Quick access to main page (top) Direct access to main contents Quick access to main page (bottom)

How Myanmar Became the World’s Opium Capital After Military Coup

Daniel Kim Views  

EPA·Yonhap News
EPA·Yonhap News

Myanmar, gripped by extreme turmoil since the military coup in February 2021, has become a hub for various crimes. Notably, the country has emerged as the world’s largest supplier of opium, with a significant increase in drug production.

A report released on Thursday by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reveals that Myanmar’s opium poppy cultivation has risen for three consecutive years, maintaining record-high levels. The UNODC explained that these results indicate the country has entered an initial stabilization phase of high cultivation, solidifying Myanmar’s position as the world’s leading opium supplier. However, the area planted with opium poppies decreased by about 4%, from 47,100 hectares (116,000 acres) last year to 45,200 hectares (111,000 acres) this year.

Last year, Myanmar surpassed Afghanistan as the world’s largest opium producer. While Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban implemented poppy cultivation as part of their “illegal drug eradication” efforts, Myanmar’s opium production has surged amid the chaos of civil war. Opium, derived from the opium poppy, is further processed into heroin, fueling the global drug trade.

Masood Karimipour, the UNODC’s Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, warned that the ongoing serious conflicts within Myanmar, combined with Afghanistan’s poppy cultivation ban, are reshaping the global opium supply chain. This significantly increases the likelihood of expanded opium production in Myanmar over the coming years.

Within Myanmar, the northeastern Shan State, bordering China, Thailand, and Laos, accounts for 88% of the country’s opium poppy cultivation, making it the largest production area. The region known as the “Golden Triangle,” which borders Myanmar, Thailand, and Laos, is recognized as a major global drug production hub. Karimipour emphasized that poppy cultivation in the Golden Triangle remains at high levels while synthetic drug production is steadily increasing. He stressed the need for decisive action before the situation becomes uncontrollable.

Daniel Kim
content@viewusglobal.com

Comments0

300

Comments0

[ASIA] Latest Stories

  • North Korea Buried in April Snow—Experts Warn of Major Crop Damage After Climate Shock
  • North Korea’s Smartest Teens Are Being Dragged Into the Military—Here’s Why
  • North Korea Opens Its First Internet Café—and Kim Jong Un Brings His Daughter
  • Vietnam Cracks Down on Imports to Avoid U.S. Tariff Backlash
  • Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Time Spec Breaks Tsukuba Circuit Record, Cementing EV Performance Legacy
  • North Korea Sends Young Volunteers to Dangerous Jobs Under the Guise of Voluntary Participation

You May Also Like

  • 1
    Bristol-Myers’ Schizophrenia Drug Falls Short in Key Trial

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 2
    Novavax COVID Vaccine Still on Hold—More Trials Needed, Says FDA

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 3
    Want to Lower Your Blood Pressure? Eat More Bananas, Study Says

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 4
    Weekend Workouts Are Enough to Cut Diabetes Risk, Study Says

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 5
    Brushing Right After Eating Could Hurt Your Teeth—Here’s Why

    LIFESTYLE 

Popular Now

  • 1
    Early Bedtimes Could Help Teens Boost Brain Power, Study Finds

    LIFESTYLE&nbsp

  • 2
    Scientists Find a New Reason to Snack on Walnuts

    LIFESTYLE&nbsp

  • 3
    It’s Not Just How Long You Sleep—It’s How You Sleep That Matters

    LIFESTYLE&nbsp

  • 4
    Want to Live to 100? Start Eating Like They Do in the Blue Zones

    LIFESTYLE&nbsp

  • 5
    Forget the Treadmill—This Machine Burns Twice the Calories in Half the Time

    LIFESTYLE&nbsp

Must-Reads

  • 1
    Bristol-Myers’ Schizophrenia Drug Falls Short in Key Trial

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 2
    Novavax COVID Vaccine Still on Hold—More Trials Needed, Says FDA

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 3
    Want to Lower Your Blood Pressure? Eat More Bananas, Study Says

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 4
    Weekend Workouts Are Enough to Cut Diabetes Risk, Study Says

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 5
    Brushing Right After Eating Could Hurt Your Teeth—Here’s Why

    LIFESTYLE 

Popular Now

  • 1
    Early Bedtimes Could Help Teens Boost Brain Power, Study Finds

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 2
    Scientists Find a New Reason to Snack on Walnuts

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 3
    It’s Not Just How Long You Sleep—It’s How You Sleep That Matters

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 4
    Want to Live to 100? Start Eating Like They Do in the Blue Zones

    LIFESTYLE 

  • 5
    Forget the Treadmill—This Machine Burns Twice the Calories in Half the Time

    LIFESTYLE