A surge in opium poppy cultivation is gripping Myanmar’s Shan State, where civilians displaced by civil war are increasingly turning to narcotics farming as a means of survival. Amid the chaos and economic collapse following the military coup of 2021, the country has reclaimed its status as the world’s top producer of opium, surpassing Afghanistan, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Many of the farmers in southern Shan State find themselves forced into the drug trade to support their families, cradling two kilograms of raw opium resin, each worth around $250. The resin, extracted from poppy pods scored daily with sharp blades, is collected, dried, and sent northward to be processed into heroin. Most of these transactions are controlled by transnational criminal syndicates and allegedly supported by corrupt elements of Myanmar’s military. According to Mark Farmaner, director of the UK-based Advance Myanmar charity, “Drug trafficking in Myanmar has been facilitated by the military since the 1990s,” with many officers benefiting both financially and politically.
This desperate reliance on opium farming reflects broader systemic failures. Myanmar’s displaced civilians have few alternatives, as conventional crops are increasingly nonviable due to conflict, inflation, and market instability. These realities necessitate a holistic and sustainable approach to post-conflict recovery. Peace must be paired with investment in alternative livelihoods, education, and infrastructure. Without this, displaced communities will remain vulnerable to the coercive economy of the drug trade.
The current opium boom is not without precedent. Shan State has long been a key part of the “Golden Triangle,” a lawless region spanning Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand, once ruled by infamous drug lord Khun Sa. His network, which at one point supplied 70 percent of the heroin consumed in the United States, was protected by military elites until his surrender in 1996. The military’s deep-rooted ties to narcotics have not dissolved. Today, syndicates like Sam Gor, led until 2021 by Tse Chi Lop, continue to dominate drug production and trafficking across Asia. Even the seizure of over 1.1 billion methamphetamine pills in Southeast Asia in 2023 has not slowed the industry’s growth.
Still, resistance is emerging. In Pekon District, parts of which are now controlled by the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF), anti-drug efforts are gaining momentum. The group has been intercepting drug shipments and arresting traffickers, though their reach and resources are limited.
The road to peace in Myanmar remains uncertain. With over two million people displaced and the country’s economy in shambles, opium will likely remain a lifeline for many. But this “solution” only deepens societal wounds and perpetuates violence. If the international community is serious about fostering peace, it must invest in local-led development and conflict-sensitive reconstruction. Only then can Myanmar’s war-torn regions hope to break free from the narcotics cycle and pursue a future rooted in stability and dignity.
