UNODC Burma/Myanmar
Individual Documents
Description:
"UNODC and the Myanmar Police Force (MPF) took an important step towards improving border security and mitigating the impacts of COVID-19 today, as UNODC handed over significant quantities of personal protective equipment (PPE) for use at border liaison offices (BLOs) across Myanmar. UNODC provided the MPF with 20,000 surgical masks, 200 pairs of goggles, 8,000 pairs of disposable gloves, 160 protective suits and 60 contactless temperature scanners, which will now be used by frontline border officers at 13 land border crossings. The equipment was supplied by China’s Ministry of Public Security, who donated the PPE to UNODC for distribution across the BLO network.
“To ensure Myanmar’s border checkpoints are secure, frontline officers need to know they can carry out their job without unnecessary risk of contracting COVID-19,” said UNODC Officer in Charge for Myanmar, Marie Pegie-Cauchois. “Which is why UNODC has prioritized getting PPE and personal safety guides to those working in BLOs. It’s an essential step in preventing organized crime from taking advantage of the situation more than they already have. Human trafficking, migrant smuggling, wildlife and timber trafficking, and, particularly urgent given the situation in Myanmar, illicit drug flows, are at risk of increasing if border checkpoints are not operating as effectively as possible. We believe today’s handover of PPE is a significant step forward in mitigating these risks as we move forward.”
he handover takes place at a crucial point, as discussions of reopening borders and increasing trade between Myanmar and its neighbours are ongoing. As borders reopen, increased trade flows are expected, particularly in the initial days following border openings, emphasizing the importance of preparing BLOs and frontline officers now. Alongside the equipment being handed over are personal safety guides developed by UNODC providing detailed information on officer safety, effectively using PPE, as well as how standard operating procedures can be effectively adapted to allow licit goods to cross borders with minimal friction in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (Austria)
Date of publication:
2020-06-11
Date of entry/update:
2020-06-11
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, COVID-19 (Coronavirus), Drugs and Burma: general links, reports and articles
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pdf
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164.48 KB
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Sub-title:
Thousands of litres of methyl fentanyl point to ‘unprecedented’ production of opioids in so-called Golden Triangle area
Description:
"Myanmar has made south-east Asia’s largest-ever seizure of synthetic drugs in raids that revealed “unprecedented” production of opioids in the area, the UN has said.
Between February and April, authorities swooped on labs in the lawless Kutkai area of Shan state, seizing nearly 200m meth tablets, 500kg (1,100lbs) of crystal meth, 300kg of heroin, and 3,750 litres of methyl fentanyl.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) described the haul as one of the largest and most successful counter-narcotics operations in the history of the region.
“What has been unearthed through this operation is truly off the charts,” Jeremy Douglas, the UNODC south-east Asia and Pacific representative said in a statement. The production network could have been possible only with the backing of serious transnational criminal groups, he added. The raids unearthed “unprecedented” methyl fentanyl, the sign of a new trend of synthetic opioid production emerging “on a scale nobody anticipated”, said Douglas.
Fifty times stronger than heroin and up to 100 times more potent than morphine, fentanyl can be lethal from as little as two milligrams – the equivalent of a few grains of sand.
It has fuelled an opioid crisis in the US that killed 32,000 people in 2018.
Myanmar is under pressure to stem the deluge of drugs from its border regions. Shan state is part of the “Golden Triangle” – a wedge of land cutting into Myanmar, Laos, China and Thailand and virtually untroubled by authorities despite the multi-billion dollar trade..."
Source/publisher:
"Agence France-Presse" (Paris) via "South China Morning Post" (Hong Kong)
Date of publication:
2020-05-19
Date of entry/update:
2020-05-19
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Burma: drug production and trafficking, Burma: opium and heroin, Drugs and Burma: general links, reports and articles, UNODC Burma/Myanmar
Language:
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Description:
"Poppy‐growing villages face serious challenges to meet Sustainable Development Goals: About one in nine households in Shan State were directly involved in opium poppy cultivation in 2018, a similar situation to 2016. This means opium poppy continues to be an integral part of the state’s economy.
The result is one of the findings from UNODC’s expanded data‐gathering operation in Myanmar. For the first time, this report can draw on more than 1,500 households interviewed, as well as interviews with the headmen in 599 villages. The extra information has enabled a socio‐economic analysis of opium cultivation in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The research reveals that villages where opium poppy is cultivated have lower levels of development than other villages. Disparities are most noticeable with regards to security, environment, job opportunities and infrastructure. And there is a broad link between levels of development and poppy cultivation – East Shan is the least developed area and has the highest levels of engagement in poppy cultivation. However, a closer look shows that there are important variations within the region that are key to understanding drug control and development challenges.
Non‐state groups control many poppy villages, suggesting a link between governance and opium poppy cultivation: Poppy villages were in general more likely than non‐poppy villages to be under the control of militias and other non‐state groups, according to surveys of village headmen. Some 18 per cent of poppy‐growing villages were beyond government control, compared with 9 per cent of non‐poppy villages. This link was strongest in North Shan, where reported conflicts between government and anti‐government forces were most frequent. In North Shan, more than half of poppy villages were controlled by militias or other forces, compared with 12 per cent of non‐poppy villages.
There was no significant difference in the level of perceived safety between poppy and non‐poppy villages – less than half of village headmen said their village was ‘safe’ or ‘very safe’ regardless of the presence of opium poppy..."
Source/publisher:
UN Office on Drugs and Crime ( Vienna) via Reliefweb (USA)
Date of publication:
2019-11-19
Date of entry/update:
2019-11-20
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs in Shan State, Drug bans and poppy crop substitution, Burma: drug production and trafficking, Drugs and Burma: general links, reports and articles
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
11.85 MB (106 pages)
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Sub-title:
Opium cultivation in Kachin and Shan states is double the amount reported by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and it is all in Tatmadaw (military)-controlled areas, according to a report released by the Kachin Independence Organisatio
Description:
"The KIO’s Drug Eradication Committee unveiled the report on the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Wednesday.
In its report, the KIO said that it had conducted surveys in 19 townships in Kachin and northern Shan during the 2018-2019 opium growing season, and it had found 6918 hectares of opium fields in Kachin, double the 3400 hectares estimated by the UNODC in its 2018 Myanmar Opium Survey.
The KIO said it found some opium fields in Puta-o and Sumprabum, areas of Kachin that were not surveyed by UNODC. The UNODC report only mentions the Danai and Kanpaiti areas as opium-growing regions in Kachin, it said.
The report also said there were 3192.4 hectares of opium fields in five townships in northern Shan. As in Kachin, all opium growing is taking place in areas controlled by the military, their Border Guard Force and allied militia, the KIO said..."
Source/publisher:
"Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-07-01
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Burma: drug production and trafficking, Burma: opium and heroin
Language:
more
Sub-title:
The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) has rejected the findings of the UN opium survey for 2018, saying it contains errors and is demanding a correction.
Description:
"The armed ethnic group based in northern Shan issued the demand in an open letter on Monday to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
“[The report] is wrong and seriously misleading,” Lt. Col Sai Harn, head of the RCSS’s drug eradication programme, said in the letter, a copy of which was provided to The Myanmar Times.
The RCSS objected to the agency’s map of armed groups that shows a large presence of the government-allied militia in southern Shan State, including in areas where there is a lot of opium poppy cultivation.
The report made no mention of opium poppy cultivation in areas controlled by the Tatmadaw (military) and allied militias.
It said the area of opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar had dropped 10 percent to 37,300 hectares in 2018, down from 41,000 hectares in 2017 and that Shan continues to be a major grower, accounting for almost 90pc of the total. The southern, eastern and northern portions of the state accounted for 38pc, 27pc and 23pc of total cultivation, respectively.
The RCSS insisted that the map of armed groups in Myanmar on page seven of the report wrongly designated areas under the government-allied Pa-O National Organisation in southwest Shan as belonging to the Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA). These areas are shown on the map on page six as having a lot of opium poppy cultivation..."
Source/publisher:
"Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
Date of publication:
2019-03-20
Date of entry/update:
2019-10-12
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Drugs in Shan State, UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Burma: drug production and trafficking, Burma: opium and heroin
Language:
more
Sub-title:
UN report shows less land being used to grow opium poppies, but conflicts hampering eradication programme.
Description:
"The amount of land being used to grow opium poppies continues to decline in Myanmar, but ongoing conflicts are hampering efforts to stamp out the trade at a time when the illicit drug economy is becoming increasingly diverse, according to a new United Nations report.
Some 37,300 hectares of land in the country was under poppy cultivation last year, down from 41,000 in 2017, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said in its Myanmar Opium Survey 2018 on Friday.
Nearly 90 percent of all the opium was grown in the northeastern Shan state, where government forces continue to battle ethnic rebels.
"The biggest drops in cultivation have been seen in areas that have had relatively good security," the UNODC said..."
Source/publisher:
"Al Jazeera" (Qatar)
Date of publication:
2019-01-11
Date of entry/update:
2019-09-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Burma: opium and heroin, Burma: drug production and trafficking, UNODC Burma/Myanmar
Language:
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Title: 2011 Patterns and Trends of Amphetamine-Type Stimulants and Other Drugs, Asia and the Pacific
Description:
"The East and South-East Asia region, which is home
to about one-third of the global population, has one
of the most established amphetamine-type stimulants
(ATS) markets in the world, primarily for methamphetamine. Since the late 1990s, the illicit manufacture, trafficking and use of ATS have expanded significantly in the region. These trends continued in 2010.
The present report highlights the most current patterns and trends of amphetamine-type stimulants and
other drugs of use in East and South-East Asia and
provides overviews for the neighbouring regions of
South Asia and the Pacific. This is the latest in a series
of reports prepared under the Global Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends (SMART)
Programme. The objective of the Global SMART Programme is to enhance the capacity of Member States
and relevant authorities to generate, manage, analyse,
report and use synthetic drug information, in order
to design effective, scientifically-sound and evidencebased policies and programmes.
The findings of the report are based on primary information submitted by the drug control agencies and
designated institutions in Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam,
via the Drug Use Information Network for Asia and
the Pacific (DAINAP) established through the Global
SMART Programme. Information from DAINAP
is supplemented with data from other Government
sources such as national reports, the Annual Reports
Questionnaire, and through primary and secondary
research. Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Republic
of Korea also provided data to the Global SMART
Programme for this report.
All 15 countries that contributed to this report reported significant levels of ATS use. In several of those
countries, ATS drugs, particularly methamphetamine
(in pill or crystalline form), have emerged as the primary drug threat in recent years, in some cases displacing traditionally used plant-based drugs such as heroin, opium or cannabis. It is estimated that between
3.5 and 20.9 million persons in East and South-East
Asia have used amphetamines in the past year..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2011-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Burma: opium and heroin, Burma: drug production and trafficking, Burma: HIV/AIDS-Heroin Nexus, The human impact of drugs and drug policies in Burma
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
9.34 MB
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Sub-title:
Report on Operations in 2011 and Future Prospects
Description:
Four new Border Liaison Offices (BLOs) were established on the border between
Cambodia and Viet Nam, with an expanded mandate to deal with all forms of crossborder trafficking and smuggling (not just drugs). Twelve other existing BLOs have been
identified for mandate expansion, in the same two countries, beyond their current focus
on drug control.
Multi-agency national committees were established in Cambodia and Viet Nam to
oversee the work of the new-style BLOs, demonstrating national commitment to
improving cooperation between agencies dealing with different types of cross-border
crime (including drugs, smuggling of people, natural resources and hazardous goods).
Collection and sharing of regional data concerning production, smuggling, and use of
Amphetamine Type Stimulants (ATS) and other drugs through the SMART programme
continues to improve year after year. There is clear evidence to show that the data is
being used in the region to help inform policy making. New Global e-Learning products (also known as Computer Based Training) were
developed. New training modules for Smuggling of Migrants, Trafficking in Persons,
Wildlife Crime and Human Rights are now in production.
Access to information on migrant smuggling in the region (in support of the Bali Process)
continues to improve with UNODC support. Research papers have been produced and
steady progress is being made towards establishing a regional voluntary reporting system
on migrant smuggling.
In Indonesia, capacities of stakeholder institutions, NGOs and communities have been
strengthened in Papua Province to help combat illegal logging and the illicit trade in
forest products.
Background research on child-sex tourism in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand and Viet
Nam has been largely completed, in preparation for the implementation of ‘Project
Childhood’ in collaboration with INTERPOL. This has included legislative review/gap
analysis, institutional profiling and a review of current training programmes for law
enforcement officials on combatting child-sex tourism.
The need for improved national mechanisms and enhanced cross-border cooperation to
support victims of human trafficking has been effectively advocated, based on
preliminary research and dialogue with senior government officials in Cambodia and
Thailand.
