Podcast appearances and mentions of patrick winn

Greg welcomes back Patrick Winn to the podcast, an intrepid writer and expert on all things dark and shady in Southeast Asia. He previously appeared on the show to discuss his book “Hello Shadowlands,” and he returns to explain his new work, “Narcotopia: In Search of the Asian Drug Cartel That Survived The CIA.” Patrick begins by explaining the unique political situation that the country of Myanmar is in right now. Besides a literal civil war, portions of the country, such as the ‘Wa State' in the northeast, are essentially autonomous, self-governing areas. Patrick explains that free travel in and out of the area is generally not permitted, and if you just showed up, you would be detained and interrogated by the Wa State Army.  Next, Greg asked the genesis of Patrick's new book. Patrick explains that he's been fascinated by the ‘state within a state' for over a decade and has struggled to find an opportunity to interview any important Wa leaders, due to the fact that the Wa State is notorious for being a manufacturer of methamphetamine pills. In fact, some prominent Wa leaders are actually wanted by the U.S. DEA. Patrick recounts a fascinating story of how he managed through an intermediary to finally make contact, and the resulting interview and subsequent research constitutes the backbone of his book.  The guys continue with a twisting tale of the DEA and CIA's surprising relationship with this mysterious subculture inside of the already complex state of Myanmar, and the effect its having on Thailand's middle class, which is a huge consumer of the infamous drugs that the country produces. Don't forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on Facebook, you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our website (www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info than you need to know.

Sometimes you find a story that just blows you away and makes you wonder how you hadn't heard it before. Patrick Winn's new book “Narcotopia” did just that in painting the first detailed portrait of the Wa State, an Asian territory the size of Belgium that is effectively run by a drug cartel. Wa State is officially in Myanmar but is self governed with its own army, supplied by Beijing. It churns out heinous quantities of crystal meth that floods the Asian markets, except China. There has been surprisingly little response to China having this client narco state, but then the United States also used to work with drug traffickers in this Golden Triangle to unsuccessfully fight against North Vietnam and before that against the government in Beijing itself.  I'll let Patrick tell you the rest in this episode of the CrashOut Chronicles podcast. To find out more on CrashOut and support the podcast, go to: www.crashoutmedia.comSupport the Show.

Join me as I sit down with Patrick Winn, a seasoned investigative journalist who's carved a niche in reporting on rebellion and black markets across Southeast Asia from his base in Bangkok. Listen in as Patrick recounts his fascinating journey from the factory town roots of North Carolina to the bustling streets of Thailand, where he's spent over a decade uncovering the underworld. We peel back the layers of his groundbreaking book, "Narcotopia: In Search of the Asian Drug Cartel that Survived the CIA," offering a glimpse into an organization that eclipses the notorious cartels of Latin America in both power and complexity, operating as a quasi-nation-state sustained by the shadowy world of drug profits.Connect with Patrick,Website: http://patrickwinnonline.com/X: https://twitter.com/pwinn5?lang=en........#soulawakening #consiousness#innerwisdom #quantumfield#higherdimensions #lightbody#raiseyourfrequency #conciousness#thirdeyeawakening #metaphysics#quantumhealing #ascendedmasters#consciousawakening #awakenyoursoul#thirdeyethirst #manifestingdreams#powerofpositivtiy #spiritualawakenings#higherconscious #spiritualthoughts#lightworkersunited #highestself#positiveaffirmation #loaquotes#spiritualinspiration #highvibrations#spiritualhealers #intuitivehealer#powerofthought#spiritualityreignssupreme --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thehiddengateway/support

