Drug trafficking through Rakhine state, which typically follows the route from eastern Myanmar via Maungdaw and Buthidaung to Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar, has apparently “increased significantly” in recent years, said a report.
In 2016, a large amount of drugs – mainly methamphetamine or “yaba”—were confiscated by officials of both Myanmar and Bangladesh along the border they share.
The 63-page final report of the Advisory Commission on Rakhine State titled “Towards a peaceful, fair and prosperous future for the people of Rakhine” came up with the worrying scenario, reports UNB.
In Bangladesh, the commission met with government officials in Dhaka and visited various refugee camps in Cox's Bazar.
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The Myanmar government should not only focus on taking down users or low-level dealers but concentrate its efforts on identifying and prosecuting major drug barons and producers, recommended the report.
During the commission's visits to Rakhine State, people from all communities expressed “serious concern” about the growing problem, which significantly increases their vulnerabilities, the report said.
It revealed that poverty and poor social services served as key drivers encouraging people to engage in drug-related crimes or to use drugs themselves.
After one year of consultations held across Rakhine and in other parts and regions of Myanmar, the Advisory Commission led by former UN chief Kofi Annan submitted the final report to the country’s president and state counsellor.
It observed that drug production and trafficking have fuelled violent conflicts in Myanmar for many years.
Also in Rakhine, drug smuggling is reportedly funding the activities of non-state armed groups, such as the Arakan Army (AA) and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).
Even government officials are accused of facilitating the drug trade, which further contributes to the sense of lawlessness along the border with Bangladesh, read the report.
The challenges posed by the trafficking and consumption of illicit drugs in Rakhine are growing and demand urgent attention of the Myanmar government.
The commission encouraged the ongoing policy discussions and the debate on changes to the 1993 law on drugs and psychotropic substances. It asked the government to adopt a holistic anti-drugs approach based on public health, community safety, human rights and development.
As illegal activities tend to thrive in the areas of conflict, the government should strive towards the social, economic and political inclusion of the Muslim community in northern Rakhine State, the commission recommended.
As such, Myanmar should seek to increase access to public services and increase livelihood opportunities by removing restrictions on movement.
The commission asked Myanmar to strengthen health and harm reduction services for drug users and ensure that the use of such services is a voluntary one.
"The government should intensify its efforts to combat corruption within the security agencies operating along the Myanmar-Bangladeshi border," it added.
Besides, the northern part of Rakhine is already a major transit hub for drug smuggling, aggravating the sense of lawlessness and insecurity along the border with Bangladesh, the report mentioned.
It said unless current challenges are addressed promptly, further radicalisation within both communities is a real risk.
While Myanmar has every right to defend its own territory, a highly militarised response is unlikely to bring peace to the area, it further said.
The report said what Myanmar needed was a calibrated approach - one that combines political, developmental, security and human rights responses to ensure that violence does not escalate and inter-communal tensions are kept under control.
"If the legitimate grievances of local populations are ignored, they will become more vulnerable to recruitment by extremists. Addressing the development and human rights crises will help address the security crisis," it said.