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2012-04-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, The human impact of drugs and drug policies in Burma, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Burma: opium and heroin, Burma: drug production and trafficking, Burma: HIV/AIDS-Heroin Nexus
Language:
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Size:
982.22 KB
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Description:
"The Lao PDR Opium Survey 2011 was undertaken and produced by the Government of Lao PDR
and UNODC. From 2005 to 2011, the survey methodology has consisted of an aerial survey by
helicopter covering sample sites in opium poppy producing provinces in northern Lao PDR. Like
in 2010, the survey focused on four Provinces (Phongsaly, Houaphan Luang Namtha and Xieng
Khouang). Observations show that the poppy cultivation was concentrated in two of these
provinces, namely Phongsaly and Houaphan. Cultivation in Luang Namtha and Xieng Khouang
had become marginal in the past years, however, in 2011 some large concentrations were spotted
in Luang Namtha. Although no survey took place in Oudomxay province, the survey team
received information that some poppy was growing again in the North of this province.
Opium poppy cultivation
In 2011, opium poppy cultivation was found in all of the four surveyed provinces. The total area
under opium poppy cultivation in the Lao PDR expanded to 4,100 hectares in 2011 (an increase of
38% from 2010) with a confidence interval from 2,500 ha to 6,000 ha. In spite of this increase, the
overall level of opium poppy cultivation in the country remains low compared to a decade ago.
Following the trend noticed over the last two years, more fields are gathered in strings covering
the mountainsides around the villages, which might indicate that cultivation is becoming more
common..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2011-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Burma: opium and heroin, Burma: drug production and trafficking
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
4.81 MB
Local URL:
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Description:
"Chapter I of this year’s World Drug Report provides an
overview of recent trends and the drug situation in terms
of production, trafficking and consumption and the consequences of illicit drug use in terms of treatment, drugrelated diseases and drug-related deaths.
Chapter II presents a long-term perspective on the characteristics and evolution of the drug problem and the main
factors that shaped it. It starts with a discussion of the main
characteristics of the contemporary drug problem, followed
by an overview of the shifts observed over the last few
de cades, before concluding with an analysis of the driving
factors that shaped the evolution of the drug problem,
including a brief outlook for its likely future direction. CHAPTER I. RECENT STATISTICS
AND TREND ANALYSIS OF ILLICIT
DRUG MARKETS
Latest available data indicate that there has been no significant change in the global status quo regarding the use,
production and health consequences of illicit drugs, other
than the return to high levels of opium production in
Afghanistan after a disease of the opium poppy and subsequent crop failure in 2010. But while the troubled waters
of the world’s illicit drug markets may appear to be stagnant, shifts and changes in their flows and currents can be
observed below the surface. These are significant and also
worrying, not because of how they currently impact on
the data but because they are proof of the resilience and
adaptability of illicit drug suppliers and users and because
of the potential future repercussions of those shifts and
changes in the world’s major drug markets.
The global picture
The extent of global illicit drug use remained stable in the
five years up to and including 2010, at between 3.4 and
6.6 per cent of the adult population (persons aged 15-64).
However, some 10-13 per cent of drug users continue to
be problem users with drug dependence and/or drug-use
disorders, the prevalence of HIV (estimated at approximately 20 per cent), hepatitis C (46.7 per cent) and hepatitis B (14.6 per cent) among injecting drug users continues
to add to the global burden of disease, and, last but not
least, approximately 1 in every 100 deaths among adults
is attributed to illicit drug use.
Opioids continue to be the dominant drug type accounting for treatment demand in Asia and Europe and also
contribute considerably to treatment demand in Africa,
North America and Oceania. Treatment for cocaine use is
mainly associated with the Americas, while cannabis is the
main drug causing treatment demand in Africa. Demand
for treatment relating to the use of amphetamine-type
stimulants (ATS) is most common in Asia..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2012-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-08
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, The human impact of drugs and drug policies in Burma, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Burma: opium and heroin, Burma: drug production and trafficking
Language:
Format :
pdf
Size:
12.33 MB
Local URL:
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Title: 2012 Patterns and Trends of Amphetamine-Type Stimulants and Other Drugs: Asia and the Pacific
Description:
"Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) are the second
most widely used class of drugs worldwide, after cannabis. The East and South-East Asia region, which is
home to about one-third of the global population, has
some of the largest and most established ATS markets
in the world. Methamphetamine in pill, powder and
crystalline forms are the most widely used forms of
ATS in the region. Demand for ecstasy remains high,
although its use has declined. Since the late 1990s, the
illicit manufacture, trafficking and use of ATS have
expanded significantly in the region. These trends
continued in 2011.
The present report highlights the most current patterns and trends of amphetamine-type stimulants and
other drugs of use in East and South-East Asia and
provides overviews for the neighbouring regions of
South Asia and the Pacific. This is the latest in a series
of reports prepared under the Global Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends (SMART)
Programme. The objective of the Global SMART Programme is to enhance the capacity of Member States
and relevant authorities to generate, manage, analyse,
report and use synthetic drug information, in order
to design effective, scientifically-sound and evidencebased policies and programmes.
The findings of the report are based on primary information submitted by the drug control agencies and
designated institutions in Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam,
via the Drug Abuse Information Network for Asia and
the Pacific (DAINAP) established through the Global
SMART Programme. Information from DAINAP
is supplemented with data from other Government
sources such as national reports, the Annual Reports
Questionnaire, and through primary and secondary
research. Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Republic
of Korea also provided data to the Global SMART
Programme for this report..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2012-12-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Burma: opium and heroin, Burma: drug production and trafficking
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.39 MB
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Description:
"Migrant Smuggling in Asia: A !ematic Review of
Literature and the accompanying annotated bibliography o#er a consolidation of !ndings contained in
research literature that analyses migrant smuggling
in Asia either directly or indirectly. !e review of
the available body of empirical knowledge aimed
to create an information base and identify the
gaps in what is known about the smuggling of migrants around and out of the region.
By consolidating the information currently accessible on migrant smuggling, the !ematic Review of
Literature looks to stimulate and guide further research that will contribute to informing evidencebased policies to prevent and combat the smuggling
of migrants while upholding and protecting the
rights of those who are smuggled.
"e United Nations O$ce on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC) conducted the research in support of the Bali Process, which is a regional, multilateral process to improve cooperation against migrant
smuggling, tra$cking in persons and related forms
of transnational crime.
!e systematic search for research literature in
English, French and German covered an eight-year
period (1 January 2004 to 31 March 2011) and 14
countries (Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Pakistan, Singapore, Sri Lanka, "ailand and Viet Nam).
Primary research, such as the collection of statistics
from national authorities, was not part of the project.
"e project began with a search of 44 databases, one
meta-library catalogue, three institution-speci!c library catalogues and 39 websites of institutions that
work on migrant smuggling. "is resulted in 845 documents that were then closely reviewed against a set of
further elaborated criteria. Ultimately, 154 documents
were critically reviewed and formed the basis of this
report. Abstracts of those documents are provided in
Migrant Smuggling in Asia: An Annotated Bibliography.
"e systematic search also included literature regarding irregular migration and human tra$cking &ows
not only because migrant smuggling takes place
within irregular migration but to learn more about
the relationship between migrant smuggling, irregular migration and human tra"cking.
A highly fragmented information base: Knowledge gaps prevail
Of the 154 documents reviewed, 75 of them provided information about migrant smuggling, 117
provided information about irregular migration and
66 provided information about human tra$cking.
Keeping in mind that some countries within the
research scope are major sources of migrant smuggling and irregular migration, these !gures illustrate
that migrant smuggling has not attracted a critical
amount of attention within the research community.
Accurate data on the extent of migrant smuggling
either rarely exists or could not be accessed by researchers. "e reviewed literature re&ects the paucity of and/or shortcomings in o$cial quantitative
data in many countries and the di$culties in accessing data that would allow a better grasp of both the
extent of irregular migration and to what extent irregular migration is facilitated by migrant smugglers.
!e available research literature on irregular migration contributes only in a limited way to increasing the understanding of migrant smuggling
due to a lack of clarity with the terminology. Common is the use of terms that are not further de!ned,
such as “illegal migrant”, “broker”, “agent” and “recruiter”. "is ambiguity signi!cantly has limited the
capacity of the literature on irregular migration to
clarify to what extent migrant smugglers facilitate
irregular migration and how..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2012-08-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, Burma: opium and heroin, The human impact of drugs and drug policies in Burma
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
2.15 MB
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Description:
"This report integrates the reviewed literature on irregular migration and the working conditions of
smuggled migrants with in-depth interviews with
a group of Pakistanis working in London’s migrant
economy. "e intent is to describe the speci!c forms
of risk and “precarity” facing smuggled migrants in
this particular context. "e report begins with a discussion of the methodology issues that ensued when
dealing with a population reluctant to be identi-
!ed. Despite the problems, 21 semi-structured interviews were carried out during the course of the
study, although this number included several regular
migrants as well as employers. "e inclusion of the
latter two groups allowed for comparisons and different perspectives in the analysis.
Findings from the study delineate both similarities
and di#erences in the conditions endured by regular
and irregular migrants. Both migrant groups experience long hours, poor working conditions and a
certain amount of insecurity, but irregular migrants
must adapt to ever-changing circumstances, given
the instability of life in their enclave. Although both
types of migrants experience similar di$culties, irregular migrants’ problems are exacerbated due to
their status. For example, they need to pay o# smugglers who facilitated their journeys as well as escape
notice of authorities empowered to deport them.
"ese burdens are both psychological and material.
In essence, they become “prisoners of monetized
time”, which impedes the hope of upward mobility..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2012-08-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Burma: drug production and trafficking, The human impact of drugs and drug policies in Burma
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.26 MB
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Description:
"The market for amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS)
in the Asia and the Pacific region continued to expand
in 2012. Seizures of methamphetamine in pill and
crystalline forms reached record highs while methamphetamine use increased in most countries in East and
Southeast Asia, according to government expert perception. Illicit methamphetamine manufacture continued to spread throughout the region and new markets
emerged for a variety of other synthetic substances. Ecstasy use, which had been in decline over the past several years, increased in a number of countries in 2012
while ecstasy seizures more than tripled compared with
the previous year. Moreover, the range of new psychoactive substances (NPS) found in the region continued
to increase.
This report highlights the most current patterns and
trends of amphetamine-type stimulants and other
drugs of use in East and Southeast Asia and provides
overviews for the neighbouring regions of South Asia
and the Pacific Island States and Territories. This is the
latest in a series of reports prepared under the Global
Synthetics Monitoring: Analyses, Reporting and Trends
(SMART) Programme. The Programme seeks to enhance the capacity of Member States and authorities in
priority regions to generate, manage, analyse and report
synthetic drug information, and to apply this scientific
evidence-based knowledge to design effective responses.
A primary objective of this report is to help in improving the ability of states to respond to the growing human security and public health threats posed by the illicit manufacture, trafficking and use of synthetic drugs
in the Asia and the Pacific region.
The findings of this report are based on primary information submitted by the drug control agencies and designated institutions in Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, China,
Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam, via the Drug Abuse
Information Network for Asia and the Pacific (DAINAP)
established through the Global SMART Programme. Information from DAINAP is supplemented with data from
other government sources such as national reports, the
UNODC Annual Reports Questionnaire, and through
primary and secondary research. Australia, Japan, New
Zealand and the Republic of Korea also provided data to
the Global SMART Programme for this report..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2013-11-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Burma: opium and heroin, Burma: drug production and trafficking
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
4.6 MB
more
Sub-title:
Promoting the rule of law and health to address drugs and crime in Southeast Asia
Description:
"This Regional Programme (RP) document outlines the proposed scope and focus of the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) work in Southeast Asia2
from 2014 to 2017, to be carried out by
UNODC, under the lead of the Regional Office for Southeast Asia and the Pacific based in Bangkok
(ROSEAP), making effective use of expertise and infrastructure available in UNODC Headquarters, as well
as the UNODC field office network in Southeast Asia3
. A strong emphasis will be placed on pursuing
cooperation with relevant regional partnership mechanisms and frameworks such as the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Greater Mekong Sub-region Memorandum of Understanding
on Drug Control.
The RP outlines the framework for delivering a coherent programme of work, and aims to:
Give clear focus to supporting Member States in achieving priority drugs and crime outcomes in
the region; and
Increase the responsiveness, efficiency and effectiveness of UNODC’s support to the region.
The proposed programme of work has been developed in close consultation with countries of the region
and other regional partners, and the situation analysis includes:
A profile of UNODC’s global strategy, governing bodies and mandates
A brief description of the broad regional development context
An overview of the key drugs and crime challenges facing the region. Particular attention is
given to: (i) transnational organised crime and illicit trafficking; (ii) anti-corruption; (iii) terrorism
prevention; (iv) criminal justice; and (v) drugs and health, and alternative development
A profile of regional institutions and initiatives relevant to UNODC’s mandates and work
A profile of UNODC in the region, including past and current activities, key partners and lessons
learned from implementation of the previous UNODC Regional Progamme Framework..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2013-11-06
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, Burma: opium and heroin, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, The human impact of drugs and drug policies in Burma
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
979.8 KB
more
Description:
"While the area under poppy cultivation in Myanmar increased by 13% in 2013, the number of
households growing poppy remained roughly the same, as farmers on average dedicated a larger
portion of their land to poppy cultivation than in 2012. The average area of poppy per opium
growing household more than doubled from 0.17 hectares in 2002/2003 to 0.43 hectares in 2013.
This implies a larger dependency of those households on opium.
