Shan Herald Agency for News

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Burma Army tells displaced people not to return home Posted: 15 Dec 2015 02:16 AM PST On Sunday, the Burma Army ordered refugees who returned to their home village to go back to camps for internally displaced people in Hai Pa, Mong Hsu Township, according to local sources.  The refugees, who are from Koong Nim village, were returning to their homes after the Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army-North (SSPP/SSA-N) and the government's Union Peacemaking Working Committee (UPWC) agreed to a ceasefire in early December after two months of fighting in central Shan State. "Because the fighting has stopped, we decided to go back to our village," said one of the Koong Nim residents who was later forced to return to the IDP camp. "We were kept in Koong Nim's temple for about two hours. The Burma Army asked us who had allowed us to return home. They said we should not go home if they are not the ones who allowed it." "The Burma Army said they will inform us in the next two months [about when we can go back to our homes]," the same resident said. "It was lucky for us that they did not do any harm to us." However, their property in Koong Nim, including 262 buffaloes, 239 cows, 289 pigs, 117 chickens, 19 motorcycles, six rice milling machines, over 500 rice storage containers and 1,000 corn storage containers have been lost since the villagers left their homes.   Koong Nim village has 130 families with 500 residents who fled to Hai Pa during the recent conflict.  "We are planning a new place for IDPs to resettle in Wan Kaung near Hai Pa village," said one of the village heads in Mong Hsu Township, who wished to remain anonymous. "The refugees will be moved to a new place where they will have space for planting." On October 6, the Burma Army launched an offensive against SSPP/SSA-N in central Shan State, which continued through December and caused the displacement of more than 10,000 civilians in Kesi, Mong Hsu and Mong Nong Townships. By SAI AW / Shan Herald Agency for News (S.H.A.N)

Third Myanmar Opium Farmers’ Forum Posted: 14 Dec 2015 11:08 PM PST Current drug control polices in South-east Asia are repressive and criminalise opium farmers, greatly affecting the lives of communities cultivating opium. Most policy responses – including from some armed opposition groups – focus on eradication of poppy fields and the implementation of strict bans on opium cultivation. The Third Myanmar Opium Farmers' Forum was held in September 2015 in Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar. It brought together around 30 representatives of local communities involved in poppy cultivation in Myanmar's major opium growing regions: Chin State, Kachin State, northern and southern Shan State and Kayah State. Farmers and community representatives from Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayan, Pa-O, Shan and Ta-ang (Palaung) ethnic communities took part in the forum. Current drug control polices in South-east Asia are repressive and criminalise opium farmers, greatly affecting the lives of communities cultivating opium. Most policy responses – including from some armed opposition groups – focus on eradication of poppy fields and the implementation of strict bans on opium cultivation. As these communities depend on opium as a cash crop to solve immediate food security problems and sustain their livelihoods, such repressive policies are driving communities further into poverty. Currently only very few Alternative Development (AD) programmes are offered to opium-growing communities to address these problems. Furthermore, opium cultivation often takes place in conflict-affected areas, and links between drugs and conflict affect local communities. Until now these communities have had little or no influence on the design of the drug control policies that have great impact on their lives and livelihoods. They have also had little participation in the design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of AD programmes that are supposed to help them. The forum's aim was to identify the main concerns of opium farmers, and formulate alternative policy options that respect the rights of producer communities and involve them in the decision-making processes. To this end the forum adopted a statement with recommendations to policy makers nationally and internationally. The meeting was held under Chatham House rules because of the sensitivity of the subject, and the names and places of origin of the participants remain confidential. This report reflects participants' views and captures the main conclusions and recommendations that emerged from the forum. Conclusion  At the end of the forum the farmers issued a statement with recommendations to policy makers nationally and internationally. The forum also agreed on follow-up activities that would help draw attention to the challenges they face. Download : Report from third Myanmar Opium Farmers Forum

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