By LAWI WENG – Due to an increasing use of amphetamines in the Mon community, the New Mon State Party (NMSP) has distributed a flier to civilians in Thatoon district, Karen State, telling people not to use amphetamines and that the NMSP is against the use of such drugs.
Thatoon District is a Mon community under NMSP control even though it is geographically located in Karen State.
An NMSP officer in Thaton district said that the party distributed the flier last month, intending to eradicate the use of amphetamines in the community, and a statement that the party will take action against drug dealers.
“We told the people to inform us if they know who is dealing or using. This amphetamine [use] is destroying our nationality. All the people need to be against it,” said the officer.
The community leaders in Mon State view amphetamines as another disaster for the youth in the community, unable to stop the selling of it in the community.
Sources explained that amphetamine dealers purchase tablets from armed ethnic groups, which have accepted the Burmese government’s transformation into the Border Guard Force.
According to these sources, one tablet of a high quality tablet, labeled “xy” is 6,000 kyat (around $7 U.S.) and 3,000 kyat for a regular quality tablet.
Community leaders in Kyaikmayaw, Mudon, Thanphyuzyart, and Ye Townships have professed that many youths are currently using in their areas.
User’s ages tend to range between 15 and 45 years old.
Some families working as migrant laborers in Thailand have taken their children along with them because, worrying that their children will begin to use amphetamines.
Nai Zee, from Mudon Township, said, “I forced my son to leave school and come with me to Thailand.I feel badly about his education. But, I was worried he was going to use amphetamines because his friends have been using right in front of his eyes.”
On the other hand, Nai Pu Kae, a Kalawthut villager, professed, “I will not be angry if the police come and arrest my grandchildren for using amphetamines.
I told them many times not to use it. But, they did not listen,” he added.
Many amphetamine dealers are Mon youths, who experienced amphetamine use in Thailand while working as migrant laborers and have come home to Mon state to earn large profits as dealers.
Dealers are known not only to sell at home, but also at festivals where gambling is involved.
“They [dealers] sold around 1.5 million kyat’s worth during a three night festival in Kalawthut village, which was held in April during the water festival,” said Latt, a Kalawthut villager.
“Dealers have gotten away with amphetamine selling by bribing village headmen,” explained an NMSP member.
“I found one time when the police came to the village [Kalawthut] to crackdown on a house selling amphetamines that the village headman told the police to arrest lottery sellers [instead],” said Nai Rai, a villager from Kwan Hlar, in Mudon Township.
“Half of the youths from my village use amphetamines,” he added.
It is noticeable that many youths who have come back home from working in Thailand and Malaysia use amphetamines, having enough money to buy the tablets at such high prices.
In the meantime, the Mon Literature and Culture Committee (MLCC), which is based in Moulmein, the capital of Mon State, also plans to publish an educational journal, in order to inform people on the dangers of amphetamine use.
“More youths are behaving badly because they are using Ya Ba or amphetamines,” said a social welfare section member of the Mon Literature and Culture Committee.
