Drugs seized recently were burned by the Restoration Council of Shan State / Shan State Army (RCSS/SSA) on Sunday, 7 April, on the Sino-Burmese border township of Namkham, according to the SSA South, as the RCSS/SSA is commonly known.
They included 55,171 methamphetamine tablets, 6 ½ viss (10.4 kg) of opium and one penicillin bottle of heroin.
Those seized earlier including more than 130,000 methamphetamine pills were turned over to Chinese authorities, said an SSA South officer.
The burning ceremony took place at the Nawng Ma Tai base, witnessed by 486 invited people.
Most yaba (methamphetamine) pills were red WY (10-15 pills per ¥ 100) and reddish brown 88/1 (6-8 pills per ¥ 100), explained Lt-Col Zawm Mong, commander of the Nawng Ma Tai-based 701st Task Force.
“Drugs are more dangerous to the people than all war weapons,” Sao Mao Hsai, his deputy told the audience.
Namkham township is one of the most notorious drug producers and users in Shan State.
Meanwhile, Zawm Mong denied his troops were involved in yesterday’s attack on the bases of Panhsay People’s Militia Force (PMF) of Kyaw Myint aka Li Yongqiang, known by his nickname Lihsaw Yong, 15 miles southeast of the township seat.
“We won’t stop his drug activities this way,” he said. “He has powerful allies or both sides of the border.”
According to local sources, a joint force made up of armed fighters speaking Kachin, Palaung and Shan had staged the assault at dawn. They had torched 3 bases before departure.
Kyaw Myint, a Shan State Assembly member elected in 2010, is reputed as one of the major drug kingpins of Shan State. He is also well connected to Burma’s military.
According to Hand in Glove: The Burma Army and the Drug Trade in Shan State, published by SHAN in 2006, it was suggested to one of the Burmese authorities that Kyaw Myint and his brother Kyaw Htwe be arrested to counter the growing drug trade and abuse. The official was quoted as replying, “You think we don’t know? The fact is that national security says we still need them and their services.”
Updated (13:00)
The RCSS/SSA’s sister organization Shan State Progress Party / Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) says its troops were involved in the attack together with its “allies”.
Updated: 16:00
Unconfirmed report, say 2 heroin refineries were destroyed by the armed group.
