The Massive Growth of Poppy fields in Kachin State

The Massive Growth of Poppy fields in Kachin State
Published 27 October 2021
Tun Lin Aung (Myintkyina)

The article “The Massive Growth of Poppy fields in Kachin State” was featured in this week’s edition of the Weekly Eleven. The article was written by Eleven Media Group’s Kachin senior reporter, using credible and reliable news sources, in order to protect and safeguard the interests of his state. The article mainly highlighted the massive growth in Myanmar’s illicit drugs’ production over the past year in places such as Kachin State, Upper Sagaing Region, and Shan State.

Readers are aware that this article was not written to harm the interests of any individuals or organizations. However, some individuals and Mizzima news organization created a misinterpretation of the article by only featuring certain parts and phrases. The full article has been posted again so that the public is aware of the actual facts and intention of the article.

 “The growth of poppy fields in Kachin State is a measurement of political stability. The more unstable the political situation, the more poppy is grown. If the political situation is stable, fewer poppy is grown. The highest number of poppy fields has been grown this year, according to a representative of Pat Jasan Group who has operated in Waingmaw since 2014.

Over the past decade, production has spiked in two occasions. After 2000, production was declining slowly, but after the breakdown of peace between the Tatmadaw and KIO in 2011, production increased substantially. Additionally, During U Thein Sein’s administration between the period between 2013 and 2014, production was at its highest.

After this period, due to the efforts of anti-drug organizations and humanitarian organizations, the production of drugs declined. In 2019, the production of drugs declined substantially. The destruction of poppy fields in acres also increased. In 2012-2013, 618 acres were destroyed; in 2013-2014, 492 acres were destroyed; in 2014 to 2015, 1322 acres were destroyed; in 2015 to 2016, over 3807 acres were destroyed; in 2016 to 2017, 55 acres were destroyed.

However, after the political changes of February 1st, 2021, poppy plantations in Kachin State grew substantially.

Poppy fields on the Chinese border

In Kachin State, poppy cultivation is mainly in Sadon, Waingmaw and Kanpaing in Waingmaw Township and Tanai region in Chibwe Township bordering China. It can also be seen in Hpa-kant, Sunparabun and PutaO. However, there has been no extended cultivation yearly.

A man close to poppy cultivation in Waingmaw Township said: “In the 1990s also, the acreage was the same as now. At that time, cultivation was mostly in valleys. Now, it is grown after the whole forests have been cleared.

In the past, no fertilizer or water pipe was used. Now, we are seeing modern cultivation methods. When asked, I can say the acreage is the largest than ever. Poppy cultivation along the border can be seen in the northern and southern parts of Waimaw-Kanpaikti Chinese border trade route.

Poppy cultivation gains speed due to being the border region, the political situation, easy transport, easy investment and quality opium production. It takes only a few hours to reach those poppy fields but the routes are hilly. Most of the village roads were repaired under the NLD government. In the northern border trade area, there is a route easily accessible to timber smuggling for China. The route connects Mandaung Village in Waimaw Township and China through Hnithtiku-Khantgaw-Lawbun, Ngapyaw-Hetinzin-Yintan (Hsanchalu-tripartite fork)-Nawku-Mawsitone. It also connects Shankyaw Village in Chibwe Township and China through Zakhon-Chawmaw-Lonsa-Ura-Yintan (Hsanchalu-tripartite fork)-Nawku-Mawsitone. It is a smuggling route but it is better than the inter-state roads in Myanmar. With high mountains and the temperature reaching below zero in winter, raw opium has to be produced in solid pieces. The quality is good.

For poppy cultivation, clearance starts in earlier August. Poppy is under terrace cultivation in an irrigation system that takes water from the mountain ranges. Poppy growing starts in September, October, November and December. Four months later, opium can be produced.

