 |
 |
ShanEnd of Opium Cultivation Spells Looming Disaster for Burmese Peasants10/22/04
|
|
|
|
The UNODC reported last week that poppy production had fallen dramatically this year, in part because of official policy and in part because of drought. UNODC head Jean-Luc Lemahieu told the Post the area under cultivation had shrunk nearly 30%, while overall production was down 54%. Opium production fell nearly 90% in northern Shan state, though less in Wa tribal areas, where most remaining production is suspected to take place. Still, Wa leaders have committed to eradicating opium production
in their areas, with top Wa leader Bau Yuxiang vowing to cut off
his own head if the Wa fail to keep their promise. "Opium has
been with us for more than 100 years and it has been disastrous
for our health and development," the Wa chairman told the Post.
"If people plant opium and they smoke it, they don't want to
do anything else. If they stay like this, there is no hope and no
future for our people. We are very determined to stamp out poppy
cultivation in our areas," Bau Yuxiang said. |
|
|
Some 350,000 Wa and Kokang peasants have already stopped growing poppies, the UNODC head told journalists in Rangoon earlier this year. "This will increase to more than two million people next year," he said. According to aid experts who spoke to the Post only on condition of anonymity, hundreds of Kokang and Wa peasants have died for lack of food and medicine since they quit growing poppies, the leading cash crop in northern Burma. While neither Burmese nor UN officials would confirm such stories, the Post also reported that a village in Shan was wiped out by malaria for lack of money to buy medicines, with some 300 to 400 people killed. With more peasants expected to quit growing poppies, Wa and Burmese officials are worried. "It will take three to five years for the farmers to recover from the crisis that will follow the end of poppy cultivation," the Wa's second in command, Shao Min Liang, admitted to the Post earlier this year. For many of the peasants, not growing poppies means leaving their homelands, said UNODC head Lemahieu. "The lessons of the Kokang region after the opium ban in 2003 are a warning signal for what is going to happen in the Wa areas," he said. "The population fell by 60,000 [from 200,000 to 140,000], with the most people heading inland in search of a better living. Two out of three private Chinese clinics and pharmacies closed their doors and one in three community schools ceased operating. About 6,000 children were forced to leave school, effectively halving the enrolment rate compared to the previous year," Mr Lemahieu recounted. |
||
|
|
"We don't know what we are going to do," said former poppy grower Ti Kwan Sum. "We just hope for the best." But according to the UNODC, crop substitution and alternative development
programs will not replace the income generated by the lost poppy
crops. Other than emigration, peasants may find income opportunities
in working in casinos, the sex trade, or other illegal occupations,
and with ethnic Chinese criminal gangs waiting in the wings, the
region could become insecure and unstable. Or the peasants could
go back to growing opium, the Post suggested.
|
|
|
source : http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/359/burma.shtml |
||
|
|
||
How can I get help?
There are various types of alcohol addictions, drug rehabs and treatment programs. When choosing a drug rehab center for yourself or a loved one, it is crucial to be informed about the different types of drug rehabs and what the end results are.
Deciding on a drug rehab center (drug treatment for either alcohol or drugs) can be really confusing due to all the different programs and philosophies. The Narconon Drug rehabilitation process has different phases that will bring the individuals to a drug free life.
For immediate assistance call now 1-877-782-7409. A professional counselor will be there to assist you
Or contact us online now!
Drug
Rehab Center Quick Help Form (please
fill in) *
