Drugs and Burma: general links, reports and articles

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Websites/Multiple Documents

Title: "BurmaNet News" Drugs archive
Description: Up to October 2016
Source/publisher: Various sources via "BurmaNet News"
Date of entry/update: 2012-04-17
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Title: *Youtube search for Burma OR Myanmar - drugs* (video)
Description: About 32,000 results
Source/publisher: Various sources via Youtube
Date of entry/update: 2017-08-20
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
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Title: Drug Policy in Myanmar
Description: Various documents on drugs and Burma, the region, global
Source/publisher: Transnational Institute (TNI)
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-26
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Title: Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N.) drug pages
Description: Drug-related articles from 1985
Source/publisher: Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N.)
Date of entry/update: 2015-09-26
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Title: Transnational Institute: Drugs and Democracy - Related websites and documents
Description: Useful set of links on drugs - global, regional and Burma
Source/publisher: Transnational Institute
Date of entry/update: 2009-07-19
Grouping: Websites/Multiple Documents
Language: English
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Individual Documents

Title: Bangladesh: Drugs worth $1.8M seized on Myanmar border
Sub-title: Smugglers escaped leaving behind 520,000 Yaba pills, arms, says official statement
Description: "Bangladesh's border security forces on Sunday seized a huge quantity of narcotics worth $1.8 million in a pre-dawn raid on Myanmar border, an official statement said. On a tip off, the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) raided a suspected boat in Naf River, which flows between Cox's Bazar district, and Myanmar's Rakhine state. The smugglers opened fire, and managed to escape but left behind a haul of Yaba drug tablets, the BGB statement said, adding that there were three to four persons on the boat. As many as 520,000 Yaba pills worth $1.764 million in the local Bangladeshi market were confiscated. A rifle, bullets and sharp metal knives were also seized. A criminal case has been registered, and manhunt for drug traffickers is underway. Naf River has seemingly turned into a hotbed for smugglers and other cross-border criminals. Security forces confiscated over a million Yaba tablets worth $3.3 million in local market in two raids on Jan. 12 and Jan. 17 in the same area. Thousands of people, particularly young Bangladeshis, have become hooked on red or pink Yaba pills in recent years, despite efforts against its use and smuggling. Yaba is a combination of methamphetamine and caffeine, and is said to be manufactured illicitly in Myanmar..."
Source/publisher: "Anadolu Agency" (Ankara)
Date of entry/update: 2021-01-19
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Title: 70 kg of heroin seized in Myanmar's eastern state
Description: "Myanmar authorities seized 70 kilograms of heroin in Shan state, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Tuesday. Acting on a tip-off, a joint police force confiscated heroin worth one billion kyats (750,750 U.S. dollars) from a vehicle along with one suspect in Tachilek township on Monday. The township police filed a case against the suspect and further investigation was underway as per the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the release said. According to a latest release issued by the President's Office, a total of 1,498 drug-related cases were registered across Myanmar while 2,293 people were charged in connection with the cases as of Jan. 9 this year, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department on June 26, 2018..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2021-01-15
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Title: 7.7 kg of heroin seized in northwestern Myanmar
Description: " Myanmar authorities seized 7.7 kilograms of heroin in Sagaing Region, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Sunday. Acting on a tip-off, the joint police force made a seizure during their operation in Salingyi township on Saturday. Heroin worth 770 million kyats (550,000 U.S. dollars) were confiscated from a car. The township police filed a case against 10 suspects in connection with the case and further investigation is underway under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the release said. According to a latest release issued by the President's Office, a total of 1,246 drug-related cases were registered across Myanmar while 1,922 people were charged in connection with the cases as of July 11 this year, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department on June 26, 2018..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-07-26
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Title: Large haul of narcotic drugs seized in Myanmar's eastern state
Description: "Myanmar authorities seized a large haul of narcotic drugs in the eastern Shan state, according to a statement from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Wednesday. The security forces made a seizure during their operation near Yaypusan village in Tachileik township on Tuesday. About 1.9 million of stimulants worth over 2.9 billion kyats (2.1 million U.S. dollars), 20 kg of stimulants worth 300 million kyats (214,285 U.S. dollars) and materials used in making drugs were confiscated. Further investigation is underway to capture the suspects under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the statement said. According to the latest statistics released by the President's Office on Monday, a total of 1,210 drug-related cases were registered across Myanmar, while 1,869 people were charged in connection with the cases as of June 27, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department on June 26, 2018..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-07-02
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Title: Mekong River nations launch 94th joint law-enforcement patrol
Description: "The 94th Mekong River joint patrol, involving law-enforcement authorities from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, started Tuesday, the latest in a series of patrols basically on a monthly basis by the four nations. Three Chinese vessels departed from Jingha Port, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, in southwest China's Yunnan Province, while a Laotian vessel departed from the Ban Mom Port in Laos, with the patrol due to last several days. Before the operation, law-enforcement authorities of the four countries held a video conference to review the progress made by the joint patrol since 2011 when it was initiated to tackle safety concerns along the Mekong. They also analyzed the current situation regarding drug-related crimes in the region, and conducted in-depth discussions on a range of topics, including combating cross-border crimes and strengthening law-enforcement cooperation. During the operation, the joint patrol team will crack down on all types of illegal and criminal activities and make every effort to ensure the safety and stability of shipping lanes. So far, the four countries have jointly busted seven drug-related cases and seized a total of 4,585.39 kg of drugs, capturing nine suspects, according to the Yunnan provincial public security department. The Mekong River, known as the Lancang River in China, is a vital waterway for cross-border shipping..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-25
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Title: Myanmar destroys seized precursor chemicals in eastern state
Description: "Myanmar authorities have destroyed seized precursor chemicals and paraphernalia worth over 3.38 billion kyats (over 2.4 million U.S. dollars) in Shan state on Tuesday, according to a release from the Ministry of Information. The destruction ceremony was held in Kutkai township to mark the 33rd International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking which will fall on June 26. The destroyed items included 47 kinds of precursor chemicals and 50 types of paraphernalia which were seized in connection with 55 cases in the township from Feb. 20 to April 9 this year. Narcotic drugs which were seized across the country will be destroyed on June 26..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-23
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Title: Myanmar Reports Steep Rise In Drug Trafficking And Violence As General Elections Approach
Sub-title: Drug trafficking, violence and terrorism have been on the rise in Myanmar as the country prepares for its general elections amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Description: "Myanmar’s third general election in six decades is scheduled to take place amid coronavirus pandemic. It is reportedly a landmark development for the country's democratic transition. According to reports, However, Myanmar is also currently facing a sudden and steep rise in activities related to drug trafficking, violence and terrorism. Drug trafficking, violence and terrorism on the rise As per reports, authorities in Myanmar only recently seized 711,000 stimulants, worth over 1.4 billion kyats (over 1 million U.S. dollars) in Shan state. The Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) announced the seizure of the stimulants on June 13. In a similar incident, the authorities had confiscated narcotic drugs worth 459 million kyats (306,000 US dollars) from two Bangladeshi women in Rakhine State. According to reports, Myanmar’s President office in a release claimed that a total of 1,169 drugs-related cases were registered across Myanmar as of June 6, 2020. And 1,811 people connected to those case have been charged by the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department that was formed in 2018. Read: Canadian Pastor Held In Myanmar For Flouting Gathering Rule Read: 12 Insurgents Handed Over By Myanmar, 206 Others Test COVID Negative In Manipur As per reports, terror and violence incidents have also increased alongside drug trafficking in Myanmar. In the recent weeks, six Arakan National Party (ANP) members in Taungup Township of Myanmar's Southern Rakhine State have been brought up on charges under the country’s Terrorism Law. The Arakan Army and the Myanmar government have been reportedly been engaged is some of the country’s most intense conflicts in years. Tensions between the government have shown no signs of easing even amid the coronavirus pandemic and the branding of the Arakan Army as terrorists by the government is expected to make matters worse..."
Source/publisher: "Republic World" (India)
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-15
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Title: 22 kg of heroin seized in Myanmar's eastern state
Description: " Myanmar authorities seized 22 kilograms of heroin in Shan state, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Sunday. Acting on a tip-off, a joint anti-narcotic police team searched a vehicle in Hsenwi township on Saturday. Heroin worth 660 million kyats (471,428 U.S. dollars) was confiscated from the vehicle and one suspect arrested. The township police filed a case against the suspect and further investigation is underway under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the release said. According to a latest release issued by the President's Office, a total of 1,169 drug-related cases were registered across Myanmar while 1,811 people were charged in connection with the cases as of June 6 this year, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department on June 26, 2018..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-14
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Title: Over 8 kg of heroin, stimulants seized in Myanmar's northernmost state
Description: "Myanmar authorities seized 8.14 kg of heroin and 142,500 stimulants in Kachin state, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Tuesday. Acting on a tip-off, a police force stopped and searched a car in Shwe Ku township late Sunday. Heroin worth 651.2 million kyats (465,142 U.S. dollars) and stimulants worth 427.5 million kyats (305,357 U.S. dollars) were seized from the car and three suspects were arrested. The township police filed a case against the suspects and further investigation is underway, the release said. According to a latest release issued by the President's Office on Monday, a total of 1,169 drug-related cases have been registered across Myanmar while 1,811 have been charged in connection with the cases as of June 6 this year, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department in June 2018..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-13
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Title: Stimulants worth over 1 mln USD seized in Myanmar's eastern state
Description: "Myanmar authorities confiscated 711,000 stimulants, worth over 1.4 billion kyats (over 1 million U.S. dollars) in Shan state, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Saturday. Acting on a tip-off, a joint-police force made the seizure at a house in Mabein Township on Friday. Two suspects were also arrested. The township police filed a case against the suspects and further investigation is underway under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the release said. According to a recent release issued by the President's Office, a total of 1,169 drugs related cases were registered across Myanmar while 1,811 people were charged in connection with the cases as of June 6 this year, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department in 2018..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-13
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Title: Responding to COVID-19, UNODC equips frontline border officers across Myanmar with personal protective equipment
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 entry/update: 2020-06-11
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Title: Large amount of controlled chemicals seized in Myanmar's eastern state
Description: " Myanmar authorities seized a large amount of sodium cyanide in Shan state, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Wednesday. Acting on a tip-off, the joint police force searched four trucks in Kalaw township on Monday, and 18,000 kilograms of sodium cyanide worth 108 million kyats (77,142 U.S. dollars) were confiscated from the trucks along with seven suspects. The township police filed a case against the suspects under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the release said..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-10
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Title: Over 4 kg of heroin seized in Myanmar's northwestern state
Description: "Myanmar authorities seized 4.092 kg of heroin in Sagaing Region, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Thursday. Acting on tip-offs, the anti-narcotic police force stoped and searched a car in Khampat township on Tuesday. Heroin worth over 245 million kyats (over 175,371 U.S. dollars) were confiscated from the car. The township police filed a case against four suspects in connection with the case and further investigation is underway under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the release said. On the same day, a total of 202,000 stimulants worth 202 million kyats (144,285 U.S. dollars) were seized in Tachileik township of the Shan state. According to a latest release issued by the President's Office on Monday, a total of 1,156 drug-related cases were registered across Myanmar while 1,790 were charged in connection with the cases as of May 30 this year, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department on June 26, 2018..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-06-04
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Title: Huge fentanyl haul seized in Asia's biggest-ever drugs bust
Sub-title: The massive haul raises fears that the opioid crisis ravaging the US may emerge in Asia
Description: "Myanmar police say they have seized a huge haul of liquid fentanyl, the first time one of the dangerous synthetic opioids that have ravaged North America has been found in Asia’s Golden Triangle drug-producing region. In a signal that Asia’s drug syndicates have moved into the lucrative opioid market, Reuters can reveal more than 3,700 litres of methylfentanyl was discovered by anti-narcotics police near Loikan village in Shan State in northeast Myanmar. The seizure of the fentanyl derivative was part of Asia’s biggest-ever interception of illicit drugs, precursors and drug-making equipment, including 193 million methamphetamine tablets known as yaba. At 17.5 tonnes, the yaba almost equalled the amount seized in the previous two years in Myanmar. The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the scale of the bust was unprecedented and Myanmar’s anti-drug authorities had “dismantled a significant network” during a two-month operation involving police and military. Also seized were almost 163,000 litres and 35.5 tonnes of drug precursors, as well as weapons. There were more than 130 arrests. Even so, the methylfentanyl discovery was an ominous indicator for the region’s illicit drug market, the U.N. agency and a Western official based in Myanmar told Reuters. “It could be a game-changer because fentanyl is so potent that its widespread use would cause a major health concern for Myanmar and the region,” said the Western official, who declined to be identified..."
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Now" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-31
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Title: Stimulants worth over 13 mln USD seized in Myanmar
Description: "Myanmar authorities seized a large haul of stimulants in Rakhine state, according to a release from the Office of the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services on Sunday. Acting on tip-offs, the security force raided a house in Maung Taw Township on Saturday. Stimulants worth over 14.2 billion kyats (over 10 million U.S. dollars) were confiscated from the house and two suspects were held. The township police filed a case against the suspects under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the release said. On the same day, stimulants worth over 4.8 billion kyats (over 3.2 million U.S. dollars) were seized in Tachileik township of the Shan state. According to a latest release issued by the President's Office, a total of 1,136 drug-related cases were registered across Myanmar while 1,745 suspects were charged in connection with the cases as of May 23 this year, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department on June 26, 2018..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-31
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Title: Large haul of stimulants, ICE seized in Myanmar's eastern state
Description: "Myanmar authorities seized large haul of stimulants and methamphetamine (ICE) in Shan state, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Sunday. Acting on tip-offs, the anti-narcotic police force stoped and searched a car travelling to Moe Mate township from Mantong township on Saturday, and 168,000 stimulants worth 336 million kyats (240,000 U.S. dollars) were confiscated from the car along with one suspect. The township police filed a case against the suspect and further investigation is underway under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the release said. On Friday, 124 kg of methamphetamine (ICE) and 248,000 stimulants were seized from a car in Ywangan township of the same state. According to a latest release issued by the President's Office, a total of 1,123 drug-related cases were registered across Myanmar while 1,724 suspects were charged in connection with the cases as of May 16 this year, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department on June 26, 2018..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-25
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Title: Record-breaking Myanmar drug busts show Asia’s crime syndicates still on the rise
Summary: "In what may be Southeast Asia’s largest drug bust, authorities in Myanmar have announced the seizure of 35.5 tons of methamphetamine and other drugs and 163,000 liters of precursor chemicals in...
