Opium production decreases but amphetamines increase in Burma

Sein Win , Mizzima News (www.mizzima.com)

March 3, 2004

Though the cultivation of opium has drastically dropped, amphetamine production continues to increase in Burma, a 2003 United Nations Organization's Drug Control report said.

In Burma, opium cultivation dropped from 81 400 hectors in 2002 to 62 200 hectors in 2003. Northern Shan State has the least opium cultivation, dropping more than 50%. Both western and eastern Shan State has also reduced cultivation by 18 % and 26% respectively. But despite these aggregate reductions, Wa Special Region (2) has increased its cultivation by 21 % and central Shan State has also increased slightly.

“A combination of legislation and action has led to a drastic reduction in opium poppy production in Myanmar,” the report says.

Burma is estimated to produce 800 metric tones of opium, worth an estimated USD 105 million. According to the report, farmers get an average USD 175 for their crop. Although seemingly small, this income is the major source of cash for opium farmers.

The Wa Special Region (2) now ranks first for opium poppy cultivation, accounting 34% of the total of opium poppy production in Burma.

Burma continues to be the world’s second highest opium producer following Afghanistan. Afghanistan produced 3 600 tones of opium last year.

The UNODC reported that the six Mekong river countries, including Burma, are collaborating to eliminate drugs and drug production in the region. This is a development that the UNODC has welcomed in the report. The six Mekong river countries, including China and Thailand, are reported to be exchanging news and information about drug trafficking and are also said to involved in programs to create job alternatives.

Despite of the drop in opium cultivation, Burma is said to be constantly producing amphetamines and to have found new trafficking routes. With the new trafficking routes, amphetamines can reach all countries in the region. It was also reported that the percentage of drug dealer arrests in China and Burma fell in 2002.

Amphetamine tablets are easily produced with the chemicals brought from China and India, and then distributed to China, India and Thailand. Trafficking drugs from Burma through to Thailand, China and India are considered the major routes.
Mr. Gary Louis, the UNODC’s India representative, in a press conference held today in New Delhi, said that as the commercial capital of India, Mumbai is used as the gateway to trafficking to western countries and to Africa.

According to the report, the increased production of amphetamines has been made possible because of its ease of running clandestine laboratories. The difficulties of eliminating amphetamine production in Burma is due to most clandestine laboratories being located in the Wa special regions where the central government has little authority and connections the drug lord, Hkawn Sa, has with the regime in Rangoon giving him special protection.

The report also describes how shared needles in intravenous drug use continues to cause an increase of HIV/AIDS rates in Burma and regionally in Southeast Asia.

Drugs, easily trafficked through border areas, cause increases in drug consumers. China has at least 670 000 drug addicts who consume drugs produced in Burma, Chinese authorities said recently. Relations between Thailand and Burma were tense last year when the Thai Government was ready to crackdown on amphetamine clandestine laboratories in Burma. Indian authorities also frequently report the seizure of drugs from Burma.

However, according to reports from border areas, Burma is now cooperating with its neighboring countries to eliminate drug production and trafficking.