No Saying No to Rehab in KIA Territory
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Thursday, March 28, 2024
Burma

No Saying No to Rehab in KIA Territory


By SIMON ROUGHNEEN / THE IRRAWADDY Wednesday, February 29, 2012


Male detainees at the KIA drug rehabilitation facility in Laiza (Photo: Simon Roughneen)
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“We think this is being done deliberately by drug traffickers linked to the army, to get our young Kachin people addicted,” he claims.

Such claims are impossible to verify, but are an indication of the level of distrust of the Burmese authorities among Kachins, with the KIA and the Burmese army currently unable even to agree on a location for the next round of truce talks, eight months into a renewed conflict that began after the collapse of a 17-year-old ceasefire agreement last June.

And despite the KIA running its on “war on drugs,” drug use in its territory continues. In the men's section of the rehabilitation compound, Lahtaw Awng Se, 37, says “it is easy to get in Laiza,” referring to heroin. Standing behind the prison-style door, he says he was caught crossing the Jeyang River five days before, and has just finished the short methadone course given to him by the rehab center.

Though frail and haggard, he claims he is not a regular drug user. “My friends call me to take,” he says. He says he has been treated well at the center, adding that the lowest point for him after his arrest was when his mother visited him. “She was angry, she scolded me,” he says, half-laughing, eyes down to the floor. “I don't think I will take it again.”



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COMMENTS (4)
 
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Ta Tut Wrote:
02/03/2012
No No No!! Even Burmese Government Police station are selling drugs, how can you blame that to KIO Mr. Win Naing. KIO/A area are very less in drug growers and users. But Burmese Government area are full with them. I think you were heard different stories lol.

ki Wrote:
01/03/2012
drugs are a really sad story of nowadays myanmar...its very unfortunate that people dont have enough education to know what heroin does to them.

in every other country the government is fighting drugs...in myanmar the government is the one producing and spreading drugs. really sad...

no surprise though that the nld and assk are quiet on this issue as well...

Nyo Myint Wrote:
01/03/2012
KIA leaders' face lift

win naing Wrote:
01/03/2012
Hi,

It is quite difficult to understand that KIA said NO to drug. i stayed in kachin state till 1998. KIA is the one promoting drugs and this was the main source of income. Is the situation changed ???


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