By Poesangle / MPA

Opium cultivation in southern Shan State is rapidly increasing as enforcement efforts decline, local residents report.

Since the military coup, farmers have been growing opium more freely, paying monthly taxes of hundreds of thousands to armed groups operating in the region.

A resident of Hsihseng said, “In the past, joint police and military forces conducted annual anti-opium eradication operations. Since the coup, those efforts have completely stopped, allowing opium farmers to operate freely. Even before, the eradication was mostly for show—farmers would plant poppy fields specifically for the program, and authorities would destroy them for photos before demanding bribes.”

Despite ongoing clashes between the military council, the Pa-O People’s Militia (PNO), and the Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA) in Hsihseng Township, opium cultivation has not declined. Instead, residents report an increase in poppy farming.

Currently, southern Shan State townships such as Hsihseng, Hopong, Pinlaung, Mongkai, and Laihka lead in opium cultivation, according to locals.

This period marks the time for harvesting opium, and the market price has surged to 1 million kyats per viss.

Even in conflict zones like Pinlaung Township—where the military council is fighting the Danu State National Defence Front/Danu State National Defence Army (DSNDF/DSNDA)—opium cultivation persists in areas controlled by the military council and local militias.

A resident of Pinlaung explained, “Black opium from lowland fields is being harvested now, while opium from highland fields fetches a higher price. Cultivation is easy, and locals grow it commercially. As long as they pay the required taxes to armed groups, they face no issues. Some people even visit the fields just to take scenic photos.”

Locals also note that Pyu Saw Htee members are expanding opium cultivation, capitalizing on the fact that ethnic armed groups resisting the military are focused on the revolution.

A woman from Namhsan remarked, “Even before the coup, opium was widely grown in Mongkai, Laihka, Hsihseng, and Pinlaung. With prices soaring, even more people are cultivating it. It has become a major livelihood for locals—there’s no enforcement against it, only taxation.”

In a statement released on Dec.12, 2024, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported that Myanmar remains the world’s largest opium producer, with 45,200 hectares of opium fields—88% of them in Shan State.

Editor – Ko San
Translator – Alice Wai