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The Star
a day ago
- Politics
- The Star
Myanmar battles to replace poppy cultivation with cash crops
FILE PHOTO: This photo taken on February 26, 2024 shows displaced residents working in the illegal poppy fields for their livelihood during the fighting between Myanmar' military and Karenni Nationalities Defence Force at Moe Bye in Pekon Township, on the border of Karen State and southern Shan State. - AFP PHNOM PENH: The ongoing armed conflict is hindering Myanmar's efforts to eliminate poppy cultivation and combat drug trafficking, posing a threat to national security. The prevailing political instability, due to conflict between the military and armed militias, and rising economic hardships, are pushing farmers in remote mountainous regions to cultivate poppies. "Growing poppy and heroin production were a major issue for Myanmar in the past," said Home Affairs Minister Lt-Gen Tun Tun Naung, as reported in the state media, The Global New Light of Myanmar. Currently, the country has been facing challenges of synthetic drug production, trafficking and trading similar to other countries across the world. "On the other hand, the number of sown acres of poppies rises again in the areas controlled by ethnic armed groups,' said Tun Tun Naung. Myanmar is working to introduce alternative crops, such as coffee and tea, along with livestock projects, to replace poppy cultivation among farmers. During the 2024-25 poppy cultivation season, security forces destroyed nearly 1,900 hectares (4,734.5 acres) of poppy plantations. In conjunction with the 2025 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Thursday (June 26), Myanmar authorities destroyed 66 kinds of drugs and precursor chemicals, including heroin, opium, methamphetamine, cannabis and ketamine worth RM1.3 billion (US$297 million) in Yangon, Mandalay, Taunggyi and Sagaing, said the state media. In a lengthy article published in the state media on Thursday, the occasion of the global anti-drug campaign, Tun Tun Naung revealed the monumental task his government faces in eradicating the social scourge. The complex nexus of production and distribution of narcotics, supported by cross-border networks, makes it difficult to contain the illicit flow of drugs. "Although precursor chemicals and related accessories used in drug production cannot be produced in Myanmar, they can enter Myanmar easily and illegally through the border regions. "As the majority of produced drugs are trafficked to regional countries and highly demanded countries through border regions, Myanmar is facing challenges in conducting prevention and suppression against drug trafficking,' said Tun Tun Naung. On the same day, an advertorial in the state media highlighted the seriousness of the proliferation of narcotics and their impact on Myanmar's society. "Myanmar is grappling with serious challenges related to poppy cultivation, synthetic drug production and widespread drug abuse. But local authorities and law enforcement bodies are carrying out the eradication of narcotic drugs through collaborative efforts as much as possible,' said the editorial. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) 2023 opium survey in Myanmar revealed the grave problem of the opium economy, fuelled by conflict and rural poverty. According to UNODC, on average, farmers could easily earn RM1,184 (US$280) per kilogramme of opium in 2022, even as supply was abundant. "The attractiveness of opium as a crop and commodity, and strong expanding demand, as the Golden Triangle opium and heroin trade appears to be reconnecting to the global market. Farmers earned more than twice as much from opium as in the previous year (2022),' said the agency's report. - Bernama
Barnama
a day ago
- Politics
- Barnama
Myanmar Battles To Replace Poppy Cultivation With Cash Crops
Poppy cultivation is still prevalent in the mountainous region of Myanmar. (Photo credit: UNODC website.) caption: Farmers opt for poppy cultivation instead of other cash crops as they fetch lucrative prices. (Photo credit: UNODC website) By Vijian Paramasivam PHNOM PENH, June 27 (Bernama) -- The ongoing armed conflict is hindering Myanmar's efforts to eliminate poppy cultivation and combat drug trafficking, posing a threat to national security. The prevailing political instability, due to conflict between the military and armed militias, and rising economic hardships, are pushing farmers in remote mountainous regions to cultivate poppies. bootstrap slideshow 'Growing poppy and heroin production were a major issue for Myanmar in the past. Currently, the country has been facing challenges of synthetic drug production, trafficking and trading similar to other countries across the world. 'On the other hand, the number of sown acres of poppies rises again in the areas controlled by ethnic armed groups,' said Home Affairs Minister Lt-Gen Tun Tun Naung, reported the state media, The Global New Light of Myanmar. Myanmar is working to introduce alternative crops, such as coffee and tea, along with livestock projects, to replace poppy cultivation among farmers. During the 2024-25 poppy cultivation season, security forces destroyed nearly 1,900 hectares (4,734.5 acres) of poppy plantations. In conjunction with the 2025 International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Thursday, Myanmar authorities destroyed 66 kinds of drugs and precursor chemicals, including heroin, opium, methamphetamine, cannabis and ketamine worth RM1.3 billion (US$297 million) in Yangon, Mandalay, Taunggyi and Sagaing, said the state media. In a lengthy article published in the state media on Thursday, the occasion of the global anti-drug campaign, Tun Tun Naung revealed the monumental task his government faces in eradicating the social scourge.
