7 January 2010: The Burmese military regime has set up an opium factory in the Indo-Myanmar border area as of November 2009.

“The opium factory has been built 30 miles from Tamu town, Sagaing division. It is located on the Indo-Myanmar border area and all the materials for construction were transported from eastern Myanmar in military vehicles. It was monitored by an Indian insurgent group based in the country’s northeast, who also used their own vehicles to go to the place,” said a local in Tamu town.

After the factory building was put up 10 Burmese Army personnel are guarding the area to prevent trespassing by civilians.

“Those 10 men were talking to each other in Chinese and Shan languages while the construction was on. Soldiers stood guard to prevent outsiders from entering the factory premises,” he added.

The factory can be seen from Tamu town. There are 10 houses around the factory and 300 men of an Indian ethnic insurgent group along with 50 soldiers of the Burmese Army around the factory.

“We can see about 10 houses from our place.  An Indian ethnic rebel group and an unidentified Burmese Army battalion are providing security,” said a local in Tamu town.

The military government had started opium cultivation in Tidim Township and Tawnzang Township last year, forcing some villagers to leave their villages.

“The total area under opium cultivation in Tawnzang is about 2000 acres. Now the regime is planning to have other opium fields in Phaisap village. This is forcing villagers to leave their village for Tamu and Kaley areas,” said a villager in Phaisap, who has already shifted to Khampat, Tamu Township.

According to a report although the people in Tamu Township had known about the opium factory coming up, they did not want to have it in their township. But they could do nothing about it. They can only watch and try to abstain from opium.