Guo Ming Dang army in Northern Thailand Part 2

Akha women cultural dance.

(Introduction: Northern Thailand Experience)
(Part 1: As the story unfolds)

Part 2: Guo Ming Dang army in Northern Thailand

I watched the senior pastor of the Church. He is from Yunan. He is a chubby, cheerful and nice looking chap.

He married an Akha girl and they have a son of a few years old. This guy is pretty amazing. He does everything from being a handyman to an electrician, a soundman to care taker, a rubbish collector to a master of ceremony, a gardener to a shop keeper and of course a preacher.

How Christianity grew in this area was fascinating. A lot was done the Christian missions. Also a lot was done by the remnants of the former soldiers of the Chinese Guo Ming Dang.

As the story went, after the Guo Ming Dang army was defeated by Mao Tze Dung’s army, they split up into two groups.

One withdrew south into Northern Thailand. They lived in the hills and among the hill tribes. One withdrew to Formosa (Taiwan today). They were supposed to regroup to wrest back China from Mao Tse Dung.

And this never happened. As time went by the group that was left stranded in Northern Thailand began to assimilate with the local tribes marrying their women.

Unfortunately many of them too succumbed to drug addictions and alcoholisms.
But there were some who are commendable. I felt they are worth mentioning as their works I think had a tremendous impact on the Christian communities today.

Our group felt blessed to be able to meet with a number of them. Thanks to Pastor Ng and his wife Mdm Liim who made it possible. They brought us around (they consider themselves our tour guide) for the next few days.

1. Hello little girl 2. Akha woman 3. Akha women 4. Surmon in 3 languages

Pastor Ng who is a Malaysian is in his mid sixties. He graduated from Singapore Nanyang University. In the last 14 years he has given his love, time and efforts to Christ and contributed significantly to the communities in Northern Thailand.

He now coordinates 23 churches in Northern Thailand. His wife also Malaysian a few years younger followed him wherever he went. What a handsome couple. They are also the parents of one of our team member Weiwei.

We met Khaw Da Die (Elder Khaw) who is in his late seventies. He was one of the soldiers of the Guo Ming Dang army.

He was a drug addict long time ago. He was saved by the missionaries. He went into a drug rehabilitation centre. He was cured of drug addictions and alcoholisms. He became a Christian.

He decided to preach the Gospel. He walked literally walked from door to door. But you must understand that from one door to another door is not like our door to door close to each other. Theirs is more like from one hill to another hill.

With a bible in one hand a walking stick on the other, he trod across the highlands and lowlands preaching to whoever wants to listen.

He walked from one hill to another. His faith was rewarded. Through him he had built seven churches. Wow what a man.

Now he may look frail but his passion for Christ remained as strong as ever. He and his wife, Khaw Dama, they together have three sons.

His third son, Ja Guo was the one who was driving us around at Northern Thailand.
The story to continue at part 3 … The Death Camp of Khun sa.


1. Jessica at Xa Fang 2. Pat & Jess visit Rehab 3. Children 4. Pat & Jess

As the Story unfolds at Northern Thailand Part 1

(Also See Intro: Northern Thailand Experience)

Part 1

The first night greeted us with a Christmas Celebration at the church. We were invited.

Although it was only Dec 20th, I think the church when learned of our coming planned it to coincide with our arrival. When the time came we went up to the church hall and lo and behold there were already a lot of people.

I did not expect such a large turnout in such a small place. Honestly I wouldn’t have imagined it. A large turnout it was. There were more than 100 people, adults and children in their best dress.
What impressed me most was that most of them were from a hill tribe known as the Akha and they are Christians.

My second amazement was - how on earth did they became Christians. As I know it later - it was because of the untiring efforts of Christian missionaries who had been going there for that purpose.

The Akha is one of the thirteen hill tribes found in Northern Thailand. The largest of the tribes is the Karen (not to be confused with the ‘long neck’ Karen living in Myanmar). However in this place where we visit is mostly populated by the Akha.

If you'd known the Akha, they practiced shifting cultivation. And in the past they planted poppy as a cash crop. Unfortunately many of them succumbed to what drug addictions and alcoholicism.

The Akha believe in demons. And in many villages of (the non-believer) Akha you can always see a ‘demon gate’.

As the legend was told by the Akha, they believed that long, long time ago humans and demons coexisted together in harmony. The coexistence was simple, the demons own the hills and rule the night. The humans own the valley and the farms, rule the day.

But after a while when livestocks began to disappear the demons were accused of stealing them.

Conflict emerged between the humans and the demons. As a result of that, according to the Akha folklore the demons and human went separate ways to this day.

Thus the humans began to construct the 'demon gate’ at the entrance of every village to keep the demons out.

Only humans can pass through that gate. And no one must touch the gate. If some did, the gate has to be re-constructed again.

When the missionaries came, they preached the gospel to the Akha people. But both the missionaries and the converted Akha faced dire consequences.

The missionaries were not welcome and were threatened.

At the same Akha found to be Christian was expelled from the village. Even if it was only one member of the family become a Christian the entire family is expelled.

I was inspired by the courage and the persistenceness of the missionaries. It was truly witnessing the Lord’s hands at work.

That night as we watched the shows preformed by the children, I marveled at them. They were dancing one performance after another. My heart went out to them.

I could not have imagined myself to be here at this northerness tip of Thailand, sitting down together with these strangers and enjoying a Christmas Celebration. But yes, I am right there. Wow.

I thought of the folks back home in Singapore and Malaysia. And I wondered what they might be doing ‘right now’?

Story to be continued…..