SINCE the 1987 UN General Assembly designated 26 June as the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, it has been the 35th time the countries across the globe have been holding ceremonies in commemoration of the day every year
Today, 26 June 2022, the functions to torch narcotic drugs and precursor chemicals confiscated in all parts of the country are being held in Yangon, Mandalay and Taunggyi in accordance with the COVID-19 rules and regulations stipulated by the Ministry of Health and representatives from UN agencies, local and foreign organizations and embassies have been invited to attend the commemoration.
The problem of drug abuse, production and trafficking is playing havoc with the health, peace and tranquillity and development of the nations all over the world today and they have been trying to tackle the issue, but it can be seen that they have not yet been able to do so effectively and successfully.
The successive governments of Myanmar have also essayed the eradication of narcotics. As a result, cultivation and production have dropped. However, the country is still faced with a new challenge arising from the growing problem of synthetic drugs such as Ice (methamphetamine) and ketamine produced using precursor chemicals.
It should be remembered that, during the period of the global outbreak of COVID-19, drug production, trafficking and abuse have not declined; on the contrary, it has been noticeably on the increase.
In order to cope with the problem of narcotic drugs, Myanmar has applied a multi-pronged approach by framing a new policy of national drug abuse control and a strategic plan that will support the policy. Setting the strategic plan as a framework of directions, action plans have been drawn up and are being implemented in the regions and states.
Region and state governments’ leadership is an important requisite for minimizing the danger of narcotic drugs. This being so, it is necessary to accelerate efforts in harmony through cooperation between the masses and civil society under the leadership of regional governments.
At the meeting (1/2021) of the Union Government held on 27 September 2021, State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing gave guidance, saying that drug producers and traffickers, playing on the political situation of the country, are producing and distributing drugs using various ways and they must be exposed and effective action must be taken against them.
For the Central Committee on Drug Abuse Control to be able to undertake its tasks more effectively, it was reorganized with 19 members under the State Administration Council’s Notification 25/2022 dated 21 January 2022
Moreover, the 1993 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law was scrutinized and amended so that it should be appropriate to the changing times and situations. Then, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Amendment Law was enacted on 14 February 2018. According to the amendment law, measures are being taken to bring drug users back into society, instead of taking punitive actions against them. To be able to implement tasks under the amendment law, rules and regulations will be drawn up anew and issued in the near future.
The tasks of eradicating narcotic drugs are being carried out with increased momentum through cooperation between Tatmadaw (Defence Services) and Myanmar Police Force and the Customs Department. There are ten anti-drug police units and sixty-five squads under the Myanmar Police Force. In 2022, they were reinforced with No 11 x-ray machine unit and six x-ray machine squads, modern detectors, laboratory equipment and mobile drug test kits to be able to expose drug trafficking.
In addition, Myanmar has been conducting special anti-drug operations in cooperation with neighbouring countries: Operation 1511 by Mekong MoU six member states in 2020, Operation Mekong by Myanmar, Laos and Thailand in 2021 and Operation 1511/22 from January to March in 2022. As a result, the influx of precursor chemicals into the golden triangle area and the outflow of drugs from that area were successfully curbed.
It has been found out that, to avoid drug detection, traffickers have come to use escape routes, change their methods of carrying drugs secretly and rely on sea routes.
Chemicals are must-haves for the production of consumer goods, manufacturing industries and mining mineral resources. It has become a matter of concern that, when these chemicals find their illegal way to the places where narcotic drugs are produced, they are used as designer precursors.
To prevent the misuse of chemicals, a supervisory body for restricted chemicals was formed of respective ministries and is carrying out the work of supervising and controlling restricted chemicals. It is necessary for departments included in the supervisory body to prevent the misuse of chemicals in cooperation with the public. The body is to record the chemicals confiscated from opium and psychotropic drugs refineries and watch for unrestricted chemicals and put them on record when they are found out.
In cooperation with international agencies and organizations, the Central Committee on Drug Abuse Control surveys and inspects the import of chemicals. Inspection teams for restricted chemicals in respective regions and states are carrying out close surveillance and inspections so that restricted chemicals should not get into the hands of those who will use them in the wrong way or for the wrong purpose. As Myanmar is situated between industrialized countries that are large producers of chemicals, it is a big challenge for us to ban and control illegal chemicals.
Therefore, Myanmar exchanges information and works together with neighbouring countries and the others in the region for chemicals not to get in the wrong direction.
The government of Myanmar is taking measures for rural development and poverty reduction. At the same time, it is working for the improvement of poppy growers’ standard of living and setting up businesses in place of poppy-growing by enlisting the cooperation and help of international agencies and organizations.
In poppy-growing areas, roads and bridges are being constructed, lands reclaimed, fertilizers and quality strains of crops distributed and training courses on agriculture and livestock breeding are conducted by using large sums of money to reduce poppy-growing.
Prevention is an effective way to reduce drug abuse and so students are being taught life skills and constantly educated on the dangers of drug-taking. The Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Education are working together through various ways and means to raise awareness of the menace of narcotic drugs among students and the public.
The Ministry of Health has opened 29 drug-addiction treatment centres and 59 branches to treat drug addicts and alleviate subsequent hazards and 89 methadone clinics to treat opium addicts. In 2021, treatment was given to 26,318 drug addicts and methadone was fed to 25,816.
To bring nonaddicts, former drug addicts and users back into society, the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement has opened 14 rehabilitation centres and more centres will be opened in the rest of the regions and states, depending on the allocation of funds. In 2021, treatment and rehabilitation courses were conducted in Wethtikan, Mandalay, Myitkyina and Kengtung for nonaddicts, former drug addicts and users.
Being a signatory to three UN conventions, Myanmar is working together with UN member nations, ASEAN member nations, neighbouring countries, countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion and BIMSTEC member nations to be able to solve the problem of drugs. Moreover, it is undertaking anti-drug tasks in cooperation with the Myanmar-based United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNDOC), Australian Federal Police (AFP), United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), National Narcotics Control Commission of China (NNCC) and Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board of Thailand (ONCB).
The government of Myanmar regards drug control tasks as a national duty and Central Committee on Drug Abuse Control will continue the fight against the danger of drugs through various ways and means. The entire mass of people and all departments concerned are urged to overcome the challenges posed by narcotic drugs, in line with the motto sent by the United Nations for this year’s International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
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