Furthermore, the Myanmar survey found that many households not only earn income from the
cultivation of opium poppy on their own land, but also by labouring in the poppy fields of other
farmers. Alternative development projects thus need to address both of these groups, as a
reduction in poppy cultivation for many households means the loss of an opportunity to generate
income from poppy-related wage labour.
There is a strong link between poverty and poppy cultivation. In poppy-growing villages in
Myanmar, significantly higher proportions of households are in debt and are exposed to food
insecurity than in non-poppy-growing villages. Furthermore, households in poppy-growing
villages on average suffer longer from food insecurity than households in non-growing villages.
Thus, in poppy-growing villages, opium cultivation seems to be a means to earn cash income in
order to purchase food in months when households’ food resources have been depleted. In other
words, poppy farmers try to compensate for a lack of alternatives in their opportunities for earning
income in order to subsist.
Income patterns in poppy-growing and non-poppy growing villages in Myanmar are complex and
differ in much more than just poppy cultivation. Despite indicators of greater vulnerability (as
seen in higher levels of debt, food insecurity and drug use), households in poppy-growing villages
in all regions, with the exception of East Shan, had a higher average income than those in nonpoppy-growing villages. On the other hand, households in non-poppy-growing villages had better
access to salaried jobs and petty trade.
In Lao PDR, no socio-economic survey of poppy-growing villages was conducted in recent years.
The data from the helicopter flights and satellite image analysis indicated that poppy cultivation
continued to be a phenomenon linked to villages in peripheral, difficult to access locations, far
from population and market centres.
Risks and opportunities associated with different income patterns in poppy-growing and nonpoppy growing villages need to be investigated in more detail in Myanmar but also in Lao PDR to
understand how livelihood risks can be reduced and the resilience of households can be improved
in the context of efforts to contain and reduce households’ dependence on poppy cultivation..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2013-06-12
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-07
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, Burma: opium and heroin, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Burma: drug production and trafficking
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
6.94 MB
Local URL:
more
Sub-title:
Trends and Patterns of Amphetamine-type Stimulants and New Psychoactive Substances
Description:
"This report analyses recent trends and developments of
the synthetic drugs market in East and South-East Asia
and Oceania, comprising both amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) and new psychoactive substances (NPS).
NPS are substances of abuse that are not controlled by
the International Drug Conventions but which may
pose a public health threat. In this context, the term
‘new’ does not necessarily refer to new inventions but
to substances that have recently become available.1
East
and South-East Asia and Oceania has the largest ATS
market in the world and in recent years the scope and
availability of NPS has rapidly expanded. Moreover,
this synthetic drugs market is becoming more complex
and interconnected with other regions. These developments warrant an in-depth study to understand the
current threat and impact of ATS and NPS in East and
South-East Asia and Oceania within a global context.
The analysis of the synthetic drug problem in the region is essential to complement the understanding of
the illicit market for synthetic drugs called for in the
2009 Political Declaration and Plan of Action on International Cooperation towards an Integrated and Balanced Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem.
The availability of quality data and information-sharing
in the region has improved with the support of the Drug
Abuse Information Network for Asia and the Pacific
(DAINAP), which offers a regional control mechanism
for drug monitoring.2
However, the quality of data and
information on some aspects of the synthetic drugs market remains limited. Particularly, demand-related data
on the extent and pattern of use, and treatment remains
scarce. And yet, methamphetamine and other synthetic
drugs that pose a serious health threat to users seem to
become increasingly available and are a challenge for
health care providers and drug control authorities.
Challenges in reducing the supply and demand
for synthetic drugs
Methamphetamine continues to dominate the synthetic drugs market in East and South-East Asia and
is mainly available in two forms: methamphetamine
tablets and crystalline methamphetamine. Increasing
methamphetamine seizures and expert perception of
high levels of methamphetamine tablet and crystalline
methamphetamine use indicate the presence of a large
and possibly expanding market in East and South-East
Asia.3
For some years, the “ecstasy”4
market has been
concentrated in parts of Oceania. Recently, according
to expert perception, there is an emerging “ecstasy”
market in parts of East and South-East Asia with use
reported in Indonesia and countries in the Mekong
sub-region.5
Addressing the trafficking of synthetic drugs in East and
South-East Asia involves a number of difficulties. Over
the last several years, countries in East and South-East
Asia and Oceania have experienced rapid economic expansion. For instance, the share of the regions’ global
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) based on purchasingpower-parity (PPP), is estimated to have increased
from about 10 per cent in 2000 to over 30 per cent in
2014 at a value of more than US$ 28 trillion.6
Except
for a sharp drop in 2009, exports and imports to and
from countries in East and South-East Asia and Oceania have also significantly increased over the years. Between 2002 and 2013, imports and exports more than
tripled to more than US$ 6.5 trillion and 6.9 US$
trillion respectively..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2015-05-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, Burma: opium and heroin, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Burma: drug production and trafficking
Language:
English
Format :
pdf pdf
Size:
9.34 MB 2.78 MB
more
Sub-title:
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Drug Control
Description:
"The Mekong Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Drug Control brings together six
countries in East and Southeast Asia – Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Thailand and
Viet Nam – to address the threat of illicit drug production, trafficking and use.
As a non-state signatory and the seventh partner to the MOU, the United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime (UNODC) provides secretariat and technical support to the MOU process.
UNODC’s Regional Programme for Southeast Asia is carefully designed to ensure effective
support for the Mekong MOU mechanism. With support from the international community
and UNODC, the Mekong MOU Governments have worked together on issues related to
illicit drugs for over 25 years..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, Drugs: Standards and Mechanisms, The human impact of drugs and drug policies in Burma
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
4.14 MB
more
Description:
"This report outlines the need to strengthen links between Southeast Asia’s economic integration
agenda and its security agenda. The region is committed to rapidly developing economic connections
but attention is lagging towards the security impacts that accompany these developments. Regional
integration expands licit economic opportunities, but illicit markets tend to develop at the same time.
Where cross-border infrastructure and trade facilitation initiatives are expanding, organised crime
groups have demonstrated the capacity to seize new opportunities to expand cross-border crime.
ASEAN member states have committed to expand the regional economic market through far-reaching
fast moving integration. Physical and non-physical barriers are being removed to ensure more
practical and efficient border crossings for people, goods and money. This process is accompanied by
a number of infrastructure initiatives that will enhance connectivity between trading partners and
increase access to previously remote areas. For trade and infrastructure planners, the dominant
concept of border management is shifting from ‘control’ to ‘facilitation’. However, the positive effects
of economic growth need to be safeguarded by making trade, migration, and sensitive areas more
secure.
The expected growth of cross-border trade and migration calls for novel measures to monitor and
secure the people and goods moving internationally. This requires robust and streamlined procedures;
law enforcement and security agencies will need to work closely with trade and infrastructure
planners and developers. Currently, the ASEAN institutional agenda for countering transnational crime
is not moving at the same speed as the trade and migration side of the integration agenda.1
This report provides a brief overview of economic integration and infrastructure plans and initiatives
intended to connect the ASEAN region internally and with other regions, particularly neighbouring
India and China. It begins by analysing relevant trade agreements and progress in expanding transport
networks around the region and connections to other regions. The analysis includes observations on
where the risks for negative social and environmental impacts are high. Following that, there are four
sections that provide a non-exhaustive overview of sub-regions with pronounced transnational crime
challenges. Recent increases in the trafficking of drugs and precursor chemicals, humans, and
counterfeit goods, as well as environmental crimes, warrant special attention in managing
international flows in these geographic areas. Projections of future threats underline the importance
of taking action now..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2016-02-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, Burma: opium and heroin, Burma: opium and heroin, Burma: drug production and trafficking, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
1.94 MB
more
Topic:
The Need for Border Liaison Offices in Southeast Asia
Sub-title:
UNODC Regional Programme for Southeast Asia
Topic:
The Need for Border Liaison Offices in Southeast Asia
Description:
"The region is undergoing a process of
integration that includes far-reaching
change in the management of its borders.
The regional roadmap for connectivity,
such as the ASEAN Community 2015 and
Greater Mekong Sub-Region Transport
Master Plan, includes major upgrades in
infrastructure and initiatives to promote
a freer movement of people and goods.
Entry and exit points at border crossings
will be increasingly pressed by the
need to ensure timely and efficient
movements while guaranteeing the
legality of these movements and the
respect of trade regulations. Pan-regional infrastructure programmes seek to cross-reference
one another and form an interlocking plan for a highly connected region. This includes large scale projects such as the Asian Highway and
the Trans-Asian Railway Network,
as well as sub-regional initiatives in
the Greater Mekong Sub-Region to
upgrade roads, rail and ports while
re-organizing border management
processes to facilitate increasing
flows of goods and people..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2015-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
3.78 MB
more
Description:
"This report presents major threats posed by transnational organized crime in the Pacific region, mainly
focusing on the Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). Based on consultations with the Pacific Island
Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and information obtained from desk reviews conducted by UNODC, this report
focuses on four major types of transnational organized crime affecting the Pacific region:
• Drug and precursor trafficking;
• Trafficking in persons & smuggling of migrants;
• Environmental crimes (fishery crime and other wildlife trafficking & illegal logging and timber
trafficking); and
• Small arms trafficking.
In addition to the major four types of transnational crime, the report also includes some information on the
trafficking of counterfeit goods, including fraudulent medicines, and cybercrime to shed light on emerging
threats in the region.
The four major illicit flows discussed in the report are different sorts of illicit activities, yet they all pose
immense challenges to the region. There are strong indications that the PICTs are increasingly targeted
by transnational organized crime groups due to their susceptibility to illicit flows driven by several factors.
These include (a) the geographical location of the PICTs situated between major sources and destinations of
illicit commodities; (b) extensive and porous jurisdictional boundaries; and (c) differences in governance and
heterogeneity in general law enforcement capacity across numerous PICTs and the region in general. These
complexities also underscore the inherent difficulties in detecting, monitoring, preventing and responding
to transnational organized crimes in the region. In this context, transnational criminal activities continue
to increase throughout the Pacific and have detrimental impacts on communities, sustainable economic
development and regional security.
At a regional level and across all transnational organized crime types discussed in this report, a fundamental
problem is the significant gaps in data and information related to transnational crime among the PICTs.
This is a major hindrance in developing effective and evidence-based responses to transnational organized
crime..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2016-09-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, Burma: opium and heroin, Burma: drug production and trafficking, Trafficking: global, regional and national reports, People smuggling - international standards and mechanisms
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
4.1 MB
more
Description:
"This working paper (the Paper) aims to contribute to
greater consistency in the approaches to alternative
development (AD) and related practices in Southeast
Asia, and particularly, among the countries of the
1993 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on
Drug Control in the Greater Mekong Subregion
(GMS). Although some reviews of alternative development in
the GMS have been written, most have been countryspecific with a focus on Thailand. Accordingly, there
have been very limited comparative studies of
alternative development processes across all the
countries in the GMS. Similarly, there is a shortage
of studies and analysis that delineate what practices,
methods and approaches have worked best in the
region.
At the MOU Senior Official Committee (SOC) and
Ministerial meetings held in Ha Noi, Viet Nam from
19 to 21 May 2015, the MOU countries identified
this as a critical gap. It was also highlighted that
there were differing approaches, with subsequently
varying practices, to alternative development
currently being implemented in the GMS and this
was hampering collective efforts.
The MOU countries agreed that in order to better
address persistent challenges related to illicit crop
cultivation, there was a need to achieve greater
consistency and regional synergy in alternative
development approaches in the Subregion. This could
be achieved through the sharing of best practices
and experiences, and identification of what works..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2015-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, Burma: opium and heroin, Burma: drug production and trafficking, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
4.24 MB
more
Description:
"The World Drug Report provides an annual overview of
the major developments in drug markets for the various
drug categories, ranging from production to trafficking,
including development of new routes and modalities, as
well as consumption. Chapter 1 of the World Drug Report
2014 provides a global overview of the latest developments
with respect to opiates, cocaine, cannabis and amphetamines (including “ecstasy”) and the health impact of drug
use. Chapter 2 zeroes in on the control of precursor chemicals used in the manufacture of illicit drugs.
On the basis of comprehensive information on supply, as
well as the relatively limited new information on demand,
it can be concluded that overall the global situation with
regard to the prevalence of illicit drug use and problem
drug use1 is generally stable, with the total global number
of drug users increasingly commensurate with the growth
of the world population.
That said, each region exhibits its own peculiarities with
respect to specific drugs. Polydrug use, which is generally
understood as the use of two or more substances at the
same time or sequentially, remains a major concern, both
from a public health and a drug control perspective. remains stable at between 16 million and 39 million
people. However, there continues to be a gap in service
provision, as in recent years, only one in six problem drug
users globally have had access to or received drug dependence treatment services each year.
Although the general public may perceive cannabis to be
the least harmful illicit drug, there has been a noticeable
increase in the number of persons seeking treatment for
cannabis use disorders over the past decade, particularly in
the Americas, Oceania and Europe. Nonetheless, opiates
remained the most prevalent primary drug of abuse among
those seeking treatment in Asia and in Europe, as did
cocaine in the Americas.
