The Eighth Opium Yield Survey Conducted Jointly by Myanmar and the United States of America as Part of the Program for Cooperation in

The Eighth

Myanmar- U.S.A. Joint Opium Yield Survey

Towards Total Eradication

of Narcotic Drugs

25 February to 2

March 2002

25-2-2002 : Poppy Fields in Lwe-Tao, Theinni Township

As part of the Myanmar – U.S.A.

collaboration programme for the eradication of narcotic drugs in Myanmar, a

joint Myanmar-U.S. team went on a tour of remote and isolated regions that are

not easily accessible because of the difficult terrain from 25 February to 2

March to conduct an Opium Yield Survey. The team travelled by helicopter to

Mongshu Township in Shan State (East) and Theinni, Tanyang and Kutkai

townships in Shan State (North) to conduct a survey of clandestine opium poppy

cultivation plots, collect samples of opium pods, resin, leaves and soil and

to interview local peasants who cultivated opium poppy. Their itinerary also

included interviews with responsible regional officials regarding progress

made in crop substitution and livestock breeding projects, rehabilitation and

treatment measures for drug addicts and narcotic drug eradication plans and

tasks being carried out.

The Myanmar side of the combined

team was headed by Colonel Kyaw Thein, member of the Central Committee for

Drug Abuse Control and Head of the Internal Affairs and Research Department of

the Ministry of Defence and Police Colonel Kham Aung, Joint Secretary of the

Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control and including other officials of the

CCDAC and the Department of Agriculture as members. The U. S. team, officials of the U.S. Embassy in Yangon, officials

of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and officials of the Washington-based US

Department of Agriculture and Crime and Narcotics Centre (CNC).

The Joint Myanmar-US team left

Yangon on 25 February for Lashio where they transferred to a waiting military

helicopter. They continued their journey and arrived at Lwe Tauk region in

Theinni Township in Shan State (North). The team then collected opium poppy

pods, resin, leaves and soil samples from an illicit opium plot in Nant Khike

Village Tract after which they conducted interviews with local opium

cultivators.  The team left for Lashio in the afternoon and arrived back in

the evening.

On the morning of 26 February the

combined Myanmar-US team left for Mongshu Township in Shan State (East). They

visited another clandestine opium plot in the vicinity of Nant Pyet Village on

the slopes of the Loilem Laung hill range to collect samples of opium pods,

resin, leaves, as well as soil samples. Here also the team interviewed the

local peasants. In the afternoon the team went to Nant Latt Village in the

northern half of Mongshu Township to collect opium poppy pods, resin and

leaves and soil samples from another illicit plot of opium poppy. They then

interviewed the local opium- growing peasants after which they returned to

Lashio.

On the morning of 27 February the

Myanmar-US Opium Yield Survey Team proceeded to Tanyang Township in Shan State

(North) where they collected samples of opium poppy pods, resin, leaves and

soil from illicitly cultivated fields in the area of Nar Tatt and Man Kaung

Nwe villages and interviewed the local opium peasants. In the afternoon the

team continued on to the Lwe Sai Village Tract and again collected opium poppy

pods, resin, leaves and soil samples from the illicitly cultivated poppy field

in the vicinity of Pan Maung Village and interviewed the local peasants after

which the team returned to Lashio.

 

On 28 February the Myanmar-US team

left for Naung Lai Village Tract in Tang Yang Township in Shan State (North).

The team then collected samples of opium pods, resin, leaves and soil samples

from illegally cultivated fields of opium poppy in the areas surrounding Lwe

Pyet, Nant Hsant, and Pan Mon villages after which members of the team

interviewed the opium growing peasants of the region. The team returned to

Lashio in the evening.

On the morning of 1 March the

Myanmar-US team left for Lon Htan Village of Tar Moe Nyai Village Tract in

Kutkai Township of Shan State (North) where they met with regional leaders at

Lon Htan and Shauk Haw villages who briefed the team on the progress made in

the cultivation of opium substitute crops that included corn, lablab beans (Pegyi),

green peas (Sadawpe), gram (Kalape), wheat, buckwheat and potatoes and

cultivation of vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, cabbage, Kai Lan,

cauliflower and radish. This was followed by a Q & A session and a visit to

plots under cultivation of substitute crops. Later the team made an aerial

survey by helicopter of the fields of substitute crops and that had been

destroyed in Kutkai Township and arrived back in Lashio in the afternoon.

Later the same afternoon the team held a meeting with members of Police Force,

responsible officials of the Health, Agriculture and Livestock Breeding

Departments of the Shan State, and buckwheat experts of the Japan

International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to hold discussions and inquire into

progress made in buckwheat cultivation as a substitute crop, in drug

eradication measures being implemented, the destruction of illicit opium

fields, interdiction of narcotic drugs and implementation of rehabilitation

and educative programmes.

On 2 March the Joint Myanmar-US

team left Lashio in the morning and arrived back in Yangon in the afternoon.

Myanmar and the United States of

America have collaborated in drug eradication and have held yearly opium yield

surveys jointly since 1993. According to an announcement issued by the United

State of America, which has been corroborated by the statistics of the Base

Line Data collected by Myanmar in 1998, the acreage of land under opium poppy

cultivation and opium yield in Myanmar has significantly declined since 1997.

The opium yield in 2002 is expected to show a continued decline due to the

fact that regional authorities have been making every effort to discourage and

altogether put a halt to opium cultivation through education and assistance

for means of alternative income and have tirelessly carried out destruction of

illicit opium fields in accordance with well laid plans. Moreover, the poppy

fields have not flourished this year due to scarce rainfall as witnessed by

the Joint Myanmar-United States Team during their opium yield survey tour. The

Government of the Union of Myanmar has since 1999-2000 been implementing a

nationwide programme for the total eradication of opium cultivation from

Myanmar soil within 15 years and is wholly committed to achieving this goal.

 

The governments of Myanmar and the

United States of America have collaborated in conducting opium yield surveys

annually and this is the Eighth Opium Yield Survey. According to information

received, depending on the data collected in this year’s survey, it is

expected that the United States of America will continue to collaborate with

Myanmar towards eradication of narcotic drugs in Myanmar.

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