A drug addict rehabilitation center located in Wei Sin village in Ye Township will soon be open to provide treatment to drug addicted patients, according to a New Mon State Party (NMSP) committee member.
“The building for the accommodations has been done. We will open our center and accept patients who need treatment. We have some existing patients in our district offices. We are going to select patients and provide them with more effective treatment,” said Nai Aung Mangay, recently, a spokesperson of NMSP.
Both drug traffickers and users have been detained by the NMSP in Thaton District, Mawlamyine District, and in Dawei District, but they have not had access to adequate treatment.
“We are deciding the day to open [the center]. We were busy with the Mon National Day and had a lot to do earlier so that we could not make it. The center can accommodate around 80 people. For now, we are going to prioritize patients from Dawei first. However, they [patients] need to live around normal people. If not then it is not going to be effective. In this center, we are going to provide effective [drug] treatment,” he added.
Those responsible for the center held a public meeting in Ye Township, a month ago asking local people’s advice and feedback related to the implementation of the rehab center.
The Mon State Hluttaw Deputy Speaker Dr. Aung Naing Oo has mentioned that if the government [military] and other ethnic armed groups including New Mon State Party and the Karen Ethnic armed group cooperate to capture drug dealers/producers the issue in Mon State could be eradicated.
Although the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) has stated the need for collaboration between the government and ethnic armed organizations to eradicate illicit drugs, there has been an obstacle in making arrests due to territorial issues among ethnic armed organizations.
Following a Youth and Drug Forum held at Ko Yin Lay (temple) grounds in Ye Township in 2018, this rehab center has become a reality thanks to the collaboration of a 45-person committee consisting of 15 Mon Buddhist monks, 15 members of the NMSP and 15 members of the local community.