Nestled in the mountains of Myanmar, there's a nation that you won't find on the map. The mysterious, controversial Wa State is what journalist Patrick Winn calls a 'Narcotopia' - a country whose main source of income is the international drugs trade. In Part 2, we learn more about Saw Lu's dangerous entanglement with the US Government. Listener discretion is advised. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nestled in the mountains of Myanmar, there's a nation that you won't find on the map. The mysterious, controversial Wa State is what journalist Patrick Winn calls a 'Narcotopia' - a country whose main source of income is the international drugs trade. In Part 1, Patrick tells the story of his journey to Wa State, and his chance meeting with one of the most powerful figures in its history, Saw Lu - a man whose vision for the isolated nation led him to the door of the US Government. From SPYSCAPE, the HQ of secrets. A Cup And Nuzzle production. Series producer: Joe Foley. Produced by Morgan Childs. Music by Nick Ryan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How has a drug cartel operating as its own country thwarted hostile actions by its neighbors and the CIA? Narcotopia author Patrick Winn is here to explain! What We Discuss with Patrick Winn: Burma vs. Myanmar. The CIA's role in Wa State's formation. How Wa State went from a poppy-harvesting cartel to a self-sufficient, defense-capable narco nation. The evolution of Wa State's drug branding and distribution that outsells Starbucks and McDonald's. The future of Wa State and its potential global impact. And much more... Full show notes and resources can be found here: jordanharbinger.com/966 This Episode Is Brought To You By Our Fine Sponsors: jordanharbinger.com/deals Sign up for Six-Minute Networking — our free networking and relationship development mini course — at jordanharbinger.com/course! Like this show? Please leave us a review here — even one sentence helps! Consider including your Twitter handle so we can thank you personally!

EPISODE 1953: In this KEEN ON show, Andrew talks to Patrick Winn, author of NARCOTOPIA, about a south-east Asian nation the size of Belgium which controls the region's $60 billion meth trade.Patrick Winn is an award-winning investigative journalist. He mostly covers rebellion and black markets in Southeast Asia. Winn is the author of two narrative non-fiction books:Narcotopia: In Search of the Asian Drug Cartel that Survived the CIA (PublicAffairs / Icon Books) & Hello, Shadowlands: Inside the Meth Fiefdoms, Rebel Hideouts and Bomb-Scarred Party Towns of Southeast Asia (Icon Books). Winn is currently the Asia correspondent for The World, a radio program broadcast on more than 300 NPR stations across America. His writing and short documentaries have appeared in or on The New York Times, NBC News, the BBC, The Atlantic, NPR and many other outlets. He has received the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award (also known as the ‘poor man's Pulitzer') and a National Press Club award. He's also a three-time winner of Amnesty International's Human Rights Press Awards among other prizes. Winn has appeared on screen as an expert source on two documentaries.Narco Wars (National Geographic, broadcast on Hulu), Season Three, Episode Two: “Prince of Death” & The Business of Drugs (Netflix), the “Meth” episode. Winn was an associate producer on Hope Frozen, a Netflix original documentary, and a field producer for the debut Myanmar episode of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown. Both won Emmys. Winn was raised in Eden, a dwindling North Carolina factory town that once manufactured carpets and beer. He graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in 2003 with a journalism degree. His early reportage explored economic decay in the American south and crime within the US military. Since 2008, Winn has lived in Bangkok and reported on Southeast Asia. He reads and speaks Thai — and occasionally sings it, badly, in upcountry karaoke joints.Keen On is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting KEEN ON, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy show. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