Description: "In what may be Southeast Asia’s largest drug bust, authorities in Myanmar have announced the seizure of 35.5 tons of methamphetamine and other drugs and 163,000 liters of precursor chemicals in northeastern Myanmar’s Shan State. The seizures, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, took place in the area around Kutkai township between February 20 and April 9. Drug labs in Shan State have become a primary source of narcotics for the entire Asia-Pacific region in recent years. An international investigation recently identified the dominant force behind this trade as a single crime syndicate known as Sam Gor. There are no reports as to whether the recent seizures are connected to this organization, but from what authorities have disclosed, Southeast Asia’s drug syndicates are producing and trafficking drugs on such a scale that a few dozen tons are an acceptable loss. The operations in Shan seized 193 million “yaba” methamphetamine tablets—nearly 18 tons of meth—as well as over 500 kilograms of crystal meth, 630 kilograms of ephedrine, 588 kilograms of opium and 292 kilograms of heroin. The quantity of methamphetamine found is nearly double the total amount seized by the Myanmar government in 2018 or 2019. Authorities also seized over 3,500 liters of liquid methylfentanyl, which is used to make fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid that is reportedly fifty times stronger than heroin and lethal in doses as small as two milligrams. Fentanyl was partially to blame for three drug overdoses in Bangkok late last year. The incident has led some to believe that fentanyl is now in the heroin supply of the Thai capital. “We can today confirm that drug production and trafficking in and through Shan is not what some have been thinking; it is more than meth tablets and crystal and has evolved to synthetic opioids on a scale nobody anticipated,” said Jeremy Douglas, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific..."
Source/publisher: "ASEAN Today" (Singapore)
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-23
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Title: Wa State Hands Drug Suspect and Meth Bust to Myanmar Authorities
Description: "The United Wa State Army (UWSA) on Wednesday handed over a drug trafficker it arrested along with 3.5 million methamphetamine pills in the south of the Wa self-administered zone. “The handover took place in Hui-au, in our controlled area of southern Wa State. We have also handed over other detainees to the government after previous arrests,” UWSA external relations officer Nyi Rang told The Irrawaddy. In response to a drug trafficking tipoff, a USWA battalion searched the Lwel Htwe mountain range about 5 km from the Thai border, he said. The UWSA said it found around 40 suspected drug smugglers, who opened fire on the troops. After exchanging fire, one suspect was killed and another was detained alive, according to the UWSA. The armed group said it seized around 3,510,000 meth pills. “We carried out an interrogation. The others fled and the case is not over so it is inappropriate to reveal the details but most of the suspects were from Myanmar’s territory,” said Nyi Rang. Myanmar’s military and police took part in the handover, said military spokesman Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun. “As it is an area held by an EAO [ethnic armed organization], we assisted the police. The police will open a case,” he said..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-23
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Title: South-east Asia's biggest synthetic drugs raid: 200m meth tablets found in Myanmar
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 entry/update: 2020-05-19
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Title: Exclusive: Huge fentanyl haul seized in Golden Triangle as Asian crime gangs shift to opioids
Description: "Myanmar police say they have seized a huge haul of liquid fentanyl, the first time one of the dangerous synthetic opioids that have ravaged North America has been found in Asia’s Golden Triangle drug-producing region. In a signal that Asia’s drug syndicates have moved into the lucrative opioid market, Reuters can reveal more than 3,700 litres of methylfentanyl was discovered by anti-narcotics police near Loikan village in Shan State in northeast Myanmar. The seizure of the fentanyl derivative was part of Asia’s biggest-ever interception of illicit drugs, precursors and drug-making equipment, including 193 million methamphetamine tablets known as yaba. At 17.5 tonnes, the yaba almost equalled the amount seized in the previous two years in Myanmar. The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the scale of the bust was unprecedented and Myanmar’s anti-drug authorities had “dismantled a significant network” during a two-month operation involving police and military. Also seized were almost 163,000 litres and 35.5 tonnes of drug precursors, as well as weapons. There were more than 130 arrests. Even so, the methylfentanyl discovery was an ominous indicator for the region’s illicit drug market, the U.N. agency and a Western official based in Myanmar told Reuters..."
Source/publisher: "Reuters" (UK)
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-18
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Title: Over 487,000 stimulants seized in Myanmar's western state
Description: " Myanmar authorities seized over 487,000 stimulants in Rakhine State, according to a release from the Ministry of Home Affairs on Sunday. Acting on tip-offs, the anti-narcotic police force stoped and searched a vehicle in Maung Taw Township on Saturday. A total of 487,500 stimulants were confiscated from the vehicle and one suspect was arrested. The township police filed a case against the suspect under the country's relevant law, the release said. According to the latest release issued by the President's Office, a total of 1,102 drug-related cases were registered across Myanmar while 1,689 suspects were charged as of May 9, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department on June 26, 2018..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-18
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Title: Stimulants worth over 1.1 mln USD seized in Myanmar's eastern state
Description: " Myanmar authorities seized 800,000 stimulants in Shan State, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Wednesday. Acting on tip-offs, the security force stoped and searched two motorcycles travelling to Moe Mate township from Mantong township on Tuesday. Altogether 800,000 stimulants worth 1.6 billion kyats (1.1 million U.S. dollars) were confiscated from two motorcycles and one suspect was arrested. The township police filed a case against the suspect and was searching for another suspect who fled the scene, the release said. According to a latest release issued by the President's Office on Monday, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department on in June 2018, a total of 1,102 drug-related cases were registered across Myanmar while 1,689 suspects were charged in connection with the cases as of May 9 this year..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-13
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Title: Drug factory raided in Shan State
Description: "The Myanmar military raided an illicit drug factory and warehouses in the Shan State of Myanmar and seized a large quantity of drugs, precursor chemicals and equipment worth an estimated 2 billion baht. Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun, spokesman for the Myanmar armed forces, said that its personnel raided plants in Kaungkha and Lwehkam villages of Kutkai township from last Friday to Wednesday. Kutkai is near the Myanmar-China border, and about 400 kilometres north of Chiang Rai province. During the raids on the plant and warehouses, officials found about 44 million methamphetamine pills, 129 kilogrammes of heroin, 15 kilogrammes of pseudoephedrine pills, hundreds of barrels of acid, chemicals and precursors and production machines. Some of them were buried. Officials also seized 158 gas stoves, 13 gas cylinders, bags of charcoal and generators at the plant..."
Source/publisher: "Bangkok Post" (Thailand)
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-11
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Title: Large haul of drugs seized in Myanmar's northwestern state
Description: "Myanmar authorities seized a large haul of narcotic drugs in Sagaing region, according to a statement from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Sunday. Acting on a tip-off, a joint police force raided a house in Banmauk town on Saturday, confiscating 10.58 kg of black opium, 0.44 kg of heroin and 923 stimulants along with one suspect. The township police filed a case against the suspect and further investigation is underway under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the statement said. According to the President's Office, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department on June 26, 2018, a total of 1,083 drug-related cases were registered across Myanmar, while 1,666 suspects were charged as of May 2 this year..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-05-11
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Title: Over 35.3 mln USD worth of narcotic drugs seized in eastern Myanmar
Description: "Myanmar authorizes have seized narcotic drugs and drugs-related materials worth over 53 billion kyats (over 35.3 million U.S. dollars) in two consecutive days in Shan State, according to a release from the Commander-in-chief of Defense Services Office. The security forces confiscated 392 five-gallon containers of acid, 75 50-gallon plastic barrels of acid used in making drugs, over 2.4 million stimulants, 340 grams and five blocks of heroin, other narcotic drugs and drugs-related materials which were worth over 5 billion Kyats (over 3.3 million U.S. dollars) from two unoccupied buildings in Kaungkha Village of Kutkai Township on Monday, the office announced on late Tuesday. On Tuesday, the security troops also seized over 23.3 million stimulants and 5,280 grams of heroin and 38 five-gallon containers of acid worth over 48 billion kyats (over 32 million U.S. dollars) from the empty house near the same village, according to the release. Further investigation is underway to capture the suspects, the release said. According to a release issued by the President's Office on Tuesday, a total of 1,002 drug-related cases were registered across Myanmar while 1,544 suspects were charged in connection with the cases as of Feb. 29 this year, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department on June 26, 2018..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-03-05
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Title: Over 4.9 million of stimulants seized in Myanmar’s western state
Description: "Myanmar authorities seized over 4.9 million of stimulants in Rakhine State, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Tuesday. Acting on tip-offs, the joint anti-narcotic police force confiscated over 4.9 million of stimulants from a warehouse along with one suspect in Maung Daw Township on Monday. The township police filed a case against the suspect and further investigation is underway under the country’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the release said. Myanmar authorities also detained 19,200 litres of Hydrochloric acid, 25,600 litres of Acetone and 25,600 litres of Ethyl Acetate from three trucks in Mong Naung Township of Shan State on Sunday, the release added. According to a release issued by the President’s Office on Tuesday, a total of 1,002 drug-related cases were registered across Myanmar while 1,544 suspects were charged in connection with the cases as of Feb. 29 this year, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department in 2018..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-03-04
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Title: Podcast: The cost of getting clean
Summary: "The rise of drug addiction in Kachin State has prompted dozens of private treatment centres to open up, promoting physical and spiritual wellbeing. This week we hear the personal stories of some...
Description: "The rise of drug addiction in Kachin State has prompted dozens of private treatment centres to open up, promoting physical and spiritual wellbeing. This week we hear the personal stories of some of those addicts receiving treatment and we look at the personal and financial cost of getting clean. Listen in Burmese and Jinghpaw..."
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2020-03-02
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Title: Over 9kg of ICE, stimulants seized in eastern Myanmar
Summary: "Myanmar authorities seized large amount of methamphetamine (ICE) and stimulants in Shan state, said a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Tuesday (Feb 25)....
Description: "Myanmar authorities seized large amount of methamphetamine (ICE) and stimulants in Shan state, said a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Tuesday (Feb 25). Acting on tip-offs, the joint anti-narcotic police force confiscated 9 kilograms of methamphetamine (ICE) from two cars along with three suspects in Tachileik Township on Monday. The township police filed a case against the suspects under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the release said. According to the release, a total of 202,000 stimulants were also seized in Minekok Township of Shan State on Sunday and township police filed a case for further investigation to capture the suspects. According to a release issued by the President's Office late Monday, a total of 990 drug-related cases were registered across Myanmar while 1,525 suspects were charged in connection with the cases as of Feb. 22 this year. - Xinhua/Asian News Network..."
Source/publisher: "The Star Online" (Selangor)
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-26
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Title: Large amount of narcotic drugs seized in eastern Myanmar
Description: "Myanmar authorities seized large amount of narcotic drugs including 3.3 kilograms of heroin, 8 kilograms of opium and 580,000 stimulant tablets in Shan State, a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) said on Monday. Acting on a tip-off, an anti-drug squad stopped and searched a car that was travelling from Mongmit to Mabein Township on Sunday. Heroin worth 627 million kyats (418,000 U.S. dollars), soap boxes filled with opium worth 64 million kyats (42,666 U.S. dollars) and stimulants worth 1.16 billion kyats (7.7 million U.S. dollars) were seized from the car. The township police had filed a case against the suspects under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the release said..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-18
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Title: 6.6kg of heroin, stimulants seized in Northern Myanmar
Description: "Myanmar authorities have seized a large haul of narcotic drugs including 6.6 kg of heroin and 89,300 stimulant tablets in Sagaing region, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Sunday. The confiscation was made by a joint police force in Indaw Township on Friday. Soap boxes filled with heroin worth 660 million kyats (US$440,000) and stimulants worth 446.5 million kyats (US$297,666) were seized from a car. The township police filed a case against the suspect who ran away from the scene under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the release said. The seizure also comes after Myanmar authorities had seized a large haul of narcotic drugs including 22kg of heroin and 549,000 stimulant tablets in Mandalay region on Thursday. The seizure was made by a joint police force in Kyaukse township on Monday. That times, the haul saw soapboxes filled with heroin worth 1.54 billion kyats (US$1.02mil) and stimulants worth 2.74 billion kyats (US$1.83mil) were confiscated from a car and a bush nearby where the car parked in the township..."
Source/publisher: "The Star Online" (Selangor)
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-17
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Title: 22 kg of heroin, stimulants seized in central Myanmar
Description: "Myanmar authorities seized a large haul of narcotic drugs including 22 kilograms of heroin and 549,000 stimulant tablets in Mandalay region, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Wednesday. The seizure was made by a joint police force in Kyaukse township on Monday. Soap boxes filled with heroin worth 1.54 billion kyats (1.02 million U.S. dollars) and stimulants worth 2.74 billion kyats (1.83 million U.S. dollars) were confiscated from a car and a bush nearby where the car parked in the township. The township police filed a case to capture the suspect who was absent at the scene under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law, the release said. According to a recent release from the President's Office, a total of 971 drug-related cases were logged across Myanmar while 1,503 suspects were charged as of Feb. 8 this year, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department on June 26, 2018. The authorities are striving the best to fight drug trafficking and urge public members to directly inform drug trafficking-related cases to the department as well as the Home Affairs Ministry and relevant region and state governments, the release said..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-13
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Title: Chinese companies hope to cash in on cannabis
Sub-title: Investors from China are keen to grow non-intoxicating strains of cannabis in Myanmar for medicinal or industrial use, but that won’t happen without change to the anti-narcotics law.
