The workshop in Taunggyi as well as this publication arefunded by the Australian Government.

This is not an official document of the United Nations.

For information only. Opinions expressed in this publication do notnecessarily reflect the view of the United Nations.

Lay out by: Bangkok Compute Graphic, Bangkok, Thailand.Printed in Thailand by: Dyna Print (Thailand) Co., Ltd.

Alternative Development:Sharing Good Practices

Facing Common Problems

Regional Seminar on Alternative Developmentfor Illicit Crop Eradication Policies, Strategies and Actions

16-19 July 2001Taunggyi, Myanmar

Drug production, trafficking and abuse and its con-nection with the HIV-AIDS socio-economic scourgeis possibly the greatest challenge faced by the GreaterMekong Subregion in its process towards a peacefuland sustainable development. It is not just a matter ofillicit crops threatening the rain forest, rather the overallhuman security of the Region is at stake.

Alternative development is a journey towards freedomfrom illicit drugs, from armed violence in isolated com-munities, from feudal and fragmented rural systemstowards community based sustainable agriculturaleconomies. It is not just crop replacement or illicitcrop eradication, it is rather mainly about genuinefreedom of villages and peasants, versus pillage andpredators.

The “Regional Seminar on Alternative Development

Foreword

for illicit crop eradication: policies, strategies andactions,” held in Taunggyi in July 2001, provided anunique opportunity for an in-depth discussion betweenall protagonists, experts, and facilitators of commu-nity based drug control activities at rural level in thepast decade. A great deal of best practices and les-sons learned have been shared and future policies wereagreed by consensus. UNDCP is proud to be associ-ated with such results and the UNDCP Regional Cen-tre for East Asia and the Pacific is pleased to have theopportunity to publish all these materials for the useof all concerned parties.

It is one more act of our policy of “coming out” ondrugs - the more we listen, the more we learn. Andputting people at the center of whatever we do, is aneffective cure for parasitic and dysfunctional illiciteconomies.

Alternative Developmentis a Polity for Rural Justice,Freedom and Peace.

Sandro Calvani, Representative, UNDCPRegional Centre for East Asia and Pacific, Bangkok

List of ContentsPage

Alternative Development is a Polity for Rural Justice, Freedom and Peace. iii- Foreword by Dr. Sandro Calvani

List of Contents v

Working Together Towards an Enhanced Alternative Development Strategy in East Asia. 1- Dr. Sanong Chinnanon

Opium Poppy Control and Alternative Development Efforts Promoted bythe Yunnan Provincial Government in the Border Areas of Its Neighboring Countries. 7- Mr. Song Shiyin

A Balanced Approach to Elimination of Opium Poppy Cultivation in Lao People’s Democratic Republic 13- Mr. Kou Chansina & Mr. Shariq Bin Raza

UN - Nonghet Alternative Development Project 19- Dr. Bounpone Sirivong

Long Alternative Development Project (LADP) 23- Mr. Khamsao & Mr. Krister Winter

Beng Alternative Development Micro-Project 27- Mr. Houmphanh Bouphakham

The Lao-German Drug Control Project 31- Ms. Andrea Kuhlmann

Village Based Development Component in a Pilot Project on Stabilization of Shifting Cultivationsin Houaphan Province 35- Mr. Mahinada Kurukulasuriya

Myanmar Country Paper 41- Mr. U Nyi Nyi & Lt. Colonel Wa Tin

Wa Alternative Development Project 49- Mr. Xavier Bouan

Support for Opium Eradication Programmes in Kokang Special Region No.1 and Nam Tit Township,Wa Special Region No.2, Shan State 55- U Kyaw Thu

Thailand Country Paper 63- Mr. Pittaya Jinawat

The Role of Non-Agricultural Development in the Doi Tung Development Project 73- Mom Rajawongse Putrie Viravaidya

v

vi

Royal Project Foundation 83- Dr. Santhad Rojanasoonthon

Thai-German Highland Development Program (TG-HDP) in Northern Thailand 87- Mr. Hagen Dirksen

Sustainable Agricultural Development Project 97- Mr. Prasong Jantakad

Eliminating Opium : Lessons From Thailand 107- Dr. Ronald Renard

Vietnam : Results of Drug Control Programme in 1998-2000 and Future Directions in 2001-2005. 117- Mr. Ha Dinh Tuan

Ky Son Alternative Development Project in Vietnam 123- UNDCP Hanoi

An Overview Of Alternative Development And Illicit Crop Eradication Policies,Strategies and Actions in The Region 129- Mr. Leik Boonwaat

Summary of Key Issues Raised after Presentations and During Discussions. 149

Consolidated Summary of Recommendations from Group Discussions. 153

Appendices : 155

Consultations and Sharing Best Practices: Seminar Proceedings 157

Elimination of Illicit Drugs is a National Duty for Myanmar. 163- Police Major General Soe Win

Opening Welcoming Remarks 167- Colonel Win Hlaing

We Look Forward to an Enhanced Cooperation. 169- Dr. Sanong Chinnanon

Concluding remarks from heads of delegations 171

Seminar Programme 175

Summary of Evaluation from the Seminar 177

Karamosia International Japan 179

List of Participants and Contact details 181

Page

1. Overview of Illicit Drug Situation and CropCultivation

The Southeast Asian region continues to be a majorsource of illicit production for opium, heroin, canna-bis and synthetic drugs. The so-called “Golden Trian-gle” covers most of the Shan State in Myanmar,northern and western parts of Lao PDR and north-ern regions of Thailand. Most opium growers arehighland minority groups who live scattered in themountainous areas above 1000 meters where climaticconditions are favourable for opium poppy cultiva-tion. Some of these ethnic minorities, particularly inthe Shan State in Myanmar, had been fighting againstthe central government for their liberation. For a longtime, opium production in the “Golden Triangle” wascontrolled mostly by the local warlords who led theminority armies. The surrender of Khun Sa, a wellknown warlord, in 1995 and the cease-fire agreementsbetween the Myanmar government and the minorityrebel groups together with the increased illicit croperadication efforts created positive impacts to theoverall opium reduction in the region. According tothe UNDCP’s Global Illicit drug Trends 2001, the to-tal opium production in Southeast Asia has steadilydeclined from 2,032 tonnes in 1991 to 1,260 tonnesin 2000; 26 % of world’s total opium production.The total area of opium cultivation in the region hasalso declined steadily from 210,350 hectares to128,640 hectares in the past ten years.

Despite the declining trend of opium and heroin pro-duction in the region, Myanmar remains the world’ssecond largest source of opium and heroin produc-tion after Afghanistan. Opium poppy is mainly culti-vated in the northeastern part of the country cover-ing most of Shan State and part of Kachin State where

there are various ethnic minorities and insurgentgroups. The concentrated opium cultivation areas arein the Wa and Kokang regions which account for al-most 70 % of the total production in Myanmar. Sinceindependence in 1948, Myanmar has encounteredthe “Drug and War” situations where certain insur-gent minority groups have been involved in both illicitdrug production and fighting against the central gov-ernment for their liberation. After 1995-1996 as aresult of the cease-fire agreements with a number ofinsurgent leaders, opium reduction efforts could thenbegin to take place in those cultivation areas. As partof the opium eradication efforts, the government hasendorsed a 15-Year Narcotics Elimination Plan in1999 with the aim to eliminate the opium cultivation,production and consumption in 2014. Over the past9 years, opium production in Myanmar has steadilydeclined from 1,720 tonnes in 1991 to 1080 tonnes

Working Together Towardsan Enhanced AlternativeDevelopment Strategy in East Asia.

Presented by Dr. Sanong Chinnanon,Alternative Development Cooperation

Project Coordinator, UNDCP Regional Centre forEast Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok

in 2000. The cultivation areas have been reduced from160,000 hectares per year to 108,700 hectares inthe same period of time (ODCCP, Global Illicit DrugTrends 2001). According to the report of the MyanmarGovernment, approximately 25,000 acre of opiumcultivation areas have been eradicated in 2000/2001.Lately the government of Myanmar and the US haveconducted a joint opium yield survey to estimate theannual opium production in the country.

Lao PDR remains the third largest country in theworld for opium and heroin production. The AnnualOpium Poppy Survey (LCDC 1999/2000) indicatedthat the concentration of opium cultivation areas inLaos cover the northern and western parts of thecountry particularly in Pongsaly, Luang Namtha,Oudomxay, Houphan and Xieng Khouang. Opiumproduction in Laos has declined from about 196tonnes in 1991 to 167 tonnes in 2000. Laos man-aged to reduce the areas of opium cultivation from29,625 hectares to 19,052 hectares in the same pe-riod of time.

With continuous highland development programmesand sustained illicit crop control, Thailand is no longera major source of opium and heroin production. Someopium cultivation takes place in the remote and moun-tainous areas in Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Takand Chiang Rai. Thailand’s Office of Narcotics Con-trol Board has conducted an annual opium cultiva-tion survey in the target areas of 17 northern prov-inces. The survey discovered that opium cultivatorsutilized modern techniques including multiple crop-ping, fertilizers and water sprinkling systems to in-crease opium production in isolated areas. In somecases, mixed crop cultivation was also used to hideopium poppy with other cash crops to avoid detec-tion. During the past 10 years, annual opium produc-tion in Thailand has declined from 23 tonnes to 6tonnes in 2000. The total areas of cultivation hasbeen reduced from 3,730 hectares in 1991 to 890hectares in 2000. The average annual eradication hasbeen approximately 800 to 1000 hectares. The aver-age yield per hectare is estimated at 11.25 kg. Cur-rent highland development and sustainable alterna-tive development projects have been primarily imple-mented under the support of the government and non-government agencies, the Royal Development Projectand the Mae Fah Luang Foundation.

Vietnam has made significant reduction in opium pro-duction in the past 10 years particularly in areas suchas Ky Son where alternative development activitieshave been introduced. Opium poppy was grown inthe mountainous areas in the northwestern provincesof the country including Son La, Lai Chau and NgheAn provinces. Opium production in Vietnam has de-clined from 85 tonnes in 1991 to 2 tonnes in 1999.The areas of cultivation has also decreased from 1,740hectares to 420 hectares during the same period.There was no report of opium production in 2000.

Cannabis Production

With regard to cannabis, there has been very littleinformation on the cultivation and production. Evi-dences show that Cambodia has been a major sourceof cannabis cultivation in this region. Cannabis is cul-tivated in Koh Kong, Kampong Cham, Kampot, StungTreng, Preah Vihear, Kandal, Banteay Meanchey andKratie. However, there is no reliable figures in term ofproduction quantity and total area of cultivation. Apartfrom Cambodia, cannabis is also cultivated in thenortheastern part of Thailand. According to the re-port of the Office of Narcotics Control Board of Thai-land, Cannabis production in Thailand has declinedfrom 300 tonnes in 1993 to 46 tonnes in 2000. InLao PDR, production of cannabis can be found in thelow land particularly in the southern parts and areasalong the Mekong River.

Opium Cultivation and Harvesting(Source : UNDCP)

Table1: South-East Asia opium cultivation1) in hectares

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Lao PDR 29,625 19,190 26,040 18,520 19,650 21,601 24,082 26,837 22,543 19,052 Myanmar 160,000 152,700 165,800 146,600 154,070 163,000 155,150 130,300 89,500 108,700 Thailand 3,727 3,016 998 478 168 368 352 716 702 890 Viet Nam 17,000 12,199 4,268 3,066 1,880 1,743 340 442 442 -

Subtotal 210,352 188,105 197,106 168,664 175,768 186,712 179,924 158,295 113,187 128,642

Table 2: South-East Asia opium production in metric tons.

1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Lao PDR 196 127 169 120 128 140 147 124 124 167 Myanmar 1,728 1,660 1,791 1,583 1,664 1,760 1,676 1,303 895 1,087 Thailand 23 14 17 3 2 5 4 8 8 6 Viet Nam 85 61 21 15 9 9 2 2 2 -

Subtotal 2,032 1,862 1,998 1,721 1,803 1,914 1,829 1,437 1,029 1,260

1)Potentially harvestable, after eradication.Source : UNDCP, Global Illicit Drug Trends 2001

Opium production areas in Southeast Asia, (Source: UNDCP)

Trends and Future Challenges

Opium and heroin production in Southeast Asia hasshown a declining trend over the past ten years. It is achallenge for the region to continue reducing totalannual opium and heroin production. It is evidencedthat Thailand and Vietnam have achieved the opiumelimination target while Myanmar and Lao PDR stillrequire a lot of efforts and resources to fulfill the goal.Therefore, it is important for Thailand and Vietnamto sustain the eradication efforts and also to sharetheir lesson learned to the other countries. The UnitedNations General Assembly Special Session in 1998endorsed a target towards eliminating or signiticanflyreducing the illicit cultivation of opium poppy andother narcotic drugs by the year 2008. It is a big chal-lenge for Myanmar and Lao PDR to meet the opiumeradication targets set forth in their national plan andin the UNGASS.

Another major challenge in the region regarding opiumproduction is the declaration of Afghanistan in early2001 to ban opium production in their country afterstrong pressure from the international community. Ifthe strong enforcement of the Taleban government isto continue and opium cultivation is suppressed there,it is a big challenge to monitor whether or not thesituation in Afghanistan would have an impact or aballoon effect causing an increase in opium cultiva-tion in the Southeast Asian region.

While opium production is declining, Southeast Asiais facing a serious problem of synthetic drugs andpsychotropic substances. For synthetic drugs, therehas been in the past few years a drastic increase inthe manufacture of, trafficking in and abuse of am-phetamine-type stimulants in Southeast Asia. Meth-amphetamine is widely abused among factory work-ers, taxi and truck drivers as well as youths and schoolstudents. Clandestine laboratories operate along theborders between Myanmar and Thailand and betweenMyanmar and China. In the production of metham-phetamine, essential precursors for example ephe-drine, pseudoephedrine and other chemicals are smug-gled mainly from China, India and Thailand to theproduction sites. Due to the simple production proc-ess, there are also increasing small illicit laboratorieshidden in major cities of the countries. There has alsobeen another risk that the region may become thesource of production for other new synthetic drugs

particularly ecstasy. This has to be monitored care-fully in order to prevent it from happening.

2. UNDCP Regional Alternative DevelopmentStrategies and Actions

Guiding Framework

The design and implementation of the alternativedevelopment efforts are guided by the principles andpriorities established in the Subregional Action Planon Drug Control under the Memorandum of Under-standing and the ACCORD Plan of Action “In pursuitof a drug-free ASEAN 2015". The ultimate goal ofalternative development in this region is to eradicatethe illicit cultivation of opium poppy by the year 2008which was the target set forth by the UNGASS in1998. To achieve the goal, alternative developmentprojects with support of UNDCP and other nationaland international agencies are being implemented inMyanmar, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam where illicitcultivation of opium poppy takes place. The follow-ing regional strategies are designed to enhance theeffective implementation of these country-level ADprojects.

Regional Strategies for AlternativeDevelopment

● Promoting cooperation and interaction amongthe national alternative development agenciesand projects in order to foster collective effortsin the eradication of the illicit opium cultivation.

● Strengthening institutional capacities on alter-native development through technical training,seminars, workshops, study visits and attachmentprogrammes.

● Promoting sharing of experiences, good practicesand lessons learned in alternative development.

● Promoting research studies to build knowledgeand understanding on alternative development

● Promoting advocacy for alternative development.● Facilitating regional monitoring, assessing and

reporting illicit opium cultivation and eradicationin the existing regional forums and meetings inorder to monitor and report the progress and theachievement of the UNGASS targets.

Key Actions

● High level/ Senior official seminar on AlternativeDevelopment for Illicit Crop Eradication: Policies,Strategies and Actions.

● Development of an AD web page as part of theRegional Centre’s web site.

● Development of AD resources and databasedirectory.

● Technical seminars on emerging challenges onalternative development including cross bordercooperation and trade, marketing strategies andmicro credit system for alternative development.

● National training on AD project planning, ma-nagement and evaluation.

● On site training, study visits and attachmentprogrammes.

● Promoting nat ional and regional studies onalternative development policies, strategies, bestpractices and key success indicators to create apool of knowledge and to foster sharing oflessons learned.

● Production of video and technical papers on bestAD practices.

● Integration of AD news and information in theexisting publications.

● Regional seminar on opium monitoring andassessment: sharing of experiences and formu-lation of future actions (possible link with theon-going global project on opium monitoring andthe national opium monitoring initiatives).

● Integration of policies, strategy issues and actionson opium elimination in the annual meetings ofthe MOU signatory countries.

3. The Regional Seminar on Alternative Developmentfor Illicit Crop Eradication: Policies, Strategies andActions

Background

As part of the strategy to promote cooperation andlesson sharing in the field of alternative developmentand, UNDCP Regional Centre developed a subregionalproject on Alternative Development Cooperation inEast Asia (AD/RAS/98/C96) which has been fundedby the Government of Australia. The main objectiveof the project is to improve the effectiveness of alter-native development projects in the participating coun-tries (China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam)

through increasing knowledge, skills and capabilitiesof practitioners and policy makers in the alternativedevelopment projects and national agencies, sharingof lessons and experiences and networking betweenrelevant alternative development agencies.

Among various project activities, a regional seminaron Alternative Development for Illicit Crop Eradica-tion: Policies, Strategies and Actions has been plannedto provide an opportunity for policy makers and sen-ior personnel in the participating countries to shareand discuss national policies, strategies and actionsrelated to alternative development and illicit crop eradi-cation.

Objective

The seminar is aimed at providing a forum for thepolicymakers, alternative development project man-agers and senior drug control personnel to share in-formation on national policies, strategies and activi-ties in the fields of alternative development and illicitcrop eradication. The seminar will also discuss les-sons learned and recommendations for future devel-opment.

Seminar Activities

● Pre-meeting preparation of regional and countrystudies on current situation of crop cultivationand drug product ion, the development ofpolicies, strategies and actions for illicit croperadication and alternative development

● Presentations and discussion on regional andcountry studies and analyses

● Presentation on alternative development projects:objectives, activities, implementation modalities,lessons learned and recommendations

● Technical presentation and discussion on par-ticipatory alternative development models andpractices

● Field visits to alternative development activities● Group discussion and recommendations on:

1. Balanced approach for AD(integration ofdemand reduction and law enforcement

2. Agricultural alternative development3. Non-agricultural alternative development4. Micro credit system for alternative development5. Marketing strategies for alternative development

products

6. Cross border cooperation and trade7. Emerging challenges and roles of UN and

international development agencies.

Venue and date of the seminar

The seminar was held in Taunggyi, Myanmarduring 16-19 July 2001, with field visits to KARA-MOSIA alternative development activities at Inle Laketo allow the participants to experience examples ofpractical alternative development activities.

Participants

The participants of the seminar include 15 policymakers or senior drug control personnel (at least 3from each country) and 10-15 managers and coordi-nators of alternative development projects as well as

10-15 AD specialists and representatives of UNDCPand partner agencies.

Expected outputs

● Policy makers, alternative development projectmanagers and senior drug control personnelacquire information and experiences on alter-native development and crop eradication throughthe seminar and field study.

● Compilation of publishable regional and countrystudies as well as seminar materials for sharing ofgood practices and lessons learned on alternativedevelopment.

● Summary of key issues and recommendations onpolicies, strategies and actions for alternativedevelopment and illicit crop eradication.

Since 1980s, China suffered again from an invasionof narcotic drugs. To cope with this the ChineseGovernment has thrown all its resources to combatthe drug crimes. The problem is even more difficultbecause the opium poppies are grown outside ofChinese territory. In spite of great achievements inthe drug control field in China during the last twodecades the narcotics problems is still spreading. Weare facing a big drug challenge that costs so much.So far 32 drug control police officers, border patrolpolice officers, the custom officials and civil militiashave died in the drug operations and more than 208officers have been injured. Significant results have beengained in drug seizure and case breaking.

In the 11 years from 1990-2000 more than 63,263cases have been solved in the province resulting inthe seizure of 46.87 tons of narcotics. This includes:Heroin 33.65 tons, Opium 12.22 tons, Methampheta-mine 998 kilograms and the arrest of 86,765 drugoffenders as well as confiscation of 1,464.9 tons ofprecursor chemicals.

In the year 2000, 8,107 drug trafficking cases havebeen solved in the province resulting in the seizure of3,118.4 kg of heroin, 833.1 kg of opium and 578.3kg of Methamphetamine. A total of 10,292 drug sus-

pects were arrested with 199.93 tons of precursorchemicals confiscated.

Since 1990s, while strengthening the fight againstdrug crimes the Yunnan Provincial Government hastaken radical measures to control drugs and effectiveworking strategies have been adopted to enhance itsassistance to neighboring countries to carry out alter-native development for illicit crop eradication. Under

Opium Poppy Control andAlternative Development EffortsPromoted by the YunnanProvincial Government in theBorder Areas of Its NeighboringCountries.

Presented by Ms. Zhang Xia on behalfof Mr. Song Shiyin, Yunnan Provincial Narcotics

Control Committee.

the guidance and coordination of the National Nar-cotics Control Commission the local governments atall levels in Yunnan Province have vigorously promotedopium poppy control alternative development projects.Based on the principle of neighborly friendlinessand periphery stabilization, we persist in tenets ofcompensation for equal value and mutual benefit bymeeting mutual needs to carry out alternative deve-lopment activities. The Yunnan Provincial Govern-ment encourages the local enterprise to participatein AD projects and to run businesses independentlybased on the rules of market economy.

Neighboring central and local governments supportequal negotiations to promote AD for illicit crop eradi-cation as well as the development of AD relevant in-dustries. There is a special policy provided for funds,technology, markets and custom duties.

By the end of the year 2000, the Yunnan provincialgovernment has provided over 300 million YuanR.M.B. including large amounts of food, cash cropseeds, cash crop seedlings, have been provided freeof charge or at nominal cost. Over 3000 experts andtechnicians of all kinds have fielded as well as thetraining of 500 foreign special experts.

Local governments from six prefectures in YunnanProvince including Siamo, Lincang, Baoshan,Xishuangbanna, Dehong and Nujiang are carrying outAD programs in Laos and Myanmar. The Chinesesupported AD project areas covers some 29,697 hec-tares. These activities enables the local people livingin No 1, No 2 special zone in Kachin State and No: 4special zone in eastern Shan States to basically giveup illicit crop cultivation. The opium growing areas inthese 3 special zones used to cover nearly 20,000hectares at its highest peak.

