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SPECIAL NEWS FROM ABSL
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HEROIN TRADE BOOMS UNDER SLORC
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The ASEAN has show its utter insensitivity, callousness and
irresponsibility by deciding to admit the SLORC- governed
Burma as blindness to the historical and contemporary
political, economic and social context of Burma, it has
also become partisan to SLORC sponsored drug peddling and
oppressive governance, including violation of all basic
human rights. Since the military coup de tat by Ne Win in
1962, the spectre of heroin has been haunting the entire
world, After the Burma Socialist Programmee Party (BSPP)
renamed itself SLORC and captured power illegally in 1988,
the threat of specter has increased manifold, leave alone
the ruthless and brutal governance of the country, including
arrested, detention, torture, killing of students, monks
and prodemocracy forces as well as forced labour in the
villages all round the country. The incidents of child
labour, eviction of villagers and looting their belong,
inhuman treatment of women, including rape cases will
demand a complete report altogether.
Since 1962, Burma has been infamous the world over for its
heinous crime of heroin production and smuggling. today the
heroin production in the country constitutes 80% of Asia' s
and 60% of the world's total production. after the
cease-fire agreement between the SLORC and drug warlord and
drug producing ethnic groups in 1989, the form and style of
heroin trade changed into the new phase. According the 1989
agreement, SLORC agreed to allow all groups to maintain
their semi-autonomous status states excluding military
activity. All these groups, since then have had a free hand
in expending their drug production and trade. Soon. Burma
became a taken for international criminals under command of
drug lord Khun Sa alias Cheng Chifu. Shocking, but true,
Khun Sa lives in a palacial mension in the heart of
Rangoon, near Rangoon University, close toe the residence
of Ne Win, and is given protection and honour by SLORC. In
the eye of SLORC, Khun Sa is an honorable ethnic leader.
SLORC has refused to extradite drug lord to USA where he is
wanted under US laws, for his long term heroin pushing into
America. SLORC foreign minister, Ohn Gyaw, asserted
recently that "there exists no legally vilad treaty of
extradition between the Union of Myanmar and United State
of America". Now, Burma's most important druglord are no
longer holed up in jungle hideaways. They buying real
estate in Rangoon and Mandalay, investing in Burma's
economy and openly courting military officials. SLORC has
exploited drug trafficking money to finance the projects.
the drug- lord and their families are among the leading
backers of high-profile infrastructure projects in Burma.
they launder their narco-money with impunity in the banks
controlled by military.
Unlike the past, when production. procession in hidden
refineries and peddling of heroin was carried on in the
deep forest was carried on under armed guard, now permanent
refineries have been set up in the urban towns and cities,
mobile refineries to be used in the cultivated area. In the
harvest season. they carry all the refinery machines and
accessories as well as necessary chemicals on horses and
donkeys to the field under opium cultivation. At the end of
the season, semi-processed heroin and surplus raw opium is
transported to the cities-based refineries. It is important
have to point out that all the area commanders of SLORC
work hand in glove with the cease- fire agreement
signatories (group leaders) in the entire operation. The
group leaders have to pay regular cuts and kickbacks to the
SLORC officials.
While opium cultivation was restricted to the infamous
golden trangle and its periphery in the past, after SLORC
usurpation of power, it has fast spread to other parts of
the country, particularly hilly cerrains. Apart from Shan
and Kachin states, intense cultivation of opium has been
taken up in Mindut, and Matupi, Tiddim and Tonzan townships
on the Chin hills and Nanyum and Lahe townships on the Naga
Hills. According to one estimate, half of the cities and
town of the North and Northeastern Burma have at least on
heroin refinery each.
Recent reports have confirmed the setting up if two big
refineries on western Burma, one in Hommalin and the other
at Tarhan in Kalay. Hommalin is now well connected to Tamu
and Moreh, the two Burmese and Indian border trade centers
respectedly. A large quantity of heroin product from Kachin
and northern Shan states pass through Hommalin to
Tamu-Moreh, Kasom Khullen, Phunjar and Jassanmi into the
states of Manipur and Nagaland, India. In Mandalay itself,
the historic city of Burma, there are four large and about
twenty laboratory size refineries, now Mandalay has become
center of opium trade.. While deeply involved in heroin
production and peddling, the SLORC sometimes resorts to
sore cover-up measures, to hoodwink the international
community. Hence, it is not surprising that SLORC official
have confirmed in the state-rum New Light of Myanmar daily
of 31.1.97 that their Anti-Narcotic Control Force unearthed
and destroyed some heroin refineries in Theinni town of
northern Shan state. It is a provision that SLORC has got
the advanced technology for producing Methamphetamine
pills, primarily for safer carriage and sales in western
countries. Again to cover-up SLORC confessed that they
seized about six million such pills in the Shan state
alone.