With regard to injecting drug use, the United Nations
Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the Joint United
Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the World
Bank and the World Health Organization (WHO), drawing on the most recent data available, jointly estimate that
the number of people who inject drugs is 12.7 million
(range: 8.9 million-22.4 million). That corresponds to a
prevalence of 0.27 per cent (range: 0.19-0.48 per cent) of
the population aged 15-64.2 The problem is particularly
stark in Eastern and South-Eastern Europe, where the rate
of injecting drug use is 4.6 times higher than the global
average..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-06
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
6.84 MB
Local URL:
more
Description:
"DRUG AND PRECURSOR TRAFFICKING | Threat assessments undertaken help improve understanding of the flow
of drugs and precursors and designing effective solutions. Enhanced understanding of the regional context and
strengthened capacities are required to address the challenge of synthetic drug production in Southeast Asia and the
Pacific region.
HUMAN TRAFFICKING | MIGRANT SMUGGLING | Regional and inter-agency cooperation and information sharing
are vital to address human trafficking and migrant smuggling across the region. Law enforcement agencies often lack
sufficient knowledge to correctly identify human trafficking and migrant smuggling cases, and legal frameworks to
prosecute cases are not always adequate.
FOREST AND WILDLIFE CRIME | The designation of wildlife and timber trafficking as serious transnational crimes
requiring regional action by the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime has moved wildlife and forest crime
up on the regional agenda. UNODC will continue supporting Member States to address environmental crimes.
BORDER MANAGEMENT AND CROSS BORDER COOPERATION | Aiming to bring together counterparts from different
countries, jurisdictions, and agencies with a focus on sharing information. Communication through the border liaison
office network is the key element in UNODC’s approach to strengthening border control in the region.
ANTI CORRUPTION | The first round of the implementation review mechanism of the United Nations Convention
against Corruption (UNCAC) was conducted throughout the region. Effective anti-corruption efforts require a wholeof-government and society approach, including different sectors and branches of the government, civil society groups
and the private sector.
TERRORISM PREVENTION | A growing number of attacks in the region placed terrorism high on the agenda throughout
2016. UNODC will continue supporting Member States to strengthen national capacities to counter terrorism and
address regional threats such as foreign terrorist fighters returning to the region.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE | Criminal justice provides the foundation to counter organized crime and protect vulnerable groups
through the rule of law. UNODC will continue to support Member States to address key criminal justice challenges, and
to drive criminal justice reform in the region.
DRUGS AND HEALTH, AND ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT | UNODC continues to offer support to Member States in
Southeast Asia in transitioning from compulsory treatment centers for drug users, towards a voluntary community
based treatment approach. At the same time, UNODC will continue to advance its principles on alternative development
and assist with research on the opium economy..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2016-00-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Trafficking: global, regional and national reports, The human impact of drugs and drug policies in Burma, Drugs: regional and global, Burma: drug production and trafficking
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
2.91 MB
more
Topic:
Trends and Patterns of Amphetamine-type Stimulants and New Psychoactive Substances
Sub-title:
A Report from the Global SMART Programme June 2017
Topic:
Trends and Patterns of Amphetamine-type Stimulants and New Psychoactive Substances
Description:
"There is no sign of respite in the expansion of the methamphetamine market in East and South-East Asia.
Seizures of both forms of methamphetamine - tablets and crystalline - reached record highs in 2015, and
most countries in the region noted increasing use of methamphetamine.
• Both the number and the scale of illicit methamphetamine manufacture facilities continue to increase to meet
the rapidly rising demand for methamphetamine in the region. In 2015, approximately 630 illicit synthetic
drug manufacturing facilities were dismantled in the region. Of these, the majority were methamphetamine
manufacturing facilities.
• The retail prices of crystalline methamphetamine in countries in East and South-East Asia are high, and
might be a key driver for intensified intra-regional and inter-regional methamphetamine trafficking.
• Substantial quantities of precursor chemicals, which can be used for manufacture of methamphetamine,
have been seized in the region with recent trends indicating a diversification of precursors and methods used.
• Tablets sold as “ecstasy” in the region contain various substances other than MDMA, including new
psychoactive substances (NPS).
• The production of opiates in the region has been relatively stable between 2013 and 2015 but remains at a
comparatively high level. Heroin trafficking and use remains a key concern in the region.
• A wide range of new psychoactive substances have been identified in East and South-East Asia. These
include potent synthetic opioids, such as derivatives of fentanyl , which have been implicated in the ongoing
opioid overdose crisis in North America..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-06-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, The human impact of drugs and drug policies in Burma, Burma: opium and heroin, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Burma: HIV/AIDS-Heroin Nexus, Burma: drug production and trafficking
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
2.9 MB
more
Sub-title:
Implications for alternative development, peace, and stability
Description:
"In 2016, the annual village survey was conducted in 591 villages in Shan state, the main opium
poppy cultivating area in Myanmar. An independent area estimation was not part of the survey
this year; however, UNODC expanded largely on the socio‐economic analysis of opium cultivation
in the context of the UN Guiding Principles on Alternative Development and achieving the
Sustainable Development Goals.
Opium poppy continues to be an important part of the Shan State economy
About 1 in 10 households in the villages surveyed in Shan State are directly involved in opium
poppy cultivation. The share of villages that cultivate opium poppy and the share of households
within these villages that participate have both decreased over the past year. However, opium
poppy is still integral to the state’s economy, and there are many households who depend on
poppy cultivation for their livelihood.
Figure 1: Change in the share of surveyed villages in Shan State that cultivate opium poppy,
and the share of households in opium cultivating villages that are involved in cultivation,
2015‐2016.
Fewer villages and farmers are growing opium poppy
There has been a reduction in the number of villages and households involved in opium poppy
cultivation; however, accompanied by an increase in the average area under cultivation per
household. The average area under opium poppy cultivation increased from 0.4 hectares per
household in 2015 to 0.6 hectares in 2016. This concentration of cultivation confirms earlier
observations.
The average income in opium poppy villages is higher, but the positive impact on household
finances is largely offset by higher costs of living
The average annual household income is higher in villages where opium poppy is cultivated
(US$2,261) than in non‐opium poppy villages (US$1,839). Farmers in opium poppy villages,
however, were primarily buying food with the income from poppy cultivation. Moreover, there
are several indications that people living in villages where opium poppy is grown face higher living
costs than their peers in non‐opium poppy villages. Many opium poppy villages in East and North
Shan are located in remote or highly inaccessible areas with low infrastructure coverage. For
example, very few opium poppy villages have asphalt roads, and somewhat fewer of these villages
have clinics than non‐growing villages (although village clinics are rare throughout East and North
Shan, with such facilities operating in less than one in five villages). The nearest outside clinic also
took twice as long to reach from opium poppy villages. The lack of clinics and roads means that
health and transportation costs are higher for farmers in opium poppy villages in East and North
Shan..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-03-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
2.99 MB
more
Description:
"While recent political and economic integration within Southeast Asia has accelerated growth and
sustainable development, it has also increased the level of transnational crime and security challenges
faced by ASEAN members. Combined with an increase in internet use and technology access, these
challenges continue to grow in significance. Despite this, most governments in the region are not able
to respond effectively, with criminal justice and law enforcement agencies possessing varying levels of
capacity to engage in cross-border legal cooperation. As a result, officials knowledge of, and trust in,
international legal assistance remains low, at a time when the need to utilise it is increasingly rapidly.
The reasons for this vary, ranging from a lack of capacity and knowledge of ILA and how it functions to
outdated legal frameworks. In response, ASEAN and Member States have taken steps to address these
issues. For instance, the ASEAN Treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters was signed in
2004 and subsequently ratified by all Member States, and certain countries have recently introduced
domestic MLA or extradition legislation or are currently in the process of doing so. However, the need
to improve the capacity of countries in Southeast Asia to engage in ILA within the region and with
international partners remains and is of growing urgency.
In line with ongoing work in the area of rule of law and criminal justice reform in support of Southeast
Asia and ASEAN sectoral bodies under its RP, UNODC convened a regional conference on “Improving
Cross-Border Criminal Justice Cooperation in the ASEAN Region” in Bangkok, Thailand from 22 to 23
March 2017.
The conference was attended by all ASEAN Member States and Timor-Leste. Other representatives
included officials from the ASEAN Senior Law Officials Meeting (ASLOM), the International Criminal
Police Organization (INTERPOL), the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ), and the Coordinated Mekong
Ministerial Initiative against Trafficking (COMMIT) Task Force, and subject matter experts from Canada
and the United States of America. Representatives from Botswana, China, France, the Freeland
Foundation, Germany, the European Union (EU), Kenya, New Zealand, Tanzania, and Uganda also
observed and participated in the conference.
Conference delegates discussed ILA in the ASEAN region and how they could improve their capacity to
work together. In doing so, they identifies 5 common challenges and 5 related solutions to address,
and a series of recommendations to implement. In addition, they took advantage of the opportunity
to build and further relationships. The outcome of the conference will help guide UNODC, ASEAN
Member States and other partners to provide assistance in the area of ILA in Southeast Asia..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-04-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
642.39 KB
more
Description:
"In 2017, the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) of the Myanmar Police Force
of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar collaborated for the 15th time with the United
Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to implement an opium survey. 2016 and 2017
surveys focused on different aspects of opium production: in 2016, the survey focused on the
socio‐economic conditions of farmers in opium growing areas (https://www.unodc.org/
documents/crop‐monitoring/sea/2016_Myanmar_Shan_Opium_Poppy_web.pdf)1
, and in
2017 on estimating the extent of poppy cultivation and opium production. The area and
production survey in 2017 has focused on major opium producing states, Shan and Kachin2
. In
addition, a selective sampling rate has been applied for the collection of the satellite imagery,
using an approach that guarantees comparability with 2015 results.
The 2017 opium survey estimates that 41,000 ha of opium poppy has been cultivated in Shan
and Kachin States. Compared to the 2015 estimate, this represents a 25% decrease.
Reductions have taken place in East and South Shan (‐37% and ‐29% respectively), whereas in
North Shan and Kachin States the cultivation remained practically stable (‐3% and ‐7%).
Continued turmoil in North Shan and Kachin appear to be linked to the steady cultivation
levels. The reported amount of eradication has also been very low in these two states (less
than 130 ha), whereas the large majority (85%) of the total eradication (3,533 ha) has been
reported from South Shan.
In terms of opium production, part of the area reduction has been offset by an increase in
yields per hectare in South Shan, which have risen by 43% to 14.2 kg/ha. Combined with the
reduced cultivation areas, this resulted in a 14% decrease of potential dry opium production
in Shan and Kachin states. In 2017, South Shan state remains the largest opium producer
supplying almost half (43%) of the total estimated potential production of 550 metric tons.
Cultivation, eradication and drug seizure figures showed similar trends in the past eight years,
showing increases from 2010 to 2012‐2014 and decreasing slightly since then. These trends,
in combination with declining opium prices and anecdotal evidence of reduced trafficking
suggest that the demand for opium and heroin has decreased. These trends will be further
researched in the upcoming remote sensing survey and a new village survey, which the
Government of the Union of Myanmar and UNODC are currently preparing for the 2018 opium
poppy season..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-12-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Burma: opium and heroin, Drugs: regional and global, Burma: drug production and trafficking
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
4.33 MB
Local URL:
more
Description:
"The present report, “Trafficking in persons from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar to Thailand” is the
result of a partnership between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the
Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ). In 2016, TIJ invited UNODC to collaboratively develop an extensive
research report on trafficking in persons from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar to Thailand with the
objectives of increasing evidence-based information relating to trafficking in persons, reviewing the
current state of knowledge, identifying existing information gaps and enhancing the capacity of States
to generate, access and use information on trafficking in persons. This report is the first of its kind and
marks the launch of an ongoing research and strategic policy partnership between UNODC and TIJ.
Previous UNODC reports on trafficking in persons have covered the subject of trafficking to Thailand
as one important flow in a region rife with trafficking cases. Previous reports have explored trafficking
primarily from a law enforcement perspective and highlighted the need for strengthened legal
frameworks, law enforcement responses, including the need for proactive investigations, and stronger
criminal justice frameworks. This report, while emphasising the way forward in preventing and
combating trafficking to Thailand, also explores the many facets of the trafficking phenomenon itself,
including the profiles of victims and traffickers, the contemporary push and pull factors for trafficking,
the routes taken by regular and irregular migrants to Thailand, the fees paid to smugglers and
traffickers and the modi operandi of traffickers and their networks.
Drawing on the available literature and qualitative data collected through interviews with experts in
the four target countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand) the report presents in detail the
current picture of trafficking in persons to Thailand and highlights challenges and opportunities for
combating trafficking. While gaps in information remain and the overall picture remains incomplete,
the findings presented in this report rely on a solid evidence base and may be useful for researchers,
policy makers, governments and others interested in improving the response to combating trafficking,
as well as approaches to identifying and supporting victims.
The report consists of six chapters. The introduction (Chapter I) presents information on the topic
covered, the background and context of the study, the study’s purpose and goals, and methodology.