To develop AD it is imperative to involve the enthusi-asm of local governments in China and its borderingcountries. It would be impossible to carry out AD ac-tivities without support from the Central and localgovernments. At the beginning of the 1990s in North-ern Myanmar the local armed forces made peace withthe Myanmar Government creating a peaceful andstable environment necessary for implementing ADprograms. The local governments in Laos started ADprograms in Laung Namtam Province from 1993 and3 local governments in Northern Myanmar in No: 2

special zone of Kachin State in 1991, in No: 1 Spe-cial Zone of Kachin State in 1992 and in No: 4 Spe-cial Zone of Shan State in 1993.

The Yunnan Government supported AD project ar-eas are as follows:

Laos 4,948 hectares Myanmar 24,751 hectares Rubber plants 7,587 ha. Sugarcane 4,682 ha. Paddy rice 59,494 ha. Other grain crops 1,471 ha. Cash crops 1,313 ha. Other fruit/timber trees 13,363 ha.

Total assistance budget estimated at 300 million RMBduring ten years.

The Chinese have certain advantages to assisting ADprograms in illicit crop cultivating regions outside ofChinese territory. This includes:

Similar climatic, soil and vegetative conditionsas the areas are part of the same geographicecological region. The Yunnan authorities haveexperience in developing and growing manyhigh-value added cash crops that can be grownin these regions. Other advantages include thesuccessful experience, agricultural science andtechnology, fine crop varieties, infrastructure,tourism and border trade as well as processingindustries and markets in Yunnan which willcontribute towards achieving better social andeconomic impact.

There are some 16 ethnic minority groups livingin the border regions of China, Myanmar andLaos. Many share similarities in clans, cultures,languages, and some related by marriage. Theseclose links also enables the farmers in theseregions to receive Chinese technical assistanceand training without much difficulty.

Great economic progress and improvementsare being made for infrastructure, transportation,communication and energy in the border areas.There are also some ten national and ten provin-cial border crossings that facilitates market ac-cessibility. A transportation network is being

developed in the peripheral countries that pro-vides good conditions for cross border AD projects.

Agricultural science and research as well as landreclamation institutes and agencies in Yunnanare advanced and experienced in developingagricultural resources and technology, providinga strong scientific and technical support to ADprojects.

The Yunnan authorities working experience inAD has laid a solid foundation for follow-up ADefforts in the region.

Approaches taken in providing AD assistance include:● Addressing food security● Initiating small projects with a shorter investment

cycle and faster profits. Based on real situationsthese projects can be extended to more largescale and longer term cash crop substitutionprojects.

● Encouraging awareness campaigns and educationactivit ies strictly banning drug trafficking andproviding economic support to neighboringcountries under the leadership of the centralgovernment and Yunnan Provincial NarcoticsControl Committee.

● Drug control activities carried out both in Yunnanand in the border areas of neighboring countries.This includes blockade of sources of foreigndrugs and domestic law enforcement. With thestrong guidance of the NNCC, Beijing, linenarcot ics control agencies in Yunnan haveinitiated close cooperation with counterpartsboth in Laos and Myanmar.

● Awareness campaign activities on opium/poppyeradication are extensively carried out by Chineseborder people with foreign opium growers atborder market days. Mobilizing them to give upplanting opium poppy cultivation. Chinese cashcrop agricultural techniques are passed on tofarmers in Myanmar and Laos in good results.

● In accordance with the Myanmar Central Govern-ment’s nation wide actions against drug supplyand trafficking, local governments are urged todevelop their own drug control plans. In suchcircumstances the Chinese are carrying outdifferent kinds of AD projects. The Chinesesponsored AD projects can be categorized intothree kinds:

Free of charge or GrantRepaid or LoanMutual benefiting.

At the same time booming cross border tour programsare encouraged to promote both the tertiary and themicro-manufacture industries in these foreign opiumpoppy growing areas. Development of local socio-economic conditions has been greatly promoted.

With the leadership and support of the MyanmarCentral Government and great assistance and pro-motion from the Yunnan authorities there has beenno large-scale opium poppy cultivation in special zones1 and 2 of the Kachin state. There are still small ar-eas of opium poppy cultivation secretly grown in theseareas. Since the mid 1990s no 4 special zone of theShan State has been a drug free zone and the peopleare experiencing a rapid economic growth. Food prob-lems have been basically brought to an end.

Local annual revenue from tax on tourism and bordertrade items amounts for more than 30 million RMB.The local government in the special zone no: 4 ofMyanmar allocates 300,000 Yuan RMB every yearto meet local residents basic food, clothing needs sothey can be independent from the drug economy.Moreover the prosperous cross borer tourism hasbrought along local tertiary industrial development inno: 4 special zone which consolidates the success ofAD efforts.

With active advocacy and supports from both thecentral and local provincial authorities the local gov-ernments in Xishuangbanna and Simao Prefecture ofYunnan Province have been active in implementingAD projects in three provinces of Northern Laos.Laotian authorities have migrated some 10,000 peo-ple from mountain areas to basin and other accessi-ble lowland areas.. They have to give up their opiumgrowing habits and are engaged in growing AD cropsinstead. AT the end of 2000, AD crops such assugarcane, paddy rice, rubber trees cover some 5000ha. A bilateral agreement has been signed by theChinese and Laotian governments to solve the localrubber processing and marketing problems.

The Yunnan Province Autochthons Import & ExportCorporation and Beijing Jinxianglian Rubber Co Ltdjointly invested US$ 1 million on a rubber processing

factory with a 12,000 ton/year capacity. The factoryis expected to open in August 2001. The implemen-tation of the project has encouraged the local peopleto engage in AD activities. The project has also laid asolid foundation for promoting AD activities on a largescale and plays an active role in improving a healthysocio-economic development in Northern Laos whereopium used to be grown.

In order to make AD efforts more effective the Chi-nese Government has granted special prioritized poli-cies for AD efforts carried out by the Yunnan localauthorities in the border areas.

National prioritized policies have greatly supportedAD efforts. The AD economy is a special transnationalone which aims at a gradual eradication of opiumpoppy so the harm of drugs can be reduced. There-fore policies in this regard should not fall under gen-eral administrative rules. In the year 2000 the Chi-nese Government gave special preferential policies toAD efforts carried out by Yunnan Province. In theyear 2000 import tax exemption was given to 306,050tons of substitute agricultural and cash crops approvedand the actual import volume reached 304,082 tons.(see attachment 1 for information on crop categoryand enterprises working on crop substitution.)

In order to carry out special preferential policiesgranted by the Chinese central government to ADworks outside of China in its best practice the YunnanProvincial Government has set up The Yunnan Pro-vincial Administrative Office on Opium/Poppy Con-trol Alternative Development Efforts in the BorderAreas of the Neighboring Countries so that the in-volving enterprises can be well managed and providea better working guidance and coordination. Thisoffice includes members from the Government Of-fices and departments such as:● The Office of the Yunnan Provincial Narcotics

Control Commission,● Kunming Customs,● Yunnan Provincial Development Planning Com-

mission● Yunnan Provincial Department of Foreign Trade

and Economic Cooperation

NGOs are actively encouraged to participate in ADplanning and economy. We do not believe that cropsubstitution an either expedient or simple issue just

for crop plantation. It requires an integrated develop-ment approach. Integrated and cost effective projectsshould be well identified. There are existing problemsand difficulties for the Chinese departments:

● Resemblance between the mix of substitute cashcrops and domestic crops, the import of whichcan impact domestic production and sale ofsimilar crops, particularly in Yunnan Province.Chinese AD enterprises in Yunnan are givingpriority to foreign substitute products and exploremarkets while similar domestic products aresuffering from poor markets.

● The border areas of Yunnan Province are mostlypoverty stricken. Due to limited geographicallocation and limited government budgets our ADprojects in other countries are limited in scaleand long-term impact. Most are micro investmentand short term. And cannot be developed intolarge alternative industries or rapidly cover largeareas of opium poppy growing areas. Someprojects were badly identified. For example thesugarcane projects which suffer from an unsteadymarket and has cast an impact on AD efforts insome areas.

To summarize the great difficulties met by Chineseauthorities are the lack of:

Good project identification,Required funds andPromising market

We would like to suggest the Myanmar and Laotiancentral governments and UNDCP render their sup-port to the opium poppy control AD efforts of theYunnan local authorities regarding:● Working closely together to create a promising

market for substitute agricultural and cash cropproducts under our projects. Cooperation in ADefforts between Chinese enterprises and localgovernments in Northern Myanmar should beupgraded to corporation guided by the Myanmarcentral government. Communication and coordi-nation would be available at a higher level andmore efficient and effective AD works can be done.

● UNDCP should organize a field trip for the con-cerned working experts to the Sino-Myanmarand Sino-Laos border areas. UNDCP shouldwork out an overall medium and long term plan

for opium poppy control AD efforts in thisregion. Project proposals, market explorationsand donors can be identified for AD projects inthe sub-region as soon as possible.

● UNDCP should establish a special forum on opiumpoppy AD projects in S.E. Asia.

● Regular meetings can be convened. Experts inthis field should be organized. The related enter-prises and international organizations should beorganized to discuss the AD projects and relatedissues. Working experience and information canbe shared quickly. Up to date recommendationsand reports that can facilitate the study of the

international community on AD programs shouldbe readily available. Sub regional narcotics controlcooperation should be promoted.

● To take advantage of the experiences in Yunnanin terms of scientific research, teaching andlanguages considerations we suggest that UNDCPinitiate a training program on AD in Yunnan thatcan aim at AD personnel training in S.E. Asia.

Opium poppy control AD efforts are one measure tofight against narcotic sources. The world community,enterprises and NGOs should actively participate inthis work.

Attachment 1.

A Diagram for the Repaid AD Agricultural Products (in the year 2000).All products mentioned below are in the items of AD projects initiated by the Yunnan local authoritiesof China in the border areas of neighboring countries.

Category Volume Entry Port Enterprise InvolvedTons Prefecture

Raw Rubber 1500 Simao Yunnan Local Product Import &Xishuangbanna Export CompanyLincang Menglian State owned farm

Dehong Prefecture AromaticsChemical Industrial Company

Jinhing Mekong - River LimitedCompany

jianhua Trading Limited of MenglianCounty

Mengla County Foreign TradeImport and Export Company

Rice 2000 Baoshan Yunjiang Limited Co oofXishuangbanna Xishuangbanna

Foreign Trade Firm of Mengla County

Corn 1000 Baoshan Tengnong Firm of Tengching CountyDehong Honghe ltd Co of Ruili CityNongjiang Lifeng Firm of Yingjiang County

Sugar 1000 Xishuangbanna Import & Export Company ofMengla County

Fructus Amoni 50 Xishuangbanna Mengla Green Economy Compnay

Sugarcane 300000 Licang Yunnan Chuangyu Sugar IndustryXishuangbanna Group Ltd.Dehong Mengla Sugar Refinary of MenglaSimao CountyBaoshan Xingguo Trading Company of

LongchuanMengpeng Sugar Industry Ltd CoOf Mengla County

Bean 500 Xishuangbanna Guangda Company of LiangheDehong CountyNujiang Jinxing Company of Ruili CityBaoshan

Tea 50 Lincang

The Lao People’s Democratic Republic is a landlockedcountry with a total area of 236,800 square kilome-tres, of which 80 per cent is mountainous and 45 percent is forested. It shares borders with Vietnam, Thai-land, Cambodia, China and Myanmar. Most of thepopulation is concentrated in the numerous river val-leys, flood plains and highland plateaus that intersectthe sparsely populated mountainous areas. Accord-ing to 1999 Human Development Report, the popu-lation of Lao PDR is approximately 5 million andis characterized by strong cultural and ethnic diver-sity. There are 49 distinct ethno-linguistic groups of-

ficially recognized by the Government, which can bedivided into 3 broad groups based on their origins,time of settlement in Lao PDR and the geographiclocation of their settlements. They are the LowlandLao or Lao Loum, the Upland Lao or Lao Theungand the Highland Lao or Lao Soung. In addition, smallnumbers of ethnic Vietnamese and Chinese live inLaos. At the national level, the composition of thepopulation is approximately 65 per cent Lao Loum,20-25 per cent Lao Theung and 10-15 per cent LaoSoung.

A Balanced Approach toElimination of Opium PoppyCultivation in Lao People’sDemocratic Republic

Presented by Mr. Kou Chansina National Programme Director, PFU Vientiane and Mr. Shariq Bin Raza,UNDCP Programme Director, PFU Vientiane

1. Illicit Drug Situation

Illicit Drug Production

OpiumOpium is produced in 11 out of 18 provinces andapproximately 90 per cent of opium cultivation isconcentrated in the northern parts of the country,particularly in the remote mountain regions whereaccess is difficult. Previous comprehensive opium sur-veys indicated an increase in opium cultivation dur-ing the 90s. Total area cultivated increased from19,200 in 1992 to 21,600 in 1996 and to 26,800hectares in 1998.

country and is widespread in the lowlands, in south-ern Lao PDR and in particular in areas near to theMekong River.

Psychotropic Substances and PrecursorsThere is no evidence of illicit manufacture of psycho-tropic substances in Lao PDR. There are indicationsthat a domestic market for such substances, espe-cially methamphetamines, has been increasing.

Precursors are smuggled into Laos mainly by road orriver. Lao PDR is also used for transshipment of chemi-cals in order to disguise their true origin and the finaldestination.

Illicit Drug TraffickingThe ability of Lao PDR to control the flow of drugswithin the country and along its long and porous bor-ders is hampered by the lack of financial and ad-equately trained human resources. The lengthy bor-ders with Thailand, Myanmar, China, Vietnam andCambodia are difficult to control; check points oper-ate only along principal land routes and border cross-ings. Most drug smuggling takes place in the North-ern Region and across the Mekong River.

The trafficking of opium within Lao PDR occursmostly on a small scale by producers or petty tradersat the local level. Opium is also used at the villagelevel as a means of payment for farm labour and tobarter for food and essential commodities. Traffick-ing in opium is more widespread than in heroin. Thereare indications, however, that there could be an up-ward trend in the trafficking of heroin in the recentyears. The heroin is mainly trafficked overland al-though river ways are increasingly being used.

The Annual Opium Poppy Survey in 2000, however,confirmed a reversal in this trend and indicated a sub-stantial decrease in the opium cultivation. The culti-vation decreased from 26,800 in 1998 to 19,053hectares in 2000. The unofficial and preliminary esti-mates of the 2001 Opium Poppy Survey indicate afurther decrease in the area under cultivation to17,251 hectares.

The concerted and determined actions, initiatives andefforts of the Government of Lao PDR and the posi-tive impact of the alternative development programmesand projects have played an important role in thisvery positive development.

HeroinThere is little evidence to suggest any large-scale heroinproduction takes place in the country. Most of theheroin seized in Lao PDR is believed to be in transitand originating from the neighbouring countries.

CannabisProduction of Cannabis is found in many parts of the

sit of Opium through Lao PDR for commercial pur-poses in amount of more than five kilograms is pun-ishable by deprivation of freedom to life.

Thus, a number of important elements have been in-troduced for the first time in the drug laws of LaoPDR, including controls on chemical precursors andon the production and consumption of Opium. Pen-alties for drug offences and drug trafficking, in par-ticular, have been increased considerably.

In 1994, the Government of Lao PDR launched aComprehensive Drug Control Programme includingits national drug control strategy and priority needsfor the period 1994-2000. The Plan, which was de-veloped jointly with UNDCP, featured a balanced andgradual approach to drug control with an emphasison Alternative Development. The Programme calledfor the strengthening of the drug control and law en-forcement bodies both at the policy and at the opera-tional levels while reducing the supply and demandgradually in growing areas through rural development.The programme is currently being revised with theassistance of UNDCP to a shorter time horizon andwith more ambitious goals.

3. National Strategies, Programmes andApproaches for Illicit Crop Controland Alternative Development

A new national strategy, “A Balanced Approach toOpium Elimination in Lao PDR”, was prepared bythe Lao National Commission for Drug Control andSupervision and UNDCP in October 1999 and wassubsequently endorsed by the Government.

This national strategy Programme aims to eradicatethe area planted with opium poppy, eliminate opiumproduction and reduce the abuse of opium in the north-ern Lao PDR through Alternative Development, De-mand Reduction and Law Enforcement.

The key approaches to the design and implementa-tion of National Opium Elimination Programmeare;

● Simple and flexible design to allow for modifi-cation and response to the effective demand ofthe target population and to the experience ofimplementation,

Drug AbuseThe consumption of opium for medical, ceremonialand other social purposes is prevalent in the north-ern parts of the country and has created a basis forabuse. Lao PDR has one of the highest rates of opiumaddiction in the world with the annual prevalence foropiates only exceeded by that of Pakistan and Iran.Opium consumption is concentrated in the opiumproducing provinces of the north and is associatedwith cultivation. According to 2000 National OpiumSurvey, there are some 62,895 opium addicts in the11 northern provinces. The national opium addictionrate for the population over 15 years old was esti-mated at 2.26 per cent.

Heroin abuse is not widespread in Lao PDR. Thereare indications of an upward trend in the abuse ofpsychotropic substances among the youngerpopulations in cities and urban centres.

2. National Drug Control Policies

The Lao Peoples Democratic Republic is party to the1961 Convention and since 1997 it is also party tothe 1971 Convention. The ratification of the 1988Convention is planned for the near future. The na-tional drug control responsibility lies with the LaoNational Commission for Drug Control and Supervi-sion (LCDC) within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.LCDC was set up in 1990 and comprises of repre-sentatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Inte-rior, Justice, Health, Education and Agriculture as wellas from the Department of Customs (Ministry of Fi-nance) and the Council of Ministers. LCDC is chairedby a Minister. Provincial Committees for Drug Con-trol (PCDCs) and District Committees for Drug Con-trol (DCDCs), headed by the Provincial Vice-Gover-nors and the District Chiefs respectively, have alsobeen established for the coordination and strengthen-ing of drug control activities at the Provincial andDistrict levels.

In 1990, Article 135, concerning trade or possessionof narcotic drugs was included in the Penal Code.The Government of Lao Peoples Democratic Repub-lic has consolidated and substantively strengthened theLaws on Drug Control by appropriate amendmentsof Article 135 of the Criminal Code. In April 2001,the Lao Government revised Article 135. The pro-duction, possession, import, export, transport or tran-

4. UNDCP: Elimination of Illicit Crops andAlternative Development Projects.

A. Completed projects;

● Highland Integrated Rural Develop-ment Pilot Project, Alternative Deve-lopment in Xaisomboun, Hom District,referred to as the Palaveck Project.It successfully eliminated opium production(3 tons per year) in the project area. Was pre-sented as a success story at Hanover Expo.

● Agricultural Development in the Prov-ince of Xiengkhouang.

● District Development in Opium Grow-ing Areas of Xiengkhouang Province.

● Labour Based Road Construction inOpium Growing Areas of XiengkhouangProvince.

These 3 projects belonged to a comprehensiveprogramme in which IFAD has joined. It is fol-lowed by “United Nations Nonghet AltemativeDevelopment Project”● Drug Supply and Demand Reduction

in Border Areas of North-Western LaoPDR.(Implementation Phase I)Located in Bokeo and Luang Namtha Prov-inces, a pilot phase followed by phase 2 under;

● Drug Supply and Demand Reductionin Border Areas of North-Western LaoPDR.(Implementation Phase II)Located in Long District, Luang NamthaProvince.

B. On-going projects;

● Beng Alternative Development MicroProject.

● United Nations Nonghet AlternativeDevelopment Project.

● Village Based Development Compo-nent in ADB Shifting Cultivation Sta-bilization Pilot Project in HouaphanProvince (Micro-Project).

C. Projects to start by the last quarter of 2001;

● North Phongsali Alternative Develop-ment Project.

● Decentralized implementation to the district andvillage level,

● The enhancement of the local capacity throughgender mainstreaming, managerial and technicaltraining and the provision of appropriate materialsupport,

● Judicious cooperation with other UNDCP activi-ties, other donors and agencies to provide com-plementary support, and

● Training and reorientation of participating Go-vernment Departments to provide demand drivenservices through participatory planning andimplementation

A Programme Facilitat ion Unit (PFU) has beenestablished, jointly by the LCDC and UNDCP, as thecoordinating, monitoring and supporting backboneof the National Strategy Programme and to maintainthe overarching responsibility for its implementation.

The Programme Facilitation Unit is managed by Na-tional and UNDCP Programme Directors and will havea team of senior expatriate and national professionaland technical experts.

● Long District Alternative DevelopmentProject.

5. Impact of the Alternative DevelopmentProgrammes and Projects on illicit croperadication and community development.

Under the Balanced Approach, the effectivecombination of the law enforcement componentswith the activities for integrated socio-economicdevelopment under alternative developmentinitiatives have contributed substantially to thesuccess and effectiveness of the AD programmesand projects.

Although, it may be too early to conclude, butthe downward trend observed in the cultivationof opium in the national opium surveys in 2000and 2001 indicate a positive impact of alternativedevelopment programmes on illicit crop eradication.

AD programmes and projects have made avisible impact on the infrastructure, accessibilityand the economic opportunities of the familiesand the communities.

The acceptance and the increasing participationof communities, particularly women, in alterna-tive development programmes is also an impor-tant indication of the success of the approach.

6. Lessons Learned and Recommendations.

UNDCP, USA, IFAD, ADB, NCA and GTZ allhave experience supporting alternative develop-ment in Lao PDR and this has resulted in valuablelessons to be taken into account. Some of themare;

● Targeting of project activit ies to particularvillages and within villages is important.

● The role of different family members in differ-ent aspects of alternative development needs tobe considered carefully in project formulation.

● Alternative development needs support untilalternative income earning activities haveproven effective to farmers giving up opium.

● Planning needs to allow for the time necessaryfor consensus decision making at many levelsof Government by shortening decision treesand decentralizing activities as far as possibleand increasing the flexibility of plans andoperational procedures.

● The planning, implementation and monitoringof projects needs to feature participatoryprocesses to engage the community in drugelimination.

● Development personnel, government staff andthe community need education in participatoryprocesses through technical assistance untilthey are established.

● The mix of grants and loans needs carefulconsideration for cost effectiveness.

● An appropriate combination of law enforce-ment components with developmental activi-ties proves positive.

● Gender balance and participation of womenis crucial for the success of AD initiatives.

● “Programme Development” needs to be givenserious attention.

A Balanced Approach with comprehensive, integrated,gender sensitive and participatory development maybe more appropriate to achieve the desired goals ofillicit crop eradication.

The appropriate combinations of law enforcement anddevelopment components should be carefully consid-ered, incorporated and implemented.

Community based demand reduction needs to beexamined and developed further for an effectiveimplementation.

