  Desert Eagle .50in (8 rnds glaser) and an extra mag, 10km mil-spec
  transceiver, night-vision goggles, basic first aid kit.
       weapon
               speed
  roll         DF/DD
     dam. type
  Punch
  13
  58        1.0
  Impact
  AK-74
   4
  86
  19
  Hyd. Shock
  Desert Eagle .50in
  11
  77
  26
  Hyd. Shock
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  116
  tall, the top of his bald head reaching 206cm, and broad-shouldered.  His goatee
  is blonde to contrast his brown eyes.  A tattoo of the Soviet flag graces his right
  upper arm.  He speaks little and has a slight stutter when he does.  Sergeikov is
  a sadistic thug, albeit a smart thug.  He prefers silenced weapons and carries at
  least one knife at all times.
  37 year-old Caucasian man, 206cm, 119kg, Bald, brown eyes, tan skin.
  Int
  42
  Sen
  53
  Aim
  49
  Agl
  56
  Cor
  51
  Autofire
  69
  Con 53
  Str
  71
  Smallarm
  68
  Per
  38
  App
  42
  Armed H-to-H
  43
  Bra
  55
  Wil
  61
  Swing
  64
  Perception
  49
  Thrust
  64
  Base Speed
  15
  Hiding
  65
  Damage Rating
  6
  Concealment
  77
  Mass Factor
  0.6
  Creeping
  72
  Military Science
  35
  Tactics
  49
  Unarmed H-to-H
  48
  Dodge
  68
  Punch
  72
  Kick
  70
  Grapple
  62
  Equipment Carried: Tactical vest, two frag grenades, HK MP5SD6 (30 rnds
  glaser) and two extra magazines glaser and one mag AP, Makarov P6
  (8 rnds hollowpoint) and an extra magazine, large knife, 10km mil-spec
  transceiver, night-vision goggles, basic first aid kit.
        weapon
              speed
  roll         DF/DD
     dam. type
  Punch
  15
  72        1.0
  Impact
  Large Knife (swing)
  13
  72
  2.4
  Cut
             (thrust)
  11
  72
  3.0
  Puncture
  HK MP5SD6
   6
  92
  21
  Hyd. Shock
  Makarov P6
  14
  82
  18
  Hyd. Shock
  Maksim Sergeikov
  Like Antonivich, former sergeant Maksim Sergeikov is former spetznaz and a
  specialist in demolitions, assassination, and counter-insurgency.  His particular
  specialty is hand-to-hand combat.  Sergeikov is Antonivich’s second in com-
  mand and most trusted associate and the pair have been friends since serving
  together in the bitter fighting in Afghanistan’s Peshawar Valley.  Sergeikov is
  
  Chapter Five: Syndicates & Insurgencies
  117
  Daniel Offenbach
  Daniel Offenbach, the Zhukov Brigade’s explosive and demolitions expert, is a
  recent addition to the Brigade after one of the founding members was killed in
  action.  Offenbach has no military training and his actual field-craft skills are
  weak.  However, he makes up for this shortcoming with his talent for explosives
  and improvised munitions.  Offenbach is currently wanted by the FBI for a
  bombing he conducted on behalf of the Earth Liberation Front that killed two
  researchers in Boston.  He is currently laying low with the Zhukov Brigade and
  welcomes the opportunity to use his skills, especially against capitalist targets
  and perceived enemies of the environment.  He has long blonde hair pulled into
  a ponytail and wears wire-rimmed glasses most of the time.  Although he has
  received some training by Sergeikov, he has yet to become very stealthy.  Con-
  sequently, another team member accompanies Offenbach whenever possible.
  31 year-old Caucasian man, 176cm, 60kg, Blonde hair, blue eyes, tan skin.
  Int
  61
  Sen
  39
  Aim
  26
  Agl
  46
  Cor
  42
  Autofire
  36
  Con 44
  Str
  40
  Electrics
  45
  Per
  53
  App
  69
  Electronics
  67
  Bra
  66
  Wil
  51
  Engineering
  54
  Perception
  38
  Chemical
  80
  Base Speed
  14
  Civil
  72
  Damage Rating
  4
  Hiding
  24
  Mass Factor
  1.1
  Creeping
  30
  Military Science
  15
  Tactics
  22
  Unarmed H-to-H
  39
  Punch
  54
  Equipment Carried: Tactical vest, one frag grenade, one CS gas grenade,
  booby trap kit, breaching charge, two 1kg C4 charges, radio detonator,
  M4 Spectre (50 rnds glaser) and an extra magazine, 10km mil-spec
  transceiver, night-vision goggles, basic first aid kit.
        weapon
               speed
  roll         DF/DD
     dam. type
  Punch
  13
  54        1.0
  Impact
  SITES M4 Spectre
   7
  57
  21
  Hyd. Shock
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  118
  The National League for Democracy
  One person’s reformer is another person’s criminal.  The National League for
  Democracy is the most powerful reform movement in Burma (Myanmar) and
  one of the most well-known and respected democracy movements in the world.
  Its message of non-violence and pacifist resistance to the brutal SLORC re-
  gime is aimed at the hearts and minds of the Burmese people.  The NLD is
  confident that eventually their message of peace will conquer SLORC violence.
  The National League for Democracy rose from the bloody streets of Yangon
  after government troops massacred thousands of protesters during the 1988
  political chaos.  Survivors of the massacre realized that for Myanmar to be-
  come a peaceful democracy they must put aside their political and ethnic differ-
  ences and act as a single unit. Sulang An Kyu Sui (pronounced Su-lang An
  29 year-old Asian woman, 176cm, 60kg, Black hair, dark eyes, tan skin.
  Int
  50
  Sen
  67
  Acting
  33
  Agl
  65
  Cor
  39
  Con
  49
  Con 55
  Str
  51
  Aim
  51
  Per
  69
  App
  71
  Longarm
  76
  Bra
  44
  Wil
  53
  Smallarm
  66
  Perception
  59
  Armed H-to-H
  38
  Base Speed
  16
  Swing
  48
  Damage Rating
  5
  Thrust
  50
  Mass Factor
  1.1
  Make-Up
  25
  Disguise
  37
  Hiding
  48
  Concealment
  72
  Creeping
  63
  Military Science
  22
  Tactics
  33
  Unarmed H-to-H
  28
  Punch
  42
  Kick
  40
  Equipment Carried: Tactical vest, SVD Dragunov (10 rnds AP) and an
  extra magazine AP and one mag of ball/tracer, P5 Compact (8 rnds glaser)
  and an extra magazine, 10km mil-spec transceiver, night-vision goggles,
  basic first aid kit.
        weapon
              speed
  roll         DF/DD
     dam. type
  Punch
  16
  42        1.0
  Impact
  Walther P5 Compact
  16
  79
  22
  Hyd. Shock
  SVD Dragunov
   6        108
  19
  Hyd. Shock
  My Te Loc
  My Te Loc was trained by the Vietnamese intelligence service to be a “honey
  trap”- an agent who compromised her target through seduction, sex, and black-
  mail.  However, she has found herself moving towards another specialty - as-
  sassination.  In the new world order, Loc discovered herself an agent without an
  agency and joined the Zhukov Brigade for the money it offered.   Her natural
  hair color is black but has been dyed many different shades and is often covered
  beneath a wig.  Her training has made her jaded towards love and although she
  has an intimate relationship with Antonivich, in her mind it is just another aspect
  of the business.
  
  Chapter Five: Syndicates & Insurgencies
  119
  Kyoo Soo), the daughter of a murdered national hero, was elected to lead the
  new group along with her close friend Dr. Sein Win.   Under Kyu Sui’s guidance
  the NLD organized its first round of international condemnation of the SLORC
  and forced the regime to hold new elections.
  The elections of 1990 were a tremendous success for the NLD and it won
  eighty-two percent of the votes.  The SLORC, however, nullified the election,
  arrested Kyu Sui and Dr. Win and hundreds of others, and ostracized itself from
  the rest of the world.  Kyu Sui won the Nobel Peace Prize and has lived under
  house arrest since 1990.  Dr. Win has been in and out of prison, refusing to stop
  working for democracy.
  Outlawed in its own country, the NLD moved its headquarters into Karen
  tribal resistance camps on the Thai border.  It was moved again in 1995 when
  SLORC troops overran the Karen headquarters and has since settled in Chiang
  Mai, Thailand.  A small staff organize protests in foreign nations, funnel relief
  funds to NLD activities and disseminate information about the SLORC’s hu-
  man rights abuses.  The NLD is one of the most respected pro-democracy
  groups in the world and enjoys celebrity support and an annual “Free Burma”
  televised fund-raising concert.
  The NLD is a pacifist organization and all its protests are non-violent.  Even
  in Myanmar, where protesters are beaten, shot, and mauled by dogs, the NLD
  refuses to take up arms.  Instead, its primary weapon is information.  NLD
  activists photograph and videotape SLORC violence and human rights abuses
  and smuggle the film and tapes into Thailand where they are distributed around
  the world.  The GenNet has been a major tool for the NLD and digital cameras
  have allowed the world to watch events in Burma on their computer screens.
