2024-11-23 17:00:00
Displaced people working in illegal poppy fields to earn a living during fighting between the Myanmar military and the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) in Moe Bye in Pekon township, on the border of Karen State and southern Shan State. February 26, 2024 STR / AFP
The instability in Burma since the coup d’état of February 2021 and the expansion of the civil war have favored an increase in the production of opium, but also of synthetic drugs: Burma is at the heart of a new boom of crime in the Golden Triangle, this contiguous region between Burma, Laos and Thailand crossed by the Mekong River for nearly 100 kilometers.
Covid, then the coup d’état of 2021, both generating greater uncertainty for farmers, and finally, in Afghanistan, the strict ban by the Taliban on poppy cultivation in April 2022 contributed to the return of Burma at the forefront in terms of drug production: the country once again became the leading producer of opium in 2022, while reversing for the second year in a row the downward trend recorded since 2013. This was favored by the democratization of the country and an economic boom fueled by the influx of foreign investments.
This article is taken from “Special Issue Le Monde – Drug traffickers: their networks, their crimes, the response”November-December 2024, on sale at kiosks or online by going to on our store website.
In 2023, estimated cultivated areas increased by a further 18% compared to 2022, according to the report from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) of December 2023. Dry opium production is estimated at 1,080 tonnes, or 36% more than in 2022 – and just 20 tonnes short of the historic record of 2001 (1,100 tonnes). tons). The gross value of the entire opiate economy – including both the value of domestic consumption and exports of opium and heroin – in Burma in 2023 is estimated in this report to be between 1 and 2, $5 billion, or approximately 2% to 4% of national GDP in 2022. UNODC experts, based in Bangkok, use satellite images as well as on-site inspections to arrive at these estimates.
Many clandestine laboratories
The majority of opium production, 88%, is concentrated in Shan State, the largest and most populous, with nearly six million inhabitants, of the seven Burmese states which form the multi-ethnic crown of the country. This is also where the majority of synthetic drugs from South-East Asia come from, which in turn irrigate all of Asia: drug seizures, the only way to measure the extent of this production dispersed in laboratories, reached a record in 2023; 169 tonnes of methamphetamine were seized in South-East Asia in 2023, and three quarters in Burma, Thailand and Laos, out of a total of 190 tonnes discovered in Asia. Shan State “remains the epicenter of methamphetamine production” for Asia, saysUNODCnoting that “However, the Burmese authorities have not identified any significant methamphetamine manufacturing facilities there since April 2020”.
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What are the root causes of the rise in poppy cultivation in Myanmar after the 2021 military coup?
**Interview with Dr. Mei Lin, Drug Policy Expert and Sociologist**
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us, Dr. Lin. Recent reports indicate that Myanmar, amid ongoing civil unrest, has become the world’s leading opium producer. What are the primary factors contributing to this alarming trend?
**Dr. Lin:** Thank you for having me. The situation in Myanmar is deeply complex, but primarily, the instability stemming from the military coup in 2021 has exacerbated existing vulnerabilities. Many displaced people, particularly in conflict zones like the area bordering Karen State and southern Shan State, have resorted to cultivating illegal poppy fields as a means of survival. This response to dire economic conditions is underscored by ongoing fighting between the Myanmar military and the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force [[1](https://apnews.com/article/drugs-opium-myanmar-poppies-heroin-golden-triangle-un-7374917a5c7da11bfbc2fbe79703be59)].
**Interviewer:** You mentioned the economic conditions. How have these conditions affected drug production specifically?
**Dr. Lin:** The coup has disrupted traditional livelihoods and agricultural practices, pushing many farmers towards poppy cultivation. Additionally, the agricultural policies and economic booms that previously helped reduce opium production have been overturned. COVID-19 has compounded these challenges, leading to increased uncertainty and vulnerability among rural communities. With Afghanistan implementing strict bans on poppy cultivation, the space for Myanmar’s opium production has expanded significantly, marking a significant reversal of the downward trend we observed between 2013 and 2020 [[1](https://apnews.com/article/drugs-opium-myanmar-poppies-heroin-golden-triangle-un-7374917a5c7da11bfbc2fbe79703be59)].
**Interviewer:** Interesting. There’s mention of a boom in synthetic drugs as well. Can you shed some light on this?
**Dr. Lin:** Yes, the Golden Triangle region—which includes Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand—has seen not just a rise in opium production but also in the manufacture of synthetic drugs. This shift is partly due to the rising global demand for opioids, alongside the increasing sophistication of drug trafficking networks that exploit this turmoil. The UNODC reported that cultivated areas of opium increased by 18% in 2023 compared to the previous year, signaling a troubling trend for drug trade dynamics in Southeast Asia [[1](https://apnews.com/article/drugs-opium-myanmar-poppies-heroin-golden-triangle-un-7374917a5c7da11bfbc2fbe79703be59)].
**Interviewer:** what do you think could be done to address these issues, both domestically in Myanmar and internationally?
**Dr. Lin:** Tackling this crisis requires a multi-faceted approach. Firstly, it’s essential to improve the humanitarian situation for those displaced by conflict—providing them with viable economic alternatives to poppy farming. Internationally, there needs to be collaborative effort amongst countries in the region to combat drug trafficking while also addressing the root causes—such as poverty and lack of governance. Additionally, investing in agricultural development and community resilience can offer long-term solutions to mitigate the continued reliance on illicit drug production [[1](https://apnews.com/article/drugs-opium-myanmar-poppies-heroin-golden-triangle-un-7374917a5c7da11bfbc2fbe79703be59)].
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Dr. Lin, for your insights on this critical issue affecting Myanmar and the broader region.
**Dr. Lin:** It was my pleasure. Thank you for bringing attention to such an important topic.