The development of human resources and capacitybuilding; managerial and technical in AlternativeDevelopment at the local, provincial, national andregional levels is highly desirable.

1. DRUG CONTROL OBJECTIVE

To reduce opium production and drug abuse amongethic minorities in the whole province, especially inNonghet district through alternative developmentleading to the integration of remote areas into themainstream national and provincial economy.

IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE

To reduce the area planted with opium poppy, opiumproduction and abuse of opium in the district ofNonghet in Xiengkhouang province through the proc-ess of alternative development.

2. MAIN ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS

OUPUT 1 : Communities organized to manage theeconomic and social development of their villages ina sustainable manner with reduced dependence onopium production.

1. Completed in assisting to establish Village Deve-lopment Committee (VDC) in all target villages.

2. A total of 55 target villages are divided in to 4geographical areas and assigned 4 developmentteams to assist capacity building of Village Deve-lopment Committee (VDC) in each village.

3. Conduct training on principle of ParticipatoryRural Appraisal methodology in all 55 villages.Training took 2 to 3 days and 1373 (722women) participated

4. All project delivery is responded after the bene-ficiaries went through the processes of

a) Identify the common problemsb) Prioritize the problems to be solvedc) Selection of the best solution and designed

the action plan.Then with the support and facilitation of theproject operation team, the proposal is made toget support from the project.

5. The community development teams technicaladvisers and the project management sittogether once in every week to approve thevillage proposal based on the following criteria.a) Numbers of beneficiaries to be benefited.b) Cost per beneficiaries from the projectc) The rate of participation from the beneficiariesd) The commitment of beneficiates to reduce

opium production or the numbers of opiumaddicts to stop the habits.

e) Fair distribution and equity of project supportamong sub districts and target villages

UN - Nonghet AlternativeDevelopment Project1)

Presented by Dr. Bounpone Sirivong,National Project Director

1)Duration Four years ( March 1999-December 2002)Executing Agency Provincial Administration of Xiengkhouang/Rural development CommitteeCooperating Agency UNDCP/UNDP, NEX Support unitTotal UNDCP budget US$ 3,642,200Donors Luxembourg, United States of America, Sweden

OUTPUT 2: The economic opportunities in the dis-trict available to the target communities diversified.Activities to this output were divided into ten subactivities:

Activitiy 2.1 1,175 kg of paddy rice (Chinese dwarfvariety) was introduced to ten families in two lowlandvillages and shown varying degrees of adaptation.

Activitiy 2.2 field trails are on going with the reintro-duct ion of both Hatdokkeo 4 and LVN 100(Vietnam) varieties of maize. An additional 32 kilosof improved Hatdokkeo 4 were distributed to farmercooperators.● Demonstrated to 110 farmers from 19 villages

on the advantages of organic farming.● Trained 120 farmers from 4 vil lages on post

harvest storage of maize.

Activity 2.3● Distributed additional 36,226 asparagus seedlings

to 108 households in 12 villages● Additional 265 plum cuttings were distributed to

8 interested farmers in 4 villages.● Distributed 67.48 kilos of assorted seeds e.g.

coffee, pigeon pea, mung bean, lettuce etc to255 families in 42 villages.

● Encouraged family runs nurseries from 20 fa-milies last year to 46 families at present.

Activity 2.5● Organized farmers to farmer field exchange visit

on mulberry farming leading to sericulture acti-vity. Twelve (12) farmers from 8 villages parti-cipated in this exchange.

● Organized farmers to farmers field exchangevisits on asparagus farming. Fourteen (14) parti-cipants came from 9 vil lages to see actualasparagus cultivation in Kieopatou village.

● Trained village vaccinators on Animal Diseaseand treatment.

Activity 2.7● Sent 3 farmers cooperators and one provincial

staff for training in Vientiane on fish cage rearingand breeding.

● Distributed fish roe for hatching to 51 householdsin 12 selected villages for field trial.

● Supported 3 farmers in fish cage making fromindigenous materials. Three bamboo cagescompleted.

6. The process of capacity building begins fromwithin and it is being carried out during weekly,monthly, quarterly meet ing and informal/discussion among the staff members.

7. Formulated opium poppy agreement and facili-tated target villages to be participated in signingthe contract with District drug control Commit-tees. The agreement is to reduce 50% of opiumproduc-tion by the end of year 2002 As theopium survey in beginning of the year 2001,12 vil lages stop 100%, 40 villages reduced50% and the rest 3 vi l lages( Phaven, Phakaand Loungkoung?To reduced by 20 to 30%.

8. Replaced the former Participatory DevelopmentAdvisor in support of XKADPII.

9. 45 addicts (13 women) have been admitted tothe detoxification center since early 2000 andno one relapse so far (compared to 36 addictsadmitted previous year and 3 relapsed.)

10. To achieve the special consideration on genderand development activ it ies to bring in 11women staff to work with the project communitylevel.

11. Supported the organizat ion of InternationalWomen’s Day in Nonghet on the 8 March2000. More than 70 women participated incompet ition on model mother, housewife,child-care and income generation activities.

12. Supported organization of International Dayagainst Drugs on the 26 June as part of socialmobilization and awareness raising on drugabuse. About 124 key representatives fromtarget vi l lages and hundreds of residentswitnessed the burning of opium seized by thepolice and enjoyed sports, games and enter-tainment.

13. Coordinated with District Drug Control Com-mittees and supported the issue of orders oncontrol measures to achieve commitments ofthe villagers as agreed upon in the opium re-duction agreement.

14. Villages vaccinators from 16 villages undergonetraining on Animal Diseases Prevention andTreatment.

15. Developed 14 different Drug Demand Reduc-tion posters and information material.Achievement- Area of opium productionwas reduced form 332 ha, to 149.5 ha.Or 54.96% total reduction in the 55target villages in Nonghet District.

● Provided 14,000 mulberry seedlings to 7 familiesin 5 villages as a start in Sericulture.

● Sent 2 staff to attend Apiculture training conductedby Lao Red Cross in Nonghet.

Activity 2.8● Demonstrated sloping agriculture land technology

through the use of A- frame to 55 farmers from10 villages.

● Distributed 34 kilograms of timber seeds to 25farmers in 2 villages.

Activity 2.9● Oblige Agriculture Promotion Bank to open a

service in Nonghet district to encourage linkbetween with the Project’s beneficiaries andthe bank.

● The loan disbursed by APB from UNDCP fundwill continue until its maturity period then re-lease it again as demand arises.

Activity 2.10● The loan disbursed by APB from UNDCP fund

was released through group credit formed by theLao Women’s Union in three villages. The APBtechnicians and the team responsible for the areaconstantly monitor the borrowers.

OUTPUT 3: The coverage and operation of the so-cial services in the district enhanced. Activities to thisoutput were divided into twelve sub - activities; Con-struction of infrastructures in this output was carriedout following the approved annual budget constraint.New activities below were carried out from January-June 2001.● Two village meeting halls were built in 2 villages● Another two additional water supplies in 2 villages

were constructed.● Supported the construction gate in pre-school

in Thamxay village.● Conducted bidding for the materials in furniture

making needed in 12 school buildings were heldand winning bidder selected.

OUTPUT 4: Effective cooperation established withXKADP II to enhance and sustain the local tertiaryroad network in the district.

● Completed 58 Km of all weather road network inthe target villages

3. MAJOR PROBLEMS AND STEPS TAKEN TOSOLVE THEM

Budget restriction.Step taken Made work plan and budget according tothe availability of fund

Several national staff has left and one of the reasonswas the insecurity about the project’s ability to secureof staff for a longer period.Step taken: Reassign the water supply engineer tosupport the understaffed team. Made an arrangementwith the other teams to support the team that neededstaff as need arises.

Finding, recommendations and lessons learned

Government

● To support sufficient government staff, in orderto have project support basic infrastructure to befunctional.

● To prove how the management arrangement forthe project supported electricity supply could besustained and come up with the proposal forwater supply which was another central issueduring the first TPR meeting

Executing agency● To review the existing human resources depend-

ing on the project needs and to reassign or reducestaff as necessary.

● To attract more district sector departments’ par-ticipation in project activities at the field level.

● To review the project impact and to set newtarget (drug objective) to be achieved by the endof year 2002

● To conduct more in-depth study on marketingand income generation and to develop ad diver-sify alternative income opportunity

UNDCP● To continue providing co-ordination support at

national level regarding UN co- operation.● To support timely release of fund for the project

to avoid restricted funding situation.● To provide direction to be pursued after the end

of project year by 2002

LESSONS LEARNED1. Active par ticipat ion of both Provincial and

District authorit ies in al l aspects of Projectactivities made the project execution smoothly.

2. The sense of ownership of the project by theDistrict authority made it a lot easier for theProject to accomplish its objectives.

3. Transparency concerning the budget and acti-vities to the District and beneficiaries increasedthe trust to all concern thus, yielded to a highercooperation and produces more results.

4. Field exposure (farmers to farmers) and expe-rience exchange increases the chance that thedoubtful farmers will engage on the alternativecrops being introduced. Seeing is believing.

5. Socio-economic assistance and support to intro-duce alternative development to reduce opiumproduction and use can be achieved with someaid on law enforcement.

6. Culture sensitivity in the design of informationmaterials (one ethnic group had a negative reac-tion from the Projects’ posters) design use ofneutral information materials in the future.

7. Weekly strategic meetings of the Project staff

enable the Project to immediately respond tobeneficiaries needs.

8. Strong commitment and cooperat ion fromProject’s beneficiaries made the possibility inreaching the Project objectives.

9. Divided the target villages into four geographicalareas and assigned a team to each area to have aregular presence of the Project which will enablethe Project to act immediate to the request ofthe beneficiaries.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1. To increase coordination and cooperation be-tween UN agencies. It has proven that the coo-peration between UN-NADP Project and FAO-Fishery Project had very productive results.

2. Timely release of fund to avoid disruption of theProjects’ activit ies as well not to create lowmorale to the Projects’ staffs.

3. For the government to provide more governmentstaff to work in coordination with the Projectactivities in the field level.

1. A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT:

The immediate objective of LADP is the eliminationof the opium poppy production, the reduction ofopium addicts and improved living conditions for thevillagers in Long district, through a process of alter-native development, demand reduction and law en-forcement. Through a village-based approach LADPwill ensure that:

● Implemented activities are linked to existingneeds and based on the effective demand andnatural resources of the community;

● Development activities and processes are inharmony with local costums and culture;

● Human resources - both male and female,and including poorer households - are mobi-lised and improved;

● The villagers - both male and female - havea feeling of ownership of the developmentinitiatives and processes;

● The communities are able to analyse theirown situation in terms of problems, constraints,potentials, priorities, and solutions;

● The development process initiated by LADPwill be sustainable.

Luang Namtha province is the north-westernmostprovince of Lao PDR, bordering PR of China to the

North, Myanmar to the West, Oudomxai province tothe East, and Bokeo province to the South. The prov-ince comprises 5 districts covering a total area of 9500sq.kms. Long is the south-westernmost district. NamMa river flows through Long district in a south-west-ern direction, joining the Mekong at Chieng Kok, animportant trading village.

Presently, the project works in 19 villages, but duringphase III another 37 villages will be incorporated inthe project. These 37 villages are responsible for ap-proximately 85 % of the total area of opium poppycultivation in Long district.

Long AlternativeDevelopment Project (LADP)1)

1)Project Site: Long District, Luang Namtha Province, Lao PDRProject beneficiaries Highlanders from 4 different ethnic minorities in 19+ (planned) 37 villages, plus local

government officials and institutions.Government counterpart: Luang Namtha Provincial GovernmentExecuting Agency: Norwegian Church Aid (NCA)Funding Agency: United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) and NCAProject period 1993 - 1995 Pilot phase

1996 - 1998 Implementation Phase 11999 -2000 Implementation Phase 2Jan - Aug 2001 Bridging period(Sep 2001 - Aug 2004 Planned Implementation Phase 3)

Presented by Mr. Krister Winter,Chief Technical Adviser

At the nation level, the Government Implementingand Counterpart Agency is the Lao National Com-mission for Drug Control and Supervision (LCDC).At the provincial level, LADP activities are co-ordinated through the Provincial Governor’s Officeby the PCDC. At the district level, LADP works di-rectly with the District Governor, the District Com-mittee for Drug Control (DDC) and the district headsof government departments in Long district.

2. A BALANCED APPROACH TO POVERTYALLEVIATION AND OPIUM ELIMINATION

In the opium growing areas of Luang Namtha prov-ince, it is not feasible to attempt the elimination ofopium production, nor the reduction of consumption,without simultaneously addressing poverty alleviation.The population in the LADP target area meets na-tional poverty criteria and the fact that opium pro-duction is directly related to their poverty has led tothe focus on this area. The economy of the LADPtarget area remains semi-subsistence, with the major-ity of cash income being generated from the sale ofopium.

LADP aims to eliminate opium poppycultivation in the target areas through:

Alternative development: The interventions aimedat reducing dependency on opium poppy cultivationfor cash include: (i) increased food security, throughclearing of land and construction of irrigation sys-tems; (ii) increased cash incomes from alternativesources, including livestock, crops and non-agricul-tural activities; and (iii) improved access and market-ing, through the construction of feeder roads andimproved village tracks. An improved road net-workwill not only facilitate the marketing of agricultureproduce and other goods, such as handicraft, but alsomake the delivery of government services, in areassuch as health and education, more feasible.

Demand reduction: LADP will continue to developand support the implementation of culturally appro-priate approaches to community-based drug demandreduction in the target area. The approach involvesclose integration with socio-economic developmentactivities and the active participation of village com-munities with the aim of preventing the use of illicitdrugs and reduce the adverse consequences of drugabuse.

Law enforcement: For these initiatives to be effec-tive there needs to be an awareness of the illicit na-ture of opium cultivation amongst the target popula-tion including an emphasis on law enforcement, whichthe government will be instrumental in delivering. Inaddition, appropriate agreements will be establishedbetween the participating communities, the DDC andthe PCDC on the phasing out of opium production.

3. PROJECT STRATEGY ON PARTICIPATION:

The project is aiming at reinforcing the human andinstitutional potential to deal with social and economicneeds and problems in the community. It facilitatesand strengthens the decision making of local commu-nities and authorities while providing opportunitiesfor development and drug control actions resultingfrom such decision making. It is only through partici-pation that development and socio-economic gainswill be sustainable.

The village community is the primary unit for theproject’s community development work, either throughthe existing village committees or through villagedevelopment subcommittees. The project will con-tinue to train village men and women to work notonly for the benefit of their own village, but also withothers for the development of their villages. Sincethe communities of ethnic minorities have a strongcommunal and clan organization, the project is work-ing through them rather than favoring a few individu-als.

During the first implementation phase, ParticipatoryVillage Planning (PVP) was introduced and carriedout in all target villages. The purpose of the villageplanning is to help the villagers to analyze their ownsituation and make them more conscious about thepotential for improved livelihood. In this respect, thePVP is also a way of motivating and mobilizing thevillagers to realize more of the human and naturalresource potentials of the village. In practice the PVPconsists of the same tools as the ones used in thePRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal) notably social andvillage resource mapping.

In order to contribute effectively to the project man-agement and decision making, the project keeps cop-ies of the results of each village’s PRA and PVP exer-

cises. This will help illustrating the evolution of pri-orities, their awareness and sensitivity and/or accept-ance of newly introduced ideas and methodologies.

Every year the annual planning starts with villagemeetings followed by the PVP in each village. Theresult of these exercises is discussed and prioritizedin an annual workshop, with representa-tives fromthe villages, the district and province authorities, andthe project. The annual plan, developed at the work-shop, is then adjusted to fit with the available resourcesby the project and by the district departments, beforethe final approval.

4. DRUG CONTROL OBJECTIVE:

The drug control objective is to eliminate opium pro-duction in Long district and to reduce illicit drug abuse.

The main overall quantitative achievement indicators,measured through annual opium survey and moni-tored by quarterly reports for the addiction situation,are:● opium production and area under poppy cultiva-

t ion in the target vi l lages and in the wholedistrict of Long;

● the number of opium addicts in target villagesthat have completed a detoxification process,and the percentage of relapse after 6 months;

● the reduction of the number of new addictscompared with the rate at the start of the project.

● the reduction of the overall addiction rate for thetarget villages

Another important overall achievement indicator isthat the communities and the government institutionsare to be able to take charge of their own develop-ment and deal with drug abuse problems as well asbe willing to reduce opium cultivation.

To achieve the immediate objectives the project isrunning drug detoxification and prevention programs.This involves treatment and rehabilitation integratedwith general community development initiatives. Thelocal government institutions play an important rolein supporting the communities in their drug abusereduction efforts.

In dealing with addiction problems in the target vil-lages the project continues to employ a community-

based drug control approach (CB-DAC). The termCommunity-based implies the active involvement ofthe community at every level of drug prevention andcontrol, starting with the recognition of drug abuseand production as the community’s own problem.

5. THE CB-DAC PROCESS

The CB-DAC process follows three main steps:

Situation analysis: information collection by fieldstaff and villagers on drug situation at community andhousehold level.

Group formation: formation of groups of personswho are concerned about the drug problem in thevillage, regular discussions with the groups in orderto facilitate the identification of solutions to the drugproblem

Leadership development: training and study tripsfor selected villagers and regular follow up.

The role of the project in this process is to providetechnical and financial backstopping to the DDC whichis the overall responsible for the CB-DAC component.During field implementation, the DDC will be assistedby technical district and project staff, village teachers,village health volunteers and village leaders.

As most of the target villages are Akha, an ethnicminority without a written language, all discussionmaterials have to be based on pictures or drawings.Therefore it has been developed a number of posters,showing the different aspects of opium addiction anddetoxification, in a village context that is familiar tothem.

The process is lengthy, but it is necessary in order tomake sure that everybody involved fully understandand support the process. It takes minimum six monthsfrom the first visit in the village to the detoxificationsession, but there are examples, where the prepara-tion period has been 2 years. All participation in thedetoxification is voluntary. It is possible to withdrawuntil the inauguration ceremony at the beginning ofthe detoxification, but once it has started and the par-ticipants have declared that they want to participate,any withdrawal would be regarded as a relapse.

The support from the respective family and the com-munity is possible only because all village prepara-tion, detoxification and rehabilitation activities takeplace in the target village. The lengthy process andthe strong commitment at all levels in the communi-ties have resulted in a remarkable success. During1999 - 2001, 8 groups were detoxified, in total morethan 120 addicts, with the incredible result of zero(0) relapses after 6 months. In 1998 and before, therelapse rate ranged from 30 % and up to 90 % for thegroups.

6. LESSONS LEARNED

The keys to the success is:

● The long preparation period● The strong support from the community● Frequent follow-up, especially the first three

months● Voluntary participation● Community-based detoxification

It doesn’t seem, however, that the support to the ex-addicts regarding access to credit or other assistance

for starting income generating activities is crucial. Attimes the project has failed to timely keep up with theexpectations and promises, but even in those casesthere has been no relapse.

7. RECOMMENDATIONS

The community based approach is the most impor-tant key to success, so there should be no compro-mise. It is also recommended that addicts from othervillages - though highly motivated - should not beaccepted into a group. The attempts this project havemade have resulted in a high percentage of relapses.

Concentrate the efforts on increasing the presence inthe villages, and thus the number of detoxifications.Don’t construct a detoxification center distant fromthe villages, thus making it almost impossible to keepthe strong community support.

Only use teaching and motivation material that couldbe fully understood by everybody. In other words: Basethe material entirely on pictures and drawings.

INTRODUCTION:

This paper focuses on the project AD/LAO/98/C85located at the Nahome Focal Site, Beng District ofOudomxay Province. The project title is Beng Alter-native Development Micro project, with a budget ofUS $ 900,000, for duration of three years 1999-2001. The Governments of Luxembourg and USArespectively are funding it. It covers 12 villages of thefocal site with a population of 3609 inhabited by threeethnic groups. The Khamu who are 1986 in total arethe largest group followed by the Hmong who number1606 and the smallest Leu who are only 17.

Oudomxay province is a mountainous area in north-ern Laos PDR The Province is located near the bor-ders of Thailand and Myanmar. It is a crossroad be-tween China, Vietnam, Thailand and other parts ofLaos. The geographical location of Oudomxay is suit-able for opium poppy cultivation which has been themain occupation of the Hmong and Khamu for yearstogether with shifting cultivation of upland rice. De-spite the long experience in poppy cultivation, thesecommunities remain poor because of exploitation bymiddlemen; addiction to opium wide spread andcommunication outside the focal site was difficult be-cause of inaccessibility by road and other media ofcommunication, Opium has been used to generateincome for families, has been medicine for ailmentsand is of social importance to these minority groups.

OVERALL OBJECTIVE

The overall objective of the project is to reduce opiumproduction and drug abuse among ethnic minoritiesin the northwestern Laos PDR

IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE:

The immediate objective of the project is to improvethe livelihood of the villagers and reduce their depend-ance on opium production and use by creating theinstitutional conditions required for accelerated alter-native development in opium poppy growing areas ofOudomxay Province.

Beng AlternativeDevelopment Micro-Project

1. OVERVIEW OF THE ILLICIT DRUG SITUATION:

Illicit Drug Situation at the Nahome Focal Site is as follows comparing the 1997 survey data and the 2001 surveydata.

1997 2001

178 opium addicts 110 opium addicts92.5 %HH growing opium 56.06% HH growing opium252 ha. Under opium poppy cultivation 94.97 ha. Under opium poppy cultivation

Presented by Mr. HoumphanhBouphakham, National Project Director

From this data, a reduction in cultivation, ad-diction and households growing opium can beseen.● Nahome focal site produces raw opium.● There is no cannabis production in this project

area.● Amphetamine is found in the project area but

there is no data to show the real situation.● There are no other major drugs other than

opium and amphetamine.● Selling and buying of opium within the project

area, the District and outside the District iscommon.

● There are 110 opium addicts in the project areaabusing drugs within the focal site. The situationoutside the focal site is not known because of thelack of data.

2. OVERVIEW OF NATIONAL DRUG CONTROLPOLICIES AND MASTER PLAN:

The Prime Ministers order / decree no. 14, Notice ofOudomxay Province no. 73, notice of the PCDC andLaw Enforcement Chapter 153 have been explainedto the DCDC, relevant/ concerned District Line De-partments, village authorities and each village com-munities. Awareness has been created and all knowthe policies and the results of those found with drugs.

