Opium cultivation reportedly on the rise in Chin State
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Phyo/Htike San (NP News)Mar 2
A local told The NP News that opium cultivation in Chin State is increasing.
Previously, locals were engaged in farming, but since 2021, due to political instability and a shortage of jobs, they have increasingly turned to opium cultivation, which is an easy way to earn money.
“In Chin areas, people used to practice field cultivation. But after the crisis broke out, I think it became difficult to find jobs. Because earning a living became harder, some people turned to easier ways of making money. As a result, in places like Tonzang, opium cultivation has increased compared to before,” a local said.
In the past, the government has cleared opium fields, but since 2021, due to political instability, it has not been possible to clear them, resulting in an increase in opium fields.
"Before, we used to do an operation once a year to clear the opium fields. Mainly on the Tonzang side of the border area. All these departments worked together to destroy the opium fields on the Tonzang side. Now, after 2021, we can't do it anymore. Since then, opium cultivation has become more and more prevalent," he said.
Similarly, drug smuggling is also reported to be taking place due to a lack of job opportunities.
“And for those who don’t have jobs, for example, they work as motorcycle couriers. Mostly, they transport things by motorcycle. They hide the goods on the motorcycle. Packages can be concealed anywhere, you know. That’s how it’s done. Since it’s a border area, they often use motorcycles to transport them, and arrests like this happen quite frequently,” he said.