To become poppy-growing clean area, a group of youth from Shan State Progressive Party / Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) has been educating local residents to grow other seasonal crops instead of poppy and preparing markets for local products in northern Shan state in Burma since beginning of April, said SSPP/SSA officials.
They are also helping local people to grow seasonal crops in place of poppy and to eradicate drug abuse. Moreover, the youth group helped people making contact with companies and buyers in order to export developed seasonal crops, and preparing the markets where companies can access local products.
Maj. Sai Su from SSPP/SSA said, “Under the guidance of Chairman Sao Pan Pha, youths met with over 1000 local residents in Monghsu and Tanyang townships. They urged people to grow a kind of grain called Kyake-Saet or Mat-Lway in Shan-language seasonal crops instead of growing poppy. Mat-Lway can be boiled and consumed like rice porridge. In order to sell out their local products, youth provide contacts for people to get in touch with companies. Besides, they also built a road from town to their villages.”
During their educating mission, youth group has met with more than 1000 inhabitants and shared election knowledge, anti human trafficking, and also lessening migrant workers bound for neighboring countries.
the seed of Kyake-Saet or Mat-Lway in Shan name produced by China
In addition, Shan, Lahu, Lishaw, Wa and Burmese people are living in the area known as Kon-Pan-Kon-Khone where SSPP/SSA youth group shared knowledge to grow seasonal crops in substitution of poppy.
As the region is covered with mountains and gorges, people in this area have lived mainly on growing poppy for livelihood.
United Nations Office on Drug and Crimes (UNODC) has said that Burma is second largest poppy growing country after Afghanistan in the world. Moreover, 96% of poppy in Burma are from Shan state, and ice, heroin, Yaba are also produced from Shan state, said UNODC.
However, U Khun Sai of Shan Drug Watch used to say, “Shan farmers have to dig four times with mattock for a meal. The first dig is to pay tax to government. The second dig is to pay tax to local ethnic armed groups. The third dig is for social contribution, and the fourth dig is merely for their families’ living. So that, they cultivate poppy in order to gain more earning. That is why they are growing poppy.”
SSPP/SSA is a group that already signed union level ceasefire agreement with Naypyidaw government, and it is also a member of Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) which was formed in favor of Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA).
Translated by Aung Myat Soe and edited by Zin Linn for BNI.