Chapters II to IV examine the levels and characteristics of trafficking in persons in Cambodia
(Chapter II), Lao PDR (III), and Myanmar (IV). Each of these chapters follows an identical structure by (1)
summarising the available data, (2) exploring the causes of trafficking in persons, (3) examining the
different types of trafficking and the profile of victims, (4) documenting the means and routes used for
trafficking to Thailand, (5) analysing the exploitation of victims by their traffickers and (6) exploring the
profile of the traffickers and trafficking networks..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-08-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
3.93 MB
more
Description:
"The present report, “Trafficking in persons from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar to Thailand” is the
result of a partnership between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the
Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ). In 2016, TIJ invited UNODC to collaboratively develop an extensive
research report on trafficking in persons from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar to Thailand with the
objectives of increasing evidence-based information relating to trafficking in persons, reviewing the
current state of knowledge, identifying existing information gaps and enhancing the capacity of States
to generate, access and use information on trafficking in persons. This report is the first of its kind and
marks the launch of an ongoing research and strategic policy partnership between UNODC and TIJ.
Previous UNODC reports on trafficking in persons have covered the subject of trafficking to Thailand
as one important flow in a region rife with trafficking cases. Previous reports have explored trafficking
primarily from a law enforcement perspective and highlighted the need for strengthened legal
frameworks, law enforcement responses, including the need for proactive investigations, and stronger
criminal justice frameworks. This report, while emphasising the way forward in preventing and
combating trafficking to Thailand, also explores the many facets of the trafficking phenomenon itself,
including the profiles of victims and traffickers, the contemporary push and pull factors for trafficking,
the routes taken by regular and irregular migrants to Thailand, the fees paid to smugglers and
traffickers and the modi operandi of traffickers and their networks.
Drawing on the available literature and qualitative data collected through interviews with experts in
the four target countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand) the report presents in detail the
current picture of trafficking in persons to Thailand and highlights challenges and opportunities for
combating trafficking. While gaps in information remain and the overall picture remains incomplete,
the findings presented in this report rely on a solid evidence base and may be useful for researchers,
policy makers, governments and others interested in improving the response to combating trafficking,
as well as approaches to identifying and supporting victims.
The report consists of six chapters. The introduction (Chapter I) presents information on the topic
covered, the background and context of the study, the study’s purpose and goals, and methodology.
Chapters II to IV examine the levels and characteristics of trafficking in persons in Cambodia
(Chapter II), Lao PDR (III), and Myanmar (IV). Each of these chapters follows an identical structure by (1)
summarising the available data, (2) exploring the causes of trafficking in persons, (3) examining the
different types of trafficking and the profile of victims, (4) documenting the means and routes used for
trafficking to Thailand, (5) analysing the exploitation of victims by their traffickers and (6) exploring the
profile of the traffickers and trafficking networks..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-08-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
3.93 MB
more
Description:
"The present report, “Trafficking in persons from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar to Thailand” is the
result of a partnership between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the
Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ). In 2016, TIJ invited UNODC to collaboratively develop an extensive
research report on trafficking in persons from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar to Thailand with the
objectives of increasing evidence-based information relating to trafficking in persons, reviewing the
current state of knowledge, identifying existing information gaps and enhancing the capacity of States
to generate, access and use information on trafficking in persons. This report is the first of its kind and
marks the launch of an ongoing research and strategic policy partnership between UNODC and TIJ.
Previous UNODC reports on trafficking in persons have covered the subject of trafficking to Thailand
as one important flow in a region rife with trafficking cases. Previous reports have explored trafficking
primarily from a law enforcement perspective and highlighted the need for strengthened legal
frameworks, law enforcement responses, including the need for proactive investigations, and stronger
criminal justice frameworks. This report, while emphasising the way forward in preventing and
combating trafficking to Thailand, also explores the many facets of the trafficking phenomenon itself,
including the profiles of victims and traffickers, the contemporary push and pull factors for trafficking,
the routes taken by regular and irregular migrants to Thailand, the fees paid to smugglers and
traffickers and the modi operandi of traffickers and their networks.
Drawing on the available literature and qualitative data collected through interviews with experts in
the four target countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand) the report presents in detail the
current picture of trafficking in persons to Thailand and highlights challenges and opportunities for
combating trafficking. While gaps in information remain and the overall picture remains incomplete,
the findings presented in this report rely on a solid evidence base and may be useful for researchers,
policy makers, governments and others interested in improving the response to combating trafficking,
as well as approaches to identifying and supporting victims.
The report consists of six chapters. The introduction (Chapter I) presents information on the topic
covered, the background and context of the study, the study’s purpose and goals, and methodology.
Chapters II to IV examine the levels and characteristics of trafficking in persons in Cambodia
(Chapter II), Lao PDR (III), and Myanmar (IV). Each of these chapters follows an identical structure by (1)
summarising the available data, (2) exploring the causes of trafficking in persons, (3) examining the
different types of trafficking and the profile of victims, (4) documenting the means and routes used for
trafficking to Thailand, (5) analysing the exploitation of victims by their traffickers and (6) exploring the
profile of the traffickers and trafficking networks..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-08-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
3.93 MB
more
Description:
"The present report, “Trafficking in persons from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar to Thailand” is the
result of a partnership between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the
Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ). In 2016, TIJ invited UNODC to collaboratively develop an extensive
research report on trafficking in persons from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar to Thailand with the
objectives of increasing evidence-based information relating to trafficking in persons, reviewing the
current state of knowledge, identifying existing information gaps and enhancing the capacity of States
to generate, access and use information on trafficking in persons. This report is the first of its kind and
marks the launch of an ongoing research and strategic policy partnership between UNODC and TIJ.
Previous UNODC reports on trafficking in persons have covered the subject of trafficking to Thailand
as one important flow in a region rife with trafficking cases. Previous reports have explored trafficking
primarily from a law enforcement perspective and highlighted the need for strengthened legal
frameworks, law enforcement responses, including the need for proactive investigations, and stronger
criminal justice frameworks. This report, while emphasising the way forward in preventing and
combating trafficking to Thailand, also explores the many facets of the trafficking phenomenon itself,
including the profiles of victims and traffickers, the contemporary push and pull factors for trafficking,
the routes taken by regular and irregular migrants to Thailand, the fees paid to smugglers and
traffickers and the modi operandi of traffickers and their networks.
Drawing on the available literature and qualitative data collected through interviews with experts in
the four target countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand) the report presents in detail the
current picture of trafficking in persons to Thailand and highlights challenges and opportunities for
combating trafficking. While gaps in information remain and the overall picture remains incomplete,
the findings presented in this report rely on a solid evidence base and may be useful for researchers,
policy makers, governments and others interested in improving the response to combating trafficking,
as well as approaches to identifying and supporting victims.
The report consists of six chapters. The introduction (Chapter I) presents information on the topic
covered, the background and context of the study, the study’s purpose and goals, and methodology.
Chapters II to IV examine the levels and characteristics of trafficking in persons in Cambodia
(Chapter II), Lao PDR (III), and Myanmar (IV). Each of these chapters follows an identical structure by (1)
summarising the available data, (2) exploring the causes of trafficking in persons, (3) examining the
different types of trafficking and the profile of victims, (4) documenting the means and routes used for
trafficking to Thailand, (5) analysing the exploitation of victims by their traffickers and (6) exploring the
profile of the traffickers and trafficking networks..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-08-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
3.93 MB
more
Description:
"The present report, “Trafficking in persons from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar to Thailand” is the
result of a partnership between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the
Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ). In 2016, TIJ invited UNODC to collaboratively develop an extensive
research report on trafficking in persons from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar to Thailand with the
objectives of increasing evidence-based information relating to trafficking in persons, reviewing the
current state of knowledge, identifying existing information gaps and enhancing the capacity of States
to generate, access and use information on trafficking in persons. This report is the first of its kind and
marks the launch of an ongoing research and strategic policy partnership between UNODC and TIJ.
Previous UNODC reports on trafficking in persons have covered the subject of trafficking to Thailand
as one important flow in a region rife with trafficking cases. Previous reports have explored trafficking
primarily from a law enforcement perspective and highlighted the need for strengthened legal
frameworks, law enforcement responses, including the need for proactive investigations, and stronger
criminal justice frameworks. This report, while emphasising the way forward in preventing and
combating trafficking to Thailand, also explores the many facets of the trafficking phenomenon itself,
including the profiles of victims and traffickers, the contemporary push and pull factors for trafficking,
the routes taken by regular and irregular migrants to Thailand, the fees paid to smugglers and
traffickers and the modi operandi of traffickers and their networks.
Drawing on the available literature and qualitative data collected through interviews with experts in
the four target countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Thailand) the report presents in detail the
current picture of trafficking in persons to Thailand and highlights challenges and opportunities for
combating trafficking. While gaps in information remain and the overall picture remains incomplete,
the findings presented in this report rely on a solid evidence base and may be useful for researchers,
policy makers, governments and others interested in improving the response to combating trafficking,
as well as approaches to identifying and supporting victims.
The report consists of six chapters. The introduction (Chapter I) presents information on the topic
covered, the background and context of the study, the study’s purpose and goals, and methodology.
Chapters II to IV examine the levels and characteristics of trafficking in persons in Cambodia
(Chapter II), Lao PDR (III), and Myanmar (IV). Each of these chapters follows an identical structure by (1)
summarising the available data, (2) exploring the causes of trafficking in persons, (3) examining the
different types of trafficking and the profile of victims, (4) documenting the means and routes used for
trafficking to Thailand, (5) analysing the exploitation of victims by their traffickers and (6) exploring the
profile of the traffickers and trafficking networks..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-08-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-05
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
3.93 MB
more
Topic:
The smuggling of migrants is a crime that affects most countries around the world. Driven by profitseeking, it involves “the procurement, in order to obtain, directly or indirectly, a financial or other material benefit, of the illegal entry of a person into a State Party of which the person is not a national or a permanent resident”.1
Sub-title:
Migrant Smuggling in Asia and the Pacific: Current Trends and Challenges
Topic:
The smuggling of migrants is a crime that affects most countries around the world. Driven by profitseeking, it involves “the procurement, in order to obtain, directly or indirectly, a financial or other material benefit, of the illegal entry of a person into a State Party of which the person is not a national or a permanent resident”.1
Description:
"This report builds on Migrant Smuggling in Asia (volume I) by outlining the current patterns of migrant
smuggling in Asia and the Pacific and presenting evidence-based knowledge to guide policy and
strengthen international cooperation. Developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,
the report is part of a series of knowledge products that explore important and far-reaching issues
confronting States and communities in Asia and the Pacific, as part of an ongoing analytical and capacitystrengthening process.
Countries in the Asia-Pacific region often have a multifaceted relationship to the smuggling of migrants
phenomenon, with some countries simultaneously serving as source, transit and destination countries
for smuggling of migrants. Law enforcement responses to migrant smuggling to specific countries or on
specific routes may have a mere displacement effect. For example, the closure of the maritime migrant
smuggling route to Australia may have increased the migrant smuggling flows to wealthier Asian countries,
and flows to Europe. New border fences in Greece and similar anti-migrant smuggling measures in other
European countries have encouraged smugglers and smuggled migrants to increasingly use maritime
smuggling routes again. Law enforcement actions in Southeast Asia, for example, in response to the
2015 Bay of Bengal migrant smuggling crisis, have possibly diverted maritime smuggling routes from
Myanmar and Bangladesh back to land routes, and/or affected flows to other destination countries.
While a range of factors motivate the need for migration and the use of smugglers, including political
persecution, environmental factors, and social factors, most smuggled migrants are in pursuit of
improved economic opportunities. Migrants often use smugglers when accessing legal channels for
migration are too expensive, slow or difficult. For example, smuggling remains a cheaper option for
migrants from Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar moving to Thailand, despite efforts to make legal
channels less expensive.
Nevertheless, in some countries, such as Myanmar, issues related to statelessness and conflict are
clear ‘push’ factors. In many cases of conflict or political persecution, displacement and related migrant
smuggling flows can be predicted before they occur. Examples of this are the 2015 Bay of Bengal Crisis
and the recent violence in Rakhine State, which prompted over 640,000 Rohingya refugees to cross the
land border irregularly into Bangladesh, many using smugglers in the process. Other recent examples
are the conflicts in Iraq and Syria, which have pushed many Iraqis and Syrians to seek safety in Europe
and other destinations. The recent mass migration from those countries to Europe illustrates how a
migration surge may also encourage nationals of other countries to use smugglers, as occurred when
many nationals of Afghanistan, Iran, and other countries joined the mass flow to Europe.
Migrant smuggling involves real dangers for the lives, health and safety of migrants. Due to their irregular
status in transit and destination countries, smuggled migrants often find it difficult to assert their rights,
and are vulnerable to abuse, exploitation and trafficking. The increasing number of unaccompanied
minors being smuggled from Asia to Europe is of particular concern, as is the number of smuggled
migrants being extorted and trafficked, as occurred recently on the Thailand/Malaysia border, where
mass graves of Rohingya refugees and Bangladeshi migrants were discovered..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2018-07-00
Date of entry/update:
2019-07-04
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
8.86 MB
more
Description:
"Representatives from across Myanmar's security sector and relevant ministries have convened in Nay Pyi Taw to develop the first National Crime Prevention Strategy to combat crime in Myanmar. The workshop follows commitment by the Government of Myanmar and Myanmar Police Force to develop and implement a crime prevention strategy that will reduce crime and violence across the country while also contributing to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. UNODC is providing technical support to the Myanmar Police Force throughout this process.
