N21 Future of Shan States

My hometown is Kunhing. It is a small town on the Taunggyi –Kengtung road. A big stream which should be called a river by the name of Nampang flows through it. Kunhing Township is bordered by the Salween River from Merng Paing Township.

The distance from Taunggyi is 140 miles, but because the road is always nearly bad it takes a van about 6 or 7 hours to reach Kunhing.

The main occupation of the people is cultivation and the main crop is rice. Rice is produced in 2 ways, by irrigation method on flat lands or fields, and by taung-ya or slash and burn method on hilly places.

There is not much way to earn money, so some people grow opium when and where they can. But the crop is not always good, and it is only the merchants who prosper from this and not the grower who doesn’t get a good price for the opium.

But opium growing has a backlash on the people of Shan States (also in the other parts of Myanmar). What I want to say here is how the people, mostly young in our township and the adjoining townships like Mongshu are using drugs, from opium to Amphetamine. These drugs are produced from opium alike.

The people who use drugs are mostly young people, but there are also from other ages and different professions, and even lawkeepers such as policemen and the army.

The pill or Yama as it is called can be easily bought in Kunhing at 1000 kyats per pill and so many youths are using it and getting addicted to it. But the price they have to pay is huge. Only recently I heard that one young man hanged himself to death. Sometimes they endanger other people especially parents from whom they cannot squeeze enough money to buy drugs. Many died from overuse of drugs.

 Youths are valuable resources for the country. Our country is lagging far behind our counterpart Asean countries in every way. We have much to do to get our country abreast with other countries. So it is a pity that youths who should be working hard for the country are spoiling themselves with drugs.

On the other hand the government should take more responsibility concerning the production, merchandising and using of drugs. If I look at my hometown I come to think that the government is just washing its hands clear of this thing. But I will just let the blame fall on corruption only. It will be better if the State doesn’t turn a blind eye on this issue and take more actions about it, the future of our State, our country will become brighter.