Kachin anti-narcotic group, Pat Jasan (PJS), will restart its opium eradication program this year in the Kachin State before the opium season is over.
Tan Gon, secretary of PJS (Myitkyina), explained that information from the opium farm areas will be scrutinized and the opium farms will be eradicated in time.
“Surveys are being collected in the areas where opium farms were eradicated in the past. We will do [the eradication] in time after receiving this information. We will destroy them within the opium season,” he said.
Although fighting rages in the Kachin State and northern Shan State, the PJS will continue to carry out its anti-narcotic program and has encouraged participation from the public, the PJS Central Committee stated in an announcement released on 14 January.
Conflict broke out between the PJS and opium farm-owners after PJS entered Kampaiti area, which is under the control of people militia’s leader U U Zahkung Ting Ying, last February.
Translated by Thida Linn