The Wa tribe, an indigenous tribe residing in the mountainous Burma China borderlands, has long had a reputation as a people not to be trifled with. And yes, they were actually headhunters, well into the 20th century. Known as powerful warriors who weren't keen on outsiders telling them what to do, they were able to carve out their own autonomous state in Myanmar despite the ruling junta's militant authoritarianism, Long before they launched the powerful United Wa State Army in 1989, various warlords had grown opium and sold it to a shadowy group of Chinese dealers known as The Exiles. And then in the late 1980's, there's a man that takes the helm. He's quiet, unassuming, basically an accountant and logistics guy. He's half Chinese and Half Wa. Not a tough guy cowboy headhunter war lord. But even today, they still speak his name quietly, if at all. Wei Xuegang. And he sets up his heroin trafficking operation to be one of the biggest the world has ever seen.  Much, much more in this episode, with Patrick Winn, Bangkok based journalist and author of the new book Narcotopia, including various CIA and DEA entanglements, battles with the infamous Khun Sa, and the move to the potent asian methamphetamine pills known as Yaba. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode #193: In Myanmar's tumultuous landscape, Patrick Winn urges us to see the drug trade not as a moral dilemma but as a potent force shaping the nation's destiny. This trade is a means to amass power, manipulate borders, and influence Myanmar's very future, much like how Saudi Arabia was changed by the discovery of oil there.Winn's perspective on the multibillion dollar drug trade is pragmatic; it's a colossal industry, akin to Fortune 500 companies, driven by ruthless individuals who'll go to any lengths for profit. He traces the Golden Triangle's origins back to Chinese Nationalist soldiers who, with clandestine CIA support during the Cold War, turned to opium and heroin production after they failed to overthrow Mao and Communist China. This had the unintended consequence of addicting American soldiers in Vietnam, and eventually making its way into the US.Over time, the drug trade has become deeply ingrained in Myanmar, affecting not only the country's governance but leading to widespread corruption and exploitation. Recent shifts have seen drug lords pivot to methamphetamine production, significantly boosting profits, as meth profits now far outpace heroin. Chinese crime cartels dominate the landscape, using a "landlord model" for drug cultivation, with profits going to those ethnic militias which provide them space. Surprisingly, the West pays little attention to the Golden Triangle's thriving drug trade because it mostly caters to local demand across Asia, leading to the devastate of local communities.Illicit narcotics is a major factor in the political mix of post-coup Myanmar. Besides enriching the military, it largely funds the United Wa State Army (UWSA). The UWSA is a very strong and well-armed ethnic defense force that has so far managed to hold itself apart from the conflict. Thus, its role in helping shape the country's political future remains uncertain.“The real revolution that's already happening, is the beginning of this feeling of unity between the lowlands and the highlands,” Winn says in closing. “And if that if that doesn't work, then the revolution won't succeed.”

The World's Patrick Winn spoke with Nigel Ng, "Uncle Roger," about foodies, cultural appropriation and the universality of the grumpy uncle.

China is ratcheting up aggression toward Taiwan by buzzing the island with fighter jets and bombers every single week.As Beijing sees it, Taiwan is a lost province that must eventually come under its control. Yet, Taiwan has its own elected government, military and alliances, most notably with the US, which supplies the island with billions in weapons.Whether the United States would go to war to defend Taiwan is an open question.Related: Southeast Asia allies express concern over US commitment amid Afghanistan crisisLast week, President Joe Biden suggested it would. His office scrambled to say he had misspoken. There is no getting around it: Any genuine invasion of Taiwan would have severe implications upon the island's 23 million population as well as the future of the American empire.The World's Patrick Winn spoke with Kolas Yotaka, a former Taiwanese legislator who is now a spokeswoman for the Taiwan presidential office, about the situation.Patrick Winn: Chinese state media is pointing to Afghanistan and saying, "Hey, look, Taiwan, the US can't protect you. You could end up like Afghan leaders, flying away on helicopters." What do you make of that?Kolas Yotaka: I think they are completely different situations. A lazy comparison between Taiwan and Afghanistan ignores the reality in both countries. And shows little regard for the immense human suffering facing many in Afghanistan today.Related: Harris' Asia trip carries new urgency after Afghan collapseWell, here are some recent headlines: The New York Times has “Is Taiwan Next?” The Washington Post says, “Risk of War With Taiwan Is Growing.” Forbes says, “The Invasion Will Defy Human Comprehension.” I mean, to read this stuff, you would think war is coming next week. Is that how it feels to your government?  The threats have been there for decades. So actually, we have experienced similar threats many times. So for us, none of this is new. The point is: We are prepared. We have self-defense. That's the most important thing.Related: Taliban takeover could mean more security challenges for Chinese projects in PakistanBut on a day-to-day basis, is your government sitting around all day talking about war?No, no. We are not saying it's not happening. Actually, we are pretty aware of this. I mean, Taiwanese people want peace. But we know the risk of conflict is always there.You are not anti-China?We are not anti-China at all. We want equal dialogue and peaceful interaction with China. Without any precondition. We want to get along with everyone, to cooperate on many issues: health, climate change, technology. Actually, we have a strong commercial and cultural exchange with China, people to people. No one wants to see the relationship get worse for political reasons. But this is Beijing's decision to make. Beijing has said Taiwan that formally calling itself an independent country would be grounds for war. Is Taiwan an independent country?Of course. We are a sovereign and independent country already. Because we have elections, a president, a military, a judiciary. Obviously, Taiwan's independence is a fact.We are not afraid of using the word “independent.” OK. But changing the constitution to say that — to say Taiwan is independent — that would be a big deal, right? Yeah, but it's a decision for people to make. Only Taiwanese can decide. On Twitter, you said China is like a noisy neighbor. They are pretty noisy! Actually, they threaten their neighbors. But that's the neighbor we are living with. Taiwan is becoming one of the freer places in Asia, with more rights for media, more LGBTQ rights. What is your role as an island in a region that's becoming more authoritarian? Taiwan is very different from China. Culturally, historically. So, we want to be ourselves. I think that's how the majority of Taiwanese people feel. I do hope other countries can see this part of Taiwan. People may even notice your name, Kolas, is not a Han Chinese name. Some people think just about everyone in Taiwan is ethnically Chinese, people fleeing Communist victory on the mainland in the late 1940s. But you are from an Indigenous group called Amis, is that correct?  In Taiwan, we call ourselves Pangcah. Known as Amis. And Austronesian Indigenous peoples make up 2.4% of Taiwan's population, more than half a million. Like what you just said, we are not Han Chinese. We have been living here for thousands of years.There are 16 different recognized Indigenous peoples [in Taiwan] speaking 16 different languages, which have relations to other Pacific cultures in places like the Philippines, New Zealand, Hawaii. We have different cultures. For example, my people, Pangcah, are matriarchal, whereas Chinese culture is very patriarchal.This often gets erased when people say Taiwan is culturally Chinese. Actually, we are very mixed. I want to ask about the US. What does your government ultimately want from the US?The US has been supportive of Taiwan. We are grateful. We'd love to see the US continue to support Taiwan's participation in international bodies. Like the WHO [World Health Organization] and other UN [United Nations] agencies … cooperation between Taiwan and the US has been growing. Taiwan can contribute more than people realize.The US has helped us enhance our capabilities. But ultimately, we know it is up to us to defend our country. But does Taiwan need the US to remain independent?Yeah, yeah. I think we need US support. We need to make progress. And we have to get better. And we can be better together.This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Whether the United States would go to war to defend Taiwan is an open question. The World's Patrick Winn spoke with Kolas Yotaka, a former Taiwanese legislator, now a spokeswoman for the Taiwan presidential office. 

