Substance abuses receiving treatment at the New Mon State Party (NMSP) drug rehabilitation camp in Dawei District are facing food shortages due to a lack of donors and because parents have been cut off from contacting their children at the camp.
According to local sources, the camp houses approximately 100 substance abusers, including those sent by their parents for rehabilitation, and those arrested by the NMSP for drug-related offenses.
A source near the camp stated, “With rising prices and limited income, some parents leave their children at the camp but never follow up. Others cannot afford to send monthly support, making the situation even more difficult. For those with health issues, the cost of medicine adds to the hardship.”
As the summer season approaches, vegetable crops around the camp produce less, exacerbating food shortages. Additionally, since the fighting in Kyone Laung in January, the military junta restricted the transportation of food supplies which has worsened the crisis.
Despite food and medicine shortages, the camp continues to accept new patients seeking rehabilitation. A camp official said, “We are still accepting those who come to us. We explain the rules and regulations, and we continue to operate as usual.”
Given the worsening situation, the report urges Mon families, the drug rehabilitation committee, and the NMSP Central Committee to work together to find a solution.
The rehabilitation camp in Dawei District houses not only Mon people but also Burmese and Tavoyan people ages 13 to 65. Substance abusers are typically treated and remain at the camp for six months to a year.
Since the military coup, drug use in Mon State has increased, as narcotics have become easily accessible and are as cheap as other consumer goods, according to activists working on drug-related issues.
According to NMSP officials, rehabilitation programs are offered, as well as legal actions which are taken against those arrested for drug trafficking, sentencing them accordingly.