3. NATIONAL POLICIES, STRATEGIES ANDAPPROACHES FOR ILLICIT CROP CONTROLAND ALTRENATIVE DEVELOPMENT

The project policy is to reduce or eliminate opiumpoppy production, use and possession. The strategyhas been:

● Involve the community in discussing the projectissues as much as possible.

● Plan with the beneficiaries from the beginningof the activity to implementation, follow up andmonitoring.

● Introduce alternative livelihood means, which willreplace opium income.

● Sustainability of the act ivit ies introduced isworked jointly with the beneficiaries, concernedline departments, DMT and the project.

● Law enforcement has been strengthened.

4. SUMMARY OF NATIONAL PROGRAMMESAND PROJECTS ON CROP ERADICATIONAND ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Summary AD/LAO/98/C85● Build capacity of the beneficiaries, DMT and

Concerned District Line Departments throughtraining, study tours, visits meetings and dis-cussions.

● Plan with al l the above, discuss, and reachsolutions together.

● Support those activities, which the familiesprefer and are willing to take care of followingproject regulations.

● Regular visits, meetings, discussions, follow upand monitoring of activities.

● Empower women by involving them in everyproject activity and train them.

● Support cultivation of short-term yielding crops/activities which give income within a short time.

5. UNDCP AND EXTERNAL FUNDEDALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

The Governments of Luxembourg and USA respec-tively fund the project through UNDCP.

6. ANALYSIS ON IMPACTS OF THEALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENTPROGRAMMES AND PROJECTSON ILLICIT CROP ERADICATIONAND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.

Positive Impact:

The community has accepted the project because theyunderstand the objectives.The regular meetings, visits, follow up and monitor-ing have created confidence.Coordination of all those concerned is clear and eve-ryone knows his or her roleStrengthened law enforcement and involvement of theDCDC has been initiated.

Negative impact:

The project is not able to support every family be-cause of the limited funds.Influence from the villages outside the focal site stillgrowing opiums making our work difficult.

7. GOOD PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNESFROM THE PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS:

Good practices:

● Coordination among DCDC, Concerned DistrictLine Departments, DMT, Village Authoritiesand project is good.

● Empowerment of VDC to take charge of theproject activites at the village level.

● Capacity Building by training, study tours,meetings discussions has made all understandthe project objectives.

Lessons learned:

● Meet regularly with all actors to understandproject goals and implementation approach.

● Policies and laws must be explained clearly andpatiently to be understood by the beneficiariesso that they can make decisions in favor of theproject objectives

● Species of animals applied should to be from withinthe District to be able to cope with the envi-ronment

● Agreements / bonds are not necessarily a gua-rantee that the beneficiary will stop cultivatingor smoking opium.

● Provision of the necessary infrastructure in theremote areas makes support to beneficiaries easier.

● Reduction of opium poppy cultivation, numberof households growing opium poppy and addictsis possible if alternative livelihood means areprovided.

8. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTUREDEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATIONOF ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT ANDCROP ERADICATION INITIATIVES

● Balanced approach for alternative deve-lopment:

Projects to support all families in the project area

● Agricultural alternative developmentAt the beginning, the project should supportactivities whose technology is familiar to thebeneficiaries then slowly introduce new techno-logies. New technologies at the beginning of theproject take a long time because the farmer isnot sure.

● Non-agricultural alternativesTrain the beneficiaries on alternatives withinthe project area then expand to those outsidethe project area.

● Micro- credit system for alternative deve-lopmentProject does not have experience on micro creditsystem, but have experience on livestock revol-ving fund. The Village Development Committee(VDC) manages the livestock revolving fund.Our experience here is that there should be clearplanning with the beneficiaries so that theyunderstand the concept and are willing to getinvolved.

● Marketing strategies for alternative deve-lopment productsThere should be clear roles of the Departmentsof Commerce and Agriculture in marketing pro-ducts. These two departments should enter con-tracts between them.

● Cross Border Cooperation and tradeThe project does not have cross border coopera-tion

● Emerging challenges and roles of the UNand International Development Agencies.Provide enough funds to support all the projectbeneficiaries for sustainability and achievementof goals.

HistoryOne of the major reasons for the conception and set-up of the Lao-German Project “Promotion of DrugControl” (LG-PDC) was the experience of the Inte-grated Food Security Project Muang Sing & Nalae(IFSP), implemented through the German TechnicalCooperation (GTZ): After some years working inMuang Sing, a district with a high opium addictionrate and relatively high opium production levels, theproject came to the conclusion that it could not possi-bly reach its targets of Food Security without directlytackling the adverse consequences of drug abuse in adecisive and well conceived manner.

The IFSP carried out its first drug demand reductionrelated activities in 1998, the LG-PDC started offi-cially in January 1999, with its first mayor activitiesbeginning in June 1999, now having an experiencein the field of drug control in the Lao PDR of twoyears.

Project design and structureThe concept of the LG-PDC puts much emphasis onthe building and strengthening of appropriate DrugControl institutions in all relevant fields (health, agri-culture, education & information) and at all relevantadministrative levels in the Lao PDR, that is from cen-tral and provincial level to district and village level.Within these different institutions Human ResourceDevelopment (HRD) is a consequent major task. Look-ing at the project’s structure it is important to notethat the project works not only at all levels but alsowithin the two hierarchical lines, in the policy as wellas in the technical line. The set-up of committees forDrug Control at provincial and district level was re-cently completed with the set-up of Drug ControlUnits (DCU) in the relevant technical ministries (June2001), job description and clarification of mandateand terms of inter-agency cooperation between thetechnical and the policy line still being finalized.

With Drug Control being a complex task which needsappropriate policy and monitoring but equally localimplementation in mostly remote areas, the ProjectCoordination Unit (PCU) cooperates with 3 ongo-ing rural developement projects, supported by GTZand working in 3 different provinces with differentagro-ecological characteristics: Bokeo, Xieng Khouangand Luang Namtha. The PCU advises the differentactors on national and province level whereas the in-tegrated drug control components in the three coop-erating projects work on district and village level, feed-ing back the experiences of implementation into thepolicy formulation level.

StrategyThrough its cooperating rural development projects,LG-PDC works with a longterm approach. Experi-ence exchange and coordination between the differ-ent national institutions as well as the projects arefacilitated and shall bring about a fruitful mutual learn-ing process which outcome and best practices canafterwards be taken over and replicated through theaccordingly strengthened national institutions on alllevels, once the LG-PDC has come to an end.

The Lao-GermanDrug Control Project

Presented by Ms. Andrea Kuhlmann,Associate Advisor

The project applies a community based approach todrug demand reduction. With respect to alternativedevelopment it is considered that the individual situa-tion of households concerning food security, accessto natural resources, economic status and availabilityof labor force has to be taken into account in a gendersensitive way.

Modalities of project management and imple-mentationStrategy and structure of the project are reflected inits planning matrix (result and activity level) and itsmanagement modalities.

The Programme Facilitation Unit (PFU) is based inthe capital Vientiane, taking an overall coordinatingrole and assisting in and advising on policy formula-tion and cross-institutional technical aspects of drugcontrol. Achievement examples of these activitiesare e.g. the elaboration of “Community based reha-bilitation guidelines for drug addicts” (with MoH) and“Curricula development for drug prevention” (withMoE) with national applicability. The PFU equallyassists the counterpart on national and provincial levelin organizational development. As examples the es-tablishment and definition of job-description of Pro-vincial Committees for Drug Control (PCDC) as wellas presently the establishment of Drug Control Unitsin Line Ministries (MoAF, MoE, MoH, MoIC) arementioned. These entities are responsible for overalldrug control issues within their respective regionalmandate, i.e. on district, provincial or national level.Furthermore the PFU contributes to Human ResourceDevelopment through training, seminar and workshopfacilitation in and outside the Lao P.D.R

The cooperating projects, based on province and/ordistrict level, work in different agro-ecological zonesand integrate the drug control component in their in-dividual overall planning matrix. Some different char-acteristics of the respective drug situation and theprojects set-up are roughly shown below. (see trans-parencies)

Marketing of alternative productsThe project has gained so far only the first expe-riences in this field. In one of the rural target areas amarkting study was started, which concentrated mainlyon the supply potential but has to be analyzed furtherand complemented with a thorough market demand

analysis. Nevertheless, some points are consideredto be crucial for AD activities/projects:

Marketing needs a long term perspective and localpotentials as wel l as market demands shall bethouroghly assessed before encouraging any produc-tion on a larger scale. Along with this process differ-ent local actors and institutions have to be involvedand strengthened accordingly, thereby assuring own-ership and sustainability. The projects role is to facili-tate but not to manage marketing activities.

Through crop diversification and farming systemsapproaches (including community forestry) farmer’srisks and ecological degradation should be minimized.Saving & credit systems on village level are importantas well as a step-by-step improvement of infrastruc-ture.

So far the project gained some experiences in mar-keting potentials in the following fields or products:Non Timber Forest Products, handicrafts (small scale,tourism related), food processing & value addition (e.g.dried bamboo shoots, tea and coffee), sugar cane,silk production, livestock.

Examples:In Xieng Khouang silkproduction is seen to have somepotential. The project has contracted an existing pri-vate company in the provincial capital for training,technical and marketing advice to the farmers. Theactivity focuses first on villages not too far away fromroad access, but with further improvement and ex-tension of the road infrastructure through Food forWork (FfW) other villages will be included in the fu-ture.

Other potential areas for Alternative Development arecommunity forestry and marketing of NTFP.

In Luang Namtha the project tests the marketingpotentials of a diverse range of products. It facilitatedcontacts to a chinese sugar company and now farm-ers manage and negotiate with this company on theirown. Within the development of locally appropriatefarming systems the project promotes e.g. livestockraising, cardamom, tea, coffee, fruittree plantation,maize and fodder production. Improved rice produc-tion linked to diversified farming systems and therebyhousehold food security remain primary concerns. In

2000 the project started to support handicraft pro-duction through the setup of an ethnic minority shopat the district market. Harm reduction possibilities forupland communities facing adverse consequences ofthe incoming tourism but also potential benefits arebeing explored in cooperation with the UNESCOsupported NamHa Eco-Tourism Project based inLuang Namtha.

For value addition and improvement of marketingpossibilities of farm products the project faciltated foodprocessing through training (Training of Trainersapproach) and study tours.

Analysis on impacts of the alternative developmentprojects on illicit crop eradication and communitydevelopmentThe National Annual Opium Poppy Survey (99/00)jointly carried out by LCDC and UNDCP shows somesignificant reduction of opium poppy growing areasin regions where rural development projects work. Butdespite increased alternative development efforts atendency of increase in opium poppy production insome of the LG-PDC target and bordering areas isperceived as farmers “take their last chance”, fearingthat growing pressure will impede poppy productionin the future. Equally a tendency of a cer tainprofessionalization is perceived, e.g. farmers have beencontracted by others for opium poppy production.In order to enable communities to cope with the nec-essary changes coming along with the switch fromillicit opium poppy production to other alternative licitincome generating possibilities, community develop-ment and strengthening of community institutions area necessary prerequisit for AD. Community develop-ment has to do with cultural behaviour and thereforeneeds time as well as project/government presenceon village level. In this respect the restricted availabil-ity of skilled staff and the non-existence of local NGOspresent a constraint in the Lao PDR.

The experience of the LG-PDC so far confirms thatof other AD projects: AD contributes to opium poppyelimination if basic needs are met, alternative pro-duce is marketable and village institutions strenghendaccordingly in order to take over and manage the rangeof alternatives on their own.

Summary of good practices and lessons learnedAs has been mentioned already the project disposes

of two years of experiences with some activities inAlternative Development starting only recently. Thefollowing good practises/lessons learnt representconsequently no comprehensive list or analysis butshall be raised here for further discussion:

● Basic needs of households have to be met firstor parallel to supply reduction efforts

● Poor households with addicted members areoften more difficult to convince for alternativeproduction, therefore services for detoxificationand rehabilitation have to be offered parallel andin a community based way

● Drug Control, especially in remote areas has todo with behaviour and cultural at t itudes.Changes and negotiation processes need timeand appropriate cultural mediation

● Par t icipatory planning and implementat ionshould enable village organizations and farmersto take responsibility and ownership for theiralternative development

● Drug Control has to look at household level ina gender specific perspective: what are the realsituation and resources of each, how muchworking force is available. No blue print approachis possible as situations vary a lot

● Induced change from subsistence economy tocash crop product ion needs a step by stepapproach and therefore time

Recommendations for future development and imple-mentation of alternative development and crop eradi-cation initiativesHere again some points shall be raised for furtherdiscussion, especially between the relevant nationalinstitutions and donor agencies working in drug plantproducing areas in the Lao PDR:

● There is a need of stronger coordination of de-velopment projects in opium poppy producingareas, especially between financial and technicalcooperation with regard to appropriate infras-tructure development

● Improvement of infrastructure and market accessof the remote areas are necessary while takinginto account that it be people centered and doesnot cause remote areas to be “overrun by themarket”

● Curricula at agricultural schools and universitiesshould adopt to national policies on rural upland

development. Skill upgrading of available staffthrough HRD plans is recommended

● The growing presence of ATS also in thenorthern provinces could easi ly underminecommunity and alternative development effortsand should be taken into account in the nationalpolicy for drug control and development ingeneral

● Directly and indirectly related national policies(e.g. shifting cultivation stabilization) have to betaken into account and drug control plans should

be integrated in the respective general develop-ment plans of the respective administrative level

● The need for a parallel backing-up of alternativedevelopment efforts through law enforcementis strongly felt by various actors. Neverthelessregarding the complexity of the task there is alsosome fear that the time-objective for opium eli-mi-nation by 2005/06 is too ambitious andmight cause an unbalance between prohibitiveapproaches and alternative development

1. INTRODUCTION

In the Lao PDR, in the province of Houaphan, thereis a project named, “Shifting Cultivation StabilizationPilot Project (SCSPP)”. Alternative development mi-cro project AD/LAO/00/D35 deals with village baseddevelopment of the SCSPP.

This is a unique project of cooperation of beneficiar-ies villagers and the provincial authority of Houaphan(GHP), a loan from the Asian Development Bank(ADB) and development assistance from the UnitedNations (UNDCP).

The project cost of SCSPP has been estimated to beas follows: beneficiaries (GHP and villagers) - 21 %;ADB loan - 64 % (US $ 5,6 mil.); UNDCP - 15 %(US$ 2,1 mil.). The total estimated cost of the projectis US$ 8,8 mil. to be spent during six years.

1.1 Overview of illicit drug situationAccording to statistics of 1998, Houaphanprovince had about 3500 ha of land underopium poppy cultivation and around 2,9 %addiction rate was observed. An approximateestimate of opium production for the year1998 could be mentioned as 12 - 15 tons.

Although there is no indication of productionof amphetamine type stimulants within theprovince, officials responsible are convincedthat trafficking of illicit drugs through the pro-vince is rampant and high.

Police check points are regularly organizedin major routes as a measure to control drugtrafficking.

The project area is adjacent to the districtXam Tai, having highest opium poppy cul-tivation density.

2. NATIONAL POLICIES ON DRUG CONTROLAND ILLICIT CROP ERADICATION

The government of the Lao PDR has clearly set agoal of eradication of opium poppy cultivation in the

Village Based DevelopmentComponent in a Pilot Projecton Stabilization of ShiftingCultivations in Houaphan Province

Presented by Mr. Mahinada Kurukulasuriya,Technical Advisor

country by the year 2006 and the above mentionedproject in the province would contribute in achievingthe national goal.

Under the Lao Master plan, Lao- American IntegratedRural Development Project in Viengthong andHouamouang districts of Houaphan province wasexecuted from 30 Sept. 1989 to 30 Sept. 1999. Grantaid of US$ 16 mil. was spent, with the purpose ofbuilding basic infrastructure, economic and socialdevelopment, in order to reduce growing of opiumpoppy cultivation and slash and burn agriculture, andimprove living standard of the 44,017 beneficiaries.As per documents, there was a 7- 9 % addiction ratein 1992.

AD/LAO/00/D35 is a follow up of USA supportedproject under the Lao Master plan.

Prime Minister’s order No 14 specifically states thatthe national goal for eradication of opium poppy cul-tivation by 2006 and amendment to the article 135of the criminal code on drug trafficking or possessionin 2001 are positive measures under national poli-cies.

3. REVIEW OF ALTERNATIVEDEVELOPMENT STRATEGIESAND APPROACHES.

Evolution of “ Alternative Development” over the pasttwenty years having passed through UNFDAC andother predecessor organizations could be highlightedas historic. Accumulated experience of policies andprogrammes with the sole aim of reducing and elimi-nating the illicit cultivation of crops from which drugsmay be extracted should be mentioned as unique.

Methodology has undergone gradual evolution from“crop substitution” to “integrated rural development”and reaching the present “alternative development”stage. National governments, multilateral and bilat-eral donors have collaborated in rural developmentprogrammes with no high emphasis on drug supplyreduction policy. Equal importance should be placedfor control of drug situation at district/village level,having empowered local institutions to enforce lawspertaining to drug production, trafficking etc.

For drug control activities, the programmes shouldbe attuned to local circumstances, without adherenceto universal applicability. Partners at local level in-volving community leaders and organizations, NGOsetc. should be a regular feature, to be successful indrug supply control.

In order to target action to reduce illicit cultivation ofcrops for preparation of drugs, a comprehensive pro-grammes in collaboration with government institu-tions, and other agencies to provide basic infrastruc-ture facilities, management of natural resources at locallevel, participatory technology development (PTD) foragricultural activities, harnessing of renewable energy,local capacity building, institutional strengthening etc.for sustainable development is highly emphasized.

4. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

4.1 IntroductionHouaphan is one of eighteen provinces of theLao PDR, situated in the north-east of thecountry, bordering Vietnam. Population ofthe province is around 250,000. Access tothe capital , Xam Neua could be made by asmall plane in about 90 minutes fromVientiane, the capital city of Lao PDR. Theroad access is possible to Xam Neua fromVientiane, passing through Luang Prabangin about 30 hours, traversing around 900 kmof all weather road including about 100 kmof road in deteriorated condition.

Houaphan province with eight districts issituated between 19°-21° N and 102°-105° E. Pr oject area belongs to the districtof Xam Neua, having elevations from 950-1600 m. The project SCSPP consists of 48villages, covering an area of 70,000ha intwo sub project areas: Nam Ham - 21villages, Nam Ven - 27 villages. Number ofhouseholds amounts to 2100 with 12,600beneficiaries.

The programme title is: A balanced ap-proach to opium elimination in Lao PDR.Project SCSPP commenced in July 2000and micro project AD/LAO/00D35 com-

menced in Jan. 2001 with the arrival offour UNVs and TA. The duration of SCSPPis six years. Lao National Commission forDrug Control and Supervision (LCDC) isthe counterpart institution of the govern-ment of the Lao PDR and the PGH is theexecuting agency.

Within SCSPP, the agricultural activities,agroforestry, conservation of the environ-ment etc. are carried out from the ADBloan. Village based development concen-trating on drug supply/demand reduction isbeing done with UNDCP funds (US$ 2,1),having engaged four UNVs (communitydevelopment, community health, infrastruc-ture development and micro finance) and aTechnical Adviser.

4.2 Objectives4.2.1 SCSPP aimsBriefly, the aims of SCSPP could be high-lighted as follows:● Poverty reduction;● Increase food production;● Reduct ion of opium product ion and

consumption; and● Environmental protection and conser-

vation.

4.2.2 Drug control objectivesThe major objective is the elimination ofopium production and abuse in Lao PDR.The village based development micro projectAD/LAO/00/D35 aims to achieve thefol lowing major object ive, through theimmediate objective summarized as:

Elimination of opium production andabuse over six years, among 12,600inhabitants of 2100 villages in two subproject areas, Nam Ham and Nam Ven.

4.3 Project strategiesMicro project has high emphasis to empowerlocal communit ies to manage their ownactivities. With this in mind, the vil lagebased development has embraced thefollowing: family as the primary unit andthe community as the backbone of villagedevelopment; learn with people and build

knowledge and capacity through act ionlearning; participatory approach for villagecommunities to do their own analysis, planaction according to their agenda, aspirations,resources etc.; and make their own moni-toring and evaluations.

Rapid Rural Appraisal (RRA)/ ParticipatoryRural Appraisal (PRA)/Participatory Learningfor Action (PLA) has one significant strengththat, it is visible and therefore, accessible toa large group of people. The visual methodscould be summarized as six main activities:mapping and modeling: sequencing (chro-nologically); listing; sorting; and ranking.

Village based development is a process withpeople, through people for developmentand it searches for real solutions to actualproblems.

Strategy and approach for strengtheningvillage based organizations for bottom upplanning and environmental support couldbe mentioned as:● Institutional strengthening and capacity

building;● Diversified sedentary farming systems

development;● Village based development;● Rural infrastructure development; and● Project management

4.4 ActivitiesPlanning and implementation of projectact ivit ies are based on grass-root levelparticipatory approach with active invol-vement of beneficiaries at all levels, commu-nity institutions, PIO (project implementationoffice) and others. In addition to the seden-tary farming systems development, the fol-lowing four broad categories are the majorcontributors to village based development:● Community development, where VDCs

(vil lage development committees) areformed/ activated, necessary sub com-mittees are formulated (savings and credit,primary health care, water user associa-tions etc.), village development planningprocess has been rekindled, natural

resources management awareness hasbeen highlighted etc.

● Focus on gender, the roles women and menplay in each and every activity have beenemphasized.

● Community health affairs dealing withprimary health care, pure and adequatesupply of drinking water, awarenessraising on drug abuse, training of villagehealth volunteers, community based de-toxification of drug addicts, environmentalsanitation of the households and com-munity, nutritional status improvementsetc.

● Micro finance is charged with awarenessimprovement and training on savings andcredit for village development, facilitateuse of credit line available to enhanceincome generation activities and ultima-tely creation of a revolving fund in eachvillage, to be used as a capital for futuredevelopment.

● Community engineering has responsi-bility to execute infrastructure improve-ments identified by beneficiaries such asprovision of rural roads/ tracks, puredrinking water supplies, irrigation faci-lities etc. and planning, construction andmaintenance through water user associ-ations (WUA). Necessary training andadvise for WUAs.

4.5 ResourcesGHP and beneficiaries would provide humanand monetary resources for the SCSPP,amounting to 21 % of the total project cost(US$ 8.8 mil.).

Micro project has a budget of US$ 2.1 mil.provided by UNDCP, earmarked for villagebased development support ( training ma-terials, construction accessories and equip-ment, credit facility etc.).

A sum of US$ 157,000 has been allocatedunder credit line to create a revolving fund.