  Another valuable tool, Radio Free Burma, has been secretly financed by the
  United States through the CIA.  Radio Free Burma broadcasts music and anti-
  SLORC programs and music into Burma twenty-four hours a day, seven days a
  week.  It must be successful as the SLORC constantly tries to scramble the
  signal and several bomb threats have been sent.  A real bomb exploded in the
  station in 1997, killing four but failing to disrupt the broadcast.
  Although the SLORC has yet to yield to international pressure, the NLD
  has been very successful in isolating it from the rest of the world.  This success
  has come at a great price - thousands imprisoned, tortured, and murdered by the
  SLORC.  Yet, for every activist who disappears or falls to a bullet, more take
  their place.
  The NLD leadership in Thailand has become increasingly worried about
  the safety of Kyu Sui and Dr Win.  Dr. Win has not been seen or heard from
  since he was arrested again in October of 1998.  Kyu Sio remains under house
  arrest but sources within the SLORC have reported that the government is
  planning to poison her.  The NLD leadership would very much like to gain
  freedom for both of them but has so far failed to act.
  Stats for NLD members are a little unusual due to their pacific nature.  Use
  the Cyberterrorist NPC Stereotype or Urban Revolutionary NPC Stereo-
  type (Terror/Counterterror pgs. 126, 127) or a mix of Cheap Thug and High-
  End Grunts NPC Stereotypes (Millennium’s End v2.0 pgs. 156, 157).  Ignore
  all combat related skills.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  120
  APPENDIX ONE
  PIECES OF THE
  PICTURE
  FOOD
  Like any game of Millennium’s End, a role-playing session in Southeast Asia
  requires a lot of work to make the location and the action realistic and believ-
  able.  This appendix contains resources important for use when planning an
  extensive campaign or a quick-and-dirty play session.  The following sections
  contain details that will provide the GM with a colorful setting in which charac-
  ters can do their thing.  Although some parts are specific, GMs are encouraged
  to be creative and tailor the information to the game and the players.
  Much of the thrill of going someplace new comes from sampling the local foods.
  Southeast Asia has a huge variety of foods and styles to choose from.  The few
  staples that everyone includes are steamed rice, sometimes prepared as a sweet
  sticky rice, and noodles.  The Chinese influence on Southeast Asian cooking
  cannot be understated and most native dishes are variations on Chinese themes.
  Most Thai and Lao recipes are a blend of Chinese and Indian and start with
  “take a handful of chilies.”  Most dishes are spicy by comparison to western
  foods, some to the point of being a health hazard.  Chilies are also used as
  seasoning or garnish, as is curry and ginger.  Peanut sauce, stinky fish paste (the
  literal translation), and ginger sauce are common accompaniments.  Fruits such
  as lychee, jackfruit, and longans often come with meals, particularly for
  westerners, who can use the sweet to sooth the fires below.
  Burmese food has more of an Indian influence than Chinese and curry is
  part of nearly every dish.  Soups and stews are common and usually feature
  seafood such as fish, squid, octopus, and mussels.  Burmese food is less fiery
  than Thai food but the uninitiated should still beware; Cholera is rampant in
  Myanmar and those who eat contaminated food are at severe risk.
  Vietnamese recipes feature fish sauce, mint, and rice as their main ingredi-
  ents.  Vegetables, eggs, chilies, and seafood are also used.  Vietnamese will eat
  
  Appendix One: Pieces of the Picture
  121
  dog meat, unlike the rest of Southeast Asia, where the practice is considered
  barbaric and very insulting.
  There is a reason that there are no world famous Southeast Asian beers or
  liqueurs.  For those who insist on trying local products, Ba Moi Ba and Singha
  Beer are brewed in Vietnam and Thailand, respectively.  Drinkers should be
  warned that the alcohol content is raised with the addition of formaldehyde, the
  same substance used to embalm bodies.
  FORESTS AND JUNGLES
  Despite the best efforts of lumber companies and slash-and-burn farmers, about
  forty percent of Southeast Asia is still heavily forested.  The Golden Triangle
  and Cambodia are the most heavily covered while southern Thailand has ex-
  ploited its forests and Vietnam still suffers the effects of the American ‘Agent
  Orange’ defoliation program from decades past.
  There are really two types of jungle.  Primary jungle, untouched by human
  hands, is what most people think of when they envision a jungle.  Massive
  mahogany, teak, and ebony trees reaching a hundred feet in the air with leaves
  spread out in a dense, multi-layered, canopy.  On the ground below, ferns and
  palms grow in the dim sunlight that filters through from above.  Birds, monkeys,
  deer, wild pigs, tigers, and others all live in this ecosystem as well as dozens of
  poisonous snakes and millions of species of insects.  Movement is relatively
  easy but the incredible humidly and heat trapped beneath the canopy makes it
  very uncomfortable for humans.  Only about twenty percent of the rain forests
  of Southeast Asia are primary jungle.
  Secondary jungle, places that have been cleared and then abandoned, cov-
  ers the rest of the equatorial rain forests.  Secondary jungle has no towering
  trees but is thick with fast-growing bamboo, small trees, dense shrubbery, and
  nasty needle-covered vines.  Secondary jungle is nearly impenetrable and vis-
  ibility can be limited to a handful of meters.  Only smaller creatures live in these
  jungles, but there are still plenty of poisonous snakes and insects to be found.
  For game purposes, a good rule of thumb is to call for a Survival/Equatorial
  roll for every four hours of normal movement through a jungle.
  Tiger
  The tiger, the largest of the cat family, was once found throughout Southeast
  Asia but hunting and deforestation have restricted their numbers and range.
  The Burmese tiger, Southeast Asia’s sub-species, was near extinction but wild-
  life groups secured protection for the big cats and has actually pulled them back
  from the brink and though their numbers are small, they are holding steady.
  They now range throughout the Golden Triangle.
  Adult male tigers may stand one meter tall at the shoulder and weigh be-
  tween 180kg and 270kg.  Adult females are generally smaller and may have
  two or three cubs in tow.  Tigers typically hunt at night but have been known to
  prowl their territory during daylight hours as well.  They are solitary hunters,
  among the best in the world, and will stalk both large and small prey, including
  humans.  Like most cats, the tiger will stalk its prey, getting close enough to
  bring it down with a brief rush.  The sharp claws tear and pin the prey while the
  powerful jaws crush bones and suffocate (Damage Rating equals weight di-
  vided by ten, Armed H-to-H/Swing equals weight divided by three).
  Although humans are not the tigers preferred meal, about a dozen people a
  year are killed by tigers in Southeast Asia.  Even well-armed soldiers have been
  taken and eaten.  Although the Thai government refuses to comment, there is a
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  122
  man-eater, a tiger that prefers humans, in the Doi Inthanon forest east of Chaing
  Mai.  This cat, known only by its peculiar paw print (missing two toes on one
  paw), killed five people in 1998.
  While the tiger is dangerous to people, it has much more to fear from them.
  As the world economy sours, poaching is more prevalent than ever.  There is a
  great demand fueled by collectors and those seeking the organs for Chinese
  medicines and aphrodisiacs.  Poaching is a capital offense in Thailand, Laos,
  and Vietnam and wildlife officials will often shoot first and ask questions later.
  Asian Elephant
  The Asian elephant, sometimes called the Indian elephant, was once common in
  Southeast Asia and were a symbol of royalty.  In modern times, however, the
  elephant is being replaced by heavy machinery and wild elephants are nearly
  extinct.
  The Asian elephant is slightly smaller than its African cousin (which is the
  largest land animal in the world), but still stands 2.5 meters at the shoulder and
  weighs in at 4750kg.  Asian elephants have smaller ears and tusks and only
  males have tusks.  The elephant has been domesticated in Asia for a very long
  time and it was used for heavy labor in mountain plantations and even the cities.
  Its strength is awesome and many consider it a sacred animal.  The royal family
  of Thailand still keeps a small herd of white elephants on a plantation in northern
  Thailand.
  Sadly, the days of the elephant are numbered.  Heavy machinery has re-
  placed the elephant in all but a few tasks and many have been turned to the
  tourist trade.  As of 1996, there were no wild elephants remaining in Thailand
  but there have been reports of a few herds in Myanmar and Laos.
  Riding an elephant isn’t difficult, if you can climb aboard.  Domesticated
  elephants respond to verbal commands or prods from their riders.  Attempting
  to ride a wild elephant is not recommended.
  Although the Asian elephant has no fighting skills and are not as easily
  angered as the African elephant, if an elephant feels threatened it will charge,
  crushing all in its path.
  Cobra
  The poisonous cobra snake is a native of Southeast Asia and causes nearly 750
  casualties a year throughout the region.  Unlike other animals, the cobra adapts
  easily to the fields and villages of modern man and has little fear of human
  beings.  Although not the most common of snakes, or the most poisonous, they
  are nowhere near the endangered species list and pose a genuine hazard to off
  road movement.
