[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

Drugs Brief: Price of Opium Soaring

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_00AE_01BF5775.4D0497C0
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Shan Herald Agency for News
=20
5 January 2000

No: 1 - 5
=20
Drugs Brief
Price of Opium Soaring

The price of opium, fresh from the field in Pangpi, Mongpan Township, is =

currently fetching B. 24,000 per viss at Nakawngmu, Mongton Township,=20
reported Maihoong from southern Shan State.

"Last year, it went up to K. 180,000 (about B. 20,000 at unofficial=20
exchange rate)", said sources to Maihoong. "The government claims it was =

because of their anti-drugs efforts. That wasn't so. It was actually,=20
first, the weather and, second, the heroin operators were scrambling =
over=20
each other to stock their refineries".

Sources also said the unprecedented cold weather during the last weeks =
of=20
December destroyed many poppy plants. "It means the price may go even=20
higher", one said.

It was also reported that Shan Nationalities People's Liberation=20
Organization (SNPLO), a Pa-O ceasefire group, has become the biggest=20
producer of heroin in the south. "In the north, it is Kokang who are=20
becoming bigger than the Was, because of the latter's submission to=20
anti-drug programs forced by China. Nowadays, the Was are growing =
poppies=20
outside the Wa region. So the total output is not going to change much=20
unless it is because of the weather".

----------

Was Complain Of Junta's Pro-drug Activities

A Wa officer was complaining of the local Burmese commanders' increasing =

support for drug activities in the areas along the Thai border, said a=20
visitor who returned recently to the border.

"The Major. (who requested anonymity) said while the UWSA (Untied Wa =
State=20
Army) has prohibited the people from growing poppies, buying and selling =

drugs, and use in its area, the local junta units are encouraging them =
to=20
do just the reverse", said the source. "It is making the Wa leadership=20
difficult to maintain good terms with the people".

Inquired if the Was have changed their pro-drug policy, the source said: =

"No, they haven't. It is only that they have relegated the authority to=20
deal in drugs solely to its Department of Economy and Finance. Drug =
abuse=20
and individual buying and selling in the area are therefore severely=20
punished".

Drug exports into Thailand, especially amphetamine pills, are reported =
to=20
be supported strongly by the Burmese commanders.

Maj. Gen Maung Bo, Commander, Eastern Command, was reported saying =
recently=20
to ex-MTA leaders: "Drugs to Thailand, Okay".

///END\\\
For further information, please contact S.H.A.N. at:
Shan Herald Agency for News.
P.O. Box. 15, Nonghoi P.O., 50007, Chiangmai, Thailand
Ph/Fax: (053) 807 121
e-mail: <shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx>

S.H.A.N. is a non-profit making, independent Shan media group. It is not =

affiliated to any political or armed organization.=20


------=_NextPart_000_00AE_01BF5775.4D0497C0
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2014.210" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT color=3D#0000ff face=3DArial size=3D4><STRONG>Shan Herald =
Agency for=20
News</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2>5 January 2000<BR><BR>No: 1 - =
5</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial></FONT>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><FONT color=3D#800000 size=3D4><STRONG>Drugs =
Brief<BR>Price of=20
Opium Soaring</STRONG></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><BR>The price of opium, fresh from the =
field in=20
Pangpi, Mongpan Township, is <BR>currently fetching B. 24,000 per viss =
at=20
Nakawngmu, Mongton Township, <BR>reported Maihoong from southern Shan=20
State.<BR><BR>"Last year, it went up to K. 180,000 (about B. 20,000 at=20
unofficial <BR>exchange rate)", said sources to Maihoong. "The =
government claims=20
it was <BR>because of their anti-drugs efforts. That wasn't so. It was =
actually,=20
<BR>first, the weather and, second, the heroin operators were scrambling =
over=20
<BR>each other to stock their refineries".<BR><BR>Sources also said the=20
unprecedented cold weather during the last weeks of <BR>December =
destroyed many=20
poppy plants. "It means the price may go even <BR>higher", one =
said.<BR><BR>It=20
was also reported that Shan Nationalities People's Liberation =
<BR>Organization=20
(SNPLO), a Pa-O ceasefire group, has become the biggest <BR>producer of =
heroin=20
in the south. "In the north, it is Kokang who are <BR>becoming bigger =
than the=20
Was, because of the latter's submission to <BR>anti-drug programs forced =
by=20
China. Nowadays, the Was are growing poppies <BR>outside the Wa region. =
So the=20
total output is not going to change much <BR>unless it is because of the =

weather".<BR><BR>----------</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><BR><STRONG><FONT color=3D#800000 size=3D4>Was =
Complain Of=20
Junta's Pro-drug Activities</FONT></STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><BR>A Wa officer was complaining of the =
local=20
Burmese commanders' increasing <BR>support for drug activities in the =
areas=20
along the Thai border, said a <BR>visitor who returned recently to the=20
border.<BR><BR>"The Major. (who requested anonymity) said while the UWSA =
(Untied=20
Wa State <BR>Army) has prohibited the people from growing poppies, =
buying and=20
selling <BR>drugs, and use in its area, the local junta units are =
encouraging=20
them to <BR>do just the reverse", said the source. "It is making the Wa=20
leadership <BR>difficult to maintain good terms with the=20
people".<BR><BR>Inquired if the Was have changed their pro-drug policy, =
the=20
source said: <BR>"No, they haven't. It is only that they have relegated =
the=20
authority to <BR>deal in drugs solely to its Department of Economy and =
Finance.=20
Drug abuse <BR>and individual buying and selling in the area are =
therefore=20
severely <BR>punished".<BR><BR>Drug exports into Thailand, especially=20
amphetamine pills, are reported to <BR>be supported strongly by the =
Burmese=20
commanders.<BR><BR>Maj. Gen Maung Bo, Commander, Eastern Command, was =
reported=20
saying recently <BR>to ex-MTA leaders: "Drugs to Thailand,=20
Okay".<BR><BR>///END\\\<BR>For further information, please contact =
S.H.A.N.=20
at:<BR>Shan Herald Agency for News.<BR>P.O. Box. 15, Nonghoi P.O., =
50007,=20
Chiangmai, Thailand<BR>Ph/Fax: (053) 807 121<BR>e-mail: &lt;<A=20
href=3D"mailto:shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx";>shan@xxxxxxxxxxxx</A>&gt;<BR><BR>S.H.A.=
N. is a=20
non-profit making, independent Shan media group. It is not =
<BR>affiliated to any=20
political or armed organization. <BR></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_00AE_01BF5775.4D0497C0--