Description: "COMPANIES IN China have expressed strong interest in growing cannabis for medicinal and industrial purposes in Myanmar, although legal cultivation of even non-intoxicating strains of the plant, known as hemp, would require changes to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law. The moves come as demand soars in many countries for products made from cannabis to treat a range of ailments, including chronic pain, and for making paper, textiles, construction materials and health food. More than 30 nations have legalised the medical use of marijuana – the name used for intoxicating strains of cannabis – including neighbouring Thailand last year, the first country in Southeast Asia to do so. Meanwhile, demand in the United States has soared in recent years for cannabidiol, or CBD, a compound extracted from hemp that is used in health and beauty oils, sprays and balms. This lucrative market is largely supplied by sprawling plantations in faraway China, where domestic CBD sales are banned. The legal use of cannabis generates billions of dollars and it’s a market with huge potential in Myanmar, which has ample land and the right climate for the crop, and thousands of farmers eager to cash in on cultivating cannabis..."
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-08
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Title: Myanmar Opium Cultivation in Decline: UN Report
Summary: "Opium cultivation in Myanmar decreased last year, continuing the downward trend that started in 2014 due in part to the continuing shift in the regional drug market towards synthetic drugs,...
Description: "Opium cultivation in Myanmar decreased last year, continuing the downward trend that started in 2014 due in part to the continuing shift in the regional drug market towards synthetic drugs, according to a new UN survey. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Myanmar Opium Survey 2019, released on Tuesday in Naypyitaw, the amount of land cultivated for opium dropped 11 percent in 2019 to 33,100 hectares (ha), continuing the downward trend from 57,600 ha in 2014. Decreases were observed in Shan State’s northern, eastern and southern areas with drops of 7, 8 and 17 percent respectively, but cultivation increased slightly in Kachin State, up 15 percent from 2018. Despite the declines, the UNODC said that “the highest levels of cultivation continue to take place in unstable and conflict prone areas of Shan and Kachin.” It added that opium cultivation, heroin production and trafficking, and the evolving illicit drug economy, including heroin and synthetic drugs, “are affecting peace and stability in the country and surrounding border areas.” Shan and Kachin states are Myanmar’s main opium producing areas and UNODC focused its 2019 survey on these states. In 2018, Chin and Kayah states were included in the survey. UNODC conducts the Myanmar Opium Survey jointly with the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) under Myanmar’s Ministry of Home Affairs..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-05
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Title: Poppy growing and production declines in Myanmar
Description: "Myanmar’s illegal poppy growing has declined by 11 per cent and poppy production by over two per cent, said Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Major General Aung Thu, at a ceremony to release the Myanmar poppy production survey report, held at Horizon Lake View Hotel in Nay Pyi Taw on February. Last year, there were 33,100 hectares of poppy plantations in Myanmar. In 2006, the illegal poppy growing and production reached the lowest. But the period between 2007 and 2013 saw an increase in, the poppy production and the period between 2014 and 2019, a decline. “There were 55,000 hectors of poppy plantations in 2015, 41,000 hectares in 2017, 37,300 hectares in 2018 and 33,100 hectares in 2019. Poppy growth declined by 11 per cent in 2019 compared with 2018,” the deputy minister added. “Myanmar’s poppy production reached 647 metric tons in 2015, 550 metric tons in 2017, 520 metric tons in 2018 and 508 metric tons in 2019. The poppy production declined by over two per cent in 2019 compared with 2018,” the deputy minister said. According to the UNODC’s report 2019, Myanmar’s ranking dropped to the third position in the World Drug Report 2019 from the second largest opium producer in the world, he said..."
Source/publisher: "Eleven Media Group" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-05
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Title: Myanmar drug kingpin arrested in India
Description: "The Manipur Government has detained a drug kingpin from Myanmar, who was reportedly arrested for smuggling huge consignment of drugs, under the National Security Act (NSA). The Indian Express reported. Thirty-three-year-old kingpin Kyaw Kyaw alias Abdul Rahim, a resident of Kamhmu village, Moha in Myanmar, was booked under section 3(2) NSA 1980 a day after he was granted bail by the Special Court of Thoubal NDPS. An order to this effect was issued by the district magistrate of Thoubal, N. Bandana Devi, on January 29. The NSA detention order was issued following a police report that Kyaw Kyaw is acting in a manner prejudicial to the security of the state and maintenance of public order..."
Source/publisher: "Mizzima" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2020-02-04
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Title: Myanmar reports over 950 drug-related cases in 2 years
Description: "Myanmar has reported 957 drug-related cases, involving 1,480 suspects within two years, Xinhua reported quoting state-run media reported. As of 25 January, this year, the authorities have seized over 7.49 kg of heroin, 1.34 kg of methamphetamine (ICE), 40.3 kg of opium, 462,707 stimulants tablets and other drugs, respectively, since the formation of the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department on June 26, 2018. The authorities are stepping up efforts to fight against drug trafficking and urge the public to directly report drug trafficking-related cases..."
Source/publisher: "Mizzima" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-30
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Title: Mizoram: 6 arrested near Indo-Myanmar border, 1.5 kg heroin seized
Sub-title: Seized heroin packets were concealed in gearbox, dashboard and backside of a car
Description: "Six drug peddlers, including a woman, were arrested in Mizoram’s Champhai town near the Indo-Myanmar border on Sunday, for possessing 1.5 kg of heroin. State excise and narcotics department spokesperson Peter Zohmingthanga said, “On Sunday, the anti-narcotic squad of excise and narcotics department and volunteers of Champhai’s Zotlang locality intercepted an Aizawl-bound Santro car at Champhai’s Ruantlang locality on Sunday night.” After search, the anti-narcotic squad was able to recover 1.5 kg of heroin from the car. The seized heroin packets were concealed in the gearbox, dashboard, and backside of the car, Zohmingthanga said. The arrested persons have been identified as Lalrinchhana (32), Jacob Lalhriatpuia (28), Malsawmtluanga (28) and Lalnunthanga (23), all belonging to Champhai’s Zotlang locality, and Hmingthansanga (29) and Lallianpari (44), both from Dartetui village, he said. They were booked under the relevant section of the Narcotic Drugs & Psychotropic Substances (ND&PS) Act, 1985. The contraband, valued at Rs 36 lakh in the local market, was being smuggled from Myanmar. The six were produced before a special judge of ND &PS Act and were sent to Champhai district jail on Monday..."
Source/publisher: "Northeast Now" (India)
Date of entry/update: 2020-01-22
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Title: 666 kg of ICE drugs busted in Myanmar’s Yangon
Description: "Myanmar police seized 666 kg of methamphetamine (ICE) in Myanmar’s Yangon region, said a release from the Home Affairs Ministry on Wednesday. The seizure was made by a joint police force in Yangon city on Tuesday. Packets filled with ICE were confiscated from a car parking near a traffic light post in Hlaing township on Tuesday evening. On the same day, 16,200 litres of hydrochloric acid were also seized from a 18-wheeled truck on Mandalay-Nawnghkio road in Nawnghkio township, Shan state. Also, a joint anti-narcotic police busted 475,000 stimulant tablets from a car in Sittwe township, Rakhine state on Tuesday evening. Investigations into the cases are underway to take action against the suspects who fled the scenes under the country’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-14
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Title: Asia’s drug ‘kingpin’ more Hollywood than reality
Description: "The Asia-Pacific drug trade has a new kingpin, at least according to the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and some Western anti-narcotics officials. His name: Tse Chi Lop, a Chinese-born Canadian citizen also known as Sam Gor, or Brother No. 3 in Cantonese, who is reputedly the leader of a gang that controls most of the region’s illegal and wide-reaching methamphetamine trade. In October, Reuters published an in-depth investigation exposing Tse’s new “Asian meth syndicate”, which according to report controls the bulk of the region’s rampant trade in the narcotic. The Reuters report referred to him as “Asia’s most-wanted man” who runs a “vast multinational drug trafficking syndicate” in alliance with “five of Asia’s triad groups.” The UNODC, the report said, estimates Tse’s syndicate’s 2018 revenues at US$8-17.7 billion in 2018, with Asian sales reaching from Japan to New Zealand. Tse, who’s whereabouts are unknown, has not responded to the allegations..."
Source/publisher: "Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
Date of entry/update: 2019-12-01
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Title: Myanmar policeman arrested for crystal meth switch
Summary: " A Myanmar policeman has been arrested after switching 64kg of seized crystal methamphetamine with salts loosely resembling the party drug known as Ice, officials said Tuesday (Jun 4). Officers...
Description: " A Myanmar policeman has been arrested after switching 64kg of seized crystal methamphetamine with salts loosely resembling the party drug known as Ice, officials said Tuesday (Jun 4). Officers stumbled across the suspect packages of confiscated Ice around a week ago as they carried out an inventory of seized narcotics at a police station ahead of an annual burning to mark an international day against drugs on Jun 26. "Sixty-four packages out of 103 were fake," Deputy Police Colonel, Myint Swe, chief of Kengtung district police force in Shan State told AFP, adding each package weighed 1kg (2.2 pounds). A kilogram of Ice is worth around 20 million kyats (US$13,000) locally, giving the pilfered product a value of around US$830,000 inside Myanmar. It fetches several times more the further it travels from source. Police-sergeant Myint Naing was arrested on Sunday, several hours drive away, and had been flown back to Kengtung for interrogation, police said..."
Source/publisher: "CNA" ( Singapore)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-29
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Title: Myanmar wipes out illegal opium fields in 8 towns in eastern state
Description: "Myanmar authorities have destroyed a total of 133.5 acres (54 hectares) illegally grown opium poppy plantations in eastern Shan state, said a statement of the Home Ministry late Wednesday. The opium poppy plantations, destroyed on Tuesday, include those grown in Pinlaung, Hopone, Pekon, Hsihseng, Maukmai, Mongnai and Mongpan towns. Between the period from Oct. 28 to Nov. 23, the authorities had wiped out 177.6 hectares illegally grown opium poppy plantations in several villages in the same state. Opium destruction is part of the government's efforts to stem opium production in the country. According to government statistics, poppy was cultivated on 37,300 hectares of land and 520 tons were produced in Myanmar in 2018, down by 9 percent and 5.45 percent respectively as compared with 2017 when poppy was cultivated on 41,000 hectares and 550 tons were produced..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-28
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Title: Booming regional meth industry – Thailand, Myanmar, China and Laos
Description: "A UN Office of Drugs and Crime report released last week states that the methamphetamine trade is now worth between US$30-61 billion per year in East and South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Bangladesh. That figure is up from US$15 billion a year, nearly a decade ago, the last time the UNODC estimated the value of the methamphetamine trade in the region. Better enforcement, co-operation with neighbouring governments, increased manpower, more sophisticated surveillance and increased numbers of seizures have happened whilst the trade in meth has blossomed in the region. Methamphetamine pills (aka. yaba in Thailand) are now being sold at highly discounted prices, and the well publicised massive seizures and interceptions do little to dent the operations of highly sophisticated and tech-savvy drug traffickers. Even the crystal methamphetamine (ice) from the region is feeding demand as far away as New Zealand. Experts say the boom in South East Asia’s methamphetamine industry is the result of a series of regional and political factors, which have seen Myanmar’s lawless Shan State emerge as the regional meth factory. The Shan State is in Myanmar’s north-east and borders Thailand, Laos and China..."
Source/publisher: "The Thaiger" (Thailand)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-22
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Title: Opium poppy cultivation and sustainable development in Shan State, Myanmar 2019
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 entry/update: 2019-11-20
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Title: China targets one of Asia's biggest meth cartels: deputy drug tsar
Description: "Chinese drug police are working with Mekong countries to strike at the heart of a mega-rich meth syndicate, a senior Beijing drugs tsar said, as the region targets top-level drug traffickers instead of street dealers. The porous lawless border areas of Myanmar, Thailand and Laos have for decades been a hub for heroin production, but the so-called "Golden Triangle" drug trade is now pumping unprecedented quantities of synthetic drugs into the global markets, fuelling a US$61 billion drug trade. In large part responsible for the dramatic shift to synthetic drugs is a mega-cartel known as Sam Gor which the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime believes is Asia's biggest crime syndicate led by a Chinese-born Canadian citizen named Mr Tse Chi Lop. China is now stepping up efforts with Mekong countries Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam to take down Sam Gor in a "joint operation", said an official from China's National Narcotics Control Commission. "They are one of the major threats," said deputy commissioner Mr Andy Tsang on the sidelines of a Friday meeting to stamp out a regional plan. "The region as a whole, China included, will do our best to hit it where it hurts the most," he told AFP..."
Source/publisher: Agence France-Presse (AFP) (France) via "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-16
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Title: Myanmar seizes largest crystal meth haul this year
Description: "Myanmar authorities seized more than 1,700 kilogrammes (3,750 pounds) of crystal meth worth nearly US$29 million in a multi-state operation this week, the biggest haul of 2019 in a country widely believed to be the world's largest methamphetamine producer. High-grade crystal meth, or "ice", is smuggled out of Myanmar via sophisticated networks to lucrative developed markets as far away as Japan, South Korea, and Australia. Authorities have been nabbing larger hauls in recent months of ice and lower quality meth pills, known in the region as "yaba", which experts say are produced in Myanmar's conflict-ridden eastern Shan State. This week's operation started on March 24 when the Myanmar Navy stopped a boat with seven people onboard off the coast of Kawthaung Township, the southernmost tip of the country, and found 1,737 kilogrammes of ice, state-run newspaper Myanmar Alinn reported Saturday. "It's the biggest seizure this year," an official from the National Drug Control Department told AFP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case. Using information gleaned from a satellite phone, a GPS navigator, and three mobile phones found onboard, authorities raided the house of the owner of the drugs in Yangon the next day, arresting his wife and confiscating seven bank books..."
Source/publisher: Agence France-Presse (AFP) (France) via "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-09
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Title: Myanmar's zero-tolerance drug policy is doomed to fail
Sub-title: Myanmar is not waging a war on drugs.