A core focus of the First National Crime Prevention Strategy Consultation Workshop was to formulate crime prevention tactics that would be effective in, and consider, the current situation of political transition and accelerated development in the country. Accordingly, the draft National Crime Prevention Strategy was analysed and potential changes discussed. The strategy will undergo additional revisions before finalisation.
In his opening remarks Major General Zaw Win, Chief of the Myanmar Police Force, highlighted that due to Myanmar's political history, crime prevention efforts had fallen behind. "What we have been doing so far is not enough," stated Police Chief Win. He went on to remark that "drafting a national crime prevention policy is what we have been dreaming about for a long time," and thanked UNODC for their support in the process.
This understanding was met with recognition from Mr. Troels Vester, Country Manager of UNODC Myanmar Country Office. "We congratulate the Government of Myanmar for very fast action," he stated, highlighting that the government had already established a national commission on crime prevention in December, following the first workshop on the draft crime prevention strategy that was held in October 2016.
Mr. Stephen Otter, ex-Chief of the Devon and Cornwall Police and an expert in effective crime prevention strategies, explained to the workshop the importance of coordinated and evidence-based approaches and policy responses to crime. Mr. Otter presented his experience on employing effective methodologies to target crime on every level, but highlighted the importance of nurturing an image of approachability, and compliance with and protection of human rights in the police force..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-03-23
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
more
Description:
"Drug treatment capacities in Myanmar received a significant boost this week through the delivery of a new UNODC training package to strengthen access to community-based health services for people who use drugs. The training of officials of the Myanmar Police Force, Ministry of Health and civil society partners follows a symposium held late last year between ASEAN countries and China, where a new approach to strengthen voluntary community-based health services throughout the region was announced.
Currently, there is need in Myanmar and the wider region for an alternative to compulsory drug treatment centers, where people are held for different various periods. Data collected from 7 countries in the region show that there are close to half a million people sent to such centers every year - and there is no evidence to suggest any clear treatment outcomes.
The training package addresses these gaps by supporting the roll-out of voluntary community based services in Myanmar and the region being tailored to complement the ongoing development of a new national drug policy in Myanmar. This process so far includes a review of the drug law, and a first-of-its-kind consultation process that has brought together various government agencies and civil society for in-depth discussions on policy direction..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-04-11
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, The human impact of drugs and drug policies in Burma
Language:
English
more
Description:
Twenty representatives of law enforcement agencies were brought together this week, for the latest in a series of workshops designed to boost prosecutions on serious cases of migrant smuggling.
The participants learnt how complex investigations could benefit from multi-agency cooperation, as well as from the proactive use of intelligence. Special emphasis was placed on the context of Myanmar, with interactive talks and up-to-date threat assessments from senior officials from the departments of Immigration, Anti-Financial Crimes, Anti-Human Trafficking Police, Maritime Police and Transnational Crime.
The smuggling of migrants poses a significant threat to Asia, generating an annual value of $2 billion for criminal groups. In recent years, there has been growing awareness of the potential human suffering that smuggled migrants can incur, notably since the Bay of Bengal crisis in Spring 2015.
This week's capacity training is the latest instalment of the UNODC project on Building Capacity to Investigate and Prosecute Migrant Smugglers, designed to boost the numbers of successful prosecutions in serious cases of migrant smuggling. Previous workshops in this series have been held in Thailand and Malaysia. Sub-regional sessions, designed to promote cooperation transnationally, are scheduled for later in the year.
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-06-12
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Trafficking: global, regional and national reports, Trafficking of migrants
Language:
English
more
Description:
"Representatives from the Myanmar Police Force (MPF) and UNODC convened for a workshop in Nay Pyi Taw to address necessary areas of reform in the MPF's response to gender based violence - a core tenet of which is the development of Standard Operating Procedures to make responses addressing Gender Based Violence (GBV) more effective.
The workshop marked an important step forward in the Government of Myanmar and the MPF's commitment to tackling the serious issue of GBV in Myanmar, and produced a firm foundation from which to move forward so that UNODC, working together with UNFPA and the MPF, can support the police in Myanmar to develop effective and efficient response guidelines for cases of GBV. Concluding with the commitment to further work on a strategy in the near future, the workshop was met with great optimism from all participants, and represented a decisive first step towards combating GBV in Myanmar.
"Violence against women is one of the most widespread violations of human rights," stated UNODC Myanmar's Country Manager, Mr. Troels Vester. 'UNODC congratulates the MPF for committing to do something about this issue, and thanks the police for taking it seriously."
The MPF Chief of Staff expressed in his opening remarks the MPF's commitment to reform their policies in line with democratic standards, and Mr. Vester recognised that participating in the workshop was the 'first step' towards doing this.
UNODC's National Workshop was designed to introduce the MPF to various response and investigative techniques for responding to cases of GBV. In collaboration with the UNFPA under the joint Women and Girls First Initiative, UNODC will provide support to the MPF to develop guidelines and standard operating procedures for such situations, and eventually draft a standardised response guide for all members of the MPF..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-03-22
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Women's rights, Discrimination/violence against women: reports of violations in Burma
Language:
English
more
Description:
"Stable governance and good security conditions have a considerable impact on the decision of farmers to cultivate opium poppy, according to a report released today by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) at the National Reconciliation and Peace Centre (NRPC). The report titled "Evidence for Enhancing Resilience to Opium Poppy Cultivation in Shan State - Implications for Alternative Development, Peace and Stability" is the first of its kind dedicated to Shan State, highlighting reasons farmers engage in the opium economy, as well as some implications for Myanmar's ongoing peace process.
A total of 591 villages in 39 opium poppy growing townships in Shan State were surveyed for the report, and the findings show that while many factors affect farmers' decisions regarding whether or not to cultivate opium poppy - including the condition of infrastructure and access to markets for other goods - governance and security considerations are significant factors. On average, fewer opium poppy villages are in areas under government control (76 per cent) than non-opium poppy villages (88 per cent). At the same time, more opium producing villages have the perception of being "unsafe" or "very unsafe" (11 per cent) than in non-opium poppy villages (2 per cent).
The governance and security connection is also found in other parts of the world where illicit crops are cultivated on a large scale, and where isolation, and ethnic and other conflicts impact public safety, the economy and opportunity. In this respect, the ongoing peace process may over time bring improvements to governance and security, which can have a tangible impact on local communities and reduce the need to engage in opium poppy cultivation..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-03-03
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Description:
"UNODC today launched a new training series tailored for the Myanmar Police Force (MPF) on gender based violence (GBV), which will train officers and police instructors on all aspects of gender awareness and gender based violence, with a focus on case management and victim-oriented investigation techniques. The programme is being implemented by UNODC under the Women and Girls First initiative, which is being managed by UNFPA and of which UNODC an implementing partner.
UNODC has been partnering closely with the MPF to develop an effective response system to GBV by developing police standard operating procedures, training manuals, as well as the review of the police recruitment strategy to promote female participation in the MPF. UNODC will further facilitate training of instructors and frontline officers to prevent and respond to cases of violence against women in Myanmar and its conflict affected regions.
The first training event in Yangon was attended by 36 Myanmar Police Officers, who were actively involved in the learning process. It provided a promising example for future training and reflects the Government of Myanmar's continuing commitment to address violence against women.
In his opening remarks, Brigadier General Mya Win thanked UNODC for organising the session, and highlighted Myanmar's ongoing development process: "In this period of transition towards democracy, we are striving towards equal rights for women, and to respond to crimes against women, it is vital to provide training to the Myanmar Police Force", he said. "Change must start from within, which is why the MPF is trying to achieve greater gender balance by working to ensure that the roles of responsibility are distributed equally between male and female officers." UNODC Myanmar Country Manager Troels Vester drew attention to the gravity and complexity of violence against women by highlighting the fact that one in every two women murdered is killed by an intimate partner or a family member, and investigation in familial situations such as these can be hindered by family history and emotional distress. Despite such difficulties, Mr. Vester expressed his hope that "the training would allow officers to better investigate gender based violence, while respecting human rights."
The three-day workshop will also allow participants to better understand the psychological needs of victims/survivors of GBV. Daw Khin Zar Naing, Assistant Representative at UNFPA, stressed that in preventing violence against women and children, the MPF's important role is not just to protect the life and property of the people, but to also provide "psychological protection". "Those who have grown up in an environment of violence are often being shaped to also become people who perpetrate violence," she said..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-05-31
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Women's rights, Children, Discrimination/violence against women: reports of violations in Burma
Language:
English
more
Description:
"The Government of Myanmar lauded the continuing success of its partnership with UNODC, and urged expansion of the cooperation, at a meeting held to mark two years UNODC's Country Programme implementation in Myanmar. The third meeting of the Programme Governance Committee was jointly chaired by Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Major General Aung Soe, and UNODC's Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific Jeremy Douglas, with presentations by UNODC's Country Manager Mr. Troels Vester.
2016 was a landmark year in the UNODC's Myanmar Country Programme - among notable achievements was the first harvest of high quality coffee cultivated by beneficiary opium farmers as part of sustainable livelihood and development initiatives. It also began considerable expansion in the partnership between Myanmar and UNODC, including ongoing development of a new and more balanced drug policy; and strengthening technical assistance on anti-corruption, counter-terrorism, crime prevention, and sustainable alternative development programmes.
"There is no doubt that the partnership between the Government of Myanmar and UNODC continues to go from strength to strength," said Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Major General Aung Soe. "We know that major challenges that lie ahead that will require our continued commitment."
Senior government counterparts expressed appreciation for the achievements made in 2016 and confirmed that the challenges addressed by UNODC's Country Programme continue to be priority areas for the Government. The Country Programme is tailored to assist the government to meet and secure national development, regional development and political commitments in line with the frameworks of ASEAN, the Bali Process, and the Mekong MOU, and global political commitments in line with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-02-09
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Description:
"The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Royal Project Foundation of Thailand (RPF) have signed an agreement to consolidate and strengthen technical cooperation in the area of alternative development for opium farmers in Shan State.
The cooperation with the RPF will contribute to the UNODC Country Programme, which supports the development of sustainable livelihood alternatives for opium growing communities in 60 villages in southern Shan State by introducing high-yield cash crops such as coffee, tea, avocado, and high value vegetables. The programme currently covers a total of 800 hectares and involves close to 1100 beneficiary farmers constituting 21% of households in the area. Plans call for programme coverage and the number of beneficiary farmers to grow year by year. According to the UNODC 2015 Southeast Asia Opium Survey, the total area of opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar was 55,500 hectares with 90% of production concentrated in Shan State, and of that 50% in southern Shan State. The survey found that opium poppy is mainly cultivated for economic reasons to maintain livelihoods and cover family expenses..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2016-12-16
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-25
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, Roots and Resources - global and regional experience and analysis, Thailand-Burma relations, Economy of Shan State
Language:
English
more
Description:
"On July 5th, UNODC, UNICEF, UNFPA and the Union Attorney General's Office (UAGO) met in Nay Pyi Taw to discuss combating the rise in violence against Myanmar's women and children. The high-level needs assessment workshop on 'Effective Prosecution Responses to Cases of Violence Against Women and Children' aimed to assess the needs of Myanmar's prosecutors in effectively prosecuting and supporting victims of gender based violence (GBV) and child cases.
During the workshop, dozens of representatives from the UAGO took part in group discussions on the challenges law officers face in responding to cases of violence against women and children. Challenges included inter-agency cooperation, the referral process for survivors, evidence-gathering, and addressing language barriers in courts for ethnic minorities. Exchanges were also made between representatives from UNODC, UNICEF, the UNFPA and the workshop participants on best practices and opportunities to strengthen the justice sector's ability to protect survivors, enact justice, and ensure fair trials.
The workshop builds on a growing history of cooperation between UNODC and Myanmar's criminal justice sector on responding to GBV. Since 2016, a partnership between UNODC and the Myanmar Police Force (MPF) has resulted in several officer trainings on gender and gender-based violence awareness, with a focus on case management and victim-oriented investigation techniques.
The UAGO workshop was in line with the UN's own efforts at reform by promoting inter-agency collaboration and adherence to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Addressing SDG 5 Gender Equality, SDG 16 Peace Justice and Strong Institutions, and SDG 17 Partnership for the Goals, the joint workshop between UNODC, UNICEF and UNFPA was a successful in utilizing individual UN mandates and strengths to promote an integrated approach to the issues.
In his keynote address, his excellency U Tun Tun Oo, Union Attorney General, stressed how important it is to bring justice to survivors. The Union Attorney General's message highlighted the importance especially in light of figures released earlier this year by the Ministry of Home Affairs, showing a significant rise in the number of reported cases of sexual assault.
To an audience featuring representatives from the UAGO, civil society organisations and the press, the Union Attorney General expressed the Myanmar Government's resolve to "better protect women and children in the future against violence directed at them".