Most of the area is occupied by the NDAK Peace Corps. After the NDAK made peace, it formed a border guard force with three bases. Base 1001 is located in Gam Gwin (near Pangwa), Base 1002 in Lupi village and Base 1003 in Sin Kyaing village. Previously, the NDAK was based between south of the Mechaung River east bank of the Maykha River and north of the Dunbam Creek. This year, poppy cultivation is also taking place in Dunbam Creek, a place where KIA troops are stationed. According to the census compiled by the Kachin State government before 2015 November election, there were 1,192 people under the age of 18 and 1,668 people over the age of 18 with a total population of 2,860 from 373 households from 27 villages in Kanpitete and Sadone areas.

In the list of poppy growers collected in 2016, there was a population of 59,954 from 1,379 households in 33 villages. According to the two censuses, Myanmar census form 66/6 has only 373 households, leaving a gap of more than 1,000 households. On February 29, 2016, an important proposal was made at the first regular session of the second Kachin State Hluttaw to draw up support for short-term and long-term issues related to poppy cultivation on the Chinese border, which was successful but was not implemented by the government.

The increase in poppy cultivation is not only due to the cultivation of the locals but also to the investment from far away areas. Poppy growers said the two acres of poppy plantation cost more than K6 million. “We have been growing poppy this year. If you have money, you can buy everything. Cars selling vegetables and meat are seen everywhere. As many people say, armed poppy cultivation means that there are local armed groups that use opium. Most of the investors are people who receive handouts from the armed groups. The locals are only figureheads. There are some people from Waimaw and Myitkyina came to make investment in poppy plantations. They came to make business. There may be people from China included. They have been connected for many years. The cost of poppy seeds, fertilizer, pesticide, labor, land rent and food is not easy for the locals. The good land is far away and the poppy seeds imported from India and northern Shan State cost K70,000 to 300,000 per bag. If the seed is good, we can scrape up to eight holes to produce gum. You can even scrape plant stems,” he said.

Due to the long-term cultivation of poppy plants, most of the poppy fields are prone to surface soil erosion due to rainfall. Due to the heavy rains in a short-term, there were years when mud reached more than three feet in Sadon and in the market. Growing poppy in low-lying areas requires a lot of fertilizer. The uniqueness of this area is that, like other opium-growing areas in Kachin State, there were no gold, gems, amber and paddy production. Livestock and walnuts, bamboo, orange, pine and Sakaw Pakaw (spice) are produced. In the case of the border with China, most of the villages are occupied by militia members and BGF members who have been transformed by the NDAK.

Poppy fields in Tanai

"There are no people left in the wards and villages in Tanai as we planted poppy plants too much. Our poppy cultivation is being named mustard cultivation. This year, the streams are full. We went hunting and caught stone bugs and fish. Ordinary people cannot work in gold and amber mines due to the high fuel price. Fuel prices are also rising sharply. Poppy cultivation has become a tradition.

The locals do not plant poppy plants far away from the streams, mountain and ravine due to difficulty to obtain drinking water. Most of them use the opium. With the connection to the Naga Autonomous Region, I don’t know whether the area of poppy plantations will extend beyond the area of Singapore. They are from the source of Tanai creek to the border of India,” he said. The poppies in that region are usually produced in high yields. They cannot produce gum and instead, only thick syrup can be produced. So, they have to be collected with the use of a cloth. In Jamephaw dialect, opium produced from the Sadon region is called Karnikyan opium while that from the Tanai region is known as Hsutpan cloth opium. T

These two kinds are processed in balls and made into opium extracts called Yenphaung. One superstition is that such opium extracts are a natural medicine free from chemicals. So, in many regions, children die of blood clots when they receive intravenous injections of opium extracts mixed with rainwater. The acreages of poppy fields in the Tanaing region and Naga Self-Administered Zone overlap each other. As the poppy in the Naga region is grown in hilly areas, gum can be collected without cloth filters. The opium produced from both regions is used in gold and amber mining areas in Tanaing. It also goes to Hpa-kant. The poppy-growing and opium distribution areas are usually controlled by KIA armed groups.