Description: "It is waging a war on the people who consume illicit drugs, and those who sell them in relatively small quantities. In doing so, it is punishing the victims of state policies that have allowed some organisations, including militias in Shan State that are allied to the Tatmadaw, to produce massive quantities of drugs – notably yaba, crystal meth and opium – within Myanmar’s borders with impunity. As a recent International Crisis Group report, Fire and Ice: Conflict and Drugs in Myanmar’s Shan State, makes clear, there is little appetite among law enforcement to target those who are making billions of dollars a year from illicit drug production and spreading the drug scourge from Shan State to as far as Japan and Australia. There are no easy solutions to the drug production problem. The least the government can do though is to refrain from inflicting further harm on those whose lives have already been affected by drugs. However, Myanmar finds itself in a situation where not only is drug production ballooning, but prisons are overflowing with drug users and low-level dealers; last year, the Attorney General’s office reported to the national legislature that over half of all prisoners had been incarcerated for drug-related offences, resulting in overcrowding, understaffing and a budget blowout for the Department of Corrections. Other government officials have estimated that up to 70 percent of inmates could be in prison for drug offences. This is the result of adopting a zero-tolerance drug policy in a country where impunity and corruption are rife. It was always doomed to fail..."
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-09
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Title: Police Say Drugs Worth Nearly $2B Found Floating off Myanmar’s Coast
Description: "Nearly 3 trillion kyats (US$1.96 billion) worth of narcotics believed to be the methamphetamine known as ice were found adrift on Wednesday in the sea some 28 km from Bawa Thit Village-Tract in Pyapon Township, Ayeyarwady Region, police said. Fishermen found a large number of sacks adrift in the sea near Bawa Thit’s Ashae Pyar Village. The fishermen were able to salvage 23 of the sacks, which they handed over to their employers. When their employers opened the sacks, they found drugs and handed the sacks over to the police. “We assume those drugs are ice. We haven’t sent them yet to the lab but we are almost sure they are ice and we are conducting further investigations,” Colonel Shwe Thaung, head of the Ayeyarwady Region Police Force, told The Irrawaddy on Thursday. A total of 649 packs of drugs, each weighing 1 kg, worth a total of 2.92 trillion kyats were found in the 23 sacks, according to the police. The authorities said this was the largest seizure ever made in Ayeyarwady Region, in terms of the quantity and value of the drugs..."
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" (Thailand)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-09
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Title: Poppy cultivation down, but drug trade grows
Description: "THE United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) has reported that the land planted with opium poppy fell by 10 percent last year, but local law analysts said the illegal drug trade continues to grow. According to the report, an estimated 37,300 hectares of opium poppy were planted in Myanmar last year, down from 41,000 hectares in 2017. Shan and Kachin states were the top producers of opium poppy with a combined 36,100 hectares, while Chin and Kayah states grew a combined 1200 hectares. But a spokesman for the country’s anti-narcotics force said the number of drug-related cases in the country increased last year. “Last year there were 13,000 drug cases brought to court and 18,000 people were arrested, much higher than the 8000 cases and 13,000 arrested in 2017,” said Police Chief Zaw Lin of the central anti-drug force. He said the increase in the number of drug-related arrests and interdiction could be attributed to a centre opened by President U Win Myint last June that provided secure lines of communication for people with tips. The International Crisis Group (ICG), a Brussels-based security think tank, said in a report last week that Shan State is now a global hub for the production of heroin and methamphetamine, with China as the main source of the precursor chemicals. The ICG urged the government and neighbouring countries, especially China, to help in the difficult fight to stop the drug trade in Shan State, warning that it could dominate the area’s economy..."
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-09
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Title: Shan restricted areas pave way for drugs, official says
Sub-title: Among the regions and states that marked International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on June 26 by torching seized drugs and drug-related material worth more than US$250 million, Shan State destroyed the largest quantity, some US$150 ....
Description: "“Drugs worth more than US$250m seized across the country were destroyed, and more than half of it was from Shan State as we burnt drugs worth over US$150m. This is because Shan State is a hub for illegal drug production,” said Shan State Police Brigadier General Zaw Khin Aung. He said Shan State contributed the largest numbers to the seizures and arrests across the country in terms of drug users, drugs, and raw materials for drug production because there are restricted areas in the state that offer an opportunity for criminals to carry out their illicit trade. The state’s police said that although poppy cultivation has declined compared to previous years, the seized amount of drugs has increased. While some 5489 hectares of poppy fields were destroyed in 2015, the number has been steadily declining over the past three years. In 2016, 3380ha were destroyed, 2411ha in 2017, and 2144ha last year. According to a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, there were about 41000ha of poppy fields in Myanmar in 2017 and about 37300ha in 2018. The production rate of opium was 550 tonnes in 2017 and 520 tonnes in 2018..."
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-09
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Title: Two suspected female drug couriers arrested in Tachileik
Sub-title: Two women suspected of being drug couriers were arrested over the weekend in Shan State after they were caught in possession of thousands of amphetamine tablets, police said.
Description: "The suspects who were riding a motorcycle were arrested after they were stopped at a random checkpoint near the Mone Lite Village in Tachileik Township on Saturday and found to be carrying 50,000 tablets of amphetamine with a street value amounting to K50 million(US$32,700). The two suspects, 20 and 17, admitted that they agreed to transport the drug in exchange for payment from a drug dealer in the area..."
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-09
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Title: Week in Review: Myanmar still a drug country
Description: "This week, a Myanmar Times special report detailed a growing problem with methamphetamine in eastern Shan State. Despite unprecedented record seizures of meth in Myanmar in recent years, the industry is still going strong in the Golden Triangle. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime also noted that opium poppy cultivation has been decreasing yearly but Myanmar remains the second largest producer of opium in the world. As a regional effort cracks down on illicit drugs, crime gangs seems to be moving from cultivating poppy fields, which are easily located, to the manufacture of methamphetamine because it is easier to hide from the law. The International Crisis Group released a report on January 8 classifying Shan State as one of the largest global producers of meth. In its report, “Fire and Ice: Conflict and Drugs in Myanmar’s Shan State,” the global security think tank noted that the country’s proximity to China and the ongoing conflicts with armed ethnic groups provide a breeding ground for the production and export of narcotics. Land Law takes effect: Monday was the deadline for anyone occupying or using vacant, fallow, or virgin land to apply for a permit to use the land for 30 years or face eviction and up to two years in jail under the Vacant, Fallow, and Virgin (VFV) Land Management Law. The law has been criticised by an armed ethnic group for affecting millions of small farmers, especially in ethnic borderlands, and sparking fears of eviction and prison. As expected, on the first day of the law taking effect, local government officials and companies started evicting villagers from disputed lands, according to lawyers in southern Myanmar. Two cases are currently ongoing..."
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-09
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Title: Drug Addiction Rises in Myanmar's Kachin State
Description: "The clanking sound of leg irons shackled around the ankles of the unwilling patients signals the arrival of a small group of heroin addicts at the mess hall located inside a fortified Pat Ja San compound near Laiza in Myanmar’s Kachin state, located in the country's north along the border with China. The compound is one of 28 run in Kachin and neighboring Shan state by Pat Ja San, a Christian anti-drug vigilante group. International observers say treatments at the rehabilitation centers are rudimentary and brutal compared to modern Western methods. The detoxification program often includes locking patients in barred rooms and confining their legs to wooden stocks to prevent escape during the initial treatment when addicts experience the painful effects of withdrawal. Methadone is sometimes available, but medical training for the workers and access to modern drugs are limited, especially in the rural areas where military battles persist. 'Drug is everywhere': Lahtaw Ah Li, 22, is a new arrival. At 14, he began working at a jade mine in Hpakant township in Kachin state, where most of the industry is concentrated, scavenging through discarded rock piles for bits of the valuable gem. A few years later, he started using heroin to cope with the long hours. “The drug is for sale everywhere around the mine sites, and it’s cheap to buy," Ah Li said about heroin, which costs about 75 cents per injection..."
Source/publisher: "Voice of America (VOA)" (USA)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-07
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Title: UN report on Myanmar opium crop criticized
Sub-title: Kachin Independence Army denies UNODC claims and says crops grown in government-controlled areas
Description: "The recently-released “Myanmar Opium Survey 2018” by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) distorts reality, accuses ethnic rebels who are not involved in the drugs trade for being responsible for the scourge while turning a blind eye to official complicity in the trade. That is the basic message in a commentary published on March 5 by the Transnational Institute (TNI), a Dutch-based international research and advocacy group. The UNODC report claimed that “in Kachin State, the highest density of poppy cultivation took place in areas under the control or influence of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA).” That assertion prompted the Kachin rebels to issue a statement on February 14 pointing out that the UNODC’s own map in its report showed that most opium growing areas in Kachin State were located not in areas controlled by the KIA, but a government-recognized Border Guard Force, allied with the Myanmar military. TNI states that “there is presently no substantial opium cultivation” in rebel-held territory. The TNI has even criticized the KIA and Pat Jasan, a community-based, anti-drugs Kachin vigilante organization “for being overly repressive towards opium farmers and people who use drugs, rather than being in any way permissive.” The TNI goes to state that the UNODC claims that the highest density of opium cultivation in northern Shan State is in “areas under the control or influence of the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army,” a Kokang guerilla army that does not control any territory, while opium is actually being grown and traded in areas that are controlled by local militias backed by the Myanmar military..."
Source/publisher: "Asia Times" (Hong Kong)
Date of entry/update: 2019-11-01
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Title: Floating meth sacks found in Myanmar sea worth US$20 million: Official
Summary: "Sacks of crystal meth scooped from the sea by Myanmar fishermen who mistook it for a deodorant substance had a street value of US$20 million, an official told AFP on Sunday (Oct 20), in a country...
Description: "Sacks of crystal meth scooped from the sea by Myanmar fishermen who mistook it for a deodorant substance had a street value of US$20 million, an official told AFP on Sunday (Oct 20), in a country believed to be the world's largest methamphetamine producer. The accidental drug haul off Myanmar's coastal Ayeyarwady region occurred when fishermen spotted a total of 23 sacks floating in the Andaman Sea on Wednesday. Each one contained plastic-wrapped bags labelled as Chinese green tea - packaging commonly used by Southeast Asian crime gangs to smuggle crystal meth to far-flung destinations including Japan, South Korea and Australia. Locals were mystified by the crystallised substance in the sacks, said Zaw Win, a local official of the National League for Democracy party who assisted the fishermen and police..."
Source/publisher: "CNA" ( Singapore) via "AFP" (France)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-21
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Title: ICE, stimulants seized in Myanmar's Yangon region
Description: "Myanmar authorities seized a haul of narcotic drugs including ICE and stimulant tablets in Myanmar's Yangon region in single day, according to a release from the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) on Sunday. On Saturday, 1.04 kilograms of methamphetamine (ICE) worth over 104 million kyats (69,333 U.S. dollars), 45 stimulant tablets and related materials were confiscated, along with two suspects by a joint police force from a car and a house in Thingangyun township and Mayangone township of Yangon, the largest city of the country. Also, 4,000 stimulant tablets were seized from two motorcycles along with two suspects in Htantabin township of Yangon region. On the same day, an anti-narcotic taskforce bust 124,200 stimulant tablets worth 621 million kyats (414,000 U.S. dollars) from a motorcycle and three suspects were arrested on Shwebo-Myitkyina road in Indaw township, Sagaing region..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-14
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Title: Over 1.2 mln stimulant tablets seized in northwestern Myanmar
Description: "The authorities seized over 1.28 million stimulant tablets worth over 2.57 billion kyats (1.7 million U.S. dollars) in Myanmar's Sagaing region, the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) said on Friday. A motorcycle was intercepted by an anti-narcotic taskforce and 87,750 stimulant tablets were found hidden in the toolbox of the motorcycle on Tamu-Nant Hpa Lon road in Tamu town on Thursday. Also more than 1.19 million stimulant tablets were later confiscated from the motorcycle driver's house. The driver was charged under the country's Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law. Meanwhile, barrels filled with 7,200 litres of sulphuric acid that are used in drugs production were confiscated from a 12-wheeled truck parked in Lai-Hka township, Shan state, on Thursday. Further investigation to capture the suspect who was not at the scene is underway, the CCDAC said..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua" (China)
Date of entry/update: 2019-10-05
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Title: Booming Meth Trade Challenges Southeast Asia’s Approach to Drug Policy
Description: "Patrick Winn is a reporter who has been based in the region for the past 11 years and the author of a recently published book, “Hello Shadowlands,” that delves into Southeast Asia’s transnational crime networks, including the meth trade. When I spoke to him in Bangkok recently, he offered a sobering assessment. “The increase in consumption of methamphetamine across Southeast Asia, especially mainland Southeast Asia, is truly astonishing,” he said. “This region is by far and away the meth heartland of the world.” Measuring any illicit activity accurately presents real difficulties. In addition to looking at seizures, availability and the street prices of a drug, another way of trying to work out the scale of the market is arrests. Winn points out that in Thailand, “well over 90 percent of the time cops are arresting someone for drugs, it’s because they have methamphetamine, either pills or crystal meth.” His assessment is backed up by a 2013 report released by the UNODC. So why has Southeast Asia become such a center for both the production and consumption of methamphetamine? In a basic sense, the answer is simple. To produce methamphetamine requires little more than precursor chemicals, a basic laboratory setup and a competent chemist with the requisite knowledge and a place to work where they are not going to be disturbed. As long as these elements remain constant, there is not much limit to how much can be produced. All that’s left to monetize the drug is transporting it to mass markets..."
Source/publisher: "World Politics Review (WPR)"
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-24
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Title: Shan State’s vast drug trade dominates its economy, says ICG
Summary: "Illicit drug production in Shan State has become so large and profitable that it dwarfs the area’s formal economy and is hindering efforts to end ethnic conflicts, warns International Crisis Group...
