Opium

Whilst a twenty year ceasefire still holds, there is unlikely to be peace and democracy in Burma without a political settlement that addresses ethnic minority needs and goals.

The assumption that reducing opium production would lead to less drug use has been proven wrong. It has instead contributed to a pattern of an increased use of stronger drugs and more harmful patterns of use.

The United States is putting strong pressure on the Afghan government to officially adopt the strategy of eradicating the opium poppy through aerial spraying of the crops with the herbicide glyphosate.

With Afghanistan now responsible for more than 90 per cent of the world’s opium production, there is massive international pressure for repressive policies. But quick-fix solutions like opium bans and eradication don’t work, write Martin Jelsma and Tom Kramer, who report back from Afghanistan on...