Endeavours of the Government of the Union of Myanmar
In Narcotic Drug Control

The Union of Myanmar located in the Southeast Asian region, is a country that always strives to maintain relations of friendship and cooperation with its neighbours in adherence with the Five Principles of Co-existence of the Bandung Conference. Myanmar’s neighbours are China in the north and northeast, India in the northwest, Bangladesh in the west, Thailand in the southeast and east, and Laos in the northeast. It shares a border of 2,192 kilometers with China; 1331 kilometers with India; 256 kilometers with Bangladesh; 2096 kilometers with Thailand and 224 kilometers with Laos making a total of 6,099 kilometers. The terrain along this borderline is rugged with thick jungle and steep mountains and this together with poor road communications severely limits accessibility. Myanmar also has a long coastline of 2,296 kilometers.

Prior to British colonial rule, opium cultivation and production in Myanmar were non-existent in Myanmar. It was the British Imperialists who introduced opium cultivation and also encouraged its consumption. By the time Myanmar regained independence in 1948, the evil legacy bequeathed by the British had taken firm root in the Shan State and in the border regions. This situation was exacerbated when, in the latter part of 1945, the Kuomintang (KMT) Chinese troops, defeated in the Battle of Southern Yunnan in China, retreated and intruded into Myanmar and occupied the northeastern region. After establishing such a foothold in the country, it was observed that neighbouring Thailand and the Central Intelligence Agency had some involvement with the KMT. This intensified the insurgent situation in Myanmar and also created and brought in its wake the problem of narcotic drugs.

The Myanmar Armed Forces launched military operations to overcome the intruding KMT troops and at the same time submitted a report to the United Nations with an appeal to effectively rectify the situation. In the meantime, in 1961, the Myanmar Armed Forces were able to seize the KMT camp at Mong Palio and in so doing three westerners were captured dead along with incriminating evidence in the form of weapons and ammunition. With the submission of this irrefutable evidence, the KMT troops were thus ordered to evacuate Myanmar territory. In 1961/62 the KMT forces were compelled to retreat but the majority did not return to Taiwan. Instead, they set up villages to settle in Thailand along the border. The KMT No (3/5) Divisions were reorganized legally and accorded official recognition as People’s Militia by Thailand and were given permission to settle in Thai villages established along the Thai-Myanmar border. They were given the task of fighting the communist insurgents in Northern Thailand. Moreover Thailand also overlooked and ignored the fact that insurgent groups fighting Myanmar consisting of the Shan United Revolutionary Army (SURA), the Jimmy Yang Faction, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Pa-O insurgents had put up settlements inside Thai territory and implicitly allowed them to take refuge. In Thailand, the No 3 KMT Divisional Headquarters was permitted to encamp in Tang Ngawt and the No.5 Divisional Headquarters in Mae Salaung. These troops then proceeded to set up opium refineries in these regions and in collusion with the other insurgents embarked on the illegal narcotic drug trade. The KMT troops did lend a help to Thailand in suppressing its communist insurgents and in return they were at liberty to set up heroin refineries and carry on with the narcotic drug trade in Chiengmai and Chiengrai provinces along the common borders of Thailand and Myanmar.

The Myanmar Defence Services, People’s Police Force and other agencies and organizations concerned have collaborated closely since 1973 to effectively combat and prevent the proliferation of narcotic drugs. In 1974, the Narcotic and Dangerous Drugs Law was enacted. On 2nd March 1976, the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control was formed to take systematic and effective action for prevention and suppression of narcotic drugs. The Armed Forces launched military operations to quell armed insurgent groups involved in the production of opium and drug trafficking along the border areas. Special military operations such as Operation Moe Hein, Operation Nga Ye Pan, Operation Taung Yan Shin, Operation Taung Hteik Pan and Operation Aung Moe Hein were conducted annually towards the control and eradication of narcotic drugs. The results of the ceaseless military action against drugs eradication during the 14-year period form then on, are as follows: -  

However, since 1988, the European Union as well as the United States of America withdrew all forms of assistance for Myanmar, including that for narcotic drug control. But, the Myanmar, Government, knowing that narcotic drugs constitute the common scourge of mankind, has with good faith designated the fight against it as a national task. It has carried on the crusade against narcotic drugs with its own limited resources and achieved a fair measure of success. Opium poppy is cultivated in the remote and undeveloped areas in the Shan State along the country’s borders. The terrain in these areas is so rough that communications are poor in addition to which the climate is extremely hard and not conducive for the cultivation of most other crops. Local residents thus turned to the cultivation of opium poppy as the main cash crop and this led to link up with the armed national groups operating in the region. The Government of the Union of Myanmar, to alleviate this situation, has therefore given priority to the goals of implementing border area development and the attainment of national reconciliation. With this in view the Government laid down the following strategies and tactics for narcotic drug control.

Strategies

Tactics

(i)      Interdiction and suppression

(ii)     Elimination of opium production.

(iii)    Elimination of drug abuse.

Due to the systematic action taken in accordance with the above strategies and tactics, significant strides were made in narcotic drug interdiction. The figures below show the impact of the action taken within the 10-year period from September 1988 to 1999 and the significant improvements made as compared with action taken before 1988.

Another important factor is the return home of 17 armed national race groups to the jurisdiction of the State due to the good will and sincere endeavours of the Government. Because these armed groups are now working in cooperation with the Government for the development of their various regions. The enthusiastic participation of the former armed national groups in narcotic control measures has also given it an added impetus and made it more effective. In April 1997 Special Region 4 of eastern Shan State, (the Mong Ma/Mong La) region was declared a Drug Free Zone. Likewise, efforts are now in progress to establish drug free zones in Special Region 1 of northern Shan State in the year 2000 and in Special Region 2 of northern Shan State in 2005.