Description: "Illicit drug production in Shan State has become so large and profitable that it dwarfs the area’s formal economy and is hindering efforts to end ethnic conflicts, warns International Crisis Group. In a report that focuses heavily on Shan State’s emergence as a global production centre of crystal methamphetamine, or “ice”, ICG says the drugs trade is both partly a symptom of the state’s conflicts and an obstacle to sustainably ending them. It says “good infrastructure, proximity to precursor supplies from China and safe haven provided by pro-government militias and in rebel-held enclaves” had enabled the state to become a major global source of high purity crystal meth. The 36-page report, Fire and Ice: Conflict and Drugs in Myanmar’s Shan State, was released by the Brussels-based think tank on January 8. It says the drug trade in Shan State is at the centre of its political economy, which “greatly complicates efforts to resolve the area’s ethnic conflicts and undermines the prospects for better governance and inclusive economic growth in the state”. The drug trade in Shan State generates revenues for armed groups of all stripes, including militias aligned with the Tatmadaw. “Myanmar’s military, which has ultimate authority over militias and paramilitaries and profits from their activities, can only justify the existence of such groups in the context of the broader ethnic conflict of the state – so the military also has less incentive to end that conflict,” the report says. It says drug production in Shan State has had three main phases: opium and heroin from the 1950s to 1990s (when Myanmar was the largest opium producer before it was replaced by Afghanistan), followed by methamphetamines, also known as yaba, and then highly-addictive crystal meth since the early 2010s..."
Source/publisher: "Frontier Myanmar" (Myanmar)
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-24
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Title: Southeast Asia’s meth gangs making $60 billion a year: UN
Description: "Southeast Asia's drug gangs are making over $60 billion a year pumping out record amounts of methamphetamine, then laundering the profits through the region's mushrooming number of casinos, a UN study showed Thursday. Crime groups are also piggybacking on improved infrastructure to hustle Made-In-Myanmar meth to neighbouring drug markets, and as far as Australia and Japan, the report said. The study, by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), warned this was sending street prices tumbling and spurring an addiction crisis. "(A) safe, conservative estimate of over $60 billion a year," is being hoovered up by the meth lords of Southeast Asia alone, Jeremy Douglas, the UNODC's regional representative, told reporters in Bangkok at the report's launch. Seizures of methamphetamine - both the caffeine-cut 'yaba' tablets and the much more addictive and potent crystal meth or 'ice' version - had tripled over the last five years, according to the report. Last year 120 tonnes (120,000 kilogrammes) of meth was seized in East and Southeast Asia, up from around 40 tonnes in 2013, the report said. The figures were based on drug seizure figures and regional police intelligence. Much of the meth is originating from the labs of remote and lawless Northern Shan State in Myanmar, which has rebooted the 'Golden Triangle' drug trade from its staple of heroin..."
Source/publisher: "Mizzima" via AFP
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-16
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Title: Over 12 kg of heroin seized in northern Myanmar
Description: " Myanmar police seized 12.97 kg of heroin in Myanmar’s Kachin state, the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) said on Friday. Acting on tip-off, the seizure was made by the police in Mohnyin township. 1.43 kg of heroin worth 114.4 million kyats (76,266 U.S. dollars) were confiscated from a house in the township on Wednesday. Meanwhile, 11.54 kg of heroin worth 807.8 million kyats (538,533 U.S. dollars) were seized at another house in Mohnyin township on Thursday, in connection with Wednesday’s seizure, said the CCDAC's release. Three suspects were charged under the country’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua"
Date of entry/update: 2019-09-13
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Title: Myanmar police busts 2.67 mln stimulant tablets from drugs ring
Description: "Myanmar authorities busted over 2.67 million stimulant tablets worth over 8 billion kyats (5.35 million U.S. dollars) from a drugs ring in two region and states, said a release from Myanmar Police Force on Thursday. Acting on tip-off, a total of 175,980 stimulant tablets were seized in three townships of Yangon region on Aug. 25. According to the testimony of the suspects, the police force conducted more drug raids for seizures of 1,000,000 stimulant tablets from a passenger bus in Aung Mingalar Highway station on Aug. 26, and 750,000 stimulant tablets from a passenger bus in Ann township as well as 749,975 tablets from another bus in Minbya township of Rakhine state one day after..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua"
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-29
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Title: Myanmar seizes massive haul of drugs, related materials in eastern state
Description: "The Myanmar military seized a massive haul of drugs and related materials used for refining narcotic drugs in Namsang township of Shan state, said a release from the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Services Office on Saturday. The seizure was made by the servicemen during their security operations on two sites assumed to be the narcotic drug refining camps near Narpwe village, and Nawngpein village on Thursday and Friday respectively. The seized drugs included 4.5 kilograms of heroin powder and solid 18.14 kilograms of WY stimulant powder, 81,000 WY stimulant tablets, 20 gallons of black opium liquid and other related materials used in refining drugs. Tablet Making machines were also confiscated from 10 plastic tents near Narpwe village on Thursday afternoon. A total of 39 suspects who evaded from the camps were captured for further investigation on Friday morning. Meanwhile, 27 polyethylene bags filled with WY stimulant tablets, four tablet making machines and materials as well as some ammunition including grenades and others were also confiscated by the security forces near Nawngpein village on Friday..."
Source/publisher: "Xinhua"
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-29
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Title: More than K900m in drugs found in government vehicle
Sub-title: More than K900-million-worth of drugs was found in the fuel tank of a Ministry of Construction vehicle while it was being checked at a body shop in Nay Pyi Taw last Monday.
Description: "Police received a call that the drugs were found by Bayint Naung body shop at Bawga Thiri bus terminal. Police seized 89 bricks of heroin weighing about 350 grams each, or a total 30.15 kilograms, in the fuel tank, which had been divided into sections. A suspect, Kyan Yin Haung, was arrested in Kutkai township, Shan State, and the vehicle was confiscated. It had last been seen at the Ministry of Construction about 5 days before the arrest. Charges were filed against Kyan Yin Haung under Section 19(a) of the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Law by Pyinmana township police. Deputy Police Colonel Kyi Soe of the Myanmar Police Force confirmed the drug seizure. “The car was seized in Kutkai regarding a drug case. The car could not hold much fuel, so its fuel tank was checked, and it was found that bricks of heroin had been stored on one side of the tank,” he said on Tuesday. There were three or four similar cases in the past, with some involving weapons, he said..."
Source/publisher: "Myanmar Times"
Date of entry/update: 2019-08-12
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Title: World Drug Day 2019
Sub-title: Special newsletter on why we don’t need another world drug day
Description: "Today marks the United Nations’ International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. Its origin can be traced back to the institutional architecture of the global drug control system which for the last five decades has served as a mechanism that regulates, controls, or prohibits the use and distribution of more than 300 psychoactive substances. Programmes Drugs & Democracy This is a republished version of one of TNI’s dedicated newsletters on drug policy issues, sent out to subscribers once a month. Click here if you wish to stay informed on TNI’s work on drugs and drug policy. The initial decision to dedicate this day to the global fight against drug abuse and illicit trafficking was surely a well-intentioned one. But the foundation upon which this international day is commemorated each year remains distant from realities on the ground. Though much has improved in the past decades, there is more work to be done in order to make sure that such an international instrument is utilised to enhance, and not to undermine, the well-being of communities around the globe. The annual Support. Don’t Punish campaign leads the world in this regard..."
Source/publisher: Transnational Institute (TNI) ( Netherlands)
Date of entry/update: 2019-07-20
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Title: Government of Myanmar and UNODC hold drug day conference and strategic consultations in Nay Pyi Taw
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
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Title: Myanmar strengthens capacities to engage in international legal cooperation
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
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Title: Mekong drug agency leaders accompany UNODC to Shan State to meet opium farming communities and discuss programmes and support
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
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Title: ‘Godfathers’ surrender but meth keeps flowing
Description: ''Despite the surrender of 102 alleged “godfathers” and their associates in Bangladesh, shipments of methamphetamines, or yaba, from Myanmar keep coming, The Daily Star newspaper reported. The Bangladesh government has a list of 43 drug traffickers and their family members who have not yet surrendered to the authorities. “A dozen ‘yaba’ dealers in Myanmar send ‘yaba’ shipments to Bangladesh once they receive orders from these godfathers,” the paper wrote on February 17. Drugs manufactured in Myanmar enter Bangladesh near Cox’s Bazar in the southeast, a long-time haven for smugglers of all kinds of goods. The Bangladesh government has launched a surrender program under which drug traffickers will not receive any general amnesty but will have to face legal action...''
Bertil Lintner
Source/publisher: Asia Times
Date of publication: 2019-02-18
Date of entry/update: 2019-02-18
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Title: Mergui-Tavoy Situation Update: Extortion and Land Confiscations in Tanintharyi Township, November 2017 to January 2018
Description: ''In Beh Khoh Paw Plaw village, Tatmadaw Battalion 53 is extorting money from villagers who depend on rubber cultivation for their livelihoods. They intimidate workers into paying 20,000 kyat (US $12.61) as a monthly tax for each rubber processing machine. Tatmadaw Battalion 53 has also confiscated wood from local villagers. They forced them to hand over planks of wood that they had logged in a neighbouring forest. Tatmadaw Battalion 53 subsequently used the wood to build their army camp...''
Source/publisher: Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG)
Date of publication: 2018-12-17
Date of entry/update: 2019-01-24
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Title: Myanmar Opium Farmers Forum at the Commission on Narcotic Drug s in October 2018 (video)
Description: ''The voice of communities involved in illicit cultivation had long been excluded from policymaking platforms. However, thanks to growing networks such as the Myanmar Opium Farmers Forum, more and more farmers have gained more space to provide input to drug policy discussions at the UN level. This video, prepared by the Myanmar Opium Farmers' Forum (MOFF), was presented at the fourth intersessional meeting at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), specifically during a session on Alternative Development and Crop Control Strategy on 24 October 2018. The session was part of a wider set of meetings in preparation for the upcoming high-level meeting at the CND in March 2019...''
Source/publisher: Transnational Institute (TNI)
Date of publication: 2018-10-30
Date of entry/update: 2019-01-23
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Title: Statement from the 6th Myanmar Opium Farmers' Forum
Description: ''Between 26 and 28 May 2018, representatives of opium farming communities in several states in Myanmar came together in Lashio, Shan State, to share experiences, concerns, and initiatives on the issue of illicit cultivation, especially in relation with supply-side policies which have affected their lives and livelihoods. A final statement was concluded at the end of the forum. We, representatives from Kayah, Kayan, Shan, Pa-O, Lahu and Kachin opium farming communities, came together in Lashio in Shan State during 26-28 May 2018, to discuss the challenges we face in our lives, and to share experiences and find ways to solve our problems. We set up the Myanmar Opium Farmer’s Forum (MOFF) to make our voices heard in 2013, and this was our 6th annual MOFF meeting...''
Source/publisher: Transnational Institute (TNI)
Date of publication: 2018-06-01
Date of entry/update: 2019-01-09
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Title: Myanmar Opium Farmers Forum at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs in October 2018 (video)
Description: ''The voice of communities involved in illicit cultivation had long been excluded from policymaking platforms. However, thanks to growing networks such as the Myanmar Opium Farmers Forum, more and more farmers have gained more space to provide input to drug policy discussions at the UN level. This video, prepared by the Myanmar Opium Farmers' Forum (MOFF), was presented at the fourth intersessional meeting at the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), specifically during a session on Alternative Development and Crop Control Strategy on 24 October 2018. The session was part of a wider set of meetings in preparation for the upcoming high-level meeting at the CND in March 2019. The voice of communities involved in illicit cultivation had long been excluded from national and international policymaking platforms. Since UNGASS 2016, however, farmers involved in the illicit cultivation of coca, cannabis, and opium poppy have gained more space to provide input to drug policy discussions at the UN level, largely thanks to the work of social movements such as MOFF in Myanmar, COCCAM in Colombia, and many more at the grassroots level...''
Source/publisher: Transnational Institute (TNI)
Date of publication: 2018-10-30
Date of entry/update: 2019-01-04
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Title: Addressing drug problems in Myanmar: 5 key interventions that can make a difference (English, Burmese မန်မာဘာသာ)
Description: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: "Myanmar?s drug policies are out-dated and inadequate to respond to the great challenges posed by problematic drug use and production in the country. The 1993 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law has failed to eliminate - or even reduce - drug use, trafficking and production. Worse, the implementation of harsh policies and penalties has caused immense additional harm to Myanmar people and communities. Thousands of people have been unnecessarily exposed to the risk of infectious diseases and premature death as a direct result of those policies. Myanmar prisons are filled with drug users serving long-term sentences for mostly non-violent small drug offenses, while major traffickers are left undisturbed. Entire villages of impoverished poppy farmers have been targeted by forced eradication campaigns and pushed further into poverty, without any viable livelihoods alternatives to survive and pay for healthcare and education of their children. Fortunately, successful interventions have also been conducted in the country. HIV prevalence among people who inject drugs started to decline following the implementation of health and harm reduction services for drug users. The lives of thousands of drug users and their families have hugely improved, thanks to the benefits of methadone programmes initiated by Myanmar Ministry of Health and Sports. Several isolated communities from Eastern Shan State that were included in alternative development programmes voluntarily abandoned opium cultivation and successfully transitioned towards licit livelihoods strategies. These domestic experiences add up to a growing body of evidence from all around the world, which indicate that policies grounded in public health, human rights and development, can yield an impressively wide range of benefits. Indeed, such policies not only improve people?s health and support livelihoods, they also lower levels of drug related crime and corruption, reduce violence, conflict, and pressure on the criminal justice system, and ultimately result in greater social cohesion. Existing good practices are no doubt positive steps but are yet to be implemented at scale. Overall, the lack of adequate response by previous Governments has led to great frustration among affected communities and the Myanmar population at large, as drug related problems have continued to mount and have become a key national concern. Time has come to learn from such failures, embrace a different approach and adopt policies that are based on public health, community safety, human rights and development. Only such policies will deliver on the promise to improve people?s lives; only such policies will truly allow Myanmar to reduce the harm caused by problematic drug use, trafficking and production."