To cite a concrete case, the Palong National Organisation
had reached a ceasefire agreement with SLORC in 1990, under
which the PND was to cultivate opium in Menagton region in
northwest Shan state with co-ordination and understanding
the SLORC commander. The PND leader, general Ike Phone, has
monopolized the opium product which is sold out to Yunnam
and Kokant Chinese traders. these Chinese traders bring
their mobile refineries every year to produce the final
product which is then pushed to Hong Kong, Macaw, Taiwan
and Thailand. After such monopolized take over of opium
production and heroin procession, while the criminal
enterprise has boomed in quality unprecedent in Burma's
history. It is only petty carriers and sellers who are
arrested and punished, ostensibly to befool the domestic
populace as well as the international community. During the
9 years of SLORC rule, no major seizure of heroin or arrest
of any gaint trader has taken place (see the box). All the
druglord and gaint smugglers enjoy the patronage of high
ranking SLORC officials who often work as partners or
collaborator. the KILLER TRADE GOES UNABATED. While junior
SLORC personnel of sergent and sergent major rank have been
commanded to actively co-operate in drug peddling, they
have been given stern warning not to indulge in politic.
Even their families member have been threatened dire
consequences of they participated in the pro-democracy
movement.
Though in January 1997, SLORC destroyed 1961 Kgs of heroin,
costing about 53 million US dollors in the domestic market,
before the diplomatic corp in Rangoon, obviously to gain
some political mileage. According to SLORC official
statement, cent percent purified heroin is priced at only 6
lakh Kyats (US$ 3500) per Kilogramme in the domestic
market, while 45 to 50 per cent purified heroin is priced
01 175,000 HK$ per kilo in Hong Kong, while the price of 15
to 20 per cent purified heroin is 1,20,000 US$ in the USA.
Apart from political deception, such price differential
might have led SLORC to destroyed such a large quantity of
heroin at Rangoon in pubic display. Yet, SLORC had not
spared the domestic market. In Burma, heroin is openly and
extensively available with streetway vendors and pan shops
at the rate of 25 Kyats per single dose, i.e Moekong,
Moenyin, Mawliu, Mawhan, Farkant and Lonkhin and Uru,
Hukong vally of the upper Sagain division. Most of the Gold
and Jade mines are under the direct control of Laopan,
Chinese traders from Yunnan and Zijuan province of China.
The local mine workers are paid brown opium or heroin as
wage. Although official report have announced sanction of
an amount of 5000 million Kyats for the de-addiction and
rehabilitation programme, not more than 100 to 150 million
spent on it.
In sum, if the SLORC's human rights record is poor, to put
it only mildly, its involvement in heroin production and
peddling is a matter of much greater concern. By guns they
kill physically, but through the heroin they mortgage the
soul. In Burma, SLORC's nine years rule has offered illegal
arrest, torture ad killing of all pro-democracy forces
through the breadth and length of the country. But., as it
has lost all domestic base and credibility, it finds
drugging the pro-democracy forces, particularly the
students and youth an effective tool in its terrorist
industry. In terms of humanity in general, it has
discovered the strength of heroin, more devastating than
chemical and nuclear weapons and more profitable than
anything in the world. Until the global action against its
heinous crime, SLORC, definitely will continue this illiot
heroin trade.
Top four countries in the world opium production opium
production in metric tonnes
Years Burma Afghanistan Lao
Pakistan
1986 1100 300 250 200
1987 1200 600 260 250
1988 1250 700 260 250
1989 2450 600 300 150
1990 2250 400 250 200
1991 2300 480 250 210
1992 2270 650 250 200
1993 2600 700 210 200
1994 2100 950 80 200
1995 2300 1250 200 180
Source- Us state department report;
Opium Cultivation, Heroin Production and Eradication in
Burma.
Year Area Under Annihilated Total Heroin Seizure
Total
Opium Cult* Area* Product* (In Kilo)
Export*
(In Hectre) (In Hectre) (Metric Ton)
(Metric Ton)
1987 92,300 ------ 53 -----
51
1988 103,200 85.5 68 118.9489
66
1989 142,742 116.3 128 219.6956
123.5
1990 150,742 873.3 180 220.0837
174.5
1991 161,012 4203.3 185 183.1559
181.5
1992 153,700 160.4 180 338.1984
179.5
1993 165,800 1040.8 190 358.3154
186.5
1994 175,200 3417.5 195 304.8164
191.0
1995 185,000 1828.3 185 72.6093
170.0
Sources: *US State Department Report
*SLORC Official Report
Note : 1 Metric Tonnes = 1000 Kilogram
NEWS AND INFORMATION BUREAU (ALL BURMA STUDENTS LEAGUE)
14th JUNE 1997
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| A B S L |
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| All Burma Students League |
| 3, Krishna Menon Marg |
| New Delhi - 110011 |
| Ph : 91-11-3017172/3016035 |
| Fx : 91-11-3793397 |
| Email : shar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
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