Poppy crop failure forcing Shan to flee

Poppy crop failure forcing Shan to flee

Reporter Maihoong

This year's crop failure due to adverse weather has resulted in people in Southern Shan State escaping from junta officials into Thailand, said a humanitarian worker along the border. 

Despite bumper output along the Thai border and in northern Shan State, poppy fields in central and southern Shan State fell far short of the expected yield and thousands have been fleeing to Thailand, he said. 

"During 1996-98, when Rangoon's forced relocation program was at its height, there were a lot coming that we had to feed, clothe and take care of" said the worker in Chiangmai who requested his name be withheld. "But after 1998, the number of people entering Thailand dropped. So I was surprised when in January, the number suddenly jumped to thousands". 

At first, he thought they were people from just across from the border in Mongton forced out by the Wa resettlement program that began in late 1999. But he later found out that many were from across the Salween from townships such as Monghsu, Mongkerng, Lai-kha, Panglong and Kunhing. 

On inquiry, he discovered that the influx was due not to another forced relocation program but a "forced opium expansion program" launched by local officials in southern Shan State late last year. 

Each of the farmers was given a loan of K. 5,000 for each acre, according to the sources. However, each also was required to sell 2 joy (1 joy = 1.6 kg) of opium to the local official's "representatives" after harvest at the predetermined price of K. 120,000 per joy. "Unfortunately, most of the fields produced few sap-filled pods although there were a lot of colorful flowers. Once the farmers saw this, they knew they couldn't stay there anymore". 

The reason, he explained, was the luckless farmer would be demanded a compensation of K. 240,000 per acre to the junta officials who would surmise that the farmer had sold his produce to other buyers instead. "We knew they wouldn't listen to our explanations," one said. "They never had". 

The humanitarian worker said he expected thousands more coming before the end of February.