  The cobra is a large snake, usually longer than one meter in length and can
  be up to five meters.  They vary in color from brown to emerald green and often
  have a diamond pattern within their scales.  The cobra spreads is ribs near it
  head to create its familiar hood when threatened, often the last thing a person
  sees before being bitten.  Although the cobra strike is relatively slow, few people
  can react in time to avoid it.  Cobra fangs are short and some species in South-
  east Asia actually spray the venom in a blinding stream out to two meters.  The
  venom works by breaking down a victims blood cells and an average adult
  human takes several hours before the toxin reaches full effect.  Cobra bites are
  only fatal 10% of the time and anti-venom is available in well-stocked hospitals
  and clinics but the snakes are so prevalent that they still cause hundreds of
  deaths a year.
  
  Appendix One: Pieces of the Picture
  123
  Cobras have nests or burrows and prefer a variety of climates.  Some take
  to fields and pastures while others live in the humid jungles.  Some even climb
  trees and drop onto victims from above.
  Cooked cobra is a popular dish in Myanmar and Thailand.  Venom from a
  freshly killed cobra is mixed with liquor in some seedy Bangkok bars and is rite
  of passage for many visiting soldiers and sailors.  Taken in this form the venom
  has no toxic effect beyond indigestion.
  LANGUAGES
  Language divides and unites the people of Southeast Asia.  Every country has
  an official language that is taught in the schools and spoken by most citizens, but
  there are still dozens of languages spoken only by isolated hill tribes and ethnic
  minorities.  However, there are four main languages spoken in Southeast Asia
  and they are grouped as follows.  Note that there is no Read/Write Vietnamese
  skill as Vietnamese uses the Romanic alphabet.
  Language Table (Southeast Asia)
  Language Groups and Languages
  Burmese Language Group
  Burmese
  Mon-Khmer
  Khmer (Cambodian)
  Read/Write Burmese
  Read/Write Khmer
  Siamese Language Group
  Thai
  Vietnamese
  Vietnamese
  Read/Write Thai
  Lao
  Read/Write Lao
  NAMES
  As in every Millennium’s End campaign, adventures in Southeast Asia re-
  quires dozens of NPCs and bit parts to played by the GM.  Most players will be
  unfamiliar with the area and have to rely on hints and helps in the form of
  NPCs.  Guides, police, corporate executives, beggars, and clients can be used
  to provide information to assist the players or simply prod them along.  Coming
  up with names for everyone, especially the Asian names, can be hard for those
  unfamiliar with the territory. Here are a few helps regarding identification and
  naming in Southeast Asia.
  In Southeast Asia, surnames come first.  For example, Nobel Prize winner
  Aung San Suu Kyi has the given name Suu Kyi and her father’s name was
  Aung San.  The generational names are usually dropped by the grandchildren
  but sometimes they are kept, creating huge names that as much a genealogy as
  identifier.  This can get complicated, particularly if player characters are re-
  searching the history of an area or a family.
  In countries like Thailand or Vietnam that have been heavily influenced by
  western culture, people will sometimes adopt western nicknames.  It wouldn’t
  be unusual at all to find an NPC named Bobby Coy or Suzy Tian.
  In general conversation Asians prefer to address each other by their first
  names.  Westerners, who tend to be more formal, may find this practice a little
  disconcerting.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  124
  Provided below is a quick listing of common names arranged by ethnic type
  and nationality.  Each list is divided into first, second, and surname columns with
  a letter in parenthesis following to indicate if the name is masculine or feminine.
  A pronunciation guide follows.  Note that the Thai and Lao names have been
  consolidated into a single list due to the similarities between the two.
  Thai and Lao Names
  First Names
  Arsa (M) (ars-ha)
  Boryrath (F) (bo-ry-rat)
  Bunrouen (F) (bun-ru-ahn)
  Chakrapand (M) (chak-ra-pond)
  Jong (M) (jong)
  Keng (F) (kang)
  Mechai (M) (me-chi)
  Nikorn (M) (ni-korn)
  Noi (F) (noy)
  Pira (F) (pee-ra)
  Pisat (M) (pee-sat)
  Pongsak (M) (pong-sat)
  Prateap (F) (pra-te-ap)
  Rotjana (F) (rot-jan-na)
  Samajarn (M) (sam-ma-jarn)
  Sathorn (F) (sat-torn)
  Sirikit (F) (sir-ee-kit)
  Staporn (M) (sta-porn)
  Sulak (M) (su-lak)
  Yuey (F) (yoo-ee)
  Middle Names
  Ko (ko)
  Lo (lo)
  Na (na)
  Pa (pa)
  Pe (pay)
  Surnames
  Kamsai (kam-si)
  Kavitanon (kav-it-tanon)
  Pairuah (pi-ru-a)
  Patalung (pat-a-long)
  Phasuk (pa-suk)
  Phirote (pi-rot)
  Phraesrithang (pras-rit-tang)
  Ponsena (pon-sen-na)
  Sarasin (sa-ra-sin)
  Sivaraksa (siva-rak-sa)
  Sudham (sud-am)
  Ungsongthan (ung-song-tan)
  Viravaidya (vira-vayd-ya)
  Winarnpreecha (win-arn-pree-cha)
  Wongburanavant (wong-bur-ran-
  avant)
  Chinese Names
  First Names
  Chang (M) (chang)
  Chu-Hua (F) (choo-hwah)
  Deng (M) (deng)
  Hui-Fang (F) (hweh-fahng)
  Huang (M) (hwang)
  Li (M/F) (lee)
  Lian (F) (lee-ahn)
  Ming (F) (ming)
  Niu (F) (nee-oo)
  Ping (F) (ping)
  Qi (F) (kee)
  Qing-Nian (M) (ching-nee-en)
  Quon (M) (kwan)
  Sheng (M) (shung)
  Yuan (M) (ywahn)
  Yi (F) (yee)
  Zhuang (M) (zhoo-ang)
  Surname
  Chun (chun)
  Da (da)
  Di (di)
  Fei (fway)
  Guang (gwang)
  Hui (hway)
  Kee (kee)
  Kuan (kwan)
  Sha (sha)
  Shen (shen)
  Tian (tee-ahn)
  To (too)
  Yueng (ywang)
  Xiaoping (zhoo-ping)
  Zhong (zhong)
  
  Appendix One: Pieces of the Picture
  125
  Khmer (Cambodian) Names
  First Name
  Boupha (F) (bo-fa)
  Chandra (M) (chan-dra)
  Chomron (M) (chom-ron)
  Durong (M) (du-rong)
  Elay (F) (ee-ly)
  Nihm (M) (nim)
  Om (F) (oom)
  Phon (M)(pon)
  Pollee (M) (pol-lee)
  Sarit (M) (sah-rit)
  Sokanny (F) (so-kah-nee)
  Sophea (F) (so-fe-ah)
  Sophen (F) (so-fen)
  Somaly (F) (so-mah-lee)
  Soren (M) (so-ren)
  Sovan (M) (so-ven)
  Teve (F) (teh-vee)
  Vanna (F) (vah-nah)
  Last Name
  Cham (chom)
  Coy (co-ee)
  Eam (ee-ahm)
  Khan (kahn)
  Kheng (kang)
  Khin (kihn)
  Nuon (noo-ahn)
  Noy (no-ee)
  Roth (rot)
  Sok (sok)
  Soth (sot)
  Theng (tang)
  Vath (vat)
  Vorn (vorn)
  Vietnamese Names (use all three names)
  First Name
  Cam (F) (kam)
  Can (M) (gun)
  Chau (M) (chah-oo)
  Dat (M) (dat)
  Dieu-Kiem (F) (yoo-kee-em)
  Kim (F) (keem)
  Kim (M) (kim)
  My (F) (mee)
  Ngoc (F) (n-gowk)
  Nguyen (M) (n-go-yen)
  Tam (M) (tahm)
  Vinh (F) (vun)
  Middle Name
  An (M/F) (ahn)
  Bua (F) (boo-ah)
  Din (M) (din)
  Chau (F) (chow)
  Chau (M) (chah-oo)
  Huynh (F) (hwehn)
  Man (M) (mun)
  Pin (M) (peen)
  Tao (F) (tow)
  The (F) (tee)
  Viet (M) (vee-et)
  Xuan (F) (zhwung)
  Last Names
  Diem (dee-em)
  Giau (gee-ow)
  Hoa (hwa)
  Le (lee)
  Loan (loo-ahn)
  Loc (lok)
  Oanh (oo-ahn)
  Quang (kee-ang)
  Quy (kee)
  Tau (tow)
  Thu (tu)
  Vu (vu)
  Burmese Names
  First Name
  Dagon (M) (da-gun)
  Khun (M) (kun)
  Mu (M/F) (moo)
  Muang (F) (mwang)
  San (F) (san)
  Se (F) (see)
  Suu (M) (soo)
  Thein (M/F) (tee-yin)
  Wai (F) (wah-ee)
  Last Name
  Aung (M) (ang)
  Gyi (F) (g-yee)
  Kyi (F) (k-yee)
  Nyunt (M) (n-yoont)
  Oo (M/F) (oo)
  Sa (M/F) (sah)
  Shwe (F) (shwee)
  Taya (M) (tay-ya)
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  126
  NEW KATA SUBSKILLS
  Kenpo - This aggressive, attack oriented form of Karate teaches students to
  disable their opponents with a combination of holds, punches, and kicks.  This is
  a modern martial art with its roots in America but is also widely taught in Aus-
  tralia.  This is the martial art taught by Stubby, Senior Cell Leader of the Sydney
  B/E office.  Martial artists in this school may use the following techniques:
  combination maneuver, pain hold, negate defense, and increase damage.  Kata
  rolls may be made with the following types of actions: Unarmed Hand-to-Hand/
  Block, Grapple, Kick, and Punch
  Muay Thai - The traditional sport Thailand, Muay Thai is commonly called
  Thai kickboxing and uses every blow imaginable with the exception of the head
  butt.  Those who learn Muay Thai also learn the ritual dance that occurs before
  boxing matches.  This martial art is very aggressive and offensive in nature.
