Intelligence

Drug Trade Booming in Rangoon

At the end of a three-day meeting held under the auspices of the United Nations International Drug Control Program in early May, Burma’s military rulers once again demonstrated their commitment to winning the war on drugs with a ceremonial drug-burning bonfire.

But while the generals were incinerating what they claimed was $ 920 million worth of narcotics, sources familiar with Rangoon’s drug scene were reporting that the trade in heroin for domestic consumption showed no signs of being under fire.

A quick phone call is all it takes to get a hit these days, say people in the know. Some taxis in the capital now provide a special pick-up service that delivers the drug to your doorstep, or takes addicts directly to dealers. The service could not operate without high-level official sanction, observers added.

Closer to the source, Mong Yawn, the headquarters of the United Wa State Army and the alleged base of the former rebel outfit’s drug operations, was recently opened to a group of journalists and UN officials. Khin Maung Myint, the UWSA’s liaison officer, admitted that the group had been active in the drug trade until 1996, but claimed it was no longer involved in the manufacture or trafficking of illicit substances.

According to one Chinese drug trader from northern Shan State, however, the Wa continue to produce and export massive quantities of speed and other drugs. He added that under a five-year drug eradication agreement worked out with the Rangoon regime in 1998, the Wa believe they have free license to engage in the trade until 2003.

Thai Prisoners Face Tough Times

As relations with neighboring Thailand continue to deteriorate, prison authorities in Burma have revoked the prison rights of Thai prisoners, according to an informed source.

Since April 28, Thai prisoners serving sentences in Insein, Moulmein and Mergui Prisons have been forbidden to leave their prison cells to bathe or exercise.

Prison wardens now take meals to the prisoners instead of letting them out for food as before. Prison authorities have also denied Thai prisoners their right to weekly visits by family members, and access to parcels sent from Thailand has been cut off.

Burmese prisoners have also been prohibited to communicate with Thai prisoners, which means that Thai prisoners will have a hard time exchanging their manual labor (such as knitting) for cheroots and clothes.

In 1996, when riots broke out between Burmese and Thai prisoners in Insein Prison, many Thai prisoners were severely punished, and strong restrictions were imposed on them. "I think these recent harsh measures against Thai prisoners will definitely make their lives, which were already bad, even more miserable," said Kyi Lwin, a former political prisoner who spent eight years in prison, often in the company of Thai prisoners. He added that he saw one Thai prisoner die of malnutrition in 1993.

It is believed that Rangoon’s growing frustration with Thailand’s hardline response to border incursions by Burmese troops and their ethnic Wa allies is behind these recent restrictions on Thai prisoners.