Why is the Golden Triangle said to be a three-nothing zone?

Because it is the junction of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, no one controls it, hence the name "Three-No-Care Zone".

In a broad sense, the Golden Triangle refers to the area where the three countries of Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet; in a narrow sense, the Golden Triangle refers to the delta area where the Mekong River and the Mae Sai River meet. As a symbol of Thailand's Golden Triangle region, the famous Golden Triangle Arch is located in Sobruak Village near the ancient city of Chiang Saen. It is located between Mae Sai Town and Chiang Saen Town, 60 kilometers away from Mae Sai and 11 kilometers away from Chiang Saen, across the river from Myanmar and Laos.

Because it is located in a mountainous area with unique landforms, lush forests and beautiful scenery, and because Myanmar and Laos are closed to each other, it adds to the mystery of this place. The Golden Triangle region was once world-famous for its opium production, with 80% of the world's opium coming from here. Today, the Golden Triangle region has become a famous tourist destination in northern Thailand, attracting countless tourists every year.

The Golden Triangle Archway is made of marble and is 4 meters high. It is engraved with "Golden Triangle" in both Thai and English. There are tourist souvenir shops, jade and jewelry shops and restaurants all around, selling a variety of specialty products, such as mountain ethnic costumes from Thailand, jewelry and jades from Myanmar, and mountain treasures from Laos. The shop assistants usually wear ethnic minority costumes, showing the unique ethnic customs of northern Thailand, and the products are also very memorable.

Extended information:

Drug trade in the Golden Triangle:

The Golden Triangle is rich in poppies and is world-famous for the production of opium, heroin and other drugs through local warlords and drug lords. . The Golden Triangle region, the Golden Crescent region on the borders of Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan, and the Silver Triangle region on the borders of Colombia and Venezuela are also known as the world's three major sources of drugs.

Cultivation history:

From the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, Britain, the United States, France and other countries successively came to the area to teach planting, refining, and sales techniques, and purchased opium. 20 The first opium production climax occurred here in the 1950s, followed by the "golden age" in the 1960s, when production increased from dozens of tons to about 200 tons. By the early 1980s, the output had reached about 700 tons, and in 1988 it increased to 1,200 tons, doubled in 1989 to 2,400 tons, and exceeded the 3,000 tons mark in 1991.

Drug production:

The core area of ??the Golden Triangle is the junction of Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos. However, due to the Thai government’s powerful anti-drug offensive, most of the drug production areas have been transferred to Myanmar. . The Golden Triangle region is the world's largest producer of opium and heroin-like drugs, with a planting area of ??more than 1 million acres and an annual output of 2,650 to 2,800 tons of opium and about 200 tons of heroin. A relatively accepted statement is that the Golden Triangle is the source of 20% of the world's opium supply, while the heroin trafficked through the Golden Triangle region accounts for 60%-70% of the world's total every year, and the annual production capacity of heroin in the region can satisfy the world's heroin demand. annual consumption.

Opium cultivation:

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime released the "2014 Southeast Asia Opium Survey Report" in Bangkok on December 8, 2014. The report shows that in 2014, the opium cultivation area in Myanmar and Laos, the two largest opium producing countries in Southeast Asia, continued to expand. The head of the Southeast Asia region of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime pointed out that huge market demand and the lack of alternative cultivation plans are the main reasons for this situation, and the ever-accelerating regional integration development has created difficulties in dealing with the spread of drugs in Southeast Asia. More challenges.

This report focuses on the production areas of Myanmar and Laos, the major opium-producing countries in Southeast Asia, and presents a relatively comprehensive picture of the relationship between opium cultivation, drug production, use and circulation in Southeast Asia, especially the Golden Triangle region, in 2014. Condition.

According to this survey report, the opium cultivation area in Myanmar and Laos reached 63,800 hectares in 2014, showing an expansion trend for eight consecutive years since 2006. Myanmar remains the world's second largest opium producer after Afghanistan, and the entire Golden Triangle region's opium production accounts for 22% of the world's total opium production.

Drug lords:

Many famous drug lords appeared in this area in the 20th century. For a long time, there have been many groups of anti-government armed forces and other drug armed forces operating here. , so it is also called the "adventurer's paradise". For example, Kun Sha, Luo Xinghan, Peng Jiasheng, etc. In order to produce and sell drugs, these drug lords organized a group of well-equipped local armed forces to openly compete with central governments such as Myanmar and Thailand.

In the past, the local forces that produced the most drugs in Myanmar were: Kokang in the First Special Administrative Region, Wa State in the Second Special Administrative Region, etc. These places were actually controlled by local warlords, but they still submitted to the central military government of Myanmar. , has great autonomy and also provides convenience for its own supply and trafficking of drugs.

From the late 1970s to the first few years of the 1980s, as the Myanmar and Thai armies stepped up their attacks on the Khun Sa Group, they destroyed a number of opium poppy farms. At the same time, the United Nations Foundation for the Control of Drug Abuse Special funds have also been allocated to implement the policy of replacing cereals and poppy cultivation with coffee in the "Golden Triangle" area. It has achieved results for a period of time, and opium poppy production has dropped significantly, so that the "Golden Crescent" in Central Asia once replaced the Golden Triangle and became the world's largest opium production base.

However, since 1986, poppy production in the "Golden Triangle" has rapidly recovered and developed, with output increasing sharply, greatly exceeding the historical record, and once again becoming the world's number one opium production base.

The heroin trafficked through the "Golden Triangle" region accounts for 60% to 70% of the world's total every year, and the region's annual heroin production capacity can meet the needs of global heroin consumption for two years. In January 1996, the armed forces led by Kunsa surrendered to the government. However, drug production in this area has not stopped, and it is still the second largest opium-producing area in the world after the "Golden Crescent".

It was not until 2005 that relevant parties in the "Golden Triangle" announced that they would stop poppy cultivation and shift to large-scale production of rice, vegetables and sugar cane. In 2006, the Yunnan Provincial Public Security and Anti-Narcotics Department measured through satellite remote sensing monitoring and other means that the area planted with opium poppies in the "Golden Triangle" area was about 200,000 acres. The area of ??opium poppy cultivation in the "Golden Triangle" region has dropped to its lowest point in 100 years.

Baidu Encyclopedia-Golden Triangle