  Muay Thai practitioners may use the following techniques: combination maneu-
  ver, negate defense, increase damage, and attack to stun.  Kata rolls may be
  applied to the following actions: Unarmed Hand-to-Hand/Block, Kick, Punch,
  and a new Unarmed Hand-to-Hand subskill Elbow Strike.  This subskill re-
  quires the characters engaged in combat to be in close contact to each other
  and may be used when the attacking character is unable to punch.
  Skill Packages
  MARTIAL ART--KENPO
  These are the minimum skill level requirements for a black belt in Kenpo.
  Total Cost:  200 skill points.
  Package Deal:  175 skill points.
  Kata
  40
  Kenpo
  20
  Unarmed Hand-to-Hand
  40
  Block
  20
  Grapple
  10
  Kick
  20
  Punch
  20
  MARTIAL ART--MUAY THAI
  These are the minimum skill level requirement for entry to an advanced level
  Thai boxing competition.
  Total Cost:  200 skill points.
  Package Deal:  175 skill points.
  Kata
  40
  Muay Thai
  20
  Unarmed Hand-to-Hand
  40
  Block
  10
  Elbow Strike
  20
  Kick
  20
  Punch
  20
  
  Appendix One: Pieces of the Picture
  127
  MINES AND UNEXPLODED ORDNANCE
  Southeast Asia is literally covered with things designed to blow you up.  Just
  about everywhere in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Laos has been bombed or mined
  at one time or another and chances are, there are still a few around.
  Mines are the most popular anti-personnel weapon in Southeast Asia.  Most
  are small, buried devices about the size of a can of tuna and explode upwards
  when triggered by someone stepping on them.  These mines are designed to
  maim rather than kill on the premise that a wounded person requires more care
  from fellow soldiers than a dead one.  Vehicles that strike a mine such as this
  will probably not be seriously damaged but will most likely lose a tire and possi-
  bly require some repairs.
  Other, more lethal explosives exist as well.  The American military dropped
  millions of tons of bombs and artillery shells during their time in Southeast Asia,
  and not all of these exploded as planned.  Everything from small, anti-personnel
  bomblets to large, two-thousand pound bombs lie rusting under the Asian sun.
  Unlike mines, which go off only when provoked, many of these are very un-
  stable and will explode for seemingly no reason at all.
  On roads and well-used trails and paths the danger is virtually zero.  In
  worked fields and pastures the danger is greater but not extreme.  Unused
  fields and any place not occupied by people are much more risky.  Former
  battlefields or areas that received heavy bombing are very dangerous and should
  only be crossed with caution.  Areas currently under threat and being actively
  mined should be avoided at all costs.
  When player characters cross an area with mines or unexploded ordinance,
  the GM should determine the level of the threat, the concealment of the mines,
  and the wariness of the characters.  GM’s should make a roll for each charac-
  ter within the danger zone based on their Perception with a successful roll
  indicating the character noticed the danger and avoided it while failure indicates
  that the character did not avoid the danger and suffers the effects of it.
  Use the same stats for unexploded ordinance as in Millennium’s End v2.0.
  Use the following stats for anti-personnel mines:
  Explosive type
  concussion
  Attack Number
  1
  Damage Factor
  16 to 22
  Range (m)
  8 to 11 with all ranges being halved
  Damage type
  concussive
  Disarming a mine requires a successful roll of the Miniature Mechanics  skill.
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  128
  groups as a cheap way to eliminate a technologically superior opponent’s edge.
  Because of the massive power requirements needed for the weapon to work
  over long distances part of the HERF system is a powerful generator and bat-
  tery system which hold the charge until its release.   All this is mounted on a
  large HEMTT ten-ton truck.  The parabolic dish that broadcasts the beam is
  located on a computed-controlled crane arm that has 360-degree rotation.  For
  wide broadcasts, the dish is simply aimed at the sky.
  An unavoidable quirk of the system is that every time the weapon is fired,
  there system itself is affected.  Although the electronics are shielded as effec-
  tively as possible, the pulse still has an effect at ‘ground zero’.  To counteract
  this, the computer system is designed to shut down milliseconds before the pulse
  is broadcast.  In addition, large fuses are mounted throughout the system.  These
  fuses, each one a meter long and weighing 10 kilos, burn out spectacularly
  during each pulse and must be replaced before the system can be fired again.
  A crew of five is required to effectively run the HERF weapon, although
  two if necessary can do it and time is not an issue.  Saraburi Manufacturing
  provides on-site training to clients who purchase the weapon.
  Saraburi Manufacturing
  H-220 HERF Weapon
  Cost: $1,250,000
  focused fire
  IA:  20 (laser sight+computer
  control)
  Fire Rate:  Once per twenty
  minutes
  Eff Range:  7,500m
  Ammo:  special battery
  Damage:  special
  wide broadcast
  IA:  0
  Fire Rate:  Once per twenty
  minutes
  Eff Range:  1,200m
  Ammo:  special battery
  Damage:  special
  HERF (HIGH ENERGY RADIO FREQUENCY) WEAPONS
  HERF weapons work by broadcasting a powerful pulse of energy that disrupts
  and/or burns out sensitive electronic parts such as transistors and computer
  CPUs as well as disrupting radio transmissions.  The beam can be tightly fo-
  cused to strike a single area or it can be widely broadcast in all directions,
  disrupting everything around it.  The pulse does not directly affect people or
  animals around it, but it does render all electronic equipment useless.  Because
  modern life is so dependant upon electronic technology (not to mention
  BlackEagle operatives in the field) this can prove to be a major, and possibly
  fatal, inconvenience.
  Saraburi Manufacturing sells only one model of HERF weapon, the H-220,
  but it has proven to be a popular item with Third-World militaries and insurgent
  HEMTT transport (ten tons)
  Acceleration:
  4 / 5
  Braking:
  11 / 8
  Cornering:
  1 /  2
  Top Speed:
  125kph
  Range:
  360
  Effects
  The HERF system is designed to disrupt or destroy electronic equipment and
  disrupt radio broadcasts.  The HERF pulse is invisible and noiseless, although
  the weapon itself has a distinct whine to its generators and the burning fuses
  emit showers of sparks.  The amount of disruption and damage is determined
  by the intensity of the pulse and the distance from the target.
  A focused beam fired from the HERF
  system will burn out all electronics, unshielded
  or shielded, at a range of 1,750m.  The same
  beam will burn out unshielded electronics out
  to 3,500m.  All unshielded electronics will be
  temporarily disrupted out to a range of 7,500m.
  A wide broadcast is directed in a 360 de-
  gree arc from the parabolic dish.  The pulse
  will burn out all electronics at a range of 225m
  and all unshielded electronics out to 500m.  All
  unshielded electronics and radio signals within
  1,200m will be temporarily disrupted.  Note
  that this pulse is broadcast in all directions,
  including up, and the dome of disruption af-
  fects aircraft and radio signals that pass
  through it.
  
  Appendix One: Pieces of the Picture
  129
  LASER WEAPONS
  Laser weapons are actually banned by international agreement and so Saraburi
  Manufacturing sells them as laser designators.  These weapons were originally
  intended to be used against weapons systems that used optical imaging or range
  finding but were found to be effective against human targets as well.  The
  blinding effect of these weapons caused an international outrage and all produc-
  tion was stopped, except by China, the United States, and Saraburi Manufactur-
  ing.
  The most popular model is the LD-11k, a man-portable unit that breaks
  down into two parts, a tripod and battery and the laser unit itself, and fits into a
  pair of standard backpacks.  It requires two people to operate, a firer and a
  spotter, although one person can operate the weapon but the fire rate is doubled.
  The LD-11k has a 5x targeting scope and a long-range IR laser sight.
  Once in place, the LD-11k projects a powerful green laser beam up to five
  kilometers.  Targets must be in a direct line-of-sight to be affected and smoke,
  fog, rain, and other hazards to visibility drastically diminish the weapons effec-
  tiveness.  Of course, the target must be facing the laser’s general direction but
  closing his or her eyes does NOT stop the blinding effect.
  Effects
  A direct hit will result in permanent blindness to the target and is also capable of
  burning out night vision devices, range finders, and other light-sensitive devices.
  Individuals struck by the beam can be treated at hospitals for flash burns to the
  retina, but the treatment is long, costly, and not always successful.
  A near-hit, within a meter of the target, will result in temporary visual im-
  pairment and partial blindness for twenty to forty minutes.  For game purposes,
  every individual struck with a near-hit suffers a -40 impairment to all sight-
  related rolls for the duration of the blindness.  Repeated hits cause an additional
  -20 impairment.  When an individual has reached -100 impairment, they have
  become completely, and permanently, blinded.
