Shan Herald Agency for News

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TNI: Peace process raises hope for more effective and human drug policies Posted: 10 Jun 2015 12:46 AM PDT The Amsterdam-based Transnational Institute (TNI), known for reports from its Drugs and Democracy Programme, in the run-up to the International Day against Drug Abuse and illicit Trafficking, which falls on 26 June, has released another report saying the ongoing peace process has raised hope for more effective drug policies. Tom Kramar "The reform process by the new quasi-civilian government includes both a peace process to end the civil war and a review of the country's drug laws, raising hope for more effective and humane drug policies," it writes. The government, it says, has initiated a consultative process with relevant government ministries, United Nations agencies, and local and governmental organizations to discuss a draft proposal that would revise the outdated and ineffective 1993 Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance law. On 21-22 January, for example, the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC), Burma's top drug enforcement agency, organized a workshop in Naypyitaw, which welcomed representatives from opium farmers to participate and share their viewpoints and recommendations. "The outcome of this process is still unclear, but it provides an important opportunity to make the law more humane and effective," it says. Nevertheless, the Tatmadaw (military)'s policy of prioritizing security over drug-related concerns has allowed criminal groups and drug syndicates to operate freely especially in areas controlled by the pro-government militias. "After decades of civil war, few of the conflict actors, including the Myanmar army, can claim to have clean hands," it says. "TNI research in Shan State, for instance, found that all parties in the conflict—including Tatmadaw units—taxed opium farmers." Its policy recommendations include: Provision of voluntary treatment programs for drug users Decriminalization of drug use Expansion of harm reduction projects Prioritizations of alternative development programs Involvement of affected communities in drug policy making More attention for ATS related problems "Eradication of poppy farms should not take place unless people have sufficient access to alternative livelihoods," it urges. "As such China's opium substitution policy should not continue in its present form." China's program in Kachin and northern Shan states, which was reported in detail in TNI's 2012 Financing Dispossession, focuses in large-scale mono plantations—mainly rubber—in return for credit, tax exemptions, and import quotas. "However, the benefits of the program mainly go to Chinese businessmen and local authorities, rather than to (ex) poppy farmers," it says. "As a result, (ex) poppy farmers are largely losing access to land and are left to work as daily wage laborers on agricultural concessions or more further into isolated areas to grow poppy." The 14 page Current State of Counternarcotics Policy and Drug Reform Debates in Myanmar, written by Tom Kramer, can be read in http://www.tni.org

Shan Community Based Organizations Demand an End to Construction of Upper Salween Dam Posted: 09 Jun 2015 08:42 AM PDT A coalition of Shan CBOs issue a joint statement calling for a halt to a controversial energy project in southern Shan State after flaws are exposed in an Australian company's assessment strategies. BANGKOK—A coalition of Shan Community Based Organizations (CBOs) demanded an end to the construction of the Upper Salween (Mong Ton) Dam in southern Shan State on Tuesday morning. The announcement was made in Bangkok at a conference at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand. According to Sai Khur Hseng, of the Shan Sapawa Environmental Organization, CBO representatives were concerned both by the potential for displacement at the dam site and by questionable practices by Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC), the Australian company carrying out the Environmental and Social Impacts Assessments (EIA/SIA) for the project. Pianporn Deetes, the Thailand campaign coordinator of International Rivers Sai Khur Hseng, the Shan Sapawa Environmental Organization Speakers at the conference described how SMEC has been lobbying the local citizens of Mong Ton Township for support. "SMEC is telling community members only of the benefits that the dam will lead to in their area," said Sai Khur Hseng. "However, they neglect to mention any negative impacts caused by the building of the dam." SMEC claimed to have spoken with villagers, but it was alleged that these individuals were not from communities directly affected by the dam. The statement described how some locals have reported being offered food and utilities from the company in exchange for their signed support of the project. The speakers warned that such actions could be divisive and foster unrest in the area. The statement also highlights the strong possibility that, if the dam is completed, local villages will be affected by severe flooding which is expected to stretch two-thirds of the distance across Shan State. This would create further displacement in an area already affected by fighting between ethnic armed groups and the Burma Army. The CBOs report that protests against the dam took place in Mong Ton and Kunhing Townships in April this year. "The villagers do not fear standing against the company and its mission. These people believe that they have a right to protest, because they are protecting their heritage, land, and the valuable resources it holds," said Pianporn Deetes, the Thailand campaign coordinator of International Rivers. "The villagers believe it is up to them to stand strong and protect it as best they can." The dam construction is a joint effort between three companies in three countries: China's Three Gorges Corporation, the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, and Myanmar's Ministry of Electric Power and International Group of Entrepreneurs. It is estimated that the completed dam will produce 7000 megawatts of power, of which 90 percent will be sold to Thailand and China, leaving very little to benefit the surrounding communities. Currently, the construction of the Upper Salween (Mong Ton) Dam remains underway with no plans to halt it. Written by: SAI AW / SHAN HERALD AGENCY FOR NEWS (S.H.A.N.)

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