The United Nations says opium production in Burma, also known as Myanmar, continued to increase in 2013, in part because poppy farmers had few other ways to make a living.
The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime's annual report said rising demand for illicit drugs in Asia also contributed to the 26 percent increase in opium production from last year.
In total, Burma produced an estimated 870 metric tons of opium in 2013. That is the highest amount since the U.N. began keeping track in 2002.
Burma is second only to Afghanistan in growing the opium poppy, which is a key ingredient in the production of heroin and other illegal drugs.
In 1999, the country promised to eradicate opium production by 2014, but production has gone up every year since 2006. The U.N. says government efforts to abolish the crop have failed to address the political and economic root causes that are driving farmers to grow opium poppies in the first place.
According to the U.N., money made from poppy cultivation remains essential for many farming families in Burma, which is Southeast Asia's poorest country. Other crops, such as rice, often bring in only a fraction of the income.
The issue has also been linked to Burma's decades-old ethnic unrest. Most illegal opium crops are found in northeast Kachin and Shan states, the site of violence between insurgents and the army.
The fertile area where the borders of Burma, Laos and Thailand meet, forming the so-called Golden Triangle, is one of the leading opium-producing regions in the world.
The U.N. says improved infrastructure, lowered trade barriers and decreased border patrols in the area are providing more opportunities for criminal networks that benefit from the illegal drug trade.
It says rising demand for opium in nearby countries, such as China, is also making the problem worse
http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/un-opium-production-in-burma-increases-2/
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