  Saraburi Manufacturing
  LD-11k Laser Designator
  Cost:  $57,500.00
  Speed:  12
  IA:  30 (+20 for the laser sight)
  Fire Rate:  1 every 3 turns
  Hands Req’d:  2
  Eff Range:  1500m
  Action:  semi
  Magazine:  100 one-second
  bursts/battery
  DF/DD:  special
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  130
  APPENDIX TWO
  NAMES & FACES
  The following section covers two NPC Stereotypes and seven non-player char-
  acter that are tied to Southeast Asia and its complex situation.  Some have been
  mentioned in brief in other parts of this book and are associated with the institu-
  tions and peoples of the region.  Others are completely independent and may
  appear in an adventure under a vari-
  ety of circumstances.
  The NPC Stereotypes are in-
  tended to cover a broad range of
  people who fall under that category.
  Five NPC stats are provided as well
  as the weapons of choice of the ste-
  reotype and other pertinent informa-
  tion.  These are just skeletons and
  can be used as throwaway opponents
  or, with a little effort, make into com-
  plete NPCs.
  The seven NPC Stereotypes
  cover a broad range of people in
  Southeast Asia, with several differ-
  ent nationalities and personalities to
  pick and choose from.  Of course,
  nationalities are easy to change as
  are personalities and GMs are under
  no obligation to play them in any par-
  ticular way.  Entirely new NPCs who
  fall under similar categories could be
  generated from the stats provided.
  Pirates
  The scourge of the sea-lanes no
  longer cruise the open ocean in sail-
  ing vessels but they are just as ef-
  fective and vicious as their ances-
  tors.  Pirates must also have a basic
  understanding of the environment of
  the sea and ship handling skills to sur-
  NPC Stereotype: Pirates
  Gender
  male
  male
  female
  male
  female
  Height
  165cm
  172cm
  179cm
  188cm
  183cm
  Weight
  51kg
  60kg
  79kg
  68kg
  77kg
  Int
  38
  82
  40
  57
  68
  Sen
  60
  39
  68
  50
  62
  Agl
  67
  43
  55
  66
  40
  Cor
  54
  52
  34
  58
  48
  Con
  56
  42
  65
  40
  47
  Str
  48
  56
  58
  36
  54
  Per
  38
  58
  54
  44
  36
  App
  40
  50
  38
  46
  58
  Bra
  55
  73
  44
  49
  58
  Wil
  46
  28
  68
  54
  56
  Perception
  44
  32
  50
  38
  47
  Base Speed
  17
  13
  15
  14
  16
  Dam Rating
  5
  6
  6
  4
  5
  Mass Factor
  1.3
  1.1
  0.9
  1.0
  0.9
  Skill Rolls:
  Aim
  42
  37
  49
  24
  32
  Smallarm
  67
  44
  63
  31
  42
  Longarm
  55
  49
  69
  35
  44
  Autofire
  61
  54
  72
  30
  43
  Armed H-to-H
  26
  22
  25
  18
  32
  Swing
  38
  33
  35
  27
  45
  Thrust
  41
  30
  36
  27
  47
  Climb
  28
  44
  45
  35
  31
  Drive
  24
  36
  21
  27
  19
  Powerboat
  36
  52
  31
  39
  24
  Military Sci.
  15
  43
  18
  10
  21
  Tactics
  21
  65
  25
  15
  30
  Navigation
  37
  26
  21
  29
  33
  Water
  54
  39
  28
  43
  48
  Swim
  27
  34
  32
  38
  24
  Unarmed H-to-H
  33
  29
  34
  25
  39
  Punch
  44
  40
  48
  36
  51
  Weapons:
       weapon
  spd/roll
  spd/roll
  spd/roll
  spd/roll
  spd/roll
  DF/DD
  Dam. Type
  Punch
  17/44
  13/40
  15/48
  14/36
  16/51
  1.0
  Impact
  20cm Knife
  (swing)
  16/43
  12/38
  14/40
  13/32
  15/50
  2.0
  Cut
  (thrust)
  14/46
  10/35
  12/41
  11/32
  13/52
  2.6
  Puncture
  Makarov PM
  17/81
  13/58
  15/77
  14/45
  16/56
  16
  Hyd. Shock
  AKSU-74
  10/82
  6/75
  8/93
  7/51
  9/64
  19
  Hyd. Shock
  CIS SR 88
  7/87
  1/80
  5/99
  4/56
  6/69
  19
  Hyd. Shock
  Win. 1300
  7/71
  1/69
  5/89
  4/55
  6/64
  18
  Hyd. Shock
  
  Appendix Two: Names & Faces
  131
  Guide/Translator
  Global Positioning Systems, cellular phones, satellite photos, and geographic
  maps make it seem as if anybody can go anywhere at any time and not run into
  trouble.  That assumption is not only wrong, but dangerously so.  Maps can be
  incorrect, GPS tells you where you are, not how to get where you want to go,
  and satellite photos don’t penetrate jungle canopy or roofs.  If you want to get
  someplace you’ve never been before and you want to be able to communicate
  with somebody when you get there, you need a guide who speaks your lan-
  guage and theirs.
  The guide stereotype represents everyone from experienced hunting guides
  to illiterate tribes people who live little different than their ancestors did.  Their
  key attribute is that they know the land and the languages and can read tracks in
  the jungle as easily as the words on this page.  Few have any formal military
  training and won’t enjoy getting into a firefight, but if it’s their skin, they’ll do
  what they have to survive.
  NPC Stereotype: Guides/Translators
  Gender
  male
  female
  male
  female
  male
  Height
  168cm
  172cm
  184cm
  179cm
  189cm
  Weight
  52kg
  61kg
  77kg
  72kg
  86kg
  Int
  40
  62
  42
  52
  54
  Sen
  44
  44
  66
  72
  26
  Agl
  41
  32
  51
  57
  39
  Cor
  42
  34
  36
  23
  34
  Con
  48
  45
  50
  58
  36
  Str
  34
  51
  52
  50
  62
  Per
  60
  76
  44
  56
  36
  App
  62
  44
  30
  36
  44
  Bra
  70
  84
  29
  44
  41
  Wil
  35
  46
  28
  58
  74
  Perception
  35
  35
  50
  53
  26
  Base Speed
  14
  12
  15
  15
  13
  Dam Rating
  4
  5
  5
  5
  6
  Mass Factor
  1.3
  1.1
  0.9
  0.9
  0.8
  Skill Rolls:
  Aim
  30
  41
  37
  45
  40
  Longarm
  45
  61
  54
  67
  58
  Armed H-to-H
  36
  23
  42
  45
  29
  Swing
  46
  34
  63
  63
  39
  Foraging
  44
  32
  53
  49
  38
  Geography
  39
  51
  35
  46
  43
  Specific Reg.
  56
  76
  35
  46
  43
  Hiding
  41
  26
  52
  48
  37
  Anglo Lang. Group 32
  46
  43
  38
  41
  English
  48
  69
  64
  57
  60
  Other Lang. Group 24
  38
  31
  35
  29
  Language
  36
  56
  46
  50
  42
  Other Lang. Group 19
  28
  24
  21
  15
  Language
  27
  42
  36
  31
  22
  Navigation
  40
  25
  48
  55
  39
  Survival
  51
  36
  51
  46
  44
  Tracking
  49
  18
  46
  53
  38
  Unarmed H-to-H
  31
  29
  40
  47
  36
  Punch
  46
  41
  55
  68
  52
  Weapons:
       weapon
  spd/roll
  spd/roll
  spd/roll
  spd/roll
  spd/roll
  DF/DD
  Dam. Type
  Punch
  14/46
  12/41
  15/55
  15/68
  13/51
  1.0
  Impact
  Machete
  12/54
  10/42
  13/71
  13/71
  11/48
  2.8
  Cut
  SIG/Sauer P220
  14/45
  12/56
  15/52
  15/60
  13/55
  17
  Hyd. Shock
  Rem. Model 700
  4/74
  2/80
  5/83
  5/96
  3/87
  22
  Hyd. Shock
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  132
  HNUT WON GYA   Burmese Political Activist
  When the SLORC regime opened fire on its own people in 1988, it intended to
  crush opposition to its rule once and for all.  Instead, the slaughter resulted in
  drawing more people than ever against the Myanmar government, and made
  heroes of the most unlikely of people.  Hnut Won Gya (pronounced nut won
  gee-yaa) was undergoing a belated term of service as a novice monk in Yangon’s
  huge Shwedagon Pagoda in 1988 and was the source of much discussion among
  the monks.  A heroin addict and an alcoholic, Gya was ten years older than the
  next initiate and was less than thrilled with the monastic lifestyle.  He refused to
  follow the most basic rules of the temple and was constantly in trouble.  Some
  of the senior monks even considered evicting Gya.
  It rained on the night of September 18, but the streets outside the temple
  were filled with political protestors.  Army troops that had been quietly brought
  into the city deployed against the protestors and opened fire, killing hundreds.