Speaking at the event, UNODC advisor Marie Pegie Cauchois recognised the timeliness of the workshop. The Child Rights Law is expected to be adopted by the Myanmar Parliament later this year and the Prevention of Violence Against Women Law is still being drafted. She highlighted that, "for the successful implementation of these laws, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, capacity building of the justice sector will be needed".
In ending the workshop, UNODC, UNICEF and the UNFPA thanked the members of the justice sector for their active participation and recognised the importance of hearing and exchanging with practitioners to identify needs and avenues for cooperation moving forward. They also shared their readiness to continue work with the UAGO in developing training and other required materials..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2018-07-05
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund), Children, Women's rights, Children's Rights - studies
Language:
English
more
Description:
"The 25th of November marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and the start of the international campaign 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-based Violence. Violence against women and girls continues to be one of the most widespread and systematic violations of human rights. For far too long, we have lived in a society where women and girls who experience violence are blamed and their testimonies are systematically put in doubt. The voices of millions of other women and girls continue to be silenced or muffled due to systemic injustice. UNODC confronts gender-based violence by enhancing the capacity of police, prosecutors, judges and other members of the criminal justice system to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. In 2018, UNODC Myanmar, with support of the UNFPA Women and Girls First Initiative, carried out a number of training workshops with the Myanmar Police Force and with the Union Attorney General's Office. The training covered gender awareness, understanding root causes, myths and stereotypes of violence against women, preventive approaches and survivor centered and gender-sensitive responses to criminal investigations and trials.
Through discussions at these training events, police officers and prosecutors highlighted the need for a coordinated multi-sector criminal justice response to gender-based violence. Criminal justice responses work best when health, social and other sectors join the common effort to protect and empower women and hold perpetrators accountable. To this end, UNODC supported the Myanmar Police Force in hosting the first Inter-Agency Workshop on Coordinating Policing and Justice Responses to Gender-based Violence, held on 19-20 of November in Nay Pyi Taw. Members of Supreme Court of the Union, the Union Attorney General's Office, the Myanmar Police Force, the Ministry of Health, and the Department of Social Welfare met to discuss coordination challenges and strategies to improve responses to cases of violence against women and girls. Special attention was paid to ensuring that all solutions put the needs and the security of the victim first, while ensuring the right to a fair trial for all. The meeting was also coordinated with UNFPA and UNICEF and attended by UN Women and WHO..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2018-11-25
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Women's rights, Discrimination/violence against women: standards, mechanisms and commentary - international and Myanmar-specific
Language:
English
more
Description:
"Former opium farmers from Shan State in Myanmar have begun the process to commercialise coffee, a licit cash crop introduced by UNODC's alternative development project to break dependence on opium.
In 2014, UNODC worked with over 1,000 small scale farmers to begin producing high quality coffee in place of the illicit opium poppy. These coffee farmers are now expecting their first harvest in November 2017. In preparation, producers have created the Green Gold Cooperative to manage product commercialisation on a communal level.
As a part of a strategy to place its coffee on international markets and with the support of UNODC, Green Gold contacted various stakeholders to raise awareness of the important changes that are ongoing in Shan State in relation to towards the alternative development programmes being implemented there.
One of the interested stakeholders was MALONGO, a French roaster company that negotiates with farmers in different countries under fair trade guidelines. UNODC efforts helped conduct the first joint field visit to Shan State between 9 and 11 July, where MALONGO confirmed the social and technical conditions of these coffee producing communities, and explored the possibility of establishing a long-term agreement to contribute to the communities' development.
In addition to the field visit, three administrative members of Green Gold experienced first hand the plantations, postharvest infrastructure and headquarters of Bolaven Plateau Coffee Producers Cooperative C.P.C in Pakse, Lao PDR. After a 10-year process to successfully reach international markets with their high quality coffee, C.P.C. held expertise as a similar specialised business and had invited Green Gold to share in the knowledge. The visit was supported by UNODC and MALONGO, and took place between 13 and 15 of July.
While the C.P.C. experience was not the first to be developed by the alternative development programme of UNODC under the framework of South - South Cooperation, it was the first time Myanmar farmers traveled overseas to learn from similar organizations. Given their common interests and the importance of shared knowledge, C.P.C. and Green Gold are designing a system to facili-tate farmer-to-farmer training activities. This programme will begin in October and November, after the harvest season in Myanmar..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-07-21
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Sustainable/alternative development in and for Burma, Roots and Resources - global and regional experience and analysis
Language:
English
more
Description:
"Today, the Green Gold cooperative celebrated a milestone when it exported its first container of select coffee to the European market. Its 2018 harvest came from 60 villages across Loilem, Hopong and Ywangan townships. In one community, Pan Lim, the coffee was of such a high quality, that Malongo agreed to pay a price of $8.00 USD per kilogram of green coffee beans - double the market average in Myanmar.
The achievement, while serving as a testament to the promises of sustainable alternative development, is also a remarkable steppingstone for the community of farmers in South Shan State that has made great strides in breaking its dependency on opium poppy cultivation. "This is the day we've all dreamed of the last 3 years. We are sure European consumers will be delighted with this new aroma", said Troels Vester, UNODC Country Manager in Myanmar.
Since its creation in 2015, Green Gold, which now comprises 968 farmers, has worked together with UNODC to acquire knowledge and expertise about the coffee business, create coffee nurseries, establish sustainable plantations and identify markets and buyers. Its success represents the culmination of 4 years of work with donors (Governments of Finland, Germany and Switzerland), partners and UNODC.
As a result, by the end of 2017, the cooperative signed a 5-year partnership agreement with the French company Malongo for the commercialisation of its harvests under fair-trade conditions. It is currently taking steps to have its own processing infrastructure for its next harvest, which will allow it to control additional steps in the value chain of coffee production..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2018-10-12
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Sustainable/alternative development in and for Burma, Roots and Resources - global and regional experience and analysis
Language:
English
more
Description:
"The Government of Myanmar convened a special national conference to mark the 29th International Day against Drug Use and Illicit Trafficking in Nay Pyi Taw today, with speeches, displays and activities highlighting the impact of drugs on the health and security of the country and surrounding region. Attended by the Vice President, Minister of Home Affairs, Minister of Health, dozens of senior officials, UNODC regional leadership and experts, diplomats and media, the event featured findings of the 2017 World Drug Report and the latest regional and national data, along with discussions about strategies and plans to address the situation.
The conference is part of an ongoing effort of the Government of Myanmar to reconsider the situation and solutions given the significance of the drug problem in the country. Opium poppy cultivation in the Golden Triangle has levelled off after tripling over the last decade, with production mainly concentrated in Shan State but with some production also in Kachin and parts of Chin State. At the same time methamphetamine production and trafficking continues on an upward trajectory mirroring the expansion and diversification of illicit drug markets in Southeast Asia..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-06-26
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs and Burma: general links, reports and articles, Burma: opium and heroin, Drugs: regional and global, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar
Language:
English
more
Description:
"High-level delegations from East, South and Southeast Asia are in the capital of Myanmar, Nay Pyi Taw, to consider the deteriorating synthetic drug situation in the region and negotiate a new strategy to address the diversion and trafficking of precursor chemicals used in production. "We are very pleased these discussions are underway", remarked Myanmar Vice Minister of Home Affairs Major General Aung Thu. He continued, "we put ourselves forward to co-host at the last Mekong MOU negotiations, and we reminded the region that precursors are required for synthetic drug production to continue to go up. While we are a significant source of illicit drugs, we are not a source of the chemicals." Methamphetamine production and trafficking in the region has reached alarming levels in recent years, with seizures to-date in 2018 already exceeding records set in 2017. Supply from the Golden Triangle vastly exceeds market demand in the surrounding Mekong region and Southeast Asia, and it is a primary source of supply for Australia, Japan, Korea and New Zealand.
The oversupply of methamphetamine has led to declining street prices across the region, with yaba tablets now available for $1-$5 USD down from $5 -$15 USD in 2014. A similar decline in the price of crystal methamphetamine has taken place across region, making both forms of the drug more affordable and accessible.
At the same time, powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl are being produced, diverted and trafficked in and from the region to North America and recently Australia, where they are being mixed into the opiate and heroin markets to maximise profits. Significant illicit production of ketamine has also been found in the Golden Triangle, primarily for export to China and Thailand, and it is increasingly being trafficked across the region in mixed shipments with methamphetamine..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2018-11-07
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Burma: opium and heroin
Language:
English
more
Description:
"The total area of opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar has decreased significantly in 2017 to 41,000 hectares, down 25% from the 55,500 recorded in 2015, according to the Myanmar Opium Survey 2017 released today by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Reductions have been most significant in East Shan with a drop of 37% and South Shan with a drop of 29%. However, the report also reveals that while progress has been made, North Shan and Kachin states have seen reductions of less than 3% and 7%, which on the ground amounts to a decrease of only 600 hectares in total.
Reductions in cultivation have been somewhat offset by a greater yield per hectare with potential opium production dropping 14% from 2015 levels.
The report reconfirms the link between conflict and opium in Myanmar, and that insecure areas with active insurgencies continue to cultivate and produce at levels similar to 2015. Jeremy Douglas, UNODC Regional Representative, noted that "the connection between governance and security on the one hand and poverty and conflict on the other is undeniable. We will continue to assist the transition from a dependence on opium to alternative and sustainable economic opportunities. But it cannot be done in isolation from the peace process, and we will need access to additional territory."..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-12-06
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Burma: opium and heroin, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global
Language:
English
more
Description:
"A national workshop with representatives from Myanmar's Central Authority and related government departments was organised in Nay Pyi Taw last week to assist the country to more effectively address transnational crime and security challenges within the framework of the ASEAN Vision 2025. The aim of the workshop was to strengthen the capacity of Myanmar and its officials to engage in cross-border criminal justice cooperation, in particular mutual legal assistance (MLA) and extradition.
Throughout Southeast Asia, transnational organised crime groups and their networks profit from illicit activities that range from drug and precursor trafficking, to human trafficking and migrant smuggling, to the trade of illegal timber and endangered species. Along with the launch of the ASEAN Political-Security Community, the launch of the ASEAN Economic Community in 2015 has helped bring about freer flows of goods, services, labour and money. If recent evidence is correct, legitimate economic flows will continue to increase. While this is positive for the region as a whole, it also provides increased opportunities for transnational crime groups to engage in criminal activities.
Illicit flows and movements mirror and travel alongside legal flows and movements, and as these illegal flows expand, criminal and terrorist networks will continue to benefit. This will only serve to further challenge governance, law enforcement and criminal justice systems of countries in the region.
During the workshop, representatives of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the National Police, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Union Attorney General's Office, the Ministry of Border Affairs (Na Ta La), the Ministry of Finance and Planning and the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population and the General Administrative Department worked through a series of exercises designed to increase their understanding and ability to utilise MLA and extradition. As a result, they were provided the opportunity to not only learn more about the legal traditions and systems regarding MLA and extradition in other countries, but also to strengthen relationships and understanding between the various Government departments within Myanmar that form part of its Central Authority and work on these issues..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-08-08
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs and Burma: general links, reports and articles, Trafficking: Burma-specific material, Trafficking of migrants
Language:
English
more
Description:
"In an effort to rebalance the approach to drug challenges in Myanmar, the Government of Myanmar and UNODC today announced a new National Drug Control Policy. The overall aim is to contribute to safe, secure and and healthy communities through a policy that addresses all aspects of the drug problem, focusing on the unique needs of the country. A national expression of the 2016 UN General Assembly Special Session on the World Drug Problem (UNGASS) outcome, the policy signals a significant shift in approach towards an evidence-based and more people and health-focused approach, while advocating for practical strategies to reduce the negative effects of drug production, trafficking and use.
UNODC began the partnership with the Government of Myanmar to develop the new National Drug Control Policy after the UNGASS. Notably, Myanmar is the first country in Southeast Asia to adopt the UNGASS framework at a national level.
On the International Day Against Drugs 26th June in 2016, the Government of Myanmar formally requested UNODC financial and technical support to design a new policy for Myanmar. Following initial discussions with parliamentarians, a comprehensive consultation process involving government, non-government, academic and civil society stakeholders was set-up and run with the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control. Reflecting the diversity of views taken on-board in the consultations, the new policy includes health and social policy responses, outlining a path to promoting sustainable alternative development for opium farmers, a refocus of law enforcement and justice efforts to address organized crime, and expanding regional and international cooperation. The process of consultation was inclusive, allowing for an open and frank exchange of views.
Given the effectiveness of the traditional approach has been called into question, UNODC experts have commended the Government of Myanmar for developing a national drug policy that moves from a punitive approach to a more health and human oriented approach to address illicit drug challenges. The new policy incorporates inputs from the consultation process into five policy areas, including: supply reduction and alternative development; demand and harm reduction; international cooperation; research and analysis; and compliance with human rights. Significantly, it is the first time the Government of Myanmar has formally adopted a harm reduction approach to drug use..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2018-02-20
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, The human impact of drugs and drug policies in Burma, Drugs: regional and global
Language:
English
more
Description:
"Over 1000 farmers in South Shan Myanmar have made the switch from opium to coffee, and in an important step for sustainable alternative development have today announced a contract with a major buyer from Europe.