Although poppy field destruction measures are taken in those regions almost every year, the poppy growing acreage has not declined significantly due to various difficulties such as lack of support for long-term projects, lack of systematic poppy-substitute cultivation, government’s failure to destroy the poppy fields on a regular basis, complexity in lower level authorities’ measures for poppy field destruction and security reasons as some poppy fields are located in faraway areas.

Therefore, regional authorities have commented that poppy cultivation acreage may increase in the state in the period of instability.

Opium smuggling and public concern

Opium consumption has traditionally existed in Kachin State since yore. It was also used in the spiritual offerings or Manaw Kaya festival. However, religious and tribal leaders banned it in 2000.

In 1975, the law banned opium by putting it on the list of narcotic drugs. At that time, opium use in a traditional way was on the increase. Although the ethnic armed groups tried to root out narcotic chemicals, the majority of indigenous people used opium as a natural medicine, forcing the authorities to be in a difficult position to wipe it out. In the poppy plantations in Kachin State, one acre could yield five to 10 viss of opium. On the ground, it weighed in Chinese unit ‘huang’. One huang was equivalent to two and a half tickels.

The area was not calculated by acre, but calculated by a half-day’s or a day’s work efficiency of a worker. Most market shares were in the areas of gold, gem and amber mining, timber extraction and Chinese tissue banana plantations. Opium produced from the Chinese border is transported to Shan State, and it was processed and sold as heroin, according to government records. An official from Kachin State No (4) Anti-Drug Squad said: “Most people use it in this state only. But usage is big because people from across the country came here. Local people use it traditionally. There are still seizures of opium coming from Shan State.”

As poppy cultivation increases, local people are concerned that more youths may abuse opium. A pastor participating in the anti-drug measures in the tow Waimaw said: “There are men who have renounced monkhood. But there is no one who has completely given up his drug abuse. There was a drug addict who managed to quit his addiction at hospital. But he was run over by a car and killed as soon as he went out of the hospital after being discharged. In our community, when we get out as soon as day breaks, we have to see children abusing narcotic drugs. Properties such as motorcycles and motors and even domestic animals like pigs are being stolen.

Due to the pandemic, churches have closed and young people do not have the chance to assemble. If a lot of opium emerges in our state, there will be more abusers. In my church, I can’t find a man to be appointed as my assistant. Even if the country becomes stable, the consequences will remain. Think of local people if their relatives fall prey to drug. We have no solution yet.” The unachievable goal of a drug-free state Myanmar is the second largest poppy-growing country in the world. A 15-year drug elimination project was launched in 1999. With failure, the project was extended five more years till 2020. But, progress is nowhere as the poppy cultivation increases again in 2021.

An official from Kachin State No (4) Anti-Drug Squad said: “Our effort to fight narcotic drugs has been disrupted by regional security and the pandemic. Poppy fields do not exist in easily accessible areas. We have formed anti-drug squads even at village levels. Yet we have no position to do our work. We can’t launch educative campaigns or make lists. When we wanted to make arrests, we had to ask for help from the military for security reasons.” According to the anti-drug squads, there is no evidence that chemical drugs are produced in Kachin State. But there have been seizures of drugs coming from northern and southern Shan State. Sale of narcotic drugs in most towns and villages of Kachin State in broad daylight has come as a shock, and local residents are concerned about repercussions for posterity, said U Kyan Baw, principal of Chanmu Athetta intoxication unit.

“There are various groups- a group of ex-convicts, a group of existing drug abusers and a group of new abusers. We are concerned that it is more common among young people. Muggings are seen almost every day. No arrests could be made.

 Anti-drug squads don’t know what to do and who to work with. With increased acreage in our state, the problem will worsen,” he commented.

Without regional peace and rule of law, the drug elimination task will get nowhere. Anyhow, everyone has the duty to eliminate the drug menace, which is the common enemy of human beings.