The Star
a day ago
- Politics
- The Star
Myanmar torches US$300mil of drugs in declining annual haul
Students looking at seized illegal drugs in Yangon before they were set on fire on June 26, 2025 to mark International Day Against Drug Abuse And Illicit Trafficking. - Photo: AFP YANGON: Myanmar's junta torched seized narcotics worth an estimated US$300 million on Thursday (June 26), but a senior police officer said drug hauls were plunging because of intensifying fighting in the country's civil war. When the junta seized power in a 2021 coup, it sparked conflict between the military and a myriad of opponents, with all sides accused of filling their war chests with proceeds from black market businesses. Drug production, unregulated mining and online scam centres have all flourished in the chaos since the democratic government was toppled, analysts say. Myanmar's home affairs ministry burned confiscated narcotics in three locations across the country on June 26, which anti-drug police in the capital Naypyidaw said were worth nearly US$298 million. The haul – incinerated to mark International Day Against Drug Abuse And Illicit Trafficking – was worth roughly US$50 million less than 2024's and US$150 million less than the 2023 figure. A senior anti-drug officer – speaking on condition of anonymity – said 'fighting in many places' is 'one of the main reasons for our difficulties in cracking down on drug trafficking and production'. Drugs burned in ceremonies in the cities of Yangon, Mandalay and Taunggyi included more than 1,700kg of heroin, 16,000kg of methamphetamine and 281 million stimulant pills, the police said. Myanmar's junta is fighting an array of anti-coup guerrillas and ethnic armed organisations which have long been active in the country's fringes where black markets have flourished. Myanmar's Home Affairs Minister Tun Tun Naung said in a message published in state media that 'some ethnic armed organisations engage in drug production and trafficking to easily earn income by taking advantage of the lack of peace and stability'. Analysts have previously said the Myanmar military also has links to highly profitable drug production. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said in May that 2024's seizures of methamphetamine in East and South-east Asia were a record high. Seizures of methamphetamine across the region totalled 214 tonnes in 2024, marking an 'exponential' increase of 24 per cent compared to 2023, the agency said. - AFP
The Sun
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Myanmar torches $300m of drugs in declining annual haul
YANGON: Myanmar's junta torched seized narcotics worth an estimated $300 million on Thursday, but a senior police officer said drug hauls were plunging because of intensifying fighting in the country's civil war. When the junta seized power in a 2021 coup it sparked conflict between the military and a myriad of opponents, with all sides accused of filling their war chests with proceeds from black market businesses. Drug production, unregulated mining and online scam centres have all flourished in the chaos since the democratic government was toppled, analysts say. Myanmar's home affairs ministry burned confiscated narcotics in three locations across the country on Thursday, which anti-drug police in the capital Naypyidaw said were worth nearly $298 million. The haul -- incinerated to mark International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking -- was worth roughly $50 million less than last year's and $150 million less than the 2023 figure. A senior anti-drug officer -- speaking on condition of anonymity -- said 'fighting in many places' is 'one of the main reasons for our difficulties in cracking down on drug trafficking and production'. Drugs burned in ceremonies in the cities of Yangon, Mandalay and Taunggyi included more than 1,700 kilograms of heroin, 16,000 kilograms of methamphetamine and 281 million stimulant pills, police said. Myanmar's junta is fighting an array of anti-coup guerrillas and ethnic armed organisations which have long been active in the country's fringes where black markets have flourished. Home affairs minister Tun Tun Naung said in a message published in state media that 'some ethnic armed organisations engage in drug production and trafficking to easily earn income by taking advantage of the lack of peace and stability'. Analysts have previously said the Myanmar military also has links to highly profitable drug production. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said last month that 2024's seizures of methamphetamine in East and Southeast Asia were a record high. Seizures of methamphetamine across the region totalled 236 tons in 2024, marking an 'exponential' increase of 24 percent compared to 2023, the agency said.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Myanmar torches $382m of drugs in declining annual haul
Students look on at a pile of seized illegal drugs in Yangon before they are set on fire on June 26. PHOTO: AFP YANGON - Myanmar's junta torched seized narcotics worth an estimated US$300 million (S$382 million) on June 26, but a senior police officer said drug hauls were plunging because of intensifying fighting in the country's civil war. When the junta seized power in a 2021 coup, it sparked conflict between the military and a myriad of opponents, with all sides accused of filling their war chests with proceeds from black market businesses. Drug production, unregulated mining and online scam centres have all flourished in the chaos since the democratic government was toppled, analysts say. Myanmar's home affairs ministry burned confiscated narcotics in three locations across the country on June 26, which anti-drug police in the capital Naypyidaw said were worth nearly US$298 million. The haul – incinerated to mark International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking – was worth roughly US$50 million less than last year's and US$150 million less than the 2023 figure. A senior anti-drug officer – speaking on condition of anonymity – said 'fighting in many places' is 'one of the main reasons for our difficulties in cracking down on drug trafficking and production'. Drugs burned in ceremonies in the cities of Yangon, Mandalay and Taunggyi included more than 1,700kg of heroin, 16,000kg of methamphetamine and 281 million stimulant pills, police said. Myanmar's junta is fighting an array of anti-coup guerrillas and ethnic armed organisations which have long been active in the country's fringes where black markets have flourished. Home Affairs Minister Tun Tun Naung said in a message published in state media that 'some ethnic armed organisations engage in drug production and trafficking to easily earn income by taking advantage of the lack of peace and stability'. Analysts have previously said the Myanmar military also has links to highly profitable drug production. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said last month that 2024's seizures of methamphetamine in East and Southeast Asia were a record high. Seizures of methamphetamine across the region totalled 236 tons in 2024, marking an 'exponential' increase of 24 per cent compared to 2023, the agency said. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