As always, this episode is jam packed with so much information and inspiration that is sure to make you want to take action today! On this episode, we sat down with Patrick Winn, a Dallas / Fort Worth real estate investor who house hacked his way to financial freedom. It's a good'n!

It's much more than a candlelight vigil. In Hong Kong, commemorating victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre is a treasured act of resistance. There is no other place on Chinese soil where a mass remembrance of the tragedy is remotely possible.Related: Hong Kong's Tiananmen museum shuts down amid investigationBut now, that right is being stripped away.As of this year, anyone publicly lighting a candle in public in Hong Kong to recall the massacare on June 4, 1989, in Beijing — a turning point in China's history in which a movement for greater freedoms was crushed — faces up to five years in prison.This is just the latest endeavor by China's Communist Party (and the Hong Kong government, obsequious to Beijing) to pick apart the coastal territory's autonomy, a concept called “One Country, Two Systems," that is rapidly eroding.Related: Pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai sentenced in Hong KongLouisa Lim is a Hong Kong native and author of “The People's Republic of Amnesia: Tiananmen Revisited.” She spoke to The World's Patrick Winn about Beijing's latest clampdown against Hong Kong.Patrick Winn: Louisa, you've written a lot about Beijing's efforts to erase history. Why do they do this? How does it create a future they want to see?Louisa Lim: The Communist Party wants everyone to share an approved version of its history. It wants only one monolithic story of China to exist. What we're seeing now is attempts to extend that singular narrative into Hong Kong — a place where there's always been academic freedom, where people have been allowed to question historical narratives. Beijing is succeeding in rewriting history textbooks. It's succeeding in imposing its narrative — sort of officially — on Hong Kong. But Hong Kongers have shown they're not just rolling over and swallowing.What has been the significance of people in Hong Kong holding vigils to remember Tiananmen Square? What does it mean to do that on Chinese soil?It's an example of the power of public memory writ large. People gather on these football fields and hold candles. It's a sea of light as far as you can see. It stands as a rebuke against the Chinese government's rewriting of history. And it's a reminder that Hong Kong people continue to publicly remember what happened. On a local level, it's also important because, for many Hong Kongers, this is their introduction to political activism. Many young Hong Kongers have grown up attending the vigil as children. It's really inculcated a powerful sense of collective identity among them.Well, how seriously do you take the Hong Kong government's threats against anyone holding a vigil on June 4?This time we're seeing really specific warnings. That if you're wearing black clothing, if you're holding a candle, if you're in or around Victoria Park on June 4, you could be found guilty of illegal assembly. Even publicizing the vigil could get you a sentence of one year. And I think these are threats that the government is intending to carry out.Louisa, how fast has Beijing moved to clamp down on Hong Kong's autonomy?The speed of Beijing's clampdown in Hong Kong has been astonishing. To go from 180,000 people at that vigil two years ago — then to the fact that even holding a candle and wearing black clothes in the street by the park could earn you five years in prison? I mean, that's just an astonishing clampdown on rights. And one that is almost incomprehensible for Hong Kongers to come to grips with.Is it too dramatic to say that this clampdown signals Hong Kong's autonomy is in its last days?I think Hong Kong's autonomy has been in its last days for a long time. The situation in Hong Kong is really very parlous at the moment. In fact, it's possibly even more difficult than the situation in China, because dissidents in China have long been able to navigate those boundaries. The red lines are really quite clear. In Hong Kong, the red lines are moving all the time. It's incredibly hard to know where those red lines are. So, I think the unpredictability of the environment makes it very difficult to operate. And if you're looking at autonomy, the way the legal system has been used to suppress freedoms shows it is not behaving in an autonomous fashion at all.This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.

