The Cheli Pacification Commission in Xishuangbanna was established during the Yuan Dynasty and came to an end in the 1950s. The Commission survived external invasions and the changes of dynasties. In the context of the Burma-Siam War (16^(th)-19^(th) century), this article analyses the main reasons that allowed the Cheli Pacification Commission to survive for centuries by looking at its unique geographic locations, harmonious relationship with the surrounding mountain peoples, as well as the cautious use of the death penalty.