The Daily Yomiuri, July 21, 2002
Book Description
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."