Sasa did not plan on becoming a revolutionary. Before the coup on Feb. 1, the elected parliamentarian had every intention of serving in Myanmar’s governing Cabinet. Now, he is in hiding, hoping to rouse an armed resistance force that can fight the military and restore elected rule.Related: Myanmar’s army is turning guns on medicsSasa, who goes by one name, is becoming the face of a parliament-in-exile. Following the military coup in Myanmar, the lawmakers who were elected to lead the country are mostly detained and surveilled. But a few have escaped the army’s dragnet and are trying to uphold a legitimate government, ready to take the reins — if the power-grabbing generals stand down or get ousted themselves.But that is an extraordinarily big “if.” The military will go to vicious extremes to stay in control, even murdering nearly 600 civilians so far, many of whom were demanding the generals to give power back to parliament.Sasa is the United Nations envoy to this parliament-in-exile (which goes by the acronym CRPH). This will be the legitimate governing body, Sasa says. The military dismisses it as “only an online government” and has charged Sasa with treason.Related: Inside Myanmar, calls for UN intervention grow louderSasa might also inadvertently help rebrand the party of Aung San Suu Kyi, who would be the country’s top political leader were she not locked up. Though she is silenced, Sasa is able to speak — because he successfully fled to a safe hideout.The backgrounds of Sasa and Suu Kyi are quite different. She is political royalty, the country’s most famous person, born to a founding father of the country; Sasa grew up poor, in a mountain village that did not keep proper records. He hails from a small, Indigenous group known as the Mara.“I don’t know my date of birth,” he said. “My mom and dad didn’t go to school. My mom just told me I was born in the morning when it was raining.”(Sasa believes he is about 40.)From those beginnings, Sasa rose to become a medical doctor, traveled the world, and in November, ran for parliament and won. He spoke to The World's Asia correspondent, Patrick Winn, about his extraordinary escape and his plans to create a new “federal army” by uniting Indigenous armed groups in the borderlands.Patrick Winn: Take us back to the day of the coup, Feb. 1. You were ready to start work that day as an elected member of parliament. What happened next?Sasa: I was there in Naypyidaw, the capital of Myanmar, … and I was to take a senior role in the central government. As we woke up the morning of the 1st of February, our phone was dead, our internet … all dead. All we saw was the military surrounding our buildings.I was told by the top presidential team to escape as soon as possible. So that I could speak out for the people of Myanmar and elected members of parliament.I [disguised myself] as a taxi driver. It was tough. The journey was between life and death. It took me three days and three nights to reach a safer location.Can you say what country you are in right now? Or would you rather not say?I cannot say about my location or anything like that. I hope that’s understandable. Because of my security.With your parallel government, you are making really big decisions — like repealing the constitution. To start over and get the army out of politics. But how do your politicians even talk to each other? Or vote on things? Aren’t they locked up or under surveillance? Our members of parliament … are in hiding or on the run. But acts of terrorism will not deter our determination. That is to free the people of Myanmar … So, we have developed all means of communication. And I cannot tell all the communication channels we have … But we are meeting every day and discussing everything.Where is Aung San Suu Kyi exactly? Is she even fully aware of what’s happening in the streets?We don’t know where they’re keeping her. We don’t know if she’s safe or if she’s OK. They only allowed her lawyer, one time, to meet her on video. So, there’s no way that she would know what’s going on, on the ground. She’s not given any information. Even her lawyer is not able to talk to her independently. These are serious violations of human rights. The same goes for almost 3,000 other detainees.The army has most of the guns in your country, as you know. That’s a big part of the problem. But Indigenous peoples have their own smaller armies in Myanmar — more than a dozen groups — mostly in the hills. Some are damn good fighters. What would you like them to do right now?All these ethnic armed organizations, they are there as freedom fighters. We should not forget. They are there because we got cheated out of agreements in 1947 — to become a federal, principles-based country. It’s been 72 years that we’ve been fighting for our rights and freedom, for a federal union. Which the military regime has successfully stopped by killing us.So, we will be forming a federal army … This federal army will replace and reform the military institution. Which has become a terrorist organization.You’re hoping that many of the half-million soldiers in the central army will defect and join this new army?We’ve got a strategy for all those half-million men and women in uniform to join this federal army — not again joined with these killers anymore. We will be having so many men and women coming to this federal army.These military generals … are commanding them: Go kill your own brothers and sisters. Or be killed. So, we need to create a safe zone for them to come join, where they will be respected and have a future. So many people will join. Right now, the generals are using them like slaves.Will people choose the light or the dark? Everyone will come to the light. No one likes to live in the dark.I have to ask, the Rohingya Muslims in your country, no one has had it worse than them. They’ve been killed and pushed out of the country by the army. In your vision of a future Myanmar, are they included?It will include everyone. No one will be left behind. Our policy is equality and no one left behind. The state will be a secular state … that will protect and respect the rights of all ethnic nationalities. So that there’s no way for anyone to target our brothers and sisters, the Rohingya. We’ll never allow that to happen again.Dr. Sasa, is Myanmar a failed state?It’s coming. If the international community fails to stop this killing, of course, this movement will continue no matter what. Because everyone in my country knows they have no future with these military generals. The young generation, they are now leading peaceful protests. Even people who are under 18 know they have no future under these killers. How can we live in a country where armed forces who sign up to protect the people of Myanmar from any attackers … are terrorizing millions of people?I’ve spoken to a lot of protesters inside Myanmar. They’re pretty tough-minded, I have to say. But a lot of them do feel like they’re losing hope. What gives you hope?Our unity is our hope. I’ve never seen our people so united like this before. Our peaceful movement is very powerful. It’s unbeatable. I understand that there is frustration. What can you say when your mother is killed by gunmen? It’s impossible to express the pain of children dying in their mom or dad’s arms. But again, we are determined to defeat these people once and for all.Is there any form of armed intervention from the outside world that you would welcome?We are asking the United Nations Security Council to come together and activate their “Responsibility to Protect” or R2P.We’re asking them to activate R2P for the people of Myanmar. But again, there have been no results from three meetings the Security Council has had.If they fail to act, and people continue to die on the streets in my country, I am afraid that a great civil war like we have never seen before is coming soon. Unless the international community comes together, as an international coalition … with powerful sanctions, targeted sanctions, coordinated sanctions, both diplomatically and economically, against this military regime.There should be a unified and strong message coming from the international community, from our ASEAN [Association of Southeast Asian Nations] brothers and sisters, the European Union and Washington, London, Tokyo, Delhi, Beijing. All these countries have the power to stop this killing and violence.If that does not come, I am afraid many bloody days are coming. In your best guess, how does this nightmare end?We are asking the international community to facilitate a reconciliation scenario. If the military generals stop killing our people, and withdraw all the smoking guns across our streets, and release our leader Aung San Suu Kyi … and all detainees, and give back power to elected officials, and come to the negotiation table … then there is a reconciliation process we can talk about. But they try to solve problems by killing people. It’s not going to work. It has to stop.We are asking our ASEAN brothers and sisters … to facilitate that talk. Bring the generals to the negotiation table and ask them to stop killing children. This is just common sense for us, just a possibility that we can sit down and talk about this.This interview has been edited for length.