The State Peace and Development Council Government has reorganized and expanded the Central Committee of Drug Abuse Control with a view to further accelerating the momentum of narcotic drug control measures. A Base Line Data Collection Programme on opium cultivation acreage and the number of drug addicts was carried out as a national movement on a countrywide scale from January to June 1998. Based on the statistical data collected a Fifteen-year Plan for the Eradication of Narcotic Drugs was drawn up and implementation began in the year 1999-2000.

The Government is fully committed to the total eradication of narcotic drugs from its soil and in its unceasing struggle against this menace has cooperated with non-governmental organizations, UN organizations, neighbouring countries and other countries in the region. In order to participate in international cooperation Myanmar became a state party to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961. Myanmar also acceded to the Convention on Psychotropic Substances, 1971, and the UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, 1988. Furthermore, bilateral agreements on control of the illicit drug trade and drug abuse were signed respectively with India on 30th March 1993; with Bangladesh on 1st December 1994; with Vietnam on 12th March 1995; with the Russian Federation on 22nd January and with Laos on 29th March 1997. As part of the Sub-region Action Plan on Drug Control, Myanmar became a signatory to a Six-nation Memorandum of Understanding with Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam to reduce the volume of the illicit drug trade and drug abuse. Since then Myanmar has participated in projects under the Sub-regional Action Plan drawn up by the United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP). Moreover, Myanmar has attended ministerial-level meetings held between Myanmar and neighbouring countries Thailand and Laos since 1992 and has been an active partner in narcotic drug affairs. As a member of the ASEAN, Myanmar has also signed the Joint Declaration on A Drug Free Zone in the ASEAN Region by the year 2020 at the ASEAN Ministerial-level meeting held in Manila, Philippines on 25th July 1998. Moreover, Myanmar hosted the Fourth International Heroin Conference sponsored by the INTERPOL in Yangon from 23rd to 26th February1999.

In addition Myanmar has cooperated with the Government of the United States in collecting samples from illicit poppy fields in the Shan State to estimate opium yields. Such opium yield surveys were conducted in 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999 and very recently from 23rd to 17th February 2,000 making a total of six such surveys.

Despite these efforts, The Bangkok Post and the Nation newspapers of Thailand have recently published reports on narcotic drug affairs concerning Myanmar with insinuating remarks such as:  “Stimulant tablets and heroin are being produced in large quantities within Myanmar territory along the Thai-Myanmar border.” “The government is turning a blind eye to the illicit drug trade perpetrated by the former armed national groups.” “The Myanmar Armed Forces are involved in illicit drug ventures.” “The ‘Wa’ group of the south is engaged in development projects of the eastern Shan State and are constructing roads in Mong Yung, building dams and electric power plants but with proceeds from their drug trafficking.” A statement was also made to the effect that stimulant tablets, literally in the millions, enter Thailand annually from this region. They imply that Myanmar has been reluctant to cooperate in drug control measures. These news reports have utterly ignored Myanmar’s valiant endeavours in drug control and have deliberately tried to belittle and diminish the successes that Myanmar has achieved with their irresponsible and biased reports.

Prior to the time of Khun Sa’s surrender, there were opium refineries in the Homong region and along the Thai border regions. With the unconditional surrender of the MTA group headed by Khun Sa the illegal narcotic trade should have been greatly curtailed and finally eliminated. But Ywet Sitt, a Shan national of the Mong Htaw-Mong Hta region of the MTA and Kyauk Hsit Lu Laing in the region west of Tachilek have refused to lay down arms and are still active in the drug trade. They have instead established bases in Pein Lon and Mahein Tet within Thailand and together with other MTA stragglers have teamed up with the White Chinese KMT residue groups who are also based in Pein Lon and Mahein Tet. These groups are now jointly carrying on terrorist and drug trafficking activities.

The answer to all these problems, I think, is quite simple and brief, and, that is “No Precursors, No Drugs.” If we should make a careful probe and analyze the questions, “Who is helping and providing refuge to the armed terrorists along the Thai-Myanmar border for their continued existence?” Who has actual links to the illicit drug trade and is involved in these nefarious activities?” “Has the Myanmar Government resolutely fought against the drug menace although beset by many difficulties?” “How effective has its actions been and what new projects are being planned for future undertaking?” If these crucial questions are reflected upon honestly and objectively after careful study, the answers will be clear enough for all to perceive.

Contra band of 791 kilos of Ephedrine and 1101.05 kilos of assorted chemicals,
a Methamphetamine tableting machine smuggled in from neighbouring Thailand and
India and seized at the Theinni check point in northern Shan State on 21-7-99.

This author however is inclined to the view that there could conceivably be some who are actually concerned and worried that the narcotic drug trade will eventually be stamped out and disappear altogether. This however is of little consequence. What is important is the realization that the narcotic drug problem is not a problem for a single country to tackle and deal with alone. It is a world wide problem. So, not only should each country voluntarily and conscientiously do its level best to effectively annihilate narcotic drugs, but the world’s nations should in close cooperation, continue the fight to uproot once and for all, narcotic drugs, the scourge of mankind from the world scene.

Terrorist Encampments and Illicit Drug Trade Locations in the Thai-Myanmar Border Regions.

Kyaw Kyaw

Trans. K.K.H.