4.6 Planned outputsOutputs in the micro project, village baseddevelopment, the following three are high-lighted:

● Capacity building for village developmentplanning;

● Technical support; and● Management and coordination.

5. PROJECT MANAGEMENT ANDIMPLEMENTATION

The SCSPP management structure consists of threemajor actors, controlled by the GHP, under the PIO.

PIO is composed of the National Project Director(NPD), Deputy NPD responsible for technical mat-ters and counterpart staff seconded from GHP insti-tutions responsible for agricultural development andextension, village based development etc. Local Con-sultancy Company chosen by the GHP has the re-sponsibility to assist PIO, to make use of ADB ap-proved loan as per project document. UN team as-sists PIO to implement village based developmentcomponent, according to the project document.

According to the geographical location of villages,the project area has been divided into two sub projectareas, each having a local development center (LDC).Each LDC would have a Manager and counterpartstaff, directly responsible to the PIO, having autonomyfor the management of each sub project area.

6. ANALYSIS OF IMPACTS OF ALTERNATIVEDEVELOPMENT PROJECTS ON ILLICITCROP ERADITION AND COMMUNITYDEVELOPMENT.

General analysis shows that AD projects positivelycontribute to community development and eradica-tion of growing of opium poppy.

Especially, the infrastructure development, provisionof primary health care education facilities, openingup to marketing facilities etc, show considerable im-provements in living standards.

Provision of facilities for cultivation of irrigated paddyhas positive influence on eradication of opium poppygrowing. Limited availability of land for irrigated paddycompels some villagers to practice shifting cultiva-tion under harsh conditions, hence opium poppy grow-ing continues.

Limited availability of agricultural extension services,credit facilities and lack of law enforcement at villagelevel could be mentioned as obstructions to ADprojects.

7. SUMMARY OF GOOD PRACTICESAND LESSONS LEARNED FROMTHE PROJECTS.

Bi-annual experience exchange meeting (EEM) hasprovided a forum to learn and exchange good prac-tices and shortcomings in AD projects. Major pointsneeding attention are as follows:

Good practices● Participatory approach to planning, implementa-

tion, monitoring and evaluation ;● Provision of credit through community guaran-

tee for income generation, purchase of medi-caments and creation of a revolving fund forcapital development of the village;

● Capacity building at village, community anddistrict levels;

● Local governments to execute projects andcreation of sub-project areas for effective, efficientmanagement;

● Holistic approach of provision of basic infras-tructure, economic and social developmentwhile giving high emphasis to reduction of drugsupply.

● Awareness development, motivat ion, propercoordination at grass-root, district and projectimplementation levels through regular discus-sions, training, meetings and part icipatorymonitoring and evaluations.

● Study tours, training sessions, visits to successfulprojects to get acquainted with new and profita-ble techniques, methods within and outside theprovince, to change attitudes, perception etc,

● Orient AD projects to achieve national goalsspecified in a master plan for eradication ofopium poppy cultivation.

Lessons learned● Law enforcement should go hand in hand with

other activities of AD, especially at grass-rootlevel:

● Having realized the complexity of AD projects,staff involved should be properly briefed,concepts of AD should be explained andnecessary training the should be provided foreffective management.

● AD projects should be planned in such a waythat they can attract many donors, sharing thepolitical will achiev the ultimate goal of poppycultivation eradication.

● More emphasis should be paid to detoxificationthrough community based approach and thepossibility of ATS penetrading in to new areasshould be given high attention.

8. RECOMMENDATIONS.

● Considering AD as a multisectoral process,long term development programme shouldbe established to eradicate opium poppy cul-tivation by 2006 and Lao PDR to enhanceliving standards above LDC status by 2020.

● To match the needs of long term multisectoraldevelopment, vil lage / district / provincialinstitutions should be reinforced with humanresources and other basis necessities.

● In projects where sustainable non-wood fores-try product exploitation is taking places, em-phasis should be made to create markets,establish extension services and facilitatecommunities enhance income rapidly andsystematically.

● Countries sharing common borders shouldfacilitate each other to open markets forcross-border trade, hence agricultural produc-tion and improve local rural cottage industries.

● Projects having the capacity / capability torun local rural industries should be given im-mediate attention of improvement of qualityand provide access to markets.

● Awareness raising of local authorities, benefi-ciaries etc. to involve cooperation at all levelsand to ascertain sustainability is of utmostimportance.

A. Overview of the illicit drug situation1. Illicit drug production: The following is the data

on cultivation and eradication of poppy from1997/98 to 2000/2001-

Year Cultivation acreage destroyed acreage1997/98 151201.01 44479.351998/99 102066.766 9824.6671999/2000 90455.1 10987.7622000/2001 81661.1 24979.349

Collection of base line data on poppy cultivation wasconducted in January 1998 and has been updated bythe States and Divisions every year. According to thebase line data we can see that the poppy cultivationhas decreased substantially every year and also thenumber of acreage of poppy cultivation destroyed hasbeen increasing over the years.

The production of heroin in Myanmar is conductedin the remote clandestine makeshift refineries and isvery hard to estimate. But the following data is theseizure of heroin since 1996 and it shows a de-creasing trend-

Myanmar Country Paper

Presented by Mr. U Nyi Nyi Director, Progress of Border Areas and National Races Departmentand Lt. Colonel Wa Tin Deputy Director, Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control

Year Sized heroin (kg.)1996 5041997 14011998 4031999 2732000 1582001 29

2. Cannabis (Situation and estimated production) :Cannabis is cultivated in Myanmar for local consump-tion only and have no evidence of trafficking to othercountries has been found. The following data is theseizure of cannabis since 1996-

Year Seized Cannabis (kg.)1996 2631997 2881998 3801999 2742000 6012001 135

3. Synthetic drugs and Amphetamine: Ampheta-mine Type Stimulants synthetic drugs were producedin clandestine makeshift labs along the border. Thefollowing is the seizure of ATS and precursor chemi-cals since 1996-

Year ATS tablets (million) Weight (kg)1996 5.9 590.61997 5.02 502.81998 16.02 1602.61999 28.88 2888.72000 26.75 2675.92001 9.76 976.7

Year Seized Ephedrine (kg)1997 24201998 38191999 64852000 26702001 2096

Trainings and Workshops on Precursor Chemicalswere conducted in 1997 and thanks to it that the lawenforcement agencies were able to detect ephedrinestarting from that year.

4. Other major drugs : Other major drugs are opiumand cough tablets and cough mixtures containingcodine. Phensedyl and Phencodine cough mixturesare the most commonly abused drugs. The followingdata is the seizure of Phensedyl -

Year Seized Phensedyl (litre)1996 17891997 8961998 12861999 2742000 2222001 487

Year Seized Opium (kg)1996 13001997 78831998 53931999 14452000 15282001 449

5. Illicit drug trafficking : Illicit drug trafficking forheroin and ATS is done through the porous bordersof People’s Republic of China, Lao PDR and Thai-land towards the international markets. PrecursorChemicals are also trafficked from India, People’sRepublic of China and Thailand. The following is thedata of seized precursor chemicals-

Year Seized Precursor Chemicals(liter)

1996 463551997 895461998 928591999 586382000 891892001 57815

Heroin refineries are usually in the very remoteand inaccessible border areas the following is the dataof seized heroin refineries-

Year Seized refineries1996 241997 331998 211999 132000 32001 2

6. Drug Abuse : Central Committee for Drug AbuseControl conducted the base line survey on drug ad-dicts in 1998 and has being up dated every year bythe States and Divisions. According to survey as of2001 March there are 71439 addicts and the type ofdrugs abuse are as follows -

Opium 45.55 %Heroin 40.21%Cannabis 7.35%Stimulants 1.93%Cough Tables 1.38%Tranquilizers 0.75%Others 2.83%

B. Overview of national drug control policiesand master plan

1. Myanmar has a vision for the total elimination ofcultivation, production, and abuse of narcotics within

the whole of the country by the year 2014 and haslaid down the following Strategy, Tactics and Meth-odology-

1.1 National Strategy : The following is the twonational strategies on drug abuse control-● To designate drug abuse control as a

national duty and to perform this dutywith added momentum;

● To raise the standard of living of theborder areas and national races to gra-dually wipe out the habit of poppygrowing.

1.2 Three Tactics: To implement the nationalstrategies fully, the three tactics are adopted -● Supply elimination● Demand elimination● Law Enforcement

1.3 Methodology : The three methods arefollowed for assured success-● For the producer and abuser of narcotic

drugs to enlighten their belief, convictionand their psychological make-up for thebetter:

● For the easy accessibility and communi-cation between those national races inthe highlands and those at various otherplaces:

● To develop the socio economic conditionof the national races and border areas.

1.4 Master Plan : The 15 years Narcotic Elimi-nation Master Plan has been formulatedand was implemented starting from 1999-2000 until 2013-2014. The Master Planwill be implemented in Three Phases -First 5 year plan1999-2000 to 2003-2004 : 22 townshipsSecond 5 year plan2004-2005 to 2008-2009 : 20 townshipsThird 5 year plan2009-2010 to 2013-2014 : 9 townships

1.5 Designating Prioritized Activities● The elimination of cultivation and pro-

duction of opium poppy;● The elimination of the abuse of narcotic

drugs;

● Enforcement;● Organizing the local populace to parti-

cipate in the fight against narcotic drugs;● International Cooperation.

C. Summary of national programmes andprojects on crop eradication and alternativedevelopment

The following are the national programmes andprojects on crop eradication and alternative develop-ment -

1. The 15 year Narcotic Elimination Plan (1999 to2014)

The 15 year Narcotic Elimination Plan has beenimplemented starting from 1999-2000 fiscal yeardesignating the following prioritized Regions-

● First 5 year plan15 townships of the Northern Shan State6 townships of the Southern Shan State3 townships of the Eastern Shan StateTotal 22 townships

● Second 5 year plan7 townships of the Northern Shan State3 townships of the Southern Shan State6 townships of the Eastern Shan State4 townships of the Kachin StateTotal 20 township

● Third 5 year plan5 townships of the Southern Shan State2 townships of the Kayah State2 townships of the Chin StateTotal 9 townships.

1.2 Budget breakdown of the 15 year plan is asfollows -

Kyats (million)Agriculture 6072.899Livestock Breeding 57.899Roads, Bridges and Construction 22495.090Communications 201.183Energy 773.529Commerce 23.636Health 1632.850Rehabilitation 405.000Education 377.500

Kyats (million)Organizing 352.550Enforcement 1196.000Total 33588.136

The following foreign (US$) currency shall also beutilized-

Kyats (million)Agriculture 49.904995Livestock Breeding 2.256000Roads, Bridges and Construction 4.364710Energy 5.400000Rehabilitation 0.085714Organizing 0.182250Law Enforcement 87.806431Total 150.000100

1.3 Expected results● The 1st Five year: The 22 townships

that were priorit ized, namely 15 inNorthern Shan State, 6 in SouthernShan State and 1 in Eastern ShanState wil l be developed al l round.Regional development in the remaining29 townships will also be initiated.

● The 2nd Five Year: The second priority21 townships, 7 in Northern Shan State,3 in Southern Shan State, 7 in EasternShan State and 4 in Kachin State, willreceive the focal attention of the plan. Itis important for the 22 first prioritytownships to maintain the successesin the elimination of opium in theirareas and upgrade the continued ac-hievements. There will be escalation ofact iv it ie s in the enforcement andeducative sectors. The third prioritytownships will also be initiated theiractivities.

● The 3rd Five Year: The third priority 9townships, 5 townships in SouthernShan State, 2 in Kayah State, 2 in ChinState, will be going full swing in theelimination of narcotics. At that periodof time the other regions will be free fromnarcotics and the rest of the country willbe catching on and they themselves shallbe free. Law enforcement and educationwill escalate in tandem so that the popu-

lace will join in the movement and shakefree from the clutches of narcotic drugsand gain footholds in the thrivingeconomy to become in al l rounddeveloped nation.

2. The Master Plan for the Development of BorderAreas and National Races.

2.1 Three phases: It has been implementedsince 1993 with the following 3 phases-First 3 years Short term plan1993/1994 to1995/1996First 5 years Medium term plan1996/1997 to 2000/2001Second 5 years Medium term plan2001/2002 to 2005/2006

2.2 Budget allocation: Kyats 17.708 billionhas been allocated for the implementationof the Master Plan and as of May 2001the State has spent 21.05297 billion kyats.

2.3 Objectives● To develop the economic and social

works and roads and communicationsof the national races at the borderareas, in accordance with the aimswhich are non-disintegrat ion of theUnion, nondisintegration of the nationalsolidarity and perpetuation of the so-vereignty of the State;

● To cherish and preserve the culture,literature and customs of the nationalraces;

● To strengthen the amity among thenational races.

● To eradicate totally the cultivation ofpoppy plants by establishing economicenterprises;

● To preserve and maintain the security,prevalence of law and order and re-gional peace and tranquility of theborder areas.

2.4 Strategies● To construct all-weather roads in the

vital and important regions and places;● To help cultivate paddy for food security

and cultivating cash crops like sugarcane,

maize, beans and pulses, and creatingsustainable markets for the produce;

● To propagate promising perennial treeson a commercial scale;

● To open new primary schools wherenecessary and to upgrade primaryschools into Middle Schools;

● To carry out endeavors for the preven-tion and the cure of common diseasesin the border areas;

● To set up and upgrade all the means ofmedia for public relations.

D. UNDCP and external funded alternativedevelopment projects

1. UNDCP projects● AD/MYA/98/D-93

Project area: Laukkai Township, KokangRegion.UNDCP Contribution: US$ 339,000.Government Contribution: K 800,000.Duration: 1998 Nov. to Dec. 2000.

● AD/MYA/98/D-94Project area: Namtit Township, Wa Region.UNDCP Contribution: US$ 226,000.Government Contribution: K 600,000.Duration: 1998 Nov. to Dec. 2000

● AD/RAS/96/C-25Project area: Mong Pawk District, SouthernWa RegionUNDCP Contribution: US$ 15,492,075.Government Contribution: K 28,358,000.Duration: 1998-2003 (5 years).

2. Karamosia International projects● Inle Lake Symbiotic Development Project

(ILSD)Project area : Nyaung Shwe, Pindaya andKalaw Townships, Southern Shan State.Karamosia Contribution : Yen 216,389,300Government Contribution : 4.964 millionkyats.Duration : 1998 Dec to 2001 Nov.

● Wa Symbiotic Development Project (WSD)Project area : Mong Phyen township,Southern Wa Region.Karamosia Contribution : Yen 220 million.Duration : 1st Phase - 1999 Oct. to 2002

March2nd Phase - 2002 April to 2004 Sept.

3. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)● 2KR Programme: Japan International Coo-

peration Agency provided the following2 Grants for the Project of Increase of FoodProduction in the Border Areas of Myanmarunder 2KR programme -1995 1 billion Yen1998 800 million Yen.The grant aid was utilized for the procure-ment of Agricultural inputs such as fertili-zers and Agricultural Machinery.

● Buckwheat (Soba) cultivation project forcrop substitution● Under this project 6 trainees were sent

to Japan to train buckwheat cultivationand JICA provided 4 long-term buck-wheat experts for the technical assis-tance. JICA also provided 24 tons ofbuckwheat seeds, 2 seed processingplants and 2 vehicles for the transpor-tation of buckwheat.

● 4 acres of trial buckwheat started in1997 in Kokang Region, it was extendedto 223 acres in 1998, 2145 acres in1999, 3110 acres in 2000 and 4000this year.

● 18 tons in 2000 and 54 tons in 2001have been expor ted to Japan andreceived 300 US$ in 2000 and 290 US$per metric ton this year.

E. Analysis on impacts of the alternativedevelopment programmes and projectson illicit crop eradication and communitydevelopment.

1. Approach: When implementing AD projects, theapproach must be bottom up approach rather thanup down approach. Only then you will be able togain the trust and confidence of the communities win-ning the trust and confidence of the communities willfoster the community participation.

2. Community participation: The success of theproject depends very much on community participa-

tion. Without community participation, no project willbe successful.

3. Time Frame: Myanmar is committed to eliminatethe narcotic drugs by the year 2014 and the Wa localleaders by the year 2005. We will have to implementmeasures. Within the limited time so it is needed togain and win the hearts of the local people first, andonly after we have gained the confidence the imple-mentation of the project will be successful. That is toimplement measures that will receive tangible resultsfirst and implement measures of abstract results later.

4. International Assistance: As Myanmar is a leastdeveloping country we have limited financial resources.But for some political reasons the western nationsare imposing economic sanctions on Myanmar. Thatis affecting very much on the implementation of theAD project.

5. Involvement of local and international NGOs: Fail-ure to integrate the local and international NGOs inthe implementation of AD projects in Myanmar iseffecting very much on the success of the project.

6. Absence of Micro Credit Schemes: Absence ofMicro Credit Schemes have been affecting the estab-lishment of income generating activities and also thecrop substituting endeavors. It is also a must to fosterCredit Schemes to facilitate the establishment of Smalland Medium Enterprises to foster employment andincome generating activities.

7. Capacity Building and HRD: AD projects havecapacity building and HRD components but it is amust to couple the HRD and Credit Schemes. With-out credit schemes the HRD endeavors will all be invain.

8. Need to have decentralization: Unnecessary de-lays will occur with strict centralized implementationof the project. Empowering and decentralization willfoster the successful impacts and results of the ADprojects.

9. The need of Sustainable Markets: The successof AD projects also depends much on the availabilityof sustainable markets for the substitute crops andthe income generating endeavors. Without sustain-able markets, the communities will loose confidence

and will certainly resort to opium cultivation of moveand migrate to places where they can cultivate opium.

10. Accessibility to the communities: Without properroads and bridges, it is very difficult to access the far-flung remote communities where AD projects arebeing implemented. It is a must to bring in the Infra-structure of roads and bridges to facilitate the otherpackages and components of the AD projects.

F. Summary of good practices and lessonslearned from programme and projects.

1. Building of roads and bridges by the Border Ar-eas development project. Building of roads and bridgesto the far flung border areas have facilitate the accessand the transportation and the smooth flow of com-modities and produce of crop substitution and incomegenerating endeavors towards the sustainable mar-kets.

2. Empowering the communities. By establishingVillage Development Committee (VDCs) and theMutual Help Teams (MHTs) to foster the communityparticipation have been very successful.

3. Electrification and water supply schemes: Theelectrification and water supply schemes can win thehearts of the local communities with very high de-gree to foster community participation providing safedrinking water supply schemes will reduce incidentsof water borne diseases and reduce a lot of time tofetch water which can be used for other income gen-erating activities for the communities. Providing elec-tricity will certainly enhance the standard of livingand the establishment of cottage industries for theincome generating activities.

4. Need to couple the credit schemes with HRD:The main discrepancy in the AD projects being im-plemented in Myanmar is the lack of Credit Schemes.HRD measures must be coupled with credit schemesto foster income generating and crop substitutionendeavors.

5. Need to establish revolving funds: Most of theAD projects in Myanmar are lacking the establish-ment of Revolving Funds which will enhance the foodsecurity, crop substitution and income generating ac-tivities and foster the community participation.

6. Need to find ways and means to get internationalassistance: Western powers are imposing economicsanctions on Myanmar and is effecting very much onthe AD projects. Need to find means and ways toconvince the rich nations to marginalize political fromdrug issues. Need to integrate local and InternationalNGOs to take part in the AD projects in Myanmarand step up Public Relations to net in the assistancefrom the international community.

7. Need to establish sustainable markets: ADprojects in Myanmar are lacking sustainable markets.Mainglar Region declared their area as the Opium FreeZone in April 1997. They started to cult ivatesugarcane as a substitute crop and establish a sugarmill in Mainglar. But in the absence of sustainablesugar market the farmers have lost faith in the cropsubstitution endeavors. UNDCP as well as neighboringcountries have not solved this problem so the Statehas been subsidizing the sugar market to sustain thearea as the Opium Free Zone.

8. Need to establish cross border cooperationmechanism: In order to establish sustainable marketsfor the Crop substitution and income generatingendeavors.

9. Need to draw up a curriculum for WADP Schools:Schools in the project area and the Wa Region havebeen teaching Myanmar, English and Chinese Lan-guages. There is an urgent need to draw up a curricu-lum to integrate all the relevant subjects.

10. Eradicate poppy cultivation by law enforcementand then work for sustainability: Due to time frame inthe Wa region, it is a must to use law enforcementfirst to eradicate poppy cultivation and then work forsustainability.

11. Need to start the implementation of the projectonly when the funding is completed: WADP projectstarted its implementation before the funding is halfcompleted. The Chief Technical Adviser utilized allthe budget of the first phase as envisaged in the projectdocument. But problems arises when the project didnot receive the remaining funding from the donors,and the project is in a very embarrassing situationwhere the local authorities and the local communitiesare loosing confidence and faith on the WADP project.

12. Small projects have more impacts than largeprojects: We have 2 small projects D 93 and D 94which are more successful than C-25 WADP. Smallprojects are implemented with a bottom up approachand there is no need to hire expensive internationalconsultants. Almost all the budget is utilized for thecommunities. Whereas more than half of the projectbudget from WADP is utilized for the construction ofproject HQ buildings, local personnel and the expen-sive international consultants. Need to formulate smalland cost effective projects rather than the white el-ephant type big projects.

G. Recommendations for future developmentand implementation of alternative deve-lopment and crop eradication initiatives

1. Balanced approach for alternative development:AD projects must be implemented with bottom upapproach and must be synchronized between supplyreduction, demand reduction and law enforcementsectors. When Mainglar region was declared as theOpium Free Zone, the local authorities first conductedpreventive education and give 5 years for the prepa-ration and crop substitution activities to have momen-tum. Then the authorities declared that no poppycultivation will be allowed and enforced the law. Whenstrict enforcement has eradicated the poppy cultiva-tion, the local authorities with the help of the govern-ment then endeavored for the sustainability of ADprojects in Myanmar are lacking balanced approachof the bilateral, multilateral, NGOs and Internationalassistance.

2. Agricultural alternative development: There is noalternative crop on earth that can substitute the in-come of illicit opium poppy. But some of the cropslike herbal medicine or sericulture can substantiallysubstitute the income. By providing technology, seedsand agricultural inputs AD projects in the future willbe more successful.

3. Non-agricultural alternative development: Live-stock breeding, cottage industries, Establishment ofSmall and Medium Enterprises, promoting eco-tour-ism must be integrated in future AD projects.

4. Micro credit system for alternative development:Future AD projects need to integrate Micro creditschemes without such system and mechanism, the

income generating and crop substitution endeavorswill not be successful. It is the key element for thesuccess of the AD projects. International NGOs suchas GREAT or MYRADA etc. must be integrated inthe AD projects.