Patrick Winn is an award-winning investigative journalist who covers rebellion and black markets in Southeast Asia. He tells the stories that you might not hear about in the west, or on mainstream news channels. Winn has received the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award, and a National Press Club award. He's also a three-time winner of Amnesty International's Human Rights Press Awards - amongst other prizes. After watching the Netflix show 'The Business of Drugs', I was extremely interested in learning more about the meth trade in Myanmar. Patrick, who is a long time investigative reporter in the region, was featured on the show. I reached out to him, wanting to get a better understanding of the players in the region, why Myanmar is such a huge meth producer and distributor, and why this region is so infrequently reported on. Often times, especially in the US, there is a very US-specific prism that we view current world affairs through. It was refreshing to get "outside" insight from Patrick, who has been in Thailand for many years, has learned the language, embedded himself in the culture, and has a very clear understanding of geopolitics, drugs, and journalism in the region. Myanmar is currently the world's biggest meth producer. With the country's rampant corruption, heavily armed militias, and hard to access rainforests, it's a perfect storm, for lack of a better term, that has enabled criminals (and/or people who are just trying to survive) means to easily ramp up drug production. Patrick and I discuss what some solutions to the drug epidemic could be, the harsh penalties most Asian countries have for drug offenders, what led him to cover the drug trade in Asia, the current media landscape, compassion, his documentaries, and much more. Enjoy The Episode! Patrick Winn Patrick's Twitter My Take - Drugs are not going away anytime soon. Governments have spent billions trying to eradicate it, to no avail. The more they try, the more the trade seems to take on steam. Just like cigarettes and alcohol - and partially marijuana - perhaps it is time to set up some system of legalization for some other drugs as well. I'm not sure what the correct way to go about this is, but I do know that decades of a failed "war on drugs" has left many dead bodies, civil wars, billions in lost revenue and money spent - without making a dent in consumption. Comments, requests, sponsorships or questions, please reach out - roybntz@gmail.com

