For the services of Kokang during World War II, it was recognised as separate from Shan State in August 1947 by the British, and the ruler took the title Saopha.
Kokang |
He rose to prominence in 2009 after leading an offensive against the insurgent Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army in Kokang.
According to Bertil Lintner, he established the first heroin factory in Kokang during the 1970s and continued trafficking heroin for at least 20 years.