Source/publisher: Transnational Institute/Drug Policy Advocacy Group Myanmar
Date of publication: 2017-02-08
Date of entry/update: 2017-03-18
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf pdf
Size: 1.12 MB 2.65 MB
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Title: People?s War on Drugs in Kachin State: Indication of Failed Policies (English, Burmese မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Description: "Communities in the Kachin State have launched a ?people?s war on drugs?. Known as Pat Jasan (?Prohibit Clear?), a new organisation was formed two years ago to combat the worsening drug problem among the local population. The self-appointed committee decided to take law enforcement into their own hands as they feel the government is not doing enough to stop the flow of harmful drugs into their communities. The Pat Jasan vigilantes, often dressed in military-style uniforms and armed with stick and batons, have arrested and beaten drug users and put them into forced treatment camps, and they have sent teams into opium-growing areas to eradicate poppy fields. The Pat Jasan has been praised by some Kachin activists for finally addressing drug problems, but criticized by others for violating human rights and not providing any services to marginalized communities, including drug users and poppy farmers. Most recently, their poppy eradication efforts led to open conflict with opium farmers and local militia groups. The creation of Pat Jasan and its war on drugs have brought to light a number of key drug-related problems facing not only the Kachin State but also the rest of the country..."
Source/publisher: Transnational Institute (TNI)
Date of publication: 2016-03-16
Date of entry/update: 2016-04-15
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Local URL:
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Title: We Are Not Rebels? We Fight for Democracy: Ta?ang (TNLA) Soldiers
Description: "Ta?ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), the armed wing of Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF), is one of the ethnic resistance armed organisations that vows not to lay down arms until there is a guarantee of political negotiations. Burma Link spoke with two TNLA soldiers, Mai and Mai Main, who were sent by their leaders to study human rights and politics in Mae Sot, so that they could go back to Ta?ang land and educate other soldiers. These two soldiers studied in Mae Sot for a year, and believed it is their responsibility to go back to Burma to educate others and safeguard their people?s rights. In this interview, they share their story on how and why they became involved with the TNLA and why the Ta?ang people so strongly support their army. Mai and Mai Main, aged 23 and 26, are now back in the battle fields of northern Shan State." ..."END NOTE: Although TNLA is a member of the ethnic alliance United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), the government has tried to exclude the group from the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) talks. TNLA is an ally of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), and fights alongside the Arakan Army (AA) and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) in northern Shan State, to obtain freedom and to establish a genuine federal union. TNLA also fights to eliminate cultivation, production, sale and use of drugs in their traditional lands. Read more."
Source/publisher: Burma Link
Date of publication: 2015-07-13
Date of entry/update: 2016-03-17
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Local URL:
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Title: Bouncing Back - Relapse in the Golden Triangle - တစ်ကျော့ပြန်။ ။ မူလအခြေအနေဆိုးသို့ ပြန်လည်ဆိုက်ရောက်လာသည့် ရွှေတြိဂံဒေသ
Description: စကားချီး။ ။ ဤပုံနှိပ်ထုတ်ဝေမှုသည် TNI ၏ ၂၀၀၉ ခုနှစ်တွင် ထုတ် ဝေခဲ့သည့် ?ရွှေတြိဂံနယ်မြေမှ ဆေးပြတ်စဝေဒနာများ၊ ဖရိုဖရဲဖြစ်နေ သည့် မူးယစ်ဆေးဝါးဈေးကွက်? (Withdrawal Symptoms in the Golden Triangle: A Drugs Market in Disarray) ဟူသည့် အစီရင်ခံစာ၏ နောက် ဆကတ် အွဲ ကျိုးဆက ်တစခ် ြုဖစသ် ည။် ဤအစရီ ငခ် စံ ာသည ်အရေ့ ှတောင် အာရှမူးယစ်ဆေးဝါးဈေးကွက်၏ ပြောင်းလဲမှုကို လေ့လာသုံးသပ်၍ အစား ထိုးအပြောင်းအလဲ ပြုလုပ်နိုင်မည့် ရွေးချယ်စရာမူဝါဒများကို ရေးဆွဲဖော် ထုတ်ရန် ကြိုးပမ်းခဲ့သည့် ကနဦးအားထုတ်မှုတစ်ရပ်ဖြစ်သည်။ အစီရင်ခံ စာ၌အရှေ့ တောင ် အာရှေ ဒသတစလ် ာွှ းမ ှ ဘနိ ်းအဓကိ စကို ပ် ျိုးထတု လ် ပု ် လျက်ရှိသည့် ရြွှေတဂိ ဟံ ု လူသိများသည့် မြန်မာ၊ လာအိုနှင့်ထိုင်းနိုင်ငံ တို့၌ ၁၉၉၈ မှ ၂၀၀၆ ခုနှစ်အတွင်း ဘိန်းစိုက်ပျိုးထုတ်လုပ်မှု သိသိ သာသာလျော့ကျသွားစေခဲ့သည့် အဓိကမောင်းနှင်အားများနှင့် နောက် ဆက်တွဲသက်ရောက်မှုများကို ဆန်းစစ်သုံးသပ်ထားခြင်း ဖြစ်သည်။ ထို့ပြင် အိမ်နီးချင်းတိုင်းပြည်များဖြစ်သည့် အရှေ့မြောက်အိန္ဒိယနှင့် တရုတ်နိုင်ငံ၏ ယူနန်ပြည်နယ်များရှိ ဖွံ့ဖြိုးတိုးတက်ရေးလုပ်ငန်းများ နှင့်လည်း ဆက်စပ်လျက်ရှိသည်။ အစီရင်ခံစာအတွင်း မြန်မာနှင့် လာအို နိုင်ငံရှိ ဘိန်းတိုက်ဖျက်ရေးလုပ်ငန်းများ၏ ရေရှည်တည်တံ့ခိုင်မြဲမှုကို မေးခွန်းထုတ်ခဲ့ပြီး အခြားဒေသများသ့ို ရေ့ွှ ပြောင်း ပျံ့ နံ့ှသာွ းခသဲ့ ည့် ဘနိ ်း စိုက်ပျိုးထုတ်လုပ်မှုလမ်းကြောင်းများကို မီးမောင်းထိုးပြထားသည်။ ?ဆေးပြတ်စဝေဒနာများ? (Withdrawal Symptoms) ကို ပုံနှိပ် ထုတ်ဝေခဲ့ချိန်မှစ၍ အရှေ့တောင်အာရှ မူးယစ်ဆေးဝါးဈေးကွက်အတွင်း သိသိသာသာ ပြောင်းလဲမှုများကို တွေ့ရှိလာရသည်။ သိသာထင်ရှားမှု အရှိဆုံးဖြစ်ရပ်တစ်ခုမှာ တစ်ကျော့ပြန် ဘိန်းစိုက်ပျိုးထုတ်လုပ်မှုသည် ၂၀၀၆ ခုနှစ် ထုတ်လုပ်မှုပမာဏထက် နှစ်ဆကျော် မြင့်မားလာခဲ့ခြင်း ဖြစ်သည်။ ဤသို့မြှင့်တက်လာခြင်းကြောင့် လက်ရှိတည်ဆဲ မူးယစ် ဆေးဝါးတားဆီးနှိမ်နှင်းရေး မူဝါဒများ၏ ထိရောက်အကျိုးရှိမှုနှင့် အာဆီယံအဖွဲ့ဝင်နိုင်ငံများ၏ ၂၀၁၅ မူးယစ်ကင်းစင်ရေးဒေသတွင်း ရည်မှန်းချက်ပန်းတိုင်ကြီးကို လက်လှမ်းမီနိုင်ခြင်းရှိမရှိ မေးခွန်းထုတ် စရာဖြစ်လာခဲ့သည်။ ခြုံငသုံ းုံသပရ် မညဆ် ပို ါက ဒေသတငွ ်း ရ ှိ မးူယစ် ဆေးဝါးဆုငိ ်ရာ ပြဿနာရပမ် ျားအပေါ် ကငို တ် ယွ သ် ည့် မဝူ ါဒများသည် တားဆီးချုပ်ချယ်မှု တင်းကျပ်လွန်းအားကြီးသည်။ ယင်းမူဝါဒများသည် မူးယစ်ဆေးဝါးထုတ်လုပ်ခြင်း သို့မဟုတ် မူးယစ်ဆေးဝါးသုံးစွဲလျက်ရှိသည့် လူအုပ်စုများအတွက် ဆိုးရွားပြင်းထန်သည့် နောက်ဆက်တွဲဆိုးကျိုးများ သာဖြစ်ပေါ်စေခဲ့သည်။ အထူးသဖြင့် အပယ်ခံ လူ့အသိုက်အဝန်းများနှင့် အဆင်းရဲဆုံး ရပ်ရွာလူထုများအများဆုံး ထိခိုက်ခံစားကြရသည်။ ?တစ်ကျော့ပြန်? အစီရင်ခံစာသည် ဒေသတွင်းရှိ မူးယစ်ဆေးဝါး ထုတ်လုပ်မှုနှင့် သုံးစွဲမှုဆိုင်ရာအခြေအနေများ၏ အကြောင်းတရား များနှင့် သက်ရောက်ထိခိုက်မှုများကို လေ့လာဆန်းစစ်ထားခြင်းဖြစ်သည်။ ခြငွ ်း ချကမ် ရှိ တားဆီးပိတ်ပင်ခြင်းနှင့် ရက်အကန့်အသတ်အပေါ်အခြေ ခံ၍ စဉ်းစားတွေးခေါ်မှုသည် မူးယစ်ဆေးဝါးနှင့်ပတ်သက်သည့် ပြဿနာ ရပ်များကို ပိုမိုကြီးထွားလာစေကြောင်း ဝေဖန်သုံးသပ်ထားခြင်းဖြစ်သည်။ အစီရင်ခံစာ၌အဆိုပြုထားသည့် ရွေးချယ်စရာမူဝါဒများသည် နိုင်ငံတကာ အလေ့အထကောင်းများ၊ လူ့အခွင့်အရေးစံ သတ်မှတ်ချက်များနှင့် ကိုက်ညီမှုရှိသည့် အပြင်ကရုဏာတရားနှင့် အထောက်အထားအပေါ် အခြေပြု၍ ယုတ္တိကျကျဖြင့် ထိထိရောက်ရောက်အကောင်အထည်ဖော် နိုင်သည့် မူဝါဒများလည်းဖြစ်သည်။
Tom Kramer, Ernestien Jensema, Martin Jelsma, Tom Blickman, Amira Armenta, Sophie Broach
Source/publisher: Transnational Institute (TNI)
Date of publication: 2014-06-14
Date of entry/update: 2015-12-28
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
Format : pdf
Size: 7.28 MB
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Title: ?The Current State of Counternarcotics Policy and Drug Reform Debates in Myanmar”,
Description: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:- Key Findings: "• Myanmar is the world?s second largest producer of opium after Aghanistan. Following a decade of decline, cultivation has more than doubled since 2006. The production and use of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) is also rising. • Most of the opium is turned into heroin and exported via neighboring countries, especially to China. • Decades of civil war and military rule have stimulated drug production and consumption, and marginalized ethnic communities. • Myanmar has high levels of injecting drug users infected with HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C. • Drug policies in Myanmar are repressive and outdated, with an ineffective focus on arresting drug users and eradicating poppy fields. • The central government is unable to provide quality treatment for drug users. Past political repression and human rights violations by the military government caused an international boycott which prevented international donors from providing assistance. • The reform process by the new quasi-civilian government includes both a peace process to end the civil war and a review of the country?s drug laws, raising hope for more effective and humane drug policies...... Policy Recommendations: • Myanmar?s drug policies should shift focus and prioritize the provision of services for drug users and promote alternative livelihoods for opium growing communities. • Drug-related legislation should decriminalize drug use, reduce sentences for other drug-related offenses, and allow space for needle exchange programs. • The government should expand harm reduction projects and provide voluntary treatment programs for drug users. • The government should formulate a strategic plan to prioritize alternative development programs. Eradication of poppy farms should not take place unless people have sufficient access to alternative livelihoods. As such, China?s opium substitution policy should not continue in its present form. • Affected communities, especially drug users and opium farmers, need to be involved in drug policy making. • More attention should be paid to ATS-related problems, which are largely overlooked by current policies."
Tom Kramer
Source/publisher: Foreign Policy at Brookings;Transnational Institute (TNI)
Date of publication: 2015-04-30
Date of entry/update: 2015-06-03
[field_licence]
Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
Format : pdf
Size: 319.63 KB
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Title: TOWARDS A HEALTHIER LEGAL ENVIRONMENT - A REVIEW OF MYANMAR?S DRUG LAWS(မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ၏ မူးယစ်ဆေးဝါးဥပဒေများကို ပြင်ဆင်ရန် စိစစ်သုံးသပ်?