  The streets flowed with blood and were choked with bodies.  Gya, who had
  escaped from his room to watch the protest from the temple walls, watched in
  horror.  For possibly the first time in his life, he performed an unselfish act and
  opened a side-door to the fleeing crowd, allowing dozens to flee the carnage.
  Gya shielded many from the withering gunfire with his body but was miracu-
  lously unhurt.  He emerged from the crisis a hero of the people, a criminal in the
  eyes of the government, and a man with his soul reborn.
  Gya abandoned his previous bad habits and became a model monk.  He
  took to the role of political agitator with gusto and organized several National
  League for Democracy protests.  After several episodes of imprisonment and
  beatings for his activities, Gya was forced to flee Myanmar in 1993.  He was in
  the NLD camp on the Thai border when it was raided and saw many of his
  close friends killed in that action but again, he emerged unscathed.  Gya now
  lives in Chaing Mai and works with the NLD office distributing information,
  raising funds, and working for the release of political prisoners in SLORC pris-
  ons.  Gya has become an international celebrity, his story being made into a
  book and even a Hollywood movie.  Although he is uncomfortable with fame
  Gya doesn’t shy away from using it to illuminate the plight of his people and to
  raise funds.
  The NLD has many operations within Myanmar and Gya is involved with
  most of them.  Gya uses a network of monks throughout the nation to gather
  information about the Thai/Myanmar conflict and civil rights abuses.  He has
  smuggled himself in and out of Myanmar several times and has even made
  disguised visits to the infamous Prison No. 57 to encourage imprisoned activists.
  The NLD hired mercenaries and BlackEagle/BlackEagle operatives to get the
  monk in and out in one piece.  Although a dedicated pacifist, Gya understands
  that for his country to be free, he must rely on people who have a less idealistic
  approach to their fellow human beings.
  Gya is physically unremarkable, made even more so by the uniformity of his
  simple saffron robes and shaved head.  A white scar from a policeman’s baton
  runs from his right ear to the back of his head.  Gya wears glasses, but only
  when reading.  His most remarkable characteristic is his winning smile, which
  reaches from corner to corner of his round face.
  Gya speaks Burmese and Thai fluently but his English is halting and he
  prefers to have a translator whenever possible.
  Hnut Won Gya
  35 year-old Burmese male
  153cm, 49kg
  bald, dark brown eyes
  Int
  62
  Sen
  58
  Agl
  43
  Cor
  38
  Con
  55
  Str
  36
  Per
  73
  App
  35
  Bra
  49
  Wil
  69
  Perception
  44
  Base Speed
  14
  Dam. Rating
  4
  Mass Factor
  1.4
  Computer Op
  34
  41
  Civil Systems
  14
  55
  Diplomacy
  51
  57
  Coercion
  18
  75
  Prying
  24
  81
  Journalism
  38
  45
  Research
  17
  62
  Law
  25
  32
  International
  12
  44
  Philosophy
  53
  60
  Eastern
  21
  81
  Psychology
  42
  49
  
  Appendix Two: Names & Faces
  133
  JAMES BONNETTI   Corrupt CIA Case Officer
  For the CIA drug smuggling operations to remain a secret, an experienced pro-
  fessionals such as James Bonnetti must handle it.  An case officer only a hand-
  ful of years away from retirement, Bonnetti has spent almost half of his adult
  life in Southeast Asia in the service of his country.  The Italian-American en-
  tered the region just after the dissolution of Air America and at the beginning of
  a new phase in CIA involvement with the opium trade.  A quarter century later,
  Bonnetti manages it all, from bartering with Hmong hill tribe chieftains to mak-
  ing sure that Si Chang Flying Service security is as good as it can be.
  The son of a cop, Bonnetti had no intention of joining the drug trade when
  he entered CIA service in 1975.  As an idealistic young  case officer fresh from
  Boston College, Bonnetti came to Southeast Asia at the lowest period of Ameri-
  can influence in the region.  From these desperate times came desperate mea-
  sures and Bonnetti developed a Machiavellian philosophy of the ends justifying
  the means so long as it benefited the greater good of his country.  Bonnetti
  quickly gained a reputation for accomplishing missions at all costs and was
  introduced into the most secret and darkest of the CIA’s operations; Opium
  smuggling.
  Since then, Bonnetti has handled or assisted in every aspect of the opera-
  tion.  He ordered the assassination of five competitors and personally murdered
  two more.  He was aboard a smuggling flight into Laos that crashed and the
  incident left him with a painful limp.  Now, Bonnetti does most of his work from
  his Bangkok office, delegating jobs to trusted subordinates.
  Bonnetti manages to keep the opium smuggling quiet thanks to his position
  leading a task force for dealing with the Hmong and other hill tribes of the
  Golden Triangle.  Compartmentalization within the office, bribes, threats, and
  allies within the CIA’s bureaucracy keeps the curious away and those who
  know silent.  Although not the most senior officer in the region, or even the
  Bangkok field office, everyone knows that Bonnetti has much more pull than his
  position would normally entail.
  Although skimming from his illegal activities has left Bonnetti a wealthy
  man, it taken their toll on his health and his spirit.  Aside from the painful limp,
  Bonnetti is cultivating a crop of stomach ulcers and a heart condition.  His hair
  departed early in his career and the remaining fringe is thin and gray.  His
  increasing consumption of alcohol, Bonnetti’s personal narcotic of choice, has
  left him with a bulbous red nose and a liver on the verge of mutiny.  Despite his
  tailored suits, he somehow always looks like he is wearing somebody else’s
  clothes.
  Bonnetti has become a chronic insomniac that can find sleep only after
  large amounts of alcohol.  On those nights he does sleep, his father returns in his
  dreams to accuse him of betraying his ideals.  Thoughts about the damage his
  smuggling has done to his country plague him during the day too but Bonnetti
  ignores them, usually with the help of a bottle.
  Bonnetti speaks fluent Thai and Laotian and a smattering of Cantonese.
  James Bonnetti
  49-year-old Caucasian male
  183cm, 89 kg
  greying hair, brown eyes, tan skin
  Int
  64
  Sen
  53
  Agl
  43
  Cor
  45
  Con
  45
  Str
  44
  Per
  54
  App
  43
  Bra
  61
  Wil
  60
  Perception
  56
  Base Speed
  14
  Dam. Rating
  5
  Mass Factor
  0.9
  Acting
  35
  40
  Con
  15
  55
  Aim
  30
  35
  Small
  15
  60
  Auto
  10
  45
  Long
  10
  45
  Anthropology
  45
  51
  Computer Op
  35
  41
  Civil
  10
  51
  Security
  5
  46
  Diplomacy
  45
  51
  Lying
  21
  73
  Prying
  18
  69
  Coercion
  20
  71
  Electrics
  40
  46
  Electronics
  20
  66
  Hiding
  40
  45
  Shadowing
  17
  62
  Perception
  30
  Unarmed H-to-H 40
  45
  Punch
  15
  60
        weapon
        speed
      roll
       DF/DD
  S&W 1006     0
     70
       18
  Colt 9mm       6
     69
       17
  Punch
        0
     60
        5
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  134
  AN COY WIN   Vietnamese Party Official
  The future of Vietnam is a hotly debated subject inside and outside the country.
  Many of the old guard fear the changes that have come in the last decade,
  primarily the opening of Vietnam to foreign businesses.  An Coy Win, a retired
  Army officer, is one of the old guard who is not afraid of the future, but ap-
  proaches it with cautious optimism.  Because of his ties to both the old and the
  new generation of Vietnamese communist party members, Win acts as a con-
  duit for communication and compromise between the two sides.  In turn, Win
  has gained respect and considerable power within the government and is one of
  the most influential members of the party.
  Like most of his generation from North Vietnam, Win was conscripted into
  the North Vietnamese Army during the American phase of the Vietnam war.
  He fought in several actions, was wounded many times, and was eventually
  given a field promotion to Lieutenant.  Through good fortune and skill, Win was
  able to make it to the end of the war in one piece and witnessed NVA tanks
  storming Saigon in 1975.  Win remained in the Army, seeing action in Cambodia
  and against China in the 1980s.  He eventually retired with the rank of Major
  and took a seat within the National Legislature.
  During the disastrous early 1980s, Win saw his country starve thanks to
  inept social planning and lack of resources.  Worse, he correctly saw Vietnam
  falling behind while other countries in Asia were becoming economic dragons.
  Always a pragmatist, Win was one of the first to support changes in the eco-
  nomic structure of Vietnam to include a limited free market.  Although this
  gained him many enemies, the success of his reforms contrasted with the dis-
  mal failure of the socialist programs and Win was promoted within the Legisla-
  ture to the influential Resources Committee.  Using his seat on the Resources
  Committee, Win promoted further change and was key to opening Vietnam to
  foreign investment.
  Win is a pragmatist first and foremost.  Although he believes in the commu-
  nist party as a political structure he also recognizes its shortcomings.  The suc-
  cess of the free market, even under the difficult times of the worldwide depres-
  sion, has brought his people a better life and so he will continue to champion it.
  However, Win also recognizes that foreign corporations do not always have the
  best interests of Vietnam at heart and is vigilant against abuse.