5. Marketing strategies for alternative development:Skills and micro credit and credit schemes will gener-ate produce, which must have sustainable markets.Without sustainable markets, the former poppy willloose confidence and faith on the AD projects. Theremust be a mechanism to sell the produce of ADprojects to local and international markets. There forfuture AD projects must produce only the substitutecrops and establish income-generating activities thatwill have sustainable markets. UN Agencies and In-ternational Agencies should also explore market ac-cess through private sector and the NGOs both localand international.

6. Cross border cooperation and trade: There is across border mechanism already established for theinformation sharing and law enforcement activities.In this way, we can also establish a mechanism forthe cross border cooperation and trade to get sustain-able markets for the produce of future and presentAD projects in Myanmar under the auspices of UNAgencies, ASEAN, ADB and other International Or-ganizations.

7. Emerging challenges and roles of UN and Inter-national Development Agencies: Myanmar have com-mitted to eradicate narcotic drugs by the year 2014and the Wa local authorities have also their commit-ment of eradicating narcotic drugs by the year 2005.The commitment is already there but we do not havethe necessary helping hand from the internationalcommunity wholeheartedly yet. Myanmar would liketo welcome any kind of assistance whether it is tech-nical, financial, in kind or even moral support.

1. Background

● The Eastern Shan State is the main poppygrowing region in Myanmar and the mainsupplier of opium in southeast Asia forthe region.

● In recent years the eastern Shan State hasalso become a source of illegal AmphetamineType Stimulants (ATS) for the regionalmarket.

● Following peace agreements signed withthe Wa authorities in 1989, the Governmentof the Union Myanmar (GOUM) has begunto establish development activities in theseareas under the auspices of the Ministry forBorder Areas and National Races and Deve-lopment Affairs (PBANRDA, also knows asNatala).

● In 1999 Wa Leadership gave a politicalcommitment to make Special Region No 2opium free zone by 2005.

● UNDCP started is operation in the SouthernWa area, eastern Shan State in 1994 withthe objective of strengthening the commitmentof the Wa to stop opium poppy cultivation,reduce drug use and assist farmers to findalternative livelihood.

● Following the previous UNDCP projects inthe Eastern Shan State, the Wa AlternativeDevelopment Project (WADP) was formulatedin 1996 and started implementation in 1998.It has now began operating for three yearsin the Wa region in order to encourage theWa in their actions and assist farmers tocease poppy cultivation.

● The WADP project document was signedby GOUM, the Republic of China andUNDCP in 1997. Implementation com-menced in July 1998 with the first phasecompleted by December 2000.

● The project covers the following adminis-trative area located in the southern Wa regionof the Shan state and stretches an area ofsome 1300km2.

The project area consists mostly of highland peoplepracticing swidden agriculture, and where 75% of thepopulation has 6 months rice shortage. They culti-vate opium poppy to offset this rice deficit.

Wa AlternativeDevelopment Project

● According to the baseline survey of 1999,44% of 6000 households reported cultivatingan average of 0.5 acres of opium poppyproducing an equivalent of 7 to 10 Mt ofopium total in project area.

● In 1999 survey, opium addiction affectedone in six families.

● ATS addiction is also increasing dangerously.

Chinese connections;“Trade and investment are the engines of economicgrowth” World Bank.

The close vicinity of the project area with China hasinduced a merging of culture and economies acrossthe border. People of both sides share similar history,culture, and ethnic origins as well as language andlivelihoods: The currency in use is the Chinese Yuan.With the opening of the road to China a corridor ofrelatively rapid growth has expanded to the south. Anumber of infrastructure works have been achievedin the past 2 years by Chinese contractors (roads,hydropower station, markets, buildings, weir) It is un-fortunate that the opening of the area has also led toserious deforestation.

The WADP is operating in a very difficult context:

● UNDCP was the first international organi-zation to work in the Wa area and has playeda pioneer role.

● The area is remote and mountainous andremains very isolated with poor accessroads. (Closest Myanmar town to projectheadquarters is 10 hours drive and to aChinese town 2 hours).

● Many languages are used in the projectareas: Chinese, Lahu, Akha, Shan, Wa,Myanmar

● National security is often number one priorityof the GOUM, which does not have controlover the area. Regional geo-strategy playsalso an important role in preventing possibleconflicts or harmonizing divergent interests.

● The Wa authorities have a very autocraticgovernment system and a poorly developedlocal administration. This can lead to somedifficult relationship with Wa authorities forlack of clarity on who the main decisionmaker is.

● Unfamiliarity with the key concepts of theproject such as “community based” and “par-ticipatory”, associated with low capacity ofthe WA to understand those concepts.

● Unknown and isolated society created adistorted image of the Wa projected by theinternational media and the internationalcommunity which became more scepticaland has lost interest in supporting the Wa.

2. Objectives and initial strategy

Objective:

● Establish a sustainable, community basedapproach to the reduction and eventualelimination of supply and demand for opiumin the Wa region.

Approaches:

● Integrated. Holistic. Participatory. Communitybased. Resource management-focused. Pro-cess oriented (flexible, learning by doing).

Specific project strategies:● Sound situation analysis● Attending to villagers priorities while invol-

ving local authorities● Pilot activities in a few selected nucleus or

core villages● Focusing on key farmers, women and youth● Facilitating inter-community and farmer--

farmer extension● Expanding progressively from core villages

to surrounding communities

● The education level in the region is very low.

● The project has difficulty to recruit skilledand motivated professionals from the Waas well as from the GOUM.

● Maximizing income opportunities while im-proving physical access

● Facilitating learning-by-doing to build prac-tical skills and capabilities

● Establishing a project Geographic InformationSystem (GIS)

3. July 1998-December 2000 achievements andevaluation of the project.

During its first phase the project established its basicinfrastructure, developed working relationship withlocal counterparts and made some progress on com-munity based development

Activities conducted in phase 1:● Establishment of 2 clinics● Treatment of leprosy (60 cases)● Provision of an expanded programme of

immunization (3,000 children)● Community health services including HIV/

AIDS programme● Community based detoxification program

for 120 drug users● Establishment of 10 schools, Provision of

educational material and training for teachers● Vocational training (5)● Introduction of improved rice varieties and

soil fertility management● Tea nursery established for income genera-

tion on 150 ha● Introduction of improved breed livestock and

vaccination of animals● Electrification of Mong Pawk Township and

water supply in 10 villages and 2 townships● Planning for extension of two new townships,

developing and improving irrigation systems● Road construction over 15 kms● Village based organization in 16 pilot villages● Study tours

Some points of evaluation of the first phaseof the project concluded that:

● At the initial status of the project, institutionalcapacity, ability of the GOUM and the WAcapacity to provide input and support wereoverestimated (too ambitious).

● The project was too elaborate and complexwith too many activities and should be refor-mulated to attain its objective

Community development was showing some resultsin the first phase but underestimated the importantrole of the Wa authorities. For a number of reasonsthe Wa authorities suddenly came to view the projectas a threat to their own security. An incident in theHa Da village in June 2000 was the starting point ofgradual interdiction of the Wa authorities to all thevillagers to collaborate with the project. Furthermore,in November 2000 the project staff was forbiddenfrom entering the villages. It became clear that therewas a major misunderstanding between the objectivesof the WADP and what some of the Wa authoritiesexpected from or understood about the project.

It is probable that the project started with too muchfunds (mainly spent on infrastructure) and with toomany activities conducted at the same time, whichcould not be properly monitored, and most impor-tantly, assimilated by the community.

Even if some good results were achieved in the firstphase the impact after 2 years remains weak and thefoundations were not solid. Moreover, the internationalcredibility of the Wa declined and the internationalcommunity was reluctant to put new money in thearea. The project was forced to cut down from aplanned US $ 3.4 million for 2001 to a mere US $0.6 million. At the end of 2000, the project landed ina deep internal and external crisis.

4. December 2000: Revision of the project andPhase 2

In view of the above problems the concept and strat-egy of the project had to be re-discussed with Waauthorities, the GOUM and the international com-munity. During November and December 2000, thenewly appointed UNDCP Country Representative andProject Coordinator, together with other members ofthe UNDCP/WADP team, managed to negotiate aproject proposal with US$ 1.2 million activities foryear 2001.

A new strategy for phase 2The project will take into consideration some requestsof the Wa for specific interventions to work in lowland areas where they think the project can make adifference but it will continue also to work in sometargeted highland villages.

The project will continue with the concept of com-munity based alternative development.

Activities will be concentrated in two main catchments(Nam Naw & Nam Lwe) for 2001 where the projectwill concentrate on four substantive are as: livelihood,infrastructure, health and education

The main catchments were chosen because: Theyhave a particular interest to the Wa authorities withmany lowland areas where food production can beincreased and are close to the main towns.

They both have a high density of opium poppy culti-vation.

The outcome of this pragmatic approach willbe threefold:

● A substantial increase in food production.● A substantial reduction of opium poppy

cultivation in the two target areas● A better understanding with regard to com-

munit y based alternat ive developmentapproach. Based on those tangible resultsthe project from 2001 on will urge its inter-national partners to expand the project backto its original size.

If the down sizing implies a loss of overall impact ofthe project in the Wa region, UNDCP will try to com-pensate this through strategic alliances.(NGOs, UNagencies, grass-roots grants...)

2001 activities to be implemented with limitedfunding:

Livelihood component:Intensified and diversified rice based systems; improvedreturn from livestock with animal vaccination; alter-native income generation such as tea plantation andorchards; training provided to key farmers for theabove and study tours to key farms.

Health component:Child immunization programme, Leprosy eliminationprogramme, support to clinics and primary healthcare. Facilitation to obtain a grant from Japan to builda hospital. NGOs will be introduced to work on HIV/AIDS, drug demand reduction and Malaria control inthe area

Infrastructure component:A limited number of school buildings and additional

village and township water supply will be constructed.Support to the towns planning will be expanded.

Education component :A tripartite meeting organized between WA-GOUMand UNDCP to discuss the Wa strategy for educa-tion. Schools built by the project operational withmaterial and teachers and some teacher trainings pro-vided.

Monitoring and surveying :Baseline data collected and annual poppy survey.

Better or improved understanding and positiveresults can be expected:

After an extremely difficult start the trust was restoredand the working relationship improved during the first6 months of the second phase.

The Wa authorities understood that in the actual stageof financial crisis the project cannot do much morethan showing new technologies and methodologies,expose the isolated Wa to the new standards andnorms, which, as a final objective, will allow the Wato integrate within the international community.

Although more difficult to explain, UNDCP made itclear that it is a drug control programme and not adevelopment programme. This implies that UNDCPcan generate alternative income and basic structuresof development, but will not be the engine of macrodevelopment itself as they expected.

To make a real impact through the project, has togrow back to its original size + similar projects need tobe started in the Northern Wa and the Kokang area.

5. Summary of good practices and lessonslearned from the project.

● To develop strong cost-effective methodswhich can be easily replicated by the peoplethemselves.

● To train actively local people on thosemethods

● To establish a very strong monitoring ofactivities to review the results

● To transfer a maximum of competency notonly to villagers, but also to the Wa autho-

F f th i f ti

rities in a way so they feel ownership of theactions

● To replicate some of the successful actionsin other areas

● To keep only key project staff with a strongpotential and willingness. To recruit Com-munity Development Facilitator permanentlybased in villages to transmit knowledge.

● To develop additional training for staff,authorities, community.

● To have short-term professional consultantsfrom NGOs to work on specific activitieswho could eventually be involved later on ina partnership with UNDCP.

● To have a component to work on capacitybuilding of the Wa authorities.

● To update the understanding of the dynamismof the opium poppy cultivation and its rolein the economy of the villagers as well asthe authorities.

6. Recommendations for future Developmentand implementation of AlternativeDevelopment and crops eradication.

● There must be peace and security for deve-lopmentExisting in the Wa for last 12 years.

● There must be political will from the govern-ment and the WaThe Wa have made the political commitmentto be opium poppy free by 2005.

● There must be community support and trustbuildingDialogue by senior project staff with the Waauthorities to foster their acceptance ofcommunity development approaches hasto take place on a regular basis.

● Government cannot do everything and haslimited resources.

There must be involvement of civil society at large,including the private sector. UNDCP is playing therole of honest facilitator and catalyst bringing Natala/ Wa and villagers together as partners. Project shouldalso focus on development as a mechanism of entryfor public services (health, education, agriculture, roadmaintenance....).

● The time frame is long and there is no quick

fix.Time is the most important ingredient if com-munity development approaches are tosucceed. Project has already been extendedafter evaluation for this reason and shouldbe extended again if necessary.

● Law enforcement & development activitiesshould be undertaken simultaneously butshould clearly be separated.Wa authorities have already started a prohi-bition of poppy cultivation and phased era-dication in some areas of the project.

● Development effort must be soundly basedon local analysis. There is no internationalor national formula. I.e :The Wa want to address the problem of riceproduction before focusing on cash crops andmarketing since the number one concernfor the Wa is food security. They also wantto focus on low land development beforehighland development where they have arelocation policy.

● To be sustainable, target communities mustown development activities.Ownership of the past and future activitiesneeds to be addressed.

● Development must give isolated communitiesthe possibility to participate in the widercommunity through development of infras-tructure, networks and economic systems.Bottom-up planning, which is a major partof community base approach, must remaina goal.

● Prevention of drug abuse (demand reduction)must be addressed at the outset.Drug addiction is significantly expendingwith the abuse of ATS, not adequatelyaddressed in this project, since it is differentfrom opium addiction.

● Do not limit Alternative Development tofarm income generation base or productionof cash crops to the exclusion of off farmemployment especially where conditionspermit private sector investment.Employment opportunities should be ex-plored with township expansion.

● Do not forget the important role of womenin illicit poppy cultivation.Consequently the need to offer income andemployment alternatives to women.

Background

1. In June 1998, Mr. Pino Arlacchi, the ExecutiveDirector of the United Nations Office for Drug Con-trol and Crime Prevention visited Myanmar. Duringhis visit, Mr. Arlacchi also visited the Northern ShanState, where he met with the Leaders of the NationalRaces. During those meetings, the Executive Direc-tor heard future plans for the development of the Spe-cial Regions, which will lead to the eventual eradica-tion of opium poppy cultivation in the Kokang andWa Special Regions. The Executive Director pledgedUNDCP’s assistance of US$ 500,000 to support theMyanmar Government’s alternative developmentmeasures to eradicate opium poppy cultivation inLaukkai, Kokang Special Region No. 1 and Nam TitTownship, Wa Special Region No. 2.

2. On June 12, 1998, a meeting was held in Lashioat which activities were presented for UNDCP con-sideration by national leaders and Myanmar govern-ment authorities. The national leaders also reporteddifficulties encountered in their attempts to eradicateopium poppy in their regions. In particular, the im-poverished situation of the local inhabitants, high illit-eracy rates, dependence on opium poppy cultivationfor generations to meet basic needs, lack of food se-curity, poor health conditions, non existence of allweather road communication, etc. Furthermore, theleaders presented the main activities that have been

Support for Opium EradicationProgrammes in Kokang SpecialRegion No. 1 and Nam TitTownship, Wa Special RegionNo. 2, Shan State

Presented by Mr. Guillaume Le Hegarat,UNDCP Country Office,

Yangon & U Kyaw Thu, Laukkai/Nam TitDevelopment Project Consultant

identified for implementation in Laukkai district,Kokang Special Region No.1 and Nam Tit Township,Northern Wa Region, Wa Special Region No.2, thatwould help in phasing out opium poppy cultivation inthe Special Regions. Subsequently, two project docu-ments entitled “Support for Opium Eradication Pro-gramme-Kokang Special Region No. 1” (AD/MYA/98/D93) and “Support for Opium Eradication Pro-gramme-Nam Tit Township, Wa Special Region No.2” (AD/MYA/98/D94) were formulated and signedbetween the UNDCP and the Government of theUnion of Myanmar on November 11, 1998.

Project Objectives, activities, planned outputs,strategy and resources

3. The immediate object ives common in bothprojects are - the area under irrigation is increased,a high yielding rice variety is introduced and roadaccess is improved. In the case of Kokang SpecialRegion, immediate objectives also include - improvedvarieties and crops are introduced, the provision ofpotable water is extended and X-ray facilities areestablished in Laukai district.

4. Activit ies and planned outputs for KokangSpecial Region are as follows: -

Activities --● Renovation of Mong Tong Par dam● Construction of ditches to enable 300 acres

to be irrigated adjacent to the Mong TongPar dam

● Construction of a dam at Tar Shwe Htanto enable 30 acres of nearby land to beirrigated

Planned outputs for the above activities are —

Additional 330 acres of land are brought underirrigation during 1999.Activities --● Procurement of 127.5 tons of Sinn Shwe

Wah rice variety● Organize distribution of seed in form of seed

bank/revolving fund● Train 50 farmer representatives in improved

rice cultivation● Procurement of 127.5 tons of wheat seed● Organize distribution of seed in form of seed

bank/revolving fund● Train 50 farmer representatives in improved

wheat cultivation● Establishment of a nursery for perennial

crops at Kon Kyan

Planned outputs for the above activities are -

3000 acres of paddy rice are planted with SinShwe Wah variety, 4000 acres are planted withwheat and a perennial crop nursery establishedduring 1999.Activities --● Preparation of specifications and tender

documents for construction of a bridge andapproach road

● Award contract and monitor work of con-tractor

Planned output for the above activities are -

A bridge and approach road is constructed onthe Kon Kyan - Hong Ai - Maw Htike road.

Activities --● Preparation of specifications and tender docu-

ments for extension of water supply systems● Award contracts and monitor work of con-

tractors

Planned outputs for the above activities are -

The water supply networks in Laukai and KonKyan townships are upgraded.

Activities --● Preparation of specifications and tender

document for supply and installation ofX-ray machine

● Award contract● Training of 3 hospital technicians in the use

of the X-ray machine

Planned output for the above activities is anX-ray machine is installed and functioning inLaukai hospital.

5. Activities and planned outputs for the Nam Tittownship, Wa Special Region is as fol lows:

Activities --● Construction of a dam embankment across

the Nam Tar creek in Vinghim village● Construction of a 4 mile long irrigation

ditch to Mang Ohn Par village to enable 700acres Of land to be irrigated

● Construction of a 6 mile long irrigationditch in Mang Ohn Par village tract to enable700 acres of land to be irrigated

● Renovation of the 10 mile long irrigationditch connecting Mong Khan San village toPan Lawk creek to enable 100 acres of landto be irrigated

● Extension and renovation of the irrigationditch in Mi Htan Haw village to enable an

additional 20 acres of land to be irrigated● Renovation of the irrigation ditch between

Nam Mu creek and Pan Khaw to enable anadditional 150 acres of land to be irrigated

● Train in 100 farmer representatives inimproved water management and irrigationsystem maintenance

Planned output for the above activities is 1670additional acres of land are brought under ir-rigation during 1999.

Activities --● Procurement of 72 tons of Sin Shwe Wah

rice variety● Organize distribution of seed in form of seed

bank/revolving fund● Train 50 farmer representatives in improved

rice cultivation techniques

Planned output for the above activities is 1670acres of paddy rice are planted with Sin ShweWah variety during 1999.

Activities --● Preparation of specifications and tender

documents● Award contract and monitor work of con-

tractor

Planned output for above activities is a 15-ki lometer long section of graveled road isconstructed between Nam Tit and Pan Khunby mid 1999. (Actual distance between NamTit and Pan Khun is 51 kilometers with a largeportion of it through rugged mountainous anddensely forested areas)

6. In actual project implementation, some of theactivities in the D93 project of Kokang Special Re-gion were renegotiated and changed, while many ac-tivities were dropped in the case of the D94 projectof Nam Tit township, Wa Special Region. The desireto make changes was submitted to the Project Steer-ing Committee by representatives of both SpecialRegions for approval. In the case of D93, due to un-certainties over whether the Mang Tong Par dam (ac-tivity 1.1) will hold and stop leaking even after reno-vation, the local leaders, with the assistance of go-vernment technical agencies submitted a new design

to collect water from the natural water source forstorage in a 100,000 gallon capacity reservoir for dis-tribution of potable water to the nearby Mang TongPar village as well as channel all excess water throughirrigation ditches to enable irrigation of 300 acres ofland adjacent to the existing unusable dam, withinthe already agreed budget. This revised proposal alsoserved as a dual purpose for distribution of potablewater as well as for irrigation.

7. For the establishment of a nursery for perennialcrops, the site for such an establishment was changedfrom Kon Kyan to a village just outside Laukai townfor practical purposes. Separate training programmefor farmers in improved rice and wheat cultivationtechniques were not conducted since practical train-ing was given at actual planting of the crops. Further-more, upgrading of Kon Kyan water supply networkwas also dropped from the original plans since thelocal leaders wished to concentrate on the water sup-ply system in Laukai town because of its rapid expan-sion and increasing population. For all remaining re-sources of the project budget, the local leaders sub-mitted to the Project Steering Committee for permis-sion to utilize it for further extension of the Laukaiwater supply system, to which the Steering Commit-tee approved.

8. In the case of the D94 project for Nam Tit town-ship, the local leaders submitted to the Project Steer-ing Committee their desire to limit the activities tothree only, namely, renovation of the existing 17,000feet long Vinghim irrigation canal, construction of aweir and 12,000 feet irrigation canal at Mee HtanHaw and construction of a 15-kilometer section ofthe Nam Tit - Pan Khun road all within the allottedbudget.

9. Having approved the above changes submittedby the local leaders, the Project Steering Committeerequested government technical departments con-cerned, which are represented as members in theSteering Committee to conduct necessary surveys andsubmit specifications for preparation of documentsand invitation to tender. In discussing ways and meansover how best to invite and award tender to prospec-tive contractors, the Committee identified many diffi-culties. Some of these were — lack of local newspa-pers published in Myanmar, English or Chinese;amount of resources to be utilized for advertisement

in the national as well as news media of neighboringcountries with regard to tender invitations and relatedtime constraints; availability of local contractors will-ing or able to carry out required construction workespecially in the remote border areas, or supply re-quired amount of rice and wheat seeds.

10. In view of the above difficulties and taking intoconsideration the guidelines set forth by the Govern-ment with regard to disbursement of funds, it wasagreed that the Myanmar Agricultural Service be des-ignated to supply rice and wheat seeds since no sin-gle local entity could supply the required amount ofeither. For all other activities, it was also agreed thatlocal development organizations for the two projects,each chaired by a local leader with members/repre-sentatives from government technical departments asrequired, be established for the purpose of implemen-tation of activities agreed under the projects.

