The Shore Beyond Good and Evil: A Report from Inside Burma's Opium Kingdom (Hardcover)

by Hideyuki Takano (Author)
Key Phrases: shore beyond good, other village groups, producing opium, Uncle Pao, Pang Sang, Sam Tao (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
A remarkable literary scoop. -- The Japan Times, March 9, 2002

Takano's documentary is riveting, a very entertaining book. -- I-S Magazine, March 15, 2002

Whether as a travelogue, a sociopolitical treatise, or simply as an eminently good read, this book is highly recommended. -- The Daily Yomiuri, July 21, 2002

Product Description
Hideyuki Takano takes us on a journey into the remote Wa State at the very heart of the Golden Triangle. A remote land in Northern Burma (Myanmar) with a headhunting past, a reputation for producing fearsome guerrilla fighters and a place vilified by the international community as one of the largest producers of opium and heroin in the world. Takano is one of the very few foreigners to have ever stayed in this region and this book recounts his 7-months spent in a traditional Wa mountain village, cultivating poppy and sharing in the lives of the impoverished farmers in the region.

During his stay in the Wa region, Takano meets with many of the United Wa State Army's key members, including its leader Pao Yuchang, who is now classed as one of the world's leading drug suppliers by the US State Department. He is even requested to submit a report on the conversion of illegal opium production over to manufacture of morphine, an idea unheard of among the Wa leadership at the time.

The story of this journey to the heart of the Wa State and its people draws us into an understanding of the power that the simple poppy flower has on the designs of mankind. We find a world addicted to money and power and Takano finds himself drawn into his own personal addiction, unwittingly becoming part of the story that he came to tell.

With the war against drugs and terrorism escalating in both Asia and South America, the fight for democracy in Burma by Nobel prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, and the continued flood of cheap heroin into the West, the world is eager for a glimpse of life behind the battle lines. This book takes us in behind the "Poppy Curtain" for a fascinating glimpse of life on this "Shore Beyond Good and Evil."

Product Details

• Hardcover: 277 pages
• Publisher: Kotan (July 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970171617
• ISBN-13: 978-0970171610
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: No customer reviews yet. Be the first.
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,033,226 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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