Ceremony to declare opium-free zone in Myanmar northern state put off

The Myanmar government said on Sunday that a ceremony to declare Wa region in northern Shan state as opium-cultivation-free zone, originally scheduled for the last week of this month, has been put off until open season due to climate and transport reasons.

The Wa regional authorities, which had invited foreign diplomats and newsmen to attend the ceremony, also announced the postponement of the activities.

When asked by Xinhua, government spokesman Brigadier-General Kyaw Hsan said at a press conference here that the postponement is only due to the above reasons but not the local allegations that it was not ready for the declaration of the zone as opium-free one,nor the security issue or the disagreement between the government and the Wa group.

Myanmar had successfully established two opium-free zones in the country, one in Shan state's Mongla region in 1997 and the other in Kokang region in 2003.

The Wa region, known as the Special Administrative Region-2 in Shan state, laid down in 1990 a plan of gradual reduction of poppy cultivation area and total eradication of poppy within 15 to 20 years. Later in 1996, it was announced that the opium-free zone would be declared by the middle of this year.

The country has been implementing a 15-year drug elimination plan (1999-2000 to 2013-2014) to totally wipe out drugs and the second five-year plan beginning 2004-05 is underway.

Source: Xinhua