The ins and outs of the Southeast Asian meth trade. Who are the key players? What's politics got to do with it? And how successful is the so-called "war on drugs"? We speak with journalist Patrick Winn, author of "Hello Shadowlands: Inside the Meth Fiefdoms, Rebel Hideouts and Bomb-Scarred Party Towns of Southeast Asia." Visit us on: www.patreon.com/aboutthatthepodcast Twitter: @margaortigas

I sit down with Patrick Winn of TADA or Total Art Design and Architecture in New Braunfels, TX. We have a great conversation about what TADA does and Patrick's Love for New Braunfels. We cover a range of topics, but Patrick's unique insight is amazing. I hope you enjoy! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/kublank/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/kublank/support

Many countries in SE Asia have a sordid and fabled reputation. From movies about mercenaries trying to free POWs in the jungles of Vietnam to novels of colonialism and forbidden love, the region has served as a backdrop for more than a few of the world’s great tales and legends. Some true, others not so much. On this episode we’ll chat with American journalist, radio broadcaster, and documentarian, Patrick Winn about his life covering truly wild sides of life in one of the world’s most colorful corners.

Patrick Winn, Author of ‘Hello, Shadowlands’ shares why he wanted to write a book on methamphetamine fiefdoms in South-east Asia, which is hardly talked about in the region. He weighs in on why he thinks global capitalism is a player in the forces that enable this criminal underworld and how the larger geopolitical landscape has impacted the drug trade in South-east Asia.