11. The key strategy for both projects was to buildupon the existing collaboration between the leader-ship of both the Kokang community and the North-ern Wa area community and the Myanmar govern-ment agencies to provide the means by which theprovision of improved social and economic conditionscan effectively contribute to a further reduction andeventual elimination of opium poppy cultivation.

12. In the area of resources, most of the cost esti-mates for all activities under both projects, exceptprovision of rice and wheat seeds, far exceed theamount of budget allotted under UNDCP assistance.The activities were therefore financed in part byUNDCP and in part from local sources in the KokangSpecial Region No. 1 and the Wa Special RegionNo. 2.

Modalities of the project management andimplementation

13. In order to effectively manage the projects, aProject Steering Committee for each project was es-tablished under the chairmanship of the Commanderof No. 2 Base Tactical Command in Kunlong. TheDeputy Director General of the Department for theProgress of Border Areas and National Races andthe General Staff Officer (Grade I) of the NortheastCommand were appointed as Vice-chairmen. Themembership of the Steering Committees included

Kokang community leaders for the D93 project andNam Tit community leaders for the D94 project. Othermembers on the Steering Committees include repre-sentatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Irriga-tion, the Ministry of Construction and the Ministry ofHealth. The Alternative Development Adviser repre-sented UNDCP on the Steering Committees at theinitial stage and later on by the Assistant ResidentRepresentative.

14. As soon as the projects were approved andfunded, the first meetings of the Project SteeringCommittees were held on 2 December 1998 in Lashioto prepare detailed workplans. During those meet-ings detailed discussions were made with regard toprocurement of wheat and rice seeds and timely dis-tribution for cultivation; preparation of specificationsin the case of construction/renovations of dams, weirs,canals, bridge, and water supply systems. At thismeeting, the Wa representatives also stated their de-sire to limit their previous identified activities to threeonly. In other words, all activities are identified by thelocal development organizations and submitted to theProject Steering Committee for approval. The design,costing and feasibility study (in the case of infrastruc-ture) is carried out by the government technical de-partments with project support and the implementa-tion is the responsibility of the respective develop-ment organization.

15. Memoranda of Agreements (MoAs) were draftedfor each of the activities under the two projects, basedon the model memorandum of agreement of contrac-tual undertakings intended for the engaging of serv-ices or activities to be performed by local commu-nity-based not-for-profit organizations and associations- referred to as “Local NGOs” (eg., in the case ofQuick Impact and Micro-Projects) for amounts gener-ally less than US$150,000. These were then submit-ted to Department for the Progress of Border Areasand National Races (NATALA) and the United Na-tions Development Programme (UNDP) in Yangonfor their comments and approval. Once agreementwas received from both the NATALA and the UNDP,the Memoranda of Agreements were signed with theMyanma Agricultural Service and the UNDCP in thecase of supply of rice and wheat seeds in Yangon.For all other activities, Memoranda of Agreementswere signed between the Laukai District DevelopmentOrganization (LKDDO) and the UNDCP in the case

of D93 project, and between the Namtit TownshipDevelopment Organization (NTTDO) and the UNDCPin the case of D94 project at a Steering Committeemeeting on May 5, 1999 in Lashio. The LKDDOwas chaired by a member of the Kokang Special Re-gion Administrative Group and the NTTDO by theChairman of Namtit Special Township Administra-tive Group. Representatives of the local administra-tive bodies and government technical departmentswere included as members to assist the respectivedevelopment organizations in the implementation ofactivities as well as prepare necessary progress andfinancial reports to be submitted periodically to theUNDCP as required under the MoAs.

16. As soon as the MoAs were signed at a meetingof the Steering Committee, the first installment ofpayment for each activity in bank drafts were handedover to the representatives of the LKDDO and theNTTDO as agreed in the MoAs on 2 June 1999.Payments were made in three to four installments af-ter completion of certain amount of work completedand as agreed by each development organization, de-pending on the nature of work to be carried out foreach activity. Following payments in installments wereremitted directly to the Bank Accounts of the devel-opment organizations maintained at the Yoma Bankin Lashio. This is done after each inspection is car-ried out by a team comprising of representatives ofthe UNDCP, the concerned government technical de-partment and NATALA (sometimes the Steering Com-mittee Chairman himself in the case of D94 projectfor Nam Tit) as required under the MoAs. All pay-ments were made in Kyats.

Lessons learned from the projects

17. This assistance given by the UNDCP with re-gard to opium poppy eradication in Kokang SpecialRegion was the first ever. This was highly appreci-ated by the leader of the Kokang Special Region UHpon Kyar Shin. He said that no matter how smallthe assistance may be, the recognition given by theinternational community for the efforts made by theKokang people to eradicate opium poppy cultivationand production was of paramount importance. Thisappreciation was expressed when the UNDCP’s Al-ternative Development Adviser called on him at theearly stages of negotiation for the D93 project. Like-wise, at different occasions, the leadership of the

Namtit Special Township also expressed their highappreciation for UNDCP’s assistance in supportingtheir opium eradication programme.

18. This model of institutional arrangement of bothD93 and D94 projects is considered to be satisfac-tory by all parties concerned, i.e., the local leaders,the Myanmar Government, UNDCP and the UNDP-Yangon. All activities are identified by the Laukai Dis-trict Development Organization and the Nam TitTownship Development Organization and submittedto the respective Project Steering Committees forapproval. The design, costing and feasibility study (inthe case of infrastructure) is carried out by theMyanmar Government technical departments withproject support, and the implementation is the re-sponsibility of the development organization. As theassistance given is to support the opium eradicationprogrammes of both Special Regions, it is only fittingthat activities are identified by the local people, andimplemented by their own respective developmentorganizations. This, it is felt, also brings out the senseof ownership by the local inhabitants, leading tosustainability in the local plans for opium eradicationin the Special Regions.

19. Both LKDDO and NTTDO showed great enthu-siasm in carrying out activities under the projects.The D93 project being carried out under the watchfuleyes of the Kokang National Race Leader and theD94 project under the Chairman and Vice-chairmanof the Nam Tit Special Township Administrative Coun-cil. In the case of D93, due credit must be given to Lt.Col. Khin Maung Tin, Vice-chairman of the LKDDOand Chairman of the Laukai District Organizationaland Administrative Group and the Secretary, Sai AungMyint, Kokang Liaison officer. Both men showed lead-ership, responsibility and dedication. Likewise, in thecase of D94, the Vice-chairman of Nam Tit SpecialTownship Administrative Group U Aik Yon was thedriving force in seeing all activities implemented, withgreat enthusiasm.

20. There were occasions where misunderstandingsand difficulties are encountered, however. Most ofthem were mainly due to lack of understanding ofUNDCP’s mode of operations, language barrier, andsometimes failure to understand and abide by the stipu-lations stated in the MoAs. Lack of government agen-cies’ presence in Nam Tit Town was also one of the

reasons why difficulties sometimes arose for thatproject.

21. Some of the difficulties encountered with regardto D93 is as follows:-

● Due lack of road communicat ions, theconstruction site of a bridge between HongAi and Maw Htike villages was three nightsand four days’ walk within Kokang territoryfrom Laukai town. Because of this situation,only a one-time inspection of this activitywas made possible soon after the bridgeand one side of the approach road wascompleted, with the inspection team havingto cross into the People’s Republic of Chinaand then entering back into the Myanmarterritory and back the same way on return.

● Because of the difficult terrain, it was notpossible to visit the villages where perennialcrops provided by the project were cultivated(mangoes, lychees, quince, longan, walnut)making the inspection team having to relyon photographic records of the LKDDOdistributing perennial tree saplings.

● Likewise, as in above case, distribution,cultivation and harvest of rice and wheatalso had to be relied on photographic recordsand progress reports by the LKDDO.

● The final activity of the D93 project, Laukaitown water supply system, still needs a finalinspection, since it is yet to be completed,with the final payment still on hold.

22. The following are the difficulties faced in NamTit:-

● Absence of government agencies in NamTit town made access itself to the town diffi-cult. It is understood that even the Secretaryof the NTTDO, Chairman of the HopangTownship Peace and Development Councilhad difficulty in access to the Nam Tit town.On almost all inspection trips, before andafter the activities commenced, the Chairmanof the Steering Committee accompanied thesurvey team as well as the inspection teamto Nam Tit. Each time such trips were made,permission had to be sought from the Nam

Tit Wa leadership to enter Wa territory. Thismade communications, monitoring andinspection difficult. Unless U Aik Yon waspresent in Nam Tit, any inspection ordiscussions were quite difficult if notimpossible.

● Any changes made with regard to the agreedplans in each activity, however slight theymay be, or whether such changes do notdeviate from the original objective, were madeknown to UNDCP or the inspection team, onlywhen actual inspection was carried out.However, since the Project Steering Com-mittee Chairman himself accompanied theinspection team on all inspection trips saidchanges were submitted to the Chairman byU Aik Yon or the NTTDO Chairman himselfduring inspection.

● Language barrier more pronounced, makingit difficult to understand each other (fromeither Wa or Chinese to Myanmar itself)

● Difference in Government and Wa juris-dictions. According to the Myanmar Govern-ment administrat ive jurisdiction, Nam Tittown is included under Hopang Township,which is situated some 25 miles fromKonlong across Nam Ting River. However,Nam Tit Town according to the Wa isdesignated as a Special Township withinWa jurisdiction. This difference created con-fusion at the early stages of discussions inthe Project Steering Committee meeting toconfirm final activities to be implementedunder D94 project. The Wa authorities, whoalready had plans to construct a 51-kilometerroad between Nam Tit and Pan Khun withintheir own territory from their own resources,wanted project resources to be utilized forhowever long section of that road possible.On the other hand, the Myanmar authoritieswished project resources to be utilized for thesame road, but Nam Tit-Hopang sectionof the Nam Tit-Hopang-Pan Khun road,meaning the section of the road withinMyanmar government administrat ivejurisdiction. Because of this difference ininterpretation, the UNDCP was caught in adifficult situation. However, this differencewas later on resolved, paving the way for all

parties to carry out the activity as originallyplanned and submit ted by the Waauthorities.

23. Notwithstanding the above misunderstandings ordifficulties, implementation of both projects went wellwith satisfaction expressed by all parties concerned.

However, it must be admitted at the same time thatnot all activities were carried out strictly in accord-ance with the letter and spirit of the MoAs. In somecases, it is felt that flexibility must be shown by allparties, without drastic deviations from the originallyagreed objectives stipulated in the MoAs.

1. Overview of the Illicit Drug Situation

The narcotics problem in Thailand today is more cru-cial than in previous years, especially the metham-phetamine problem. The supply of methamphetaminecomes from both inside and outside the country, hasexpanded intensively. The drug producing and traf-ficking syndicates strengthened their capacities byexpanding their drug networks into Thai territory.

The epidemic trend of new emerging drugs in Thai-land such as Cocaine, Ecstasy, Ketamine, etc. hastaken place in the same areas and target groups.

1.1 Illicit Drug Production

Opium: Opium poppy in Thailand was grown mostlyby the hill tribes in highland areas and was integratedinto their daily life as a cash crop and basic medicine.Since the successful implementation of narcotic cropscontrol programs, poppy cultivation has droppedgradually from 8,777 hectares in 1985 to 1,087 hec-tares in 2000.

Heroin: The production area of heroin has remainedactive along Thai-Myanmar border areas. At present,in this area heroin production still exists. Since 1985to present, clandestine heroin refineries were not foundin Thailand.

Cannabis: Cannabis plantation are scattered in sev-eral provinces in Thailand. For 20 years Thailandhas applied measures on the eradication of cannabis.It does work because cultivation has prominently de-creased significantly from 301 tons in 1993 to 46tons in 2000.

Methamphetamine: At present, it is the most se-rious problem in Thailand. Methamphetamine was

found to be locally produced for local consumption in1987. However, domestic production of metham-phetamine is about 20% of the total distribution ofthis drug in the Thai drug market.

Ecstasy: Based on its high price, ecstasy use is re-stricted and popular among groups of wealthy young-sters. In March 1999, clandestine ecstasy was firstfound by the police in Songkla Province in the Southof Thailand. The laboratory run by Singaporean andThai produced more ecstasy tablets by blending ec-stasy powder with other components and then dis-tributed to local clients. It is anticipated that in thefuture there will be more clandestine ecstasy labs op-erated regarding to its high profit.

1.2 Illicit Drug Trafficking

Heroin: In 2000, there were 21 cases of heroin fromSouthwest Asia seized at Bangkok International Air-port amounting to 46.42 kg. In January 2001, an-other 126 kg. Of heroin was seized from drug couri-ers in the Andaman Sea. The problem for Thailand

Thailand Country Paper

This paper was prepared by Mr. Pornthep Iamprapai, Deputy Director of the Northern Narcotics Office, Chiangmai Thailand. The contentdraws on several ONCB documents as well as the UNDCP report “Thirty Years of Sustainable Alternative Development in Thailand haveachieved Opium Reduction Goals. (1970-2000)” December 2000.

Presented by Mr. Pittaya Jinawat, Office ofthe Narcotics Control Board

today is that the country is used frequently to smuggleheroin to international markets.

Methamphetamine: Millions of methampheta-mine tablets are smuggled accross the northern bor-der into the country. In 2000, 82.4 million metham-phetamine tablets were seized, the highest figures everrecorded. In January 2001, a joint task force of RoyalThai Police, Royal Thai Navy and ONCB arresteddrug couriers along the Andaman seacoast, were car-rying with them 7,798 million tablets. In May 2001,a task force of the 3rd Army, the 5th Region provin-cial police and ONCB seized a total of 13 million meth-amphetamine tablets at the Thai-Myanmar border areain Tak Province.

Cannabis: The smuggling of Cannabis via Thailandhas decreased, and smugglers have paved new routesinto neighboring countries in the East. Adversely, thereis some çhashishé smuggled from Pakistan and Ne-pal to be sold at some tourist sites in Thailand, andalso trafficked from Thailand to third countries.

Ketamine: Ketamine is normally smuggled intoThailand from Pakistan.

1.3 Epidemic Situation of Narcotic Drugs

In 1993, the Thailand Development Research Insti-tute (TDRI) conducted a study on the estimated numberof drug addicts. It was estimated that there were 1.27million addicts. Among this number, 257,965 weremethamphetamine abusers. Today, this number hasincreased 3-4 times more.

● Raw opium remaining after eradicat ioneffor ts is mostly consumed by the tribalpeoples to alleviate tension and for ritualceremonies.

Since 1995, Thailand has seriously stepped up thesuppression of drug trafficking into and via her terri-tory to international markets. However, the exportedamount of heroin has decreased. An internal epidemicwas found in some locations and both retailers andconsumers were the same groups.

● Cannabis in Thailand is typically for distri-bution in the country and export overseas.

● Methamphetamine abuse happens inevery region and can be found amongworkers and youth groups, as wel l asstudents. According to an ONCB study in1999 among 5,365,942 of school students663,290 (12.40%) were involved with illicitdrugs (mostly amphetamines). The greatestnumber of ATS offenders undergoing treat-ment was in the 15-19 years age group,most of them students and unemployed youth.In addition, ATS abusers tend to includeyounger student in elementary school andout-of school youth, as well as street children.

● Since 1996, ecstasy abuse has spreadamong local youth aged between 18 to 25years. Ecstasy abuse is often found in en-ter tainment places where there are thegatherings of actors, actresses and overseasgraduates.

● As for cocaine, it is still used by a limitedgroup of people in the city and is importedfrom western countries, but not in highquantity.

2. Overview of National Drug Control Policiesand Master Plan

Thailand is in the process of implementing the cur-rent five-year Narcotics Control Plan (1997-2001) aim-ing to minimize the demand and supply sides of drugproblems. The 3 main issues of this plan are:

● Creating negative attitudes against drugs inthe public and improving the capacity ofcommunities in preventing and solving drugproblems.

● Developing a complete treatment and reha-bilitation program for drug addicts with em-phasis on quality service and participationfrom families and communities.

● Improving the legal and justice systems andprocedures to efficiently and continuouslyintercept producers and dealers of drugsand related chemicals.

Acknowledging the severity of drug problems and longterm effects which undermine stability and economicdevelopment of the country, the Thai Governmentnow considers drug control one of the leading do-mestic issues, as proclaimed by the Office of the PrimeMinister Order No.141/B.E. 2541 (1998) on the nar-cotics drug prevention and suppression policy underthe strategy of “state civil alliance against drugs”with the objectives for the control of the rapid spreadof narcotic drugs and reduction of drug problems,with close cooperation and unity of each concernedsector in fighting against drugs.

In 1999, the Royal Thai Government has proclaimedthe Anti Money Laundering Law to control moneylaundering from drug trade and other illegal business.

At present, the current government has proclaimedthe Prime Minister Office Order No.119/BE 2544(2001) on “the defeat of narcotic drug problemspolicy” under the strategy of “unite all nationalpowers for drug elimination” with the objectivesto;

● Enlist all national and local sectors to fightagainst drug problems,

● Control of all related chemicals and pre-cursors,

● Effective law enforcement to be taken● Complete treatment and rehabilitat ion

programs● Effective intelligence and information to be

developed● Improve drug laws and legal processes● Improve administrative and coordinating

structures/organizations● Closely cooperate with international or-

ganizations● Provide more research, development and

monitoring on drug issues.

3. National Policies, Strategies and Approaches orIllicit Crop Control and Alternative Development

● Opium was brought to Thailand by Chinesemerchants since 1282 (in Sukhothai period).The peril of opium became obvious in thehistory of Thailand in 1360 when KingRamathibodi I, the first king of Ayudhaya,proclaimed a criminal code which included

an article about opium addiction. Opiumaddicts and dealers were put in jail until theycould stop the habit and after release, theirfamily were on probation to keep them freefrom opium.

● This opium prohibition policy was im-plemented continuously for almost 500 yearstill the Bangkok period in late eighteenthand early nineteen centuries.

After the opium war in China in 1842, theChinese mostly from southern provincesimmigrated into Thailand, bringing opiumwith them. Some ethnic group of Chinese(Miao, Yao) settled in hill areas and startedplanting opium poppy and expanded thecultivated areas substantially in the 1950s.Eventually opium poppy became a cash cropand supplied to users in opium dens in thecities.

● In 1851, the opium problem became worse.King Rama IV, realizing that opium couldn’tbe controlled by law alone, changed thepolicy and strategy. He legalized opiumsmoking among the Chinese and opiumrevenue was collected. Opium addicts wererequired by law to register with the autho-rities and opium smoking could be done onlyin authorized opium dens. This policy con-tinued for about one hundred years.

● In the hill areas, opium cultivation expandedin the 1950s. The government was con-cerned about opium production and securityproblems. Various agencies came to work inthe hill areas in the 1950s. Some newagencies were established such as, BorderPatrol Police (BPP) in 1955, Department ofPublic Welfare (DPP) in 1959, Nat ionalTribalWelfare Committee in 1959, etc.

● In 1959, the government led by FieldMarshal Sarit Thanarat, feared increasedopium production and consumption. To con-form with the UN resolution, it issued aproclamation banning all production, saleand use of opiates on December 9th,1959.

In 1959-1960, the government paid moreattention to the highlands and tribal peopleby establishing the National Tribal WelfareCommittee and key agencies, such as Depart-ment of Public Welfare, Royal ForestryDepartment, BPP, played important role insolving problems in the highlands accordingto their mandate and responsibilities.

In 1960, Thailand established the 1st NationalMaster Plan for economic development(1961-1965) which focused on developingthe entire country. To solve problems in thehighland more effect ively, it requiredsufficient information as baseline data, andThailand asked international agencies fortechnical assistance.

In 1965-1966, the DPW surveyed the so-cio-economic conditions in the highlandsand the next year a survey team, financedby UNCND, investigated the social andeconomic needs of opium cultivation areasof northern Thailand. The result of the studyestimated opium cultivation at ∼ 18,500hectares, with a yield of 145 tons in the1965-1966 season. The government ac-cepted advice from the survey team todevelop social and economic conditions ofthe highland s with a large-scale effort.

● H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej graciouslyinitiated the Royal Project in 1969 to helptribal people, starting with crop replacementprograms and expanded to cover multi-sectors programs. The Royal Project pro-vided valuable knowledge and experience tothe government and relevant agencies informulating policies and strategies to workin the hill areas

● In the 1970s, there was a clear policy onillicit crop control, with a crop replacementstrategy. Meanwhile, donor assistance cameto Thailand to help solve highland problemsunder various projects (see details in 4). Onthe other hand, policy on permanent settle-ment of tribal people was unclear.

● In the 1980s, the government formulatedthe Highland Master Plan, with the strategyand approach widely implemented by de-velopment projects and absorbed by govern-ment agencies. An opium eradicat ionapproach was firstly implemented in 1985.

● In the 1990s, the conflicting policies weresolved when a highland development policywas endorsed and supported by the 1st

Masterplan for Community Development,Environment and Narcotic Crops Control(1992-1996, 1993-2001) as a specialsystem to support the work of governmentagencies and h ighland developmentprojects. A more part icipatory workingapproach was widely used. Donor agencies,government agencies, and peoples organi-zat ions worked together more closely.Increased demand reduction was imple-mented, with supply reduction, in a morebalanced as wel l as community-basedapproach.

In 2000, the government proposed highlanddevelopment in a more holistic and system-atic manner. The 9th National Economic andSocial Development Plan, a “HumanApproach”, paved the way for the 10th

NESD plan. Special programs to solveremaining problems and prevent emergingproblems, such as the spread of ampheta-mines, conflicts over natural resources,permanent set tlement in more balanced-accepted approach will be implemented.When the 2nd Master plan for CommunityDevelopment, Environment and NarcoticCrops Control terminates in 2001, a net-working, balanced centralization and decen-tralization approach will be emphasized.

4. Summary of National Programs and Projects onCrop Eradication and Alternative Development.

Thailand has accumulated experiences and lessonslearned on crop eradication and alternative develop-ment for at least 30 years, which can be summarizedinto 4 periods:

4.1 The Early Initiatives on Crop Substitutionand Replacement

It was happened during the late of 1969’sand the whole 1970s. The first programin Thailand was initiated by H.M. KingBhumibol Adulyadej in 1996 on the RoyalProject, which has been implemented upto the present. Some years later, UNDCPinitiated the Crop Reduction and Com-munity Development Project and theHighland Agricultural and Market ingProject in the late of 1970 s.