Description: "This report reviews Myanmar?s drug laws and related policies, including the 1917 Burma Excise Act; the 1993 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law; and the 1995 Rules relating to Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances. Since these laws were enacted several important changes have taken place inside and outside of Myanmar. The decision of the Myanmar Government to review the law is not only timely but also offers a prospect to improve the drugs legislation and to ensure that the laws address drug-related problems in the country more effectively. It is an opportunity to ensure that affected populations have access to health care and development, taking into account both national conditions and international developments and best practices. This review paper will first give an overview of Myanmar?s current legal and policy framework related to drugs, followed by an overall analysis. After that it will make specific comments on a number of key articles. In addition, the review will outline some international obligations and best practices. Finally, the paper will make some overall conclusions and recommendations..." "ဤအစီရင်ခံစာသည် ၁၉၁၇ ခုနှစ် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံယစ်မျိုးအက်ဥပဒေ၊ ၁၉၉၃ ခုနှစ် မူးယစ်ဆေးဝါးနှင့် စိတ်ကိုပြောင်းလဲစေသော ဆေးဝါးများဆိုင်ရာဥပဒေ၊ ၁၉၉၅ ခုနှစ် မူးယစ်ဆေးဝါးနှင့် စိတ်ကိုပြောင်းလဲစေသောဆေးဝါးများဆိုင်ရာ နည်းဥပဒေ တို့အပါအဝင် မူးယစ်ဆေးဝါးနှင့် ပတ်သက်သည့် မြန်မာနိုင်ငံ၏ တည်ဆဲဥပဒေများနှင့် မူဝါဒများကို ဆန်းစစ်သုံးသပ်ထားခြင်းဖြစ်သည်။ အဆိုပါဥပဒေများ စတင်အသက်ဝင် ပြီးနောက်ပိုင်း မြန်မာနိုင်ငံအတွင်းနှင့် နိုင်ငံတကာ၌ အရေးပါသည့် အပြောင်းအလဲများ ဖြစ်ပေါ်လာခဲ့သည်။ ဥပဒေကို စိစစ်ပြင်ဆင်မည့် မြန်မာအစိုးရ၏ ဆုံးဖြတ်ချက်သည် အချိန်ကိုက်ဖြစ်ရုံမျှမက မူးယစ်ဆေးဝါးဆိုင်ရာဥပဒေ ပြဋ္ဌာန်းချက်များကို ပိုမိုတိုးတက် ကောင်းမွန်လာအောင် ဆောင်ရွက်နိုင်မည့် အလားအလာကောင်းများကို ဖော်ထုတ် ပေးပြီးမြန်မာနိုင်ငံအတွင်း ရင်ဆိုင်ကြုံတွေ့နေရသည့် မူးယစ်ဆေးဝါးဆိုင်ရာ ပြဿနာ ရပ်များကို ထိထိရောက်ရောက် ကိုင်တွယ်ဖြေရှင်းနိုင်သည့် ဥပဒေများပေါ်ပေါက်လာ အောင်အထောက်အကူပြုလျက်ရှိသည်။ ပြည်တွင်းအနေအထားများ၊ နိုင်ငံတကာ ဖွံ့ဖြိုးရေးလုပ်ငန်းများနှင့် အကောင်းဆုံးအလေ့အထများကို ထည့်သွင်းပေါင်းစပ်၍ မူးယစ်ဆေးဝါးကြောင့် ထိခိုက်ခံစားရလျက်ရှိသည့် လူထုအတွက် လိုအပ်လျက်ရှိသည့် ကျန်းမာရေး ပြုစုစောင့်ရှောက်မှုနှင့် ဖွံ့ဖြိုးရေးအကူအညီများကို လက်လှမ်းမီအသုံးပြု နိုင်အောင် ဆောင်ရွက်ပေးနိုင်မည့် အလားအလာကောင်းတစ်ရပ်ဖြစ်သည်။ ဤဆန်းစစ်သုံးသပ်ချက်စာတမ်း၌ မူးယစ်ဆေးဝါးနှင့် ပတ်သက်သည့် မြန်မာ နိုင်ငံ၏ တည်ဆဲဥပဒေနှင့် မူဝါဒရေးရာမူဘောင်နှင့် ပတ်သက်၍ ခြုံငုံဆန်းစစ်ချက် အကျဉ်းပါရှိသည့် ယေဘုယျသုံးသပ်ချက်ဖြင့် စတင်ထားပါသည်။ ထို့နောက် ဥပဒေပါ အချို့သောပုဒ်မများအပေါ် အသေးစိတ်စိစစ်သုံးသပ်ချက်များဖြင့် ဆက်လက်ရှင်း လင်းဖော်ပြထားပါသည်။ ထို့ပြင် ဆန်းစစ်သုံးသပ်မှုအတွင်း နိုင်ငံတကာတာဝန်ဝတ္တရား များနှင့် အကောင်းဆုံးအလေ့အထများကိုလည်း မီးမောင်းထိုးပြထားပါသည်။ နောက်ဆုံး အနေဖြင့် စာတမ်းအဆုံးပိုင်း၌ နိဂုံးချုပ်သုံးသပ်ချက်များနှင့် အကြံပြုထောက်ခံချက် အချို့ကို သုံးသပ်တင်ပြထားပါသည်။...."
Martin Jelsma, Ernestien Jensema, Nang Pann Ei Kham, Tom Kramer, Gloria Lai, Tripti Tandon
Source/publisher: Transnational Institute (TNI)
Date of publication: 2015-01-31
Date of entry/update: 2015-02-16
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Type: Individual Documents
Language: English & Burmese (မြန်မာဘာသာ)
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Title: Bouncing Back - Relapse in the Golden Triangle
Description: "TNI?s in depth examination of the illegal drug market in the Golden Triangle, which has a witnessed a doubling of opium production, growing prison populations and repression of small-scale farmers. This report details the failure of ASEAN?s ?drug free? strategy and the need for a new approach..."The illicit drug market in the Golden Triangle – Burma, Thailand and Laos – and in neighbouring India and China has undergone profound changes. This report documents those changes in great detail, based on information gathered on the ground in difficult circumstances by a group of dedicated local researchers. After a decade of decline, opium cultivation has doubled again and there has also been a rise in the production and consumption of ATS – especially methamphetamines. Drug control agencies are under constant pressure to apply policies based on the unachievable goal to make the region drug free by 2015. This report argues for drug policy changes towards a focus on health, development, peace building and human rights. Reforms to decriminalise the most vulnerable people involved could make the region?s drug policies far more sustainable and cost-effective. Such measures should include abandoning disproportionate criminal sanctions, rescheduling mild substances, prioritising access to essential medicines, shifting resources from law enforcement to social services, alternative development and harm reduction, and providing evidence-based voluntary treatment services for those who need them. The aspiration of a drug free ASEAN in 2015 is not realistic and the policy goals and resources should be redirected towards a harm reduction strategy for managing – instead of eliminating – the illicit drug market in the least harmful way. In view of all the evidence this report presents about the bouncing back of the opium economy and the expanding ATS market, plus all the negative consequences of the repressive drug control approaches applied so far, making any other choice would be irresponsible."
Ernestien Jensema, Martin Jelsma, Tom Blickman, Tom Kramer
Source/publisher: Transnational Institute (TNI)
Date of publication: 2014-06-01
Date of entry/update: 2014-06-03
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Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Thai Army Increases Troops by DKBA Border
Description: "BURMA Thai Army Increases Troops by DKBA Border By LAWI WENG / THE IRRAWADDY| May 4, 2012 | Hits: 30 Share on facebook Share on twitter Share on email Share on print The Thai Army has increased troop numbers around Mae Sot. (Photo: Reuters) The Thai Army has deployed more troops at border towns around Mae Sot, in northern Thailand?s Tak Province, due to escalating tensions with the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army (DKBA) after a faction leader was accused of being a drug trafficker. Thai Army chief Gen Prayut Chan O Cha told Thai Rath news on May 3 that his soldiers are taking extra care by the frontier and the number of troops in the area has been increased. ?We are already there, but the situation is not yet risky,? he said. The move comes after the Thai Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) placed Saw Lah Pwe, the leader of the Brigade 5 breakaway faction of the DKBA, in the top five of its list of Thailand?s 25 most wanted drug dealers..."
LAWI WENG
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy"
Date of publication: 2012-05-04
Date of entry/update: 2012-05-04
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Language: English
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Title: HIV/AIDS and drug use in Burma/Myanmar
Description: "...The simultaneous spread of HIV/AIDS and the growing number of injecting drug users is fuelling the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Current pro-grammes reach only a small proportion of IDUs with harm reduction interventions. There are no existing programmes available for IDUs who are sexually active to protect themselves and their sexual partners from HIV. The second major risk group are sex workers. Current programmes reach only a very small number of them, and the number of AIDS deaths among them is estimated to be high. In order to effectively address the spiralling numbers of HIV/AIDS infected drug users, is it extremely important for all stakeholders involved to acknowledge the HIV/AIDS epi-demic and the need for harm reduction poli-cies. It is key for all sides to de-politicise HIV/AIDS. The international community needs to make a firm international commitment to stem and reverse the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Burma. It should ensure sufficient and long-term financial support for HIV/AIDS and harm reduction programmes. The SPDC needs to provide adequate space for humanitarian aid to take place. The new guidelines that have been proposed by the government should be amended to ensure direct and unhindered access for interna-tional aid agencies to local communities. The space for initial harm reduction initiatives is encouraging, but needs to be scaled up in order to be effective. Perhaps the most serious shortcoming how-ever is the fact that local community-based organisations in Burma have not been able to participate in the debate about interna-tional humanitarian aid to Burma. In parti-cular, in the discussions about the funding for programmes on HIV/AIDS, People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), and drug users or the organisations that represent them, have not been consulted or been able to partici-pate in the formulation of polices and deci-sion-making processes that have such tre-mendous impact on their health, livelihoods and lives. The international community should also support and strengthen efforts by drug us-ers and PLWHA to organise themselves. This will enable them to voice their opinion and represent their interests better at the local as well as international level. It will also contribute to civil society building and de-mocratisation in the country."
Source/publisher: Transnational Institute/Burma Centre Netherlands
Date of publication: 2006-04-30
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-11
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Language: English
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Title: Opium and Heroin Production in Burma
Description: Based on Ronald Renard?s "The Burma Connection" UNRISD 1996
Ronald Renard
Source/publisher: The Global Hangover Guide
Date of publication: 1995-11-30
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-11
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Title: The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia (full text)
Description: The classic 1972 study, subsequenstly updated and expanded in McCoy?s "The Politics of Heroin: CIA Complicity in the Global Drug Trade" (NY 1991).
Alfred W. McCoy
Source/publisher: Drugtext.org
Date of publication: 1971-11-30
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-11
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Title: Withdrawal Symptoms - Changes in the Southeast Asian drugs market
Description: The Golden Triangle is closing a dramatic period of opium reduction?, wrote UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa in his preface to the 2007 survey on Opium Poppy Cultivation in South East Asia. ?A decade long process of drug control is clearly paying off.? According to the survey, the region produced one-third of world opium production in 1998, now down to only about 5 percent. The once notorious region ?can no longer be called Golden Triangle on the reason of opium production alone.? There has clearly been a significant decline in opium production in Southeast Asia over the past decade in spite of a resurgence in Burma (Myanmar) in the last two years. In this study, we try to assess the causes and consequences, and come to the conclusion that the region is suffering a variety of ‘withdrawal symptoms?, leaving little reason for optimism. The rapid decline has caused major suffering among former poppy growing communities in Burma and Laos, making it difficult to characterise developments as a ‘success story?. Meanwhile, the market of amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) has increased rapidly and higher heroin prices are leading to shifts in consumer behaviour. While the total numbers of opium and heroin users may be going down, many have started to inject and others have shifted to a cocktail of pharmaceutical replacements, representing largely unknown health risks. Confronted with harsh domestic repression and little support from the international community, both farmers and users in the region are struggling to find coping strategies to deal with the rapid changes. Drug control officials have presumed that reducing opium production would automatically lead to a reduction in drug consumption and drugrelated problems. The reality in Southeast Asia proves them wrong. Had quality treatment services been in place, more drug users may have chosen that option. In the absence of adequate health care and within a highly repressive law enforcement environment, however, most are forced to find their own ‘solutions?. Harm reduction services are still only accessible to a tiny proportion of those who need them in the region, even though most countries have now adopted the basic principles in their policy framework. China, especially, has started to significantly scale up needle exchange and methadone programmes to prevent a further spreading of blood-borne infections. In 1998, the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting signed the declaration for a Drug-Free ASEAN by 2020 and two years later even decided to bring forward the target year to 2015. Countries elaborated national plans to comply with the deadline putting huge pressure on rural communities to abandon poppy cultivation and traditional opium use and on police to arrest as many users and traders as possible. This also led to the 2003 ‘war on drugs? in Thailand in which thousands of drug users and small-scale traders were killed. The 2008 status report on progress achieved towards making ASEAN and China drug-free, ?identifies an overall rising trend in the abuse of drugs?, however, and acknowledges that ?a target of zero drugs for production, trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs in the region by 2015 is obviously unattainable?. This TNI publication makes extensive use of the research carried out by our team of fifteen researchers working in Burma, Thailand, Laos and Yunnan province in China. Hundreds of interviews were conducted with farmers, users and traders. We cannot thank them enough for their motivation and courage. Most prefer to remain anonymous and continue their research to detect new trends and help fill gaps in knowledge that have become apparent while writing this first report. A more detailed publication incorporating their latest findings is due at the end of this year. We intend to discuss our outcomes with authorities, civil society and researchers in the region with a view to contributing to a better understanding of the changes taking place in the regional drugs market and to design more effective and humane drug policy responses for the future.
Tom Kramer, Martin Jelsma
Source/publisher: Transnational Institute (TNI) Debate Papers No. 16
Date of publication: 2008-07-31
Date of entry/update: 2010-08-11
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Language: English
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Title: Burma Human Rights Yearbook 2008 - Chapter 5: Production and Trade of Illicit Drugs
Description: "...opium has now become an integral factor in the civil conflict and one that threatens to prolong the suffering of those involved in the cultivation of opium poppy...It is not merely the ethnic conflict regions that have suffered from the effects of drug use in Burma however. Rates of drug addiction, though difficult to quantify, appear to be increasing across the country. Two well documented shifts in drug habits also give cause for concern. Firstly, the transition from opium smoking to heroin smoking and finally to heroin injection, which has led in turn to HIV/AIDS rates increasing to match the levels of intravenous drug use...It is not merely the ethnic conflict regions that have suffered from the effects of drug use in Burma however. Rates of drug addiction, though difficult to quantify, appear to be increasing across the country. Two well documented shifts in drug habits also give cause for concern. Firstly, the transition from opium smoking to heroin smoking and finally to heroin injection, which has led in turn to HIV/AIDS rates increasing to match the levels of intravenous drug use human rights abuses have negated a good deal of the positive effects of this reduction. Forced relocation, deprivation of livelihoods and lack of viable alternatives for farmers who were forcibly evicted from their lands have all been the result of a push by the SPDC to make Burma drug free by 2014 (in line with ASEAN?s stated goal of a drug region by 2015). Thus, while the SPDC preens itself over the eradication of opium cultivation, and largely ignores the problems it has caused in the process, the nation has rapidly become addicted to alternative drugs, which pose just as dangerous a threat to Burma and its neighbours as opium ever did. These are factors which have brought the debate surrounding drug production and trafficking in Burma into the realm of human rights and developmental discourse, international relations and conflict resolution..."