Southeast Asia's crime waves range from drugs to human trafficking and these trades are extremely lucrative, and yet the West doesn't seem to talk about it very much. Why?We have a much needed conversation with award winning journalist Patrick Winn. We chat about the writing of his book 'Hello, Shadowlands' and the unprecedented insights he got into the region's meth trade. We also take a look at what's going on in Myanmar. And we also talk about the the contraceptive pill...? Yes, this is truly a fascinating discussion. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Counselor interviews award winning journalist, author, & PRI Asia correspondent Patrick Winn. They discuss his new book “Hello, Shadowlands” covering booming organized crime in southeast Asia. By 2025 the market will be worth more than the GDP of most (if not all) countries on earth. Patrick can be heard on PRI’s “The World” in the afternoon, on NPR. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/cutthecaca/support

Counselor rants about the need to get younger folks out to vote. But first he previews next week's show with award winning journalist & author Patrick Winn. They'll be discussing his new book on organized crime in Southeast Asia. This episode is brought to you by votesaveamerica.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/cutthecaca/support

In this episode, we speak with journalist Patrick Winn about his book, Hello, Shadowlands. Our conversation explores the various organized criminal groups, terrorist organizations, and even vigilante groups operating within Southeast Asian countries. Patrick provides insights into some of the causes of violence and drug trade in the region, describes the struggles of individuals caught... The post Hello, Shadowlands – Organized Crime in Southeast Asia appeared first on Matters of State - International Relations Podcast.

From the world's largest meth trade in Myanmar to "Pyongyang's dancing queens," "neon jihad," and much more, Bangkok-based author Patrick Winn takes us on a tour of the underbelly of Southeast Asia. The region's criminal underworld is valued at $100 billion and in the next decade it's going to hit $375 billion, bigger than many of these country's GDPs, he says. These stories need to be told.

From the world's largest meth trade in Myanmar to "Pyongyang's dancing queens," "neon jihad," and much more, Bangkok-based author Patrick Winn takes us on a tour of the underbelly of Southeast Asia. The region's criminal underworld is valued at $100 billion and in the next decade it's going to hit $375 billion, bigger than many of these country's GDPs, he says. These stories need to be told.

Every Day Is Extra is the title of a new memoir by former US senator and secretary of state John Kerry. He chronicles his time serving in Vietnam, five terms in the Senate, his presidential run, and his tenure as secretary of state. He records a decades long pursuit of multilateral diplomacy and civil political discourse. John Kerry talks to Marco about the state of US politics in 2018. Also: We visit a Persian bookstore in Los Angeles that sells banned Iranian books; Patrick Winn takes us on a ride through Southeast Asia’s drug-fuelled underworld; In her new memoir, Jean Guerrero takes readers on a cross border journey; and, a library in Canada offers a dial-in story reading service in 16 languages. (Former US secretary of state John Kerry in the Boston Calling studio at WGBH. Credit: Steven Davy/The World)

The podcast is very pleased to welcome back journalist Patrick Winn, who previously appeared on the show in its very early days - episode 11 of season 1, to be precise. Patrick recently authored a book called “Hello Shadowlands: Inside the Meth Fiefdoms, Rebel Hideouts, and Bomb-Scarred Party Towns of Southeast Asia” and the subject matter is as exciting as the title would suggest. Patrick discusses his time in Myanmar with gangs of militant Christians who kidnap drug addicts in an attempt to force them to go straight, his adventures in Vietnam with NVA veterans who ambush thugs stealing pet dogs for their meat, and violent gangs in the Philippines. Patrick also stresses the overwhelming size of the underworld dedicated to one drug - ‘ya baa’, a potent, cheap, mass-produced form of methamphetamine. Greg and Ed tease the details out of Patrick on how this criminal network affects Thailand and what the causes may be for the apparent increase in corrupt activities throughout Southeast Asia. As always, the podcast will continue to be 100% funded by listeners just like you who get some special swag from us. And we’ll keep our Facebook, Twitter, and LINE accounts active so you can send us comments, questions, or whatever you want to share.

Thailand is one of the largest exporters of seafood to the United States. On today’s Underreported segment, Global Post’s senior southeast Asian correspondent Patrick Winn investigates claims that forced labor is used on Thai fishing boats.

Being a journalist in the 21st century isn't easy. The industry that has essentially functioned the same since it started centuries ago is undergoing massive changes. In fact, in another ten years, journalists and the journalism industry as we know it might not even exist. But thankfully there are still plenty of good journo's out there, and one of them is the Global Post's Patrick Winn, who has written about everything from ghost festivals to redshirt riots to eating dog. On this podcast, we chat with Patrick about what challenges he faces as his industry changes around him, and what dangers come with being a journalist in Thailand - someone whose job it is to write about topics that some people would prefer to keep quiet.