  Win also recognizes that he has enemies within the Communist Party and
  the National Legislature.  There are many who would like to see the popular
  politician disgraced and Win maintains an active network of spies and informa-
  tion sources.  Although the network is very low key and clandestine, Win’s spies
  have stolen information, destroyed files, and released damaging photos and in-
  formation about his enemies.  Win allows himself the belief that by staying in
  power he is helping his country and there is very little he would not do to prevent
  a loss in personal power.
  Unlike most of Vietnam, Win is aware of the food shortage and is looking
  for solutions from any area he can find.  His ties to conservative communists in
  the National Assembly have alerted him to possible military actions, something
  he is not in favor of but would not oppose if productive.
  Win no longer wears the drab Mao suit of the communist party of the
  past.  He favors business suits, tailored to fit his expanding waistline, and Euro-
  pean watches.  He will occasionally wear his old uniform, also recently tailored,
  on holidays or when he wishes to remind people of his service.  A widower
  thanks to cancer, Win is considered handsome and is often seen with attractive
  young women in Ho Chi Minh City’s fashionable restaurants.
  Win speaks Russian fluently but must rely on translators for other lan-
  guages when entertaining foreign dignitaries and investors.
  An Coy Win
  51 year-old Vietnamese man.
  171cm, 68kg
  Grey hair, brown eyes, tan skin
  Int
  49
  Sen
  62
  Agl
  28
  Cor
  41
  Con
  39
  Str
  31
  Per
  66
  App
  59
  Bra
  46
  Wil
  71
  Perception
  57
  Base Speed
  11
  Dam. Rating
  4
  Mass Factor
  1.0
  Aim
  34
  Smallarm
  45
  Diplomacy
  49
  Prying
  61
  Coercion
  64
  History
  30
  Journalism
  26
  Research
  34
  Military Sci.
  38
  Strategy
  48
  Tactics
  53
  Unarmed H-to-H 35
  Punch
  49
     weapons
    speed
     roll
  DF/DD
  Punch
     11
    49
    1.0
  RSA PSM    10
    60
    19
  
  Appendix Two: Names & Faces
  135
  With the level of government-sponsored violence in Southeast Asia, it’s easy to
  forget that there is plenty of personal crime and violence as well.  Even Bangkok’s
  financial district is not immune to crime and that falls under the jurisdiction of
  Detective First Class Sattorn Passavong.
  Passavong comes from a middle-class family and entered the National Po-
  lice Academy in 1982, when the greatest threat to peace in Bangkok was Ameri-
  can servicemen on leave.  Since hitting the streets as a traffic monitor and
  patrolman, Passavong has seen many changes come to Bangkok, and most of
  them have been for the worse.
  Most people are surprised when they meet Passavong.  His tendency to
  squint combined with his chubby face gives people the impression of a sub-
  standard mind.  Adding to this is that fact that Passavong is a quiet man and
  gives short, clipped answers.  Those not familiar with him tend to dismiss him as
  not very bright or even mentally retarded.  In fact, this is an illusion fostered by
  Passavong, who uses it to better conduct his investigations.  Passavong is actu-
  ally one of the smartest and most successful of Bangkok’s detectives.
  Passavong’s big break came during his first year as a detective.  A series of
  violent bank robberies rocked the financial district, each time the bandits striking
  on the day that the banks had the most cash on hand.  An inside job was sus-
  pected but Passavong had his doubts.  After observing the bank at work,
  Passavong concluded, contrary to his superiors, that the connection was not at
  the bank but elsewhere.  Passavong determined that the link was a brothel on
  nearby Patpong Road.  He discovered that on the days that the largest deliver-
  ies of cash to the bank were made, an extra team of drivers and guards were
  used.  On their lunch hour, the extra guards would visit the brothel, alerting the
  prostitutes, who would then pass on the information to their bank-robbing boy-
  friends.  All involved in the robberies were quickly arrested and Passavong
  receive a promotion as well as earning the respect of his superiors.
  Passavong’s precinct covers most of the financial district, including the no-
  torious Patpong Road.  Although he now specializes in homicide cases, Passavong
  is known to cover robberies, theft, and even minor crimes, if he feels they fit a
  case he is working on.  Like the vast majority of police in Bangkok, Passavong
  is not above taking a minor bribe for information or to overlook a minor crime,
  but will refuse substantial bribes that cover major crimes.
  Passavong is short, even by Asian standards, but stocky and muscular.  He
  still attends the kickboxing gym where he learned the martial art in his youth,
  and is a major competitor in the police tournaments.  He keeps his dark hair long
  and in a ponytail tied behind his head.  Because of his build and low paycheck,
  Passavong has a hard time finding clothes that fit.  As a consequence, he al-
  ways appears disheveled and unkempt.  He is aware of this fact and uses it to
  aid his illusion of being slow-witted.
  SATTORN PASSAVONG   Thai Police Detective
  Sattorn Passavong
  34 year-old Asian man
  154cm, 60kg
  Black hair, brown eyes, brown skin
  Int
  62
  Sen
  75
  Agl
  45
  Cor
  43
  Con
  62
  Str
  59
  Per
  38
  App
  21
  Bra
  42
  Wil
  46
  Perception
  73
  Base Speed
  14
  Dam. Rating
  6
  Mass Factor
  1.1
  Aim
  29
  Smallarm
  43
  Diplomacy
  42
  Prying
  60
  Drive
  30
  Auto
  41
  Journalism
  35
  Research
  52
  Kata
  43
  Muay Thai
  64
  Military Sci.
  18
  Tactics
  23
  Mini. Mech.
  36
  Locksmithing
  51
  Perception
  20
  Police Science
  47
  Psychology
  30
  Deviant
  42
  Unarmed H-to-H 51
  Block
  66
  Kick
  72
  Punch
  76
  Elbow Strike
  76
        weapon
        speed
      roll
       DF/DD
  FN Hi-Power 14
     57
       17
  Elbow Strike  14
     76
       1.0
  Kick
       14
     76
       1.0
  Punch
        0
     76
       1.0
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  136
  QUON SHA   Chinese Businessman/Triad Troubleshooter
  Like all large business organizations, the Red Sash Society Triad occasionally
  finds it useful to have an outside opinion of their operations; someone who can
  see the large picture without internal ties and can offer solutions not obvious to
  those involved in the day-to-day workings.  Quon Sha is one such consultant.
  His extensive knowledge of international corporate law, as well as the practical
  realities of a criminal enterprise, makes him the perfect choice when a particu-
  lar unit of the society requires a “crisis manager”.  His cold personality and
  willingness to do whatever is required to accomplish his task makes him danger-
  ous, particularly to those he comes to manage.
  A native of Bangkok, Sha is the second son of a middle-class factory man-
  ager, and grew up in the city’s residential district of Sukhumvit.  As he attended
  primary school, it was recognized that Sha had a gift for mathematics and he
  received special training. He prepared to enter college in 1986 but political un-
  rest resulted in riots, during which the factory Sha’s parents managed was burned
  down.  Although he had a scholarship, it was insufficient to allow him to travel to
  America to attend school and his parents, now unemployed, could not help.
  When Sha’s future seemed bleak, a Chinese social organization stepped for-
  ward and offered to pay Sha’s school expenses in return for services rendered
  after graduation.  Sha gladly accepted and eventually received a degree in inter-
  national business law from Columbia University.
  Sha’s return to Bangkok was his introduction to the Triad.  Shan Wa Lin, a
  wealthy Chinese businessman, hired him to consult on matters of business and
  law.  He quickly determined that not all of Lin’s businesses were 100% legal
  and learned to make the proper “adjustments” to their records.  After only four
  years under Lin’s wing, Sha made his vows to the Red Sash Society and be-
  came a full member.
  Sha has come a long way from his naive introduction to the Triad.  He no
  longer makes distinctions between legal and illegal and is as comfortable with
  gang-bangers as he is with corporate CEO’s.  To him, people are merely re-
  sources that can be moved, adjusted, and, if necessary, eliminated.  His philoso-
  phy is evident in his management style.  Sha receives assignments to Triad
  operations in trouble and takes command like a monsoon wind, dismissing inef-
  fective members (who are sometimes executed), promoting underlings, and in-
  stituting strict regulations.  In some cases, Sha must call in muscle to deal with
  outside problems, and he directs them in the same manner- precise, calculated,
  and completely effective.
  Sha is approaching his late thirties in style.  He has adopted the American
  style of a shaved head and goatee beard and has a diamond stud earring.  When
  on business he always wears a tailored silk suit, usually blue or dark gray and
  immaculate in appearance.  His back and upper arms are covered in tattoos,
  each a symbol of his power within the Society but he never shows these in
  public.  Sha despises uncleanliness and disorder not for sanitary reasons but
  because he views it as a symptom of personal ineptitude and wastefulness.
  Thanks to his time in America, Sha speaks English with almost no accent.
  He also speaks Thai, Chinese (Cantonese), some French, and a few words of
  German.