Research by UNODC has found a strong correlation between insecurity and opium cultivation; but it also shows that given a choice, communities currently producing opium would want a different source of income and a future away from the cycle of instability that it brings.
In 2014, UNODC began working with farmers in Taunggyi, South Shan to make the transition from opium to sustainable, high value coffee, and three years later the project has seen their communities transformed in remarkable fashion. Today is a milestone as the local farming collective signed a distribution agreement with French coffee company MALONGO for the entire crop.
It has been a challenge to change to coffee farming, to learn fairtrade practices with other farmers in the region through knowledge exchanges facilitated by UNODC and MALONGO, and to form a collective to bring their product to market, but the farmers are unanimous that it is the best path to take.
UNODC is pleased to recognise the important support and partnership of MALONGO. The Malongo Foundation helps growers across the Southern Hemisphere bring fairtrade coffee to market, and is instrumental in the sustainable development of communities from Haiti to New Caledonia to the Congo, and now Myanmar. UNODC facilitated visits of MALONGO to South Shan throughout the year, and facilitated meetings with Green Gold..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-12-07
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more
Description:
"Myanmar is a strategically relevant country in the illegal wildlife trade, nestled between several important source, transit and destination countries. Yet, as transportation infrastructure in the country and the region continues to improve and expand, the importance of Myanmar as a transit location for wildlife smuggling may also increase in the future.
As such, Myanmar's Customs officers have a vital role to play both at national and regional level, and increasing their capacity to detect, intercept and investigate wildlife smuggling is important to disrupt the operations of transboundary criminal syndicates.
In cooperation with the Myanmar Customs Department, UNODC organized a training course on "Risk Profiling to Enhance Interception of Illegal Wildlife Trade", which was held in Yangon from 8-10 August. Participants included Customs officers working at Yangon Port and Yangon International Airport, as well as some Police and Forestry Department officers.
"Building capacity for risk profiling is key for a more effective Customs inspection and screening process," said Mr. That Tun Aung, Director of the Prevention Division of Myanmar Customs Department. "Together with police and forestry officials, we will improve the monitoring of passengers and cargo to combat illegal wildlife trade."
During the course, participants discussed wildlife risk indicators that could be applied for air passengers, air cargo and sea cargo, and created risk profiles. A Thai Customs officer was invited to share the experience of Thai Customs in intelligence-led profiling, and proposed cooperation and information sharing between the two neighbouring Customs authorities. Participants also completed a series of practical exercises involving examination of shipping documents to target wildlife smuggling, and special investigation techniques that can be applied following a seizure..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2018-08-10
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Threats to the fauna of Burma, Border Trade with China, Smuggling apart from drugs
Language:
English
more
Description:
"Today Myanmar celebrated International Anti-Corruption Day in Nay Pyi Taw. The Anti-Corruption Commission, UNODC and UNDP joined forces to mark the day and encourage the public to get involved in anti-corruption efforts. The central theme of the day's event was that, by working together across government, the private sector, and the community at large, we can make real progress in curbing corruption.
The event was opened with speeches by H.E. U Aung Kyi, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr. Jeremy Douglas, UNODC Regional Representative of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and Mr. Peter Bachelor, UNDP Country Director for Myanmar.
Mr. Douglas said: "Corruption anywhere is a pervasive and harmful force: it breaks the trust of the people in our public institutions, and makes any improvement in governance or the rule of law that much harder to achieve. It shrinks public revenue, and stifles efforts to improve public welfare - especially the welfare of the most vulnerable, who measure the costs of corruption in missing healthcare services, in missing educational services, in missing public officials whom they can trust. Ultimately, corruption lines the pockets of those who abuse the trust of the public they serve, and takes food off the table of those who will miss it most."
Mr. Douglas went on to note the efforts made in Myanmar to curb corruption, saying "UNODC supports the government in enhancing the institutional capacity to prevent, raise awareness of, detect, investigate, prosecute, and convict cases of corruption. This includes extensive capacity development activities for anti-corruption institutions, including the Anti-Corruption Commission, the Anti-Financial Crime Division of the Myanmar Police Force, the Union Attorney General's Office, and the Supreme Court."
H.E. Mr. Kyi noted the progress that has been made through Myanmar's adoption of the UN Convention Against Corruption, and the enactment of multiple laws and policies aimed at reducing corruption within the country. He went on to point out the ongoing work to address corruption, noting that "a whole-of-government response and a cohesive national anti-corruption strategy are essential. Our continued development and implementation of major programmes that we have initiated with the support of our international partners are key to that effort."
A highlight of the day was the awarding of prizes to the winners of article and essay competitions conducted by the Anti-Corruption Commission in cooperation with the Ministry of Education at a high school in Nay Pyi Taw on 20 November for a total of 40 students. Half of the students wrote articles titled "No Corruption for a Prosperous Nation" while the other half wrote essays titled "United Against Corruption". For each competition, a first prize, second prize, third prize and three honorable mentions were awarded by the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2017-12-08
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-24
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Corruption
Language:
English
more
Description:
"Drug agency leaders from the Mekong region - Cambodia, China, Lao, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam - alongside UNODC, are visiting remote, mountainous areas around Taunggyi and Hopong of Shan State, Myanmar for two days to meet with former and current opium growing farmers and villages.
The visit has been arranged to connect senior regional policymakers with opium farming communities, to understand the challenges they face and to discuss programmes that can provide alternate sources of income. The Mekong leaders are considering how to support and scale-up so-called alternative development or AD programmes, and, as a result, UNODC and the Government of Myanmar arranged the trip to see the area, living conditions in local communities and the impacts of AD programmes first-hand. "Talking directly with the farmers and those involved in the projects has been important", said China National Narcotics Control Commission (NNCC) Deputy Secretary General Wei Xiaojun. "Conditions in the communities have improved significantly since they moved away from growing opium, and we have appreciated listening to farmers discuss the benefits and challenges they have faced to make these projects a success. We are committed to seeing alternative development succeed, and hopefully to expand, here in Shan, Myanmar."
He added, "China is considering further support to UNODC so that these efforts become more widely known and so more projects can happen here and in Laos. We encourage other international partners to invest in UNODC programmes that benefit the Mekong region like this..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2018-05-24
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Burma: opium and heroin, Drugs: regional and global, The human impact of drugs and drug policies in Burma, Drugs and Burma: general links, reports and articles
Language:
English
more
Description:
"Senior drug policy leaders from the Mekong region -Cambodia, China, Lao, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet Nam- are in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) this week for a conference of the Mekong MOU on Drug Control to discuss the illicit drug situation in the region, and to negotiate a new strategic plan.
The conference brings together the leadership of Mekong drug authorities and over 100 senior delegates and experts to consider the latest data, and for detailed discussions on drug law enforcement, justice, health and alternative development strategies and programmes, while reviewing the implementation of the last Mekong strategy that the countries agreed.
"Illicit drug challenges are not only a national issue, and to ensure our recently announced drug policy succeeds we need to focus on the situation and implementation including with regional partners" said Myanmar Deputy Home Minister Major General Aung Soe. "This meeting is a step forward, allowing us to discuss issues and priorities with our neighbours and UNODC, including improving law enforcement cooperation and standards for community based drug treatment." He added, "A top priority for us (Myanmar) is a regional precursor strategy that will slow the supply of chemicals and pharmaceutical products into drug producing areas of the Golden Triangle."
The Mekong has long been associated with the production and trafficking of illicit drugs, particularly heroin, but has undergone significant transformation in recent years. Opium and heroin production have recently declined, while organized crime have intensified production and trafficking of both low grade yaba methamphetamine and high purity crystal methamphetamine to alarming levels - several Mekong countries have already surpassed 2017 seizure totals only a few months into 2018, and Golden Triangle methamphetamine is being seized in high volumes in Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Malaysia, Indonesia. The shift to synthetics like methamphetamine is particularly difficult for countries to address due to the complexity of responding to remote and clandestine production that can be moved, but also due to the health impacts on drug users..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2018-05-21
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global, Burma: opium and heroin, The human impact of drugs and drug policies in Burma, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar
Language:
English
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Description:
"The area of opium poppy cultivation in Myanmar dropped to 37,300 hectares (ha) in 2018, down 10% from the 41,000 ha recorded in 2017, according to the Myanmar Opium Survey 2018 released today by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Reductions in cultivation have taken place in practically all regions, but have been most significant in South Shan with a decline of 17% and Kachin State with a decline of 15%, followed by East Shan and North Shan declining 8% and 7%. With an average yield of 14 kg per ha in 2018 total opium production dropped from 550 to 520 metric tons, equivalent to approximately 53 tons of heroin destined for the domestic and regional drug markets.
The report reconfirms the link between conflict and opium in Myanmar, with the highest levels of cultivation continuing to take place in unstable areas of Shan and Kachin states. Troel Vester, UNODC Country Manager, noted that "entrenched poverty and opium cultivation in Myanmar are closely connected..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2019-01-11
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Burma: opium and heroin, Amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) - Myanmar, Drugs: regional and global
Language:
English
Format :
pdf
Size:
5.34 MB
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Description:
"For International Women's Day, UNODC joins millions of women around the world in celebration of their social, political, economic achievements. This year's international theme "Think equal, build smart and innovate for change" advocates for innovative ways in which we can advance gender parity in all sectors and empower women and girls. Myanmar's country celebrated International Women's Day with a leadership training aimed at women farmers, cooperative board members and UNODC staff. The participants are part of UNODC's Alternative Development sub-programme. This programme is based in Southern Shan State, and aids farmers in switching from producing opium crops to growing coffee. This also included the establishment of a coffee cooperative, "Green Gold". A major achievement of the programme in 2018 was the modification of the statute of the cooperative in order to allow for a greater and more active participation of women within the cooperative. The administrative board of the cooperative is composed of 16 active members, with an equal participation of men and women. #BalanceforBetter emphasizes innovation as a critical tool to challenge inequalities and to accelerate gender equality through women's empowerment. It is through innovation that the Green Gold Cooperative was formed, especially through introducing a gender-balanced administrative board.
As Joelle Charbonneau, UNODC Gender Advisor, commented, "I can say proudly that you all have already made an important advancement towards gender equality, with the modification of the composition of the Administrative Board of Green Gold and the creation of committees at village level with an important participation of women. My invitation is to continue working in that direction, together with your husbands, relatives and friends."
The International Women's Day leadership workshop was aimed at the female representatives of the cooperative, as well as other female farmers and staff in leadership roles. The workshop began with a panel of speakers, including women from the Gender Equality Network, the Shan's Women's Organization Network, the Women's Development Society and the Women Entrepreneur Association from Shan State. The women spoke about their experiences in starting their own businesses, promoting their ethnic group's culture and literature, fighting for education, and advocating and working with the government to promote women's rights and leadership. Participants also engaged in a leadership workshop and discussed challenges and solutions on achieving women's equality within their daily roles..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2019-03-08
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Category:
UNODC Burma/Myanmar, Women's rights, Articles, reports and sites relating to women of Burma
Language:
English
more
Description:
"In a pivotal moment for Myanmar's burgeoning specialty coffee industry, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and French coffee company Malongo today launched a new line of high‐quality coffee, Shan Mountain Coffee, in the French Parliament.
The first tasting and presentation of Shan Mountain Coffee took place at the Presidential Hall of the Parliament in presence of the President of the National Assembly Richard Ferrand and dozens of other prominent guests. At the same time, the sales of Shan Mountain Coffee opened in Malongo stores in Paris and Nice.
The Shan Mountain Coffee is ethically sourced in conflict‐ridden Shan State in eastern Myanmar. Shan State produces nearly 90 per cent of opium cultivated in Myanmar, the second largest opium exporter in the world (after Afghanistan).
The Shan Mountain Coffee is grown by a UNODC‐supported Green Gold Cooperative formed by almost 1,000 farmers in Shan State who used to cultivate opium poppy. The strategic partnership between Malongo, the Green Gold Cooperative and UNODC is a key to bringing peace, prosperity and environmental sustainability to Shan State which is one of the top opium poppy cultivation areas in the world.
"UNODC is proud to have been part of this exciting initiative that developed a brand new premium coffee product as a means for reducing opium production in Myanmar," said Troels Vester, UNODC Country Manager in Myanmar. "Judging by its success here in French Parliament, the Shan Mountain Coffee is now set to make it in France and encourage others in Myanmar to switch from opium to growing alternatives crops."
The emergence of Myanmar as a coffee producer is supported by UNODC's Alternative Development Programme, co‐financed by two main donors, Finland and Germany, and with the additional support of Switzerland, that is giving resources directly to the Cooperative.
The programme's objective to develop sustainable livelihood alternatives for opium growing communities has enabled participating farmers to independently cultivate, refine and commercialize high quality coffee that can be exported to one of the most competitive international markets. The establishment of the farmer‐run Green Gold Cooperative ensures that these farmers will indeed see the fruits of their labour for many years to come..."
Source/publisher:
UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime)
Date of publication:
2019-03-22
Date of entry/update:
2019-06-23
Grouping:
Individual Documents
Language:
English
more