UN: Myanmar's Opium Production Surging

Facts

• According to an annual survey published on Thursday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), opium farming has sharply increased in Myanmar since the military overtook control of the country in 2021. This reverses a consistent drop that occurred between 2014 and 2020.
• In 2022, opium production in the country totaled close to 795 metric tons, a nine-year high that nearly double the cultivation of the previous year at 423 metric tons.
• The military takeover sparked a deadly civil war that is ongoing. The UNODC report attributes the increase in production to a rise in global prices for the opium resin used in heroin production coupled with the economic downturn and insecurity within the country.
• In addition to being a global supplier of opium, Myanmar is a leading supplier of methamphetamine. To increase its supply, Myanmar increased the hectares for poppy cultivation from below 30K hectares in 2020 to 40.1K hectares in 2022, a 33 percent increase. In 2013, the country peaked at over 57.8K hectares dedicated to poppy growth.
• A majority of the opium produced in the area dubbed the "Golden Triangle," an area where Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos meet, is trafficked into China and Vietnam before traveling to other countries in the region. Using the survey, the UNODC estimated that Myanmar's opium economy has an overall value between $660M and $2B.
• The increased profit from opium production does not equate to greater buying power for farmers due to the costs of fuel and fertilizer, both of which have soared due to the Ukraine war.

Sources: Al Jazeera, BBC News, VOA, ABC, and France24.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Global New Light of Myanmar. Myanmar carried out at least 37 special operations to combat drugs last year, seizing tons of narcotic and opioid drugs as well as chemical precursors, and anti-drug operations will be accelerated this year in accordance with new policies. Fighting drugs, however, is a monumental task and there is yet a lot to do despite the cooperation of the armed forces.
• Narrative B, as provided by The Diplomat. Myanmar's military coup in 2021 has created the ideal conditions for illicit drug production to escalate, as the formal economy has collapsed and the country is embroiled in unrest and violence. The military's regime lacks law enforcement capacity to tackle drugs, and rebel groups and pro-military militias have intensified drug operations to finance the conflict.