  Quon Sha
  37 year-old Thai male
  158cm, 63kg
  shaved head, brown eyes, tan skin
  Int
  74
  Sen
  64
  Agl
  33
  Cor
  32
  Con
  32
  Str
  36
  Per
  56
  App
  53
  Bra
  55
  Wil
  72
  Perception
  47
  Base Speed
  12
  Dam Rating
  4
  Mass Factor
  1.1
  Aim
  25
  30
  Small Arms
  10
  40
  Business
  42
  49
  Finance
  21
  70
  Law
  51
  58
  Civil/Business 21
  79
  Criminal
  14
  72
  International
  12
  70
  Diplomacy
  38
  44
  Coercion
  16
  60
  Unarmed H-to-H 28
  32
  Punch
  10
  42
        weapon
          speed
        roll
     DF/DD
  Berretta 92F    0
      57
      17
  Punch
          0
      42
       4
  
  Appendix Two: Names & Faces
  137
  MONIVONG VANG   Hmong Village Leader
  Monivong Vang is one of the reasons that the Laotian People’s Revolutionary
  Army travels only in large groups.  From his village of Chakravant, located in
  the hills above the Mekong River in central Laos, Vang leads his band of guerilla
  soldiers in a struggle that is becoming increasingly complex.  Although he has no
  formal training in warfare, he is a quick study and his political skills and leader-
  ship qualities make him a dangerous enemy and a valuable ally.
  Vang doesn’t have many memories of his childhood in Laos.  Like hundreds
  of thousands of Hmong refugees, his family made a frantic escape across the
  Thai border.  Bullets fired by Pathet Lao troops felled his mother and two sisters
  and gave him a permanent scar across his left thigh.  The rest of his young life
  was spent in Thai refugee camps and finally resettlement in America when he
  was eleven.  He adapted quickly to his new home in California and by the time
  he was seventeen, he had become valedictorian of his high school.  By the time
  he was twenty-nine he had a small chain of seafood restaurants and had amassed
  a small fortune.
  The memory his family being cut down festered in his heart and he devel-
  oped a hatred of communism in general and the Laotian communist government
  in particular.  After a business partner embezzled funds and forced Vang into
  bankruptcy, he decided that his real destiny lie in his homeland.  He traveled to
  Thailand and from there found his way back into Laos and to his family home in
  Chakravant.
  Vang’s appearance is unremarkable.  Although somewhat taller than the
  average Hmong his only outstanding feature is a pair of wire-frame eyeglasses.
  He prefers to wear a traditional wrap around his waist and a t-shirt.  Vang’s
  quiet manner encourages his subordinates speak during village conferences.
  When making decisions, he always considers the consequences with the greater
  good of his villagers foremost in his mind.  When in the field, he allows others
  with more experience to formulate tactical plans but he decides which one has
  the most merit.  His leadership and personal rapport with the troops motivates
  them to overcome the most dangerous obstacles.
  Although Chakravant, like most Hmong villages, relies on its annual produc-
  tion of opium for survival, Vang is trying to encourage his people to plant other
  crops.  The rocky, red soil has yet to produce enough to feed his people but Vang
  continues to hope.  In the meantime, he arranges the cultivation, harvest, and
  sale of the opium to the highest bidder.
  If Vang has an Achilles Heel, it his fanatical devotion to his remaining fam-
  ily.  His grandmother, a handful of cousins, and his wife and three young children
  life in the family house and he places their safety above all else.  He has lost one
  family and refuses to lose another.
  Vang speaks Thai, Laotian, some French, and English with a strong Califor-
  nia accent.
  Monivong Vang
  35 year old Hmong male
  135cm, 54kg
  dark hair, brown eyes, dark skin
  Int
  50
  Sen
  64
  Agl
  43
  Cor
  52
  Con
  72
  Str
  43
  Per
  64
  App
  34
  Bra
  45
  Wil
  46
  Perception
  73
  Base Speed
  14
  Dam. Rating
  4
  Mass Factor
  1.2
  Aim
  40
  45
  Autofire
  20
  65
  Longarm
  13
  57
  Smallarm
  8
  53
  Foraging
  50
  56
  Equatorial
  21
  77
  Hiding
  44
  50
  Concealment
  15
  65
  Creeping
  8
  58
  Military Science
  35
  40
  Hardware
  11
  51
  Tactics
  17
  57
  Perception
  30
  Survival
  25
  31
  Equatorial
  12
  43
  Tracking
  22
  28
  Equatorial
  11
  39
  Unarmed H-to-H 25
  29
  Punch
  12
  41
  Kick
  10
  39
           weapon        speed
     roll
  DF/DD
  AK-47            8
    91
    18
  Makarov PM   0
    67
    16
  
  Southeast Asia Sourcebook
  138
  DR. AMEL KABILA   Exhausted WHO Doctor
  The Kingdom of Cambodia has one doctor for every 14,000 people, one of the worst
  such ratios in the world.  In an attempt to compensate, the World Health Organization
  sponsors doctors from other countries who can offer their desperately needed services.
  Few are dedicated enough to serve outside the capital, let alone in the dangerous north.
  Dr. Amel Kabila is one who dares.
  Amel Kabila became a doctor to find redemption.  As a teenager in his native South
  Africa, Kabila was involved with  the violent terrorist group African Unity Front and was
  instrumental in several murders.  His last assignment with the terrorist group was the
  delivery of a bomb to a government office building.  Kabila, nervous and paranoid,
  believed he was being followed by police, and dropped the bomb in the street.  To his
  horror, the bomb detonated moments later, shredding a passing school bus.  Although
  he was wounded in the blast, he spent the next hour assisting rescuers in pulling tiny
  bodies from the scorched hulk.  He vowed to never again be an agent of death and
  eventually became a doctor and sought out the places where he was needed most.  In
  1991 he came to Cambodia.
  The clinic he has built in the Siem Reap UN safe zone is the only medical facility
  within hundreds of miles.  Understaffed, with few supplies, and in desperate need of
  help, Dr. Kabila and his staff of personally trained assistants work fourteen-hour days
  and still must turn people away.  He makes time to visit surrounding communities,
  offering basic sanitary advice and children’s checkups.  Kabila charges only what his
  patients can afford, usually very little, but isn’t afraid to gouge a patient who he thinks
  can contribute more.
  He is not immune from the fighting and in 1997 was kidnapped by Khmer Rouge
  soldiers to treat their wounded.  At their hands he suffered beatings and torture for each
  death that he was unable to prevent.  After nearly three months he was able to escape
  during a firefight, but only  by picking up a rifle and killing his guard.  Although it was
  necessary for him to escape, the fact that he broke his personal vow has caused Kabila
  great grief.  He was given the opportunity to leave Cambodia for another WHO assign-
  ment, Kabila declined, refusing to give up what little good he had created.
  Those who speak to Kabila are struck by how tired he is but few realize how deep
  his exhaustion goes.  Kabila is depleted in both body and soul.  Kabila’s actions are
  more automatic reflexes than anything else and he has taken to using amphetamines to
  keep himself going.  He refuses to stop, believing that if he does, he will allow innocent
  people to die.  At the same time, he knows that no matter what he does, he cannot stop
  the death and misery that surrounds him.  In his subconscious, Kabila believes that it is
  his destiny to die in Cambodia, to pay a final price for his past.
  Dr. Kabila looks much older than his forty-four years would suggest.  Days on end
  without sleep and the constant struggle to save patients under primitive conditions
  have wrinkled his face and grayed his hair.  Most of all, his eyes reflect his loss of faith
  in his own ability to make a difference.
  Dr. Kabila speaks his native Afrikaans and English fluently and has learned Khmer
  (Cambodian), some Vietnamese, and Thai.
  Dr. Kabila’s Clinic
  Located in the Siem Reap UN safe zone, Dr. Kabila’s clinic has ten beds and room for
  another seven in the halls.  The clinic has an operating room and two examination rooms
  as well.  Electricity is supplied by an aging generator and is limited to the amount of
  diesel fuel that is on hand.  Medical supplies are delivered once a month by airdrop but
  for the past two months the containers have been stolen by Khmer Rouge soldiers
  before Kabila can reach them.  To supplement his meager rations, Kabila buys medicine
  off the black market or begs whatever he can from the British units that rotate through
  the safe zone.  The clinic is almost always full with patients suffering from jungle dis-
  eases and wounds from the fighting.
  Dr. Amel Kabila
  44 year-old black male
  202cm, 99kg
  gray hair, dark eyes, black skin
  Int
  62
  Sen
  44
  Agl
  45
  Cor
  51
  Con
  34
  Str
  44
  Per
  33
  App
  46
  Bra
  45
  Wil
  59
  Perception
  46
  Base Speed
  14
  Dam Rating
  5
  Mass Factor
  0.7
  Aim
  35
  39
  Smallarm
  5
  43
  Drive
  45
  49
  Automobile
  21
  70
  Foraging
  39
  43
  Equatorial
  17
  60
  Medicine
  54
  59
  Emerg. Med.
  26
  85
  Gen. Practice
  24
  83
  Veterinary
  10
  69
  Perception
  22
  Pharmacy
  52
  56
  Surgery
  47
  53
  Survival
  24
  28
  Equatorial
  12
  40
  Unarmed H-to-H 39
  43
  Punch
  17
  60
             weapon             speed          roll
     DF/DD
  Colt M1911A1     1
        58
      19
  Punch
             0
        60
       5
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Millenniums End/Millennium's End Southeast Asia Sourcebook.pdf