Source/publisher: Human Rights Docmentation Unit (HRDU)
Date of publication: 2009-11-23
Date of entry/update: 2009-12-05
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Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Substance Abuse, Drugs and Addictions: Guidebook
Description: "Substance abuse refers to the harmful or hazardous use of psychoactive substances, including alcohol and illicit drugs. It can also be simply defined as a pattern of harmful use of any substance for mood-altering purposes. Generally, when most people talk about substance abuse, they are referring to the use of illegal drugs. But illegal drugs are not the only substances that can be abused. Alcohol, prescribed medications, inhalants and even coffee and cigarettes, can be used to harmful excess. Substance abuse can lead to dependence syndrome - a cluster of behavioural, cognitive, and physiological phenomena that develop after repeated use including a strong desire to take the drug, persisting in its use despite harmful consequences, increased tolerance, and a physical withdrawal state. In this guidebook, based upon the situation in our community, we present the most common substances that are often abused, how they are used, their street names, and their intoxicating and health effects.".....CONTENTS:- Part I: Alcohol... Amphetamine, Yaba, Ecstasy... Benzodiazepines... Betel Nut and Betal Leaf (Kwan-ya)... Cannabis... Cocaine - (Crack)... Codeine... Heroin... Volatile Substance or Inhalants ... Methadone... Opium... Tobacco..... PART II:- General Views of Substance Abuse... Chronic Effects of Alcoholism... Management in Substance Abuse Overdose... Psycho-Counselling for Substance Abuse.
Source/publisher: Aide Médicale Internationale, UNHCR
Date of publication: 2009-08-31
Date of entry/update: 2009-09-09
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Type: Individual Documents
Language: English, Burmese
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Title: LI: RIGHT DECISION FOR WRONG REASON
Description: "Burma has returned accused heroin trafficker Li Yun-chung to Thai control. Li absconded after he was released on bail by a Thai judge in February as his trial for extradition to America was drawing to a close. Burma said publicly it had no knowledge of Li or his whereabouts. That statement has been proved to be false. Our thanks must go to Prime Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh. He has regained the confidence of many that the government is serious about battling big-time narcotics trafficking. By refusing to accept Burma?s word it knew nothing of the accused fugitive heroin smuggler, Gen Chavalit and Army Commander-in-Chief Chettha Thanajaro have succeeded in restoring Thailand?s damaged image..."
Source/publisher: Bangkok Post via "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 5, No. 2
Date of publication: 1997-04-30
Date of entry/update: 2009-02-16
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Title: King of the Highlands
Description: Few know where he is, but nobody can forget aging drug lord Khun Sa
Kyaw Zwa Moe
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 15, No. 7
Date of publication: 2007-06-30
Date of entry/update: 2008-05-03
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Title: The Burmese Connection: Illegal Drugs and the Making of the Golden Triangle
Description: "An assessment of the historical, economic and contemporary impact of illicit drugs on the people, economy and international relations of Burma/Myanmar. This study discusses previous attempts to curb the cultivation of drugs and points out the financial/social costs of such a situation."...Overview of Narcotics in Burma 1 opium, Khun Sa, SLORC Drug Use in British Burma ... Kokang, cannabis, Kachin Narcotics Use in Independent Burma ... Kokang, Khun Sa, Tatmadaw National and International Consequences ... heroin, opiates, morphine Partial History of Decisions Dealing with ... Opium Act, Lower Burma, Karenni Acronyms ... Drug Abuse, Vienna, United Front » Index ...
Ronald Renard
Source/publisher: UNRISD, UNU
Date of publication: 1995-11-30
Date of entry/update: 2008-03-27
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Title: The Wa Conundrum - review of "Trouble in the Triangle"
Description: Research into Burma?s drug situation provokes different views on how to handle main offenders the Wa, who claim they are stopping opium production... "Trouble in the Triangle: Opium and Conflict in Burma, edited by Martin Jelsma, Tom Kramer and Pietje Vervest. Silkworm Books, Chiang Mai; 2005. P231. Despite decades of drug enforcement activities and costly crop substitution programs, the Burmese sector of the infamous Golden Triangle remains one of the world?s foremost sources of illicit drugs. First, it was opium and its derivative heroin; then, in more recent years, synthetic drugs such as methamphetamines and a low-grade type of ecstasy have been flooding local and world markets. Much of this production takes place in northeastern areas controlled by the United Wa State Army, an offshoot of the now defunct insurgent Communist Party of Burma, which made peace with the Rangoon regime in 1989. To discuss the way forward, and alternative policies to those which had failed, the Amsterdam-based Transnational Institute and the Burma Center Netherlands in 2003 jointly started a drugs and conflict project in Burma, and held an international conference to discuss engagement with Burma on drugs policies. This book is a collection of 10 papers which were presented at that conference, but the outcome is a mixed bag of views and assessments..."
Bertil Lintner
Source/publisher: The Irrawaddy" Vol. 13, No. 11
Date of publication: 2005-10-31
Date of entry/update: 2006-05-01
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Title: A Pipe Dream?
Description: ?Every day I pray I could provide morphine to some of my patients so they could at least die in dignity? —a Burmese doctor... Burma could free its seized opium for medicinal use... "It is one of the most baffling ironies in this age of globalization that while developing countries like Burma are being urged to destroy their opium stocks and poppy fields, others in the developed world are being encouraged to produce the drug for use in pharmaceuticals...Yet, doctors in one of the major producing countries—Burma—complain of a critical shortage of drugs for pain relief. In hospitals across the country, terminal cancer and AIDS patients, and also people recovering from surgery, are suffering unnecessary pain. There are even doctors who advise the relatives of AIDS patients who can no longer bear to see family members or friends suffer in their final weeks to buy illegal heroin to alleviate their pain..."
Martin Jelsma (TNI
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 13, No. 10
Date of publication: 2005-09-30
Date of entry/update: 2006-04-30
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Title: Business as Usual
Description: Wa drug lords dodge US legal action... "Legal action taken in New York against a suspected Wa drugs lord and seven fugitive members of his gang appears to have done nothing to dent the success of their business ventures in Burma. Wei Hsueh-kang and his comrades control the Hong Pang group of companies, which are involved in jewelry and gems, communications, electrical goods, agriculture, mining, textiles and large construction projects...For decades ethnic suppression, opium wars, narcotics and the Shan separatists and pro-democracy movements have created a complex patchwork of problems, which many believe have only one solution. Khuensai Jaiyen, editor of the Shan Herald News Agency, summed it up: ?Without democratic change there is no solution to the drug problem. Democracy, development and an end to the flow of narcotics are all linked.?"
Tom Fawthrop
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 13, No. 4
Date of publication: 2005-03-31
Date of entry/update: 2006-04-27
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Title: Drugs Bust Blunder?
Description: Arrest of ?narcotics informant? raises many questions... "A wealthy 60-year-old Wa businessman who reportedly worked for US and Thai anti-narcotics squads is sitting in a northern Thai remand cell, accused of being heavily involved in drugs trafficking. Maha Seng—scion of a leading family in Shan State, former Wa prince, anti-communist fighter, founder of the Wa National Army and vice chairman of Burma?s National Democratic Front armed ethnic alliance—was arrested in Chiang Mai in early April. Maha Seng?s capture came shortly after an arrest warrant was issued by a provincial court in Mae Hong Son, the mountain resort town close to the Thai-Burma border region where he reportedly had free rein as an operative, providing information to Thai and US anti-drugs agencies. Relatives and associates of Maha Seng are asking themselves why an apparently valuable anti-drugs operative has been removed from the arena at such a critical stage of the fight against drugs-trafficking. Was his cover blown deliberately or accidentally? Was he betrayed? Is he guilty of using his special status to make money from a dirty business he was employed to help destroy?..."
Yeni
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 13, No. 5
Date of publication: 2005-04-30
Date of entry/update: 2006-04-27
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Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: A Failing Grade - Burma's drug eradication efforts
Description: "...Since the assumption of power of the State Law and Order Restoration Council (SLORC) in September 1988, Burma has experienced a dramatic rise in the production and export of illegal narcotics. Since 1996, opium and heroin production doubled. In the years since there has been a steady decline in opium production and the export of heroin. Far from being the result of government and international efforts, this has been largely the cause of a production and market shift, from opiates to amphetamine type stimulants (ATS). The drug trade in Burma is conducted predominantly by Chinese criminal organizations, protected at every step by ethnic militia armies with links to transnational criminal networks. They are routinely and systematically assisted by members of the Burmese Army (Tatmadaw) in a network that has no official approval, but which is so widespread and deep as to be systemic and multi-layered, from the troops on the ground to the generals in Rangoon....The SPDC has failed to resolutely interdict the narcotics trade in Burma. Efforts so far to accord with its stated aims and international obligations have been insufficient to increase the current level of United Nations funding, or for the United States Government to certify the regime as cooperating fully on stopping the drug trade. Narcotics eradication efforts cannot be depoliticized or sequestered from the SPDC's wider aims, which includes the pacification of ethnic people. The humanitarian crisis facing opium farming communities in the Shan State must be urgently addressed by the international community. This should entail greater lobbying of the SPDC to slow down their eradication drive and take a more gradual, sustainable approach to eradication. The regime must demonstrate that their war on drugs is one conducted with greater respect for human rights, providing sustainable alternative incomes and more positive development for the communities. Other communities affected by drug eradication projects, such as Shan displaced by UWSA and UNODC sponsored forced relocations should also be recognized and assisted..."
Source/publisher: Altsean-Burma
Date of publication: 2004-10-31
Date of entry/update: 2004-12-14
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Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Abusing Aid, Eliminating Trust
Description: "Proponents of increased counter-narcotics assistance for Burma should be reminded of how it was misused in the past. As the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, or UNODC, lobbies governments to increase their contributions to opium eradication projects, it is worth looking back on the last major phase of international funding of narcotics suppression, to be reminded of what Burma?s military government did with it. In particular, the misuse of US aid should provide a cautionary tale to any bilateral or multilateral donors..."
David Scott Mathieson
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy" Vol. 12, No. 2
Date of publication: 2004-01-31
Date of entry/update: 2004-06-09
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Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Birmanie, la dictature du pavot
Description: La drogue, petrole, la junte birmane, la France...Le livre de Francis Christophe (moins Introduction et Annexe). DU ROI THEBAW A LA FRENCH-SLORC-CONNECTION; LA MONTEE DE l'OPIUM EN BIRMANIE; L'ARRIVEE EN FORCE DU SLORC; LA REDDITION-REHABILITATION DE KHUN SA; LE SLORC, REINCARNATION DE LA DICTATURE PRECEDENTE; PARRAINAGES ET RESEAUX; LE PARAVENT DE L'ENGAGEMENT CONSTRUCTIF; LES AMIS DU SLORC; INDE-BIRMANIE: L'HEROINE BOUSCULE LE STATU-QUO; NARCO-REACTION EN CHAINE; EXCEPTION FRANCAISE; LA CHUTE de MANDALAY; MIRAGE ET TABOU SUR LA DROGUE; DIPLOMATIE PETROLIERE TOTAL EN BIRMANIE, L'IMPLANTATION; LE FARDEAU BIRMAN; SUCCES SUR LE TERRAIN, DIFFICULTES MEDIATIQUES; LES CIRCUITS POLITIQUES ET ECONOMIQUES; UNE FRENCH-SLORC-CONNECTION? UN ENGAGEMENT DESTRUCTEUR.
Francis Christophe
Date of publication: 1997-11-30
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
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Type: Individual Documents
Language: Francais, French
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Title: Burma?s Phony Drug War
Description: "Rangoon needs to show its sincerity in tackling its drug problem and should fully cooperate with neighbouring countries writes Sai Lu..."
Sai Lu
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy", Vol. 6. No. 1
Date of publication: 1998-01-31
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
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Language: English
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Title: Drug Trade Booming in Rangoon
Description: At the end of a three-day meeting held under the auspices of the United Nations International Drug Control Program in early May, Burma?s military rulers once again demonstrated their commitment to winning the war on drugs with aceremonial drug-burning bonfire. But while the generals were incinerating what they claimed was $ 920 million worth of narcotics, sources familiar with Rangoon?s drug scene were reporting that the trade in heroin for domestic consumption showed no signs of being under fire.
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy", Vol. 9. No. 4 (Intelligence section)
Date of publication: 2001-04-30
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
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Language: English
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Title: Drugs, Generals and Neighbors
Description: Drug production, once the domain of insurgents fighting against Rangoon, has become the cornerstone of the mainstream economy. Burma?s reputation as a major drug producer is well earned, despite the ruling junta?s insistence that it is doing everything in its powers to combat the trade in narcotics. Aung Zaw finds out from drug-industry insiders how the business flourishes under military rule, and examines its impact on relations with Burma?s neighbors.
Aung Zaw
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy", Vol 9. No. 5
Date of publication: 2001-05-31
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
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Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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Title: Drugs, Lies and Videotape
Description: Internal conflict and ideological differences have taken their toll on the decades-old Karenni insurgency, but the Karenni National Progressive Party remains one of the few ethnic-based political organizations in Burma still actively engaged in armed resistance against the Rangoon regime. Now, reports Neil Lawrence, the KNPP is facing a new challenge, as opium and other narcotics once confined to neighboring Shan State make their way into territory controlled by Rangoon?s Karenni allies.
Neil Lawrence
Source/publisher: "The Irrawaddy", Vol. 8, No. 6
Date of publication: 2000-05-31
Date of entry/update: 2003-06-03
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Type: Individual Documents
Language: English
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