Noor Majid: During the past decade, our South-East Asian neighbor Myanmar accelerated its illegal narcotics trade. The notorious Golden Triangle region situated at the border near the Thailand and Laos has become its main drug producing center. The opium cultivation has taken its lead in Myanmar’s Shaan state, which borders Laos and Thailand. The opium crops are cultivated in agricultural lands of the Shaan state, which used to produce food for the local population. This opium is then processed into heroin and Amphetamine-based drugs, namely Yaba. This drug has become a nightmare for Myanmar’s neighbors like Bangladesh, Laos and Thailand.
This whole operation of opium and Amphetamine production and export is controlled by Myanmar’s powerful military establishment. According to a US state department report, illegal drug export now accounts for half of the Forex earning of Myanmar.
“Myanmar is now sending its illegal Yaba consignments to its neighboring countries. I have been to the Thai-Myanmar border where I observed this terrible situation of drug trade supported by Myanmar’s military intelligence and military police,” said Australian defense and security analyst Professor Dess Bell. He expressed his concerns, as regular Amphetamine use ensures triggering serious psychosis and nervous breakdowns.
Thailand and its youth are now devastated by the illegal trade. So the Thai military with the assistance of the US began to support the Shaan rebel army in order to destroy the drug plantation and disrupt its operational bases. The Shaan army so far has achieved limited success against Myanmar’s military to disrupt the trade however their raids made a chilling discovery – Myanmar’s military is itself guarding the drug processing centers.
According to the rebels, Myanmar’s military intelligence provides crucial drug smuggling route information about the border patrols of neighboring countries. Myanmar’s military police then guard and escort drug smugglers to the border. The Thai military and US Special Forces intelligence wings also confirmed this information.