The Influence of the Golden Triangle

“I would encourage everybody looking at Myanmar’s drug trade, to try to see it as a trade, as a commodity. Try and look at it for what it is: a way to achieve power, a way to manipulate borders, a critical ingredient in how Myanmar’s future will unfold. I just hope that people can see this for what it is and not see it in this as a as a morality play.”

Patrick Winn, an investigative journalist and author, offers a compelling analysis of Myanmar's narcotics trade on a recent podcast episode, exposing its deep entanglement with the nation’s political and economic structures. Rather than viewing the drug trade as a mere moral issue, Winn frames it as a strategic commodity that profoundly shapes power dynamics. He traces its origins to the Golden Triangle’s opium production during the Cold War, highlighting its evolution into a methamphetamine juggernaut under the influence of Chinese cartels. Winn asserts that the narcotics industry not only enriches Myanmar’s military and ethnic militias but also functions as a cornerstone of the country’s political economy, with ripple effects extending across the region.

Winn calls for a critical shift in perspective, likening Myanmar's drug trade to Saudi Arabia’s oil industry in its ability to shape national trajectories. Rejecting the "good versus evil" narrative often associated with global drug policy, he advocates for a nuanced understanding of narcotics as a tool of power and governance. He underscores the immense challenge that a future democratic government would face in dismantling this entrenched economy, emphasizing the need for international awareness and innovative policy approaches. Winn’s analysis lays bare the complex interplay between crime, governance, and geopolitics, presenting a sobering yet insightful roadmap for addressing these issues.

Winn’s call to reframe our understanding of Myanmar’s drug trade cuts through the moralistic fog that typically surrounds the topic. He urges us to look beyond the surface devastation and uncover the deliberate design—a system where narcotics are more than a scourge, but a calculated mechanism of control. Like oil or steel in other economies, drugs have become Myanmar’s currency of power, wielded to redraw borders, finance militias, and dictate the lives of millions. His analysis dismantles the oversimplified "good versus evil" lens and replaces it with a stark reality: this is not a morality play, but a deeply entrenched and strategic game of power.

To view Myanmar’s drug trade solely as criminality is to miss its broader implications—how it perpetuates conflict, sustains oppression, and undermines the dream of democracy. Winn’s insights challenge us to abandon reductive narratives and instead see the drug trade as a linchpin in the nation’s unfolding future. Failing to address the structural forces that embed narcotics into Myanmar’s political fabric risks dooming those already trapped in its grasp. His words are a wake-up call: understanding this trade as a tool of governance is the first step toward dismantling it and paving the way for genuine progress.