4.2 The Integrated Rural Development

Since the lessons and experiences gainedfrom the 1970s, the approach on integratedrural development was designated andimplemented in the 1980s to fulfill the basicneeds of the target population and com-munities. There were several projects inthis period e.g. Mae Sa Integrated Water-shed and Forest Land Use Project, MaeChaem Integrated Watershed DevelopmentProject, Thai-Australia Highland Agriculturaland Social Development Project, Thai-German Highland Development Pro-gramme, Thai-Norway Highland Develop-ment Project, Doiyao-Phamon HighlandDevelopment Project, and the 3rd Armyin Doiyao Highland Project and Doi TungDevelopment Project which was establishedin 1984.

4.3 The Recent Participatory Alternative De-velopment Approach to Opium Cultivation

Part icipatory methods were gradual lyadopted though the 1970s and 1980s. Themanagers of large projects and involvedgovernment officials recognized thatwithout active people’s participation littlewould be accomplished. In the 1990s,several highland development projectshad adapted their methods to be moreparticipatory.

● ONCB recognized the need for con-ducting more demand reduction work

and involving local communities in itsefforts. In 1994, it init iated a studyentitled “model for solutions to drugproblems at the field level focusing oncommunity roles and government andNGO mechanisms facilitating problemsolution in the community in 150 villagesin the country’s four regions. The studyfound that communities indeed had thepotential to prevent and solve problems,but that a flexible multifold responsewas needed. The conclusion also notedthat the roles of officials should besupportive rather than directive. In 1997,the Cabinet authorized ONCB to useCommunity-Based Drug Abuse Controlin 1,145 villages identified as havingsevere drug problems.

● Thai-UN Projects initiated more com-munity-based work of al l types, inparticular on drug treatment during thelater phases of some projects. A newlydesigned project, the Integrated PocketsArea Development Project (IPAD) wasestablished from 1991-1994 to coveropium poppy growing regions so smallor isolated they had been overlookedin the previous work. In eradicating drugproduction, the project placed emphasison developing social groups, leadersand citizen participation.

● In the final phase (1994-98), the Thai-German Highland DevelopmentProgram had changed its focus to involvethe villages in most areas of its work.The program was working to strengthenpeoples’ organizations, such as creditgroups, rice banks and the Sub-districtAdministration Organization (TAO).

4.4 Balanced Approaches on Integration ofAlternative Development, Demand Re-duction and Law Enforcement

Thailand’s effort to control opium pro-duction and to develop the highlands hasbeen massive and time consuming. However,there are 5 main components of Thailand’sbalanced approach:

National UnityUnder the moral leadership of His MajestyKing Bhumibol, Thailand identified opiumpoppy replacement as a national priority.Through frequent visits to hi l l areas,starting in the 1960ûs, His Majesty builtloyalty to Thailand among the hill peopleand made them more willing to participatein the alternative development work. Ashe visited the hill people, the Governmentallocated funds to build roads and carryout infrastructure improvements in thoselocations. Besides enhancing the develop-ment process, law enforcement effortsbecame more effective.

Alternative Development withPeople’s ParticipationThailand’s work included campaigningagainst opium use, promoting socio-economic development and the partici-pation of the people. Different agencies,including NGOs and the private sector,carried out various aspects of these threecomponents. The various income genera-t ing activit ies and infrastructure thatenabled them to implement them made itpossible for the opium growers to make aliving without poppy.

Ample and Long-Term SupportHis Majesty the King’s Projects and interna-

tional donor projects began supportingcrop replacement in Thailand in the 1970s.Since then, NGOs, the private sector, andthe Government have provided hundredsof millions of dollars as well as an inesti-mable amount of volunteer time in opiumreplacement and highland development.By contrast, the Government’s investmentwas spread throughout the hills more evenly.

Demand ReductionThailand began conducting active demandreduction during the 1980s. In hill areas,and with help from NGOs, Thai as well astribal language media are used. ONCBworks with the Ministry of Education inschool-based programs and with Sub-district Administration Organization andother peoples’ organizations, as well asNGOs, in a variety of drug prevent ioninitiatives.

Law EnforcementONCB has conducted an annual poppycultivation survey since 1979 in order toenhance the effectiveness of the eradicationcampaign in accordance with the overalldrug control plan. ONCB, in cooperationwith the Border Patrol Police and the 3rd

Army, engages in an effective poppy era-dication program every season.

UNFDAC/UNDCP Funded project Duration Target population1) Crop Replacement and community 1973-1979 NA.

Development2) Highland Agricultural and Marketing 1980-1984 7,390

Project3) Thai-NCA Highland Development 1985-1993 7,100

Project4) Pae Por Highland Development 1987-1994 7,950

Project5) Sam Muen Highland Development 1987-1994 10,300

Project6) Wiang Pha Highland Development 1987-1994 9,000

Project7) Doiyao Phamon Highland 1990-1994 12,650

Development Project8) Integrated Pocket Area Development 1990-1994 11,400

Project

5. UNDCP External Funded AlternativeDevelopment Projects.

There were several UNFDAC/UNDCP highland al-ternative development projects in various provinceswhere there were in the large opium producing areasin northern Thailand from 1970 until 1994.

These Projects were mainly in the field of alternativedevelopment for opium supply reduction, only project# 7 and # 8 used more participatory methods onCommunity-Based Drug Abuse Control Program.

6. Analysis of Impacts of the AlternativeDevelopment Programs and Projects onIllicit Crop Eradication and CommunityDevelopment

The following analysis summarizes the experiencesin highland development projects from the past 20years.

7. Summary of Good Practices and LessonsLearned from the Programs and Project

At the policy level

Visionary LeadershipThailand was fortunate that H.M. King BhumibolAdulyadej was promoting environmental lyfriendly, par t icipatory projects before thedevelopment communit y “dev ised” them.The common folk, recognized in him high levelsof “parami” (means grace, loving kindness,charisma, stature, power and greatness). Theking influenced government agencies to assistthe poppy growers especially where regulationsimpeded providing such help.

Participation of the PeopleIt’s inevitable to involve peoples’ participationat all stages of the projects (planning, implemen-tation, monitoring & evaluation). The form ofindirect or direct participation depends uponanalysis of the situation.

Permanent SettlementWithout permanent set tlement of the tribalpeople, the investment of the AlternativeDevelopment project will not produce highyields in the short and long terms. This frame-work must be clear prior to the implementationof projects. Unfortunately, the supporting legalframework for this is not yet in place.

Balanced ApproachesIn order to solve the narcotics problem (Demandand Supply), a balanced approach betweenagricultural and socio-economic initiatives isnecessary.

Holistic systematic approachThis has been proved for more than 30 years -that a holistic & systematic approach is avaluable practical approach to solve problemsin the highlands. However, this has also proveddifficult to achieve, especially at higher levels.

Cooperation of StakeholdersCooperation and coordination among agencies(government, non-government) people andother key institutes at all levels will be a key

Positive Impacts

1. Decreased opium production and use2. Good progress in rural development3. Better standard of living4. Reinforced village organization structures.5. Improved skills in functioning in

Thai society.6. Enhanced capacity of Thai

Government drug control andPolicy development.

7. Good socio-economic anddemographic data is essential.

8. Facilitated forest land use.9. Provided Thai citizenship.10. Provided infrastructure.11. Planned highland development.

Negative Impact

1. Increased heroin availability.2. Greater impact on environment

because alternative crops needlarger growing area and morechemical inputs than opium poppy.

3. ATS spread in 1997

factor to support successful management ofthe projects.

Institution Building (IB)Institution building, both formal and informal,of Government Offices, NGOs, and POs mustbe well designed and implemented for al lproject management staff, such as, preparationof project staff in understanding highlandconditions, people etc. at the first stage willensure continuation of development in thelong term.

NetworkingNetworking, especially at the community level,has been proved very effective in increasingcapacities of stakeholders in working togetherand sharing resources, leading to greatersustainability.

Project Management Structure andSystemProject management should be compatible withexisting government organization structures tofacilitate the transfer of knowledge and skills,and the continued operation and sustainabilityof methods and activities.

At the implementation level1) It was possible to promote alternative cash

crops among tribal farmers. However, arrange-ments must be made to facilitate marketing.

2) A strong focus on reducing opium poppycultivation through crop substitution is not initself effective. More attention needs to be paidto the provision of other basic services.

3) The promotion of cash cropping can success-fully contribute to reduction in opium poppycultivation. However, suppression measuresare also required, otherwise poppy continuesto be cultivated.

4) Credit and marketing should be designed to besustainable after the project. Marketing shouldbe facilitated rather than operated by the project.

5) The integrat ion of other non-agricultureservices should be included in the developmentof the project and the responsible line agenciesshould participate directly in the project.

6) An integrated balanced range of strategies proveeffective in achieving sustainable reduction in

opium poppy cult ivation. This included theprovision of basic services and activities toassist the target population to meet their basicneeds and law enforcement.

7) Only after other serious problems (of heroinaddiction) had emerged, was it realized that fartoo little attention had been paid to demandreduction issues related to trafficking.

8) There needs to be more decentralization ofbudgetary authority and program planning toprovincial, district and community levels.

9) Special support is required to develop strategiesand programs in the field of demand reductionamong tribal populations.

8. Recommendations for Future Development andImplementation of Alternative Developmentand Crop Eradication Initiatives

8.1 Balanced Approach● The drug demand reduction and supply

reduction measures (carrot and stickapproach) should be jointly enactedduring the implementation of alternativedevelopment. In most cases, the sup-pression measures are also required forthe drug traffickers.

● The surveys of opium poppy growingareas should be carried out continuously.Results of the survey should be contri-buted and/or coordinated with con-cerned agencies.

● The Government should provide moreopportunit ies and support for non-government organizations (NGOs) andthe private sector to develop experienceand expertise in working directly onalternative development w ith ruralcommunities.

● The participation of the people, bothfrom the target populat ion and al lconcerned sectors, should be organized,mobilized and implemented together oncampaigning against opium/drug useand the promotion of socio-economicdevelopment in the target areas.

● The Government should put alternativedevelopment into the national institu-tional framework and fully support theactivities. Also the international donors

should continually assist and supportlong-term investment.

8.2 Agricultural Alternative Development● Informat ion systems and land use

patterns on agriculture should be well-organized and participatory plannedprior the implementation of activitiestakes place.

● Agricultural inputs should be suitablypackaged for farmers and fitted in linewith local conditions, e.g. rice, fruittree, cash crops, livestock, etc.

● Land use rights and citizenship shouldbe provided for the target population,because these are one of the mainelements for the sustainable agriculturaldevelopment.

8.3 Non-Agricultural Alternative Development● The systematic study of possible non-

agricultural alternative developmentshould be conducted with the coopera-t ion and participation of the targetpopulation and relevant agencies.

● Training on possible designated non-agricultural activities should be providedto the target population to increasetheir skills and potential.

● Tourism on local natural resources andthe sale of tradit ional handicraft sproducts should be promoted as off-farm income generation activities.

8.4 Micro Credit System● The forms of micro credit systems e.g.

v i l lage fund, sub-district fund andfinancial institute (such as Bank ofAgriculture and Cooperatives) shouldbe set up with clear directives.

● Criteria for loan consideration shouldbe linked to development potential andcommunity management

● Credit collateral for the target popula-tion should be addressed through jointliability groups

8.5 Marketing strategies● Marketing strategies must receive suf-

ficient attention, and be initially designed

with the combination of agriculture andnon-agriculture alternative developmentapproaches.

● The basic arrangements e.g. accessibleroads, tracks etc. must be made inadvance to facilitate the local marketing.

● The domest ic market should playimportant roles e.g. The Royal Projectand The Doi Tung Development Projectsell their products to major domesticmarkets.

8.6 Cross Border Cooperation and Trade● MOU member countries should en-

courage alternative development acti-vities in border areas.

● Some possible border areas w ithexisting potential alternative develop-ment projects can exchange experiencesand/or support technical know-howe.g. the Royal Project and the Doi TungDevelopment Project.

● Basic international communication atborder areas e.g.. roads, bridges andtelephone system etc. should beconsidered.

● The exchange of National Drug LiaisonOfficers among different member coun-tries should be encouraged.

● MOU member country should have achance to exchange experiences, reportprogress on alternative developmentand related drug issues on an annualbasis.

● Cross border trade should be based onmember countries’ mutual benefit andpotential.

8.7 Emerging Challenges and Roles of UNand International Development Agencies● The threat of Amphetamine-Type

Stimulants (ATS) is considerable inSouth East Asia, especially in Thailand.The member countries should cooperateto design and formulate strategic plansto meet this challenge.

● As a result of the economic crisis, the drug situation has become even moresevere. Therefore, the internat ionalcommunit y should pay increasing

attention.● UNDCP should fol low-up on the

Bangkok Polit ical Declarat ion InPursuit of a Drug-Free ASEAN 2015

and suppor t member countrie s insolving narcotic drugs problems as wellas alternative development activities inhighland areas.

1. Initiation of the Doi Tung DevelopmentProject

The Doi Tung Development Project started in 1987under the initiative of Her Royal Highness PrincessSrinagarindra, the late Princess Mother, mother ofHis Majesty King Bhumibhol Adulyadej. Much of thesuccess of this rather complex project can be attrib-uted to the charisma and vision of this elderly woman.Though she passed away six years ago at age 94, herenergy, compassion, and wisdom continue to inspirethose working for the Doi Tung Development Project.

Governments or other organizations can initiate andimplement successful projects according to their poli-cies and plans; but as we have seen time and again inThailand, the vision and drive of dedicated leaders,whether at the national or the project levels, are criti-cal to a project’s success.

Since her sixties, during the insurgency period inThailand, Her Royal Highness energetically traveledto remote villages throughout the country to providemedical care as well as education and economic sup-port to the country’s poorest citizens. Usually, aftermonths of very busy schedules, the King would makeher take brief rests in Switzerland where she had raisedher family. As she neared age 90, Her Royal High-ness declared that she would no longer travel to Swit-zerland, but would stay permanently in Thailand andcontinue to work for the benefit of the people. HerPrivate Secretary knew he would have to find an ap-propriate site for her outside of congested Bangkok,and Doi Tung at 1,000 meters above sea level wasthought to be such a place.

At the start of 1987, Her Royal Highness visited thesite. She recalled an earlier visit there some 20 yearsbefore, when the mountainsides were already denuded.She agreed that her new house would be built there,but it was also Her Royal Highness’ nature that shemust work wherever she went, so it was no surprisewhen she told her Private Secretary she would livethere only if she initiated a project for the well beingof the people and to improve the environment of DoiTung.

2. Healing Man and Nature

When Her Royal Highness arrived at Doi Tung, thepeople there faced numerous problems. Forest en-croachment for slash-and-burn agriculture and opiumpoppy fields damaged the ecosystem. Opium was theironly cash crop. Its easy availability led to drug addic-tion by about 5 percent of the population. The lackof economic opportunities led the hill tribes to seek

The Role of Non-AgriculturalDevelopment in theDoi Tung Development Project

Presented by Mom Rajawongse PutrieViravaidya, Mae Fah Luang Foundation

other sources of income. With their limited educationand opportunities, many were forced into sexual ex-ploitation of young girls, child labor and illegal em-ployment, prostitution, and drug trafficking. Prostitu-tion and drug addiction led to the spread of disease,in particular AIDS.

Her Royal Highness had always recognized that peo-ple’s health, their education, and even their culturescould be maintained only if the environment in whichthey live is also healthy and can provide them withsufficient means to live. It was clear that a multi-pronged approach was needed to improve the lives ofthe people while also improving their environment.

3. Project Management and Implementation

The Doi Tung Development Project covers nearly 150square kilometers in northernmost Thailand, border-ing Myanmar for 26 kilometers. Nearly all the land isofficially forest area, though mostly barren of treeswhen the project started. The land was officially un-der the control of the Royal Forest Department and,for security purposes, the Royal Thai Army, withBorder Patrol Police stationed near the border.

With the start of the Doi Tung Development Project,numerous civilian and military offices of the govern-ment, state enterprises, and several private sectororganizations sought to contribute. The Mae FahLuang Foundation was appointed to serve as coordi-nator for what were at times nearly two dozen organi-zations. Work in the project area began with the de-velopment of basic economic and social infrastruc-ture such as roads, electricity, health stations and watersupply, and extensive reforestation efforts, includingeconomic forests to provide incomes for the local resi-dents.

This was the major financial contribution of the gov-ernment to the Doi Tung Development Project. Table1 presents a summary of the budget contributionsfrom the main government agencies involved in theproject between 1991 and 1993, amounting to nearly20 million US dollars over the three years.1 By far thelargest expense was road construction and repair,accounting for nearly 60 percent of the governmentbudget to Doi Tung during those years. Another nearly

17 percent of the budget went to water supply, and 2percent for electrification.

The project was fortunate to have these considerablefinancial resources at its start. The problem was howto coordinate the efforts of all the organizations -government and private - involved in its implementa-tion. A coordination committee was established, withthe Mae Fah Luang Foundation as a neutral partyserving as coordinator in the planning and implemen-tation. This helped reduce potential conflicts and jeal-ousy between the various government Ministries andDepartments. None could claim it was the main“owner” of the project, none had sole responsibilityfor funds. All were given a role and full recognition inplanning and implementation.

An organization such as the Mae Fah Luang Founda-tion also had a long-term commitment to the project.It could oversee the formulation of long-term plans,some up to 30 years, the expected life of the projectas the land is rented for that period from the RoyalForest Department. Government officials changethrough promotion and reassignment. An official dedi-cated to the project may be replaced by another whois less interested. Governments also change, and withthem their policies. A government fully supporting aproject may be replaced by one less involved. An or-ganization such as the Mae Fah Luang Foundation,whether a private enterprise, an NGO, or some otherneutral organization, can provide the long-term lead-ership and dedication to see a project to completion.

After the first years of major infrastructure develop-ment, the government role became directed more to-ward social and economic development. Overall fund-ing was reduced, but the types of activities becameeven more varied. Occupational training was initiatedby the Princess Mother in 1992, and by 1994, per-manent occupational development centers for agri-culture, handicrafts, and small-scale cottage industrieswere established, in accordance with Her Royal High-ness’ policy of ‘helping the people to help themselves’.The project introduced economically valuable fruitsand flowers, along with improved methods of cultiva-tion. At the same time Doi Tung started to becomedeveloped as a nature and culture tourist destination,with the Mae Fah Luang Foundation promoting localresidents to provide tourism support services.

1 The exchange rate during this period was roughly 23 to 25 Baht to 1 US dollar.

4. A Multi-Faceted Approach: Agriculture,Non-Agriculture and Tourism

Although we have been asked to discuss the roles ofHandicrafts and Tourism in the Doi Tung Develop-ment Project, it is necessary to first discuss the role ofagriculture in the lives of the people in the projectarea. Before the start of the Doi Tung DevelopmentProject, most of the income of the residents in thearea came from shifting cultivation, with opium astheir main cash crop. Other cash income came fromprostitution (mainly young women sent, and some-times sold, to work in cities), and from involvement indrug trafficking. With the introduction of the Doi TungDevelopment Project, most of the land used for shift-ing cultivation was reclaimed by the state for refor-estation.

As can be seen in figure 1 below, the change in landuse was dramatic. From a largely denuded landscape,the Doi Tung area has been transformed to a largelyforested landscape. But with the reduction in culti-vated area, what has happened to people’s income?

Some has been compensated by economic forests,forests for subsistence, and the retention of some cropland. Indeed, as figure 2 indicates, income obtainedfrom agriculture actually increased during the projectperiod, even though the agricultural area was drasti-cally reduced.

However, this increase in agricultural income by itselfwould in no way help develop the project area. Othersources of income had to be found to help bring thestandard of living of project residents to a decent level,and these were provided through the many non-agri-cultural activities of the project. The main sources ofincome were with project activities and for the cot-tage industry training centers. These are listed in as“labour” but are in fact the wages earned at theseveral factories or training centers and processingplants in the project, in providing services to supporttourism and the project administration, and as work-ers in the economic forests of Doi Tung. In 2000,1,226 of Doi Tung’s 10,377 residents were hired towork for more than forty centers, companies, or“programs” under the Doi Tung Development Project:

Table 1: Government Budget for Doi Tung Development Project, 1991-93

Budget(million Baht)

Department of Highways 268.5 54.94 % road constructionInternational Security Office 8.0 1.63 % road repair (along border)Accelerated Rural Development 15.7 3.21 % road repairProvincial Electrical Authority 10.0 2.04 % electrificationPublic Welfare Department 0.9 0.18 % community developmentCommunity Development Department 4.4 0.90 % community dev. / skill trainingDepartment of Local Administration 1.1 0.23 % community dev. / skill trainingRoyal Thai Army 11.0 2.25 % SecurityRoyal Irrigation Department 81.7 16.72 % water developmentRoyal Forest Department 64.7 13.24 % ReforestationDepartment of Land Development 3.1 0.63 % erosion controlDepartment of Livestock 1.4 0.29 % livestock promotionDepartment of Fisheries 1.2 0.25 % pond fisheriesMinistry of Industries 8.4 1.72 % handicraft dev. / skill trainingMinistry of Education 2.8 0.57 % non-formal education, child careMinistry of Public Health 5.8 1.19 % health center, village health careTOTAL 488.7 100 %

Main ActivityPercentAgency

Figure 1: Land Use in the Doi Tung Area: 1989 and 2000 (in rai2)

Figure 2: Income by Major Sources, Doi Tung Development Project, 1988-1999

2 6.25 rai = 1 ha.

Another 292 peoples worked for government officesor private companies in the project area, 422 workedmainly on their own agricultural production, and 299depended mostly on their own commercial or retailtrade. Slightly over 2,000 worked outside the projectarea. The remaining residents were students (1,475),pre-school children (1,261), and people who stayedat home, the elderly, disabled, etc. (3,289). Of theworking population (4,352 people), slightly over half(2,239) work in the project area, nearly all of whomdepend directly or indirectly on project activities fortheir livelihood.

Per capita income has increased nearly 6-fold sincethe start of the project, from 3,772 Baht per personin 1988 to 22,445 Baht per person in 1999. Theproject aims to increase per capita income to about30,000 Baht by the end of 2002, to bring the in-

come of the people of the Doi Tung DevelopmentProject to the average level of others in Chiang RaiProvince.

5. Doi Tung Products: Value AddedProduction

Whether it be high-value agriculture, economic for-ests, flower production, or cottage industries, a fun-damental policy of the Doi Tung Development Projecthas been to emphasize the introduction of value-addedproduction. Crop substitution at Doi Tung has notbeen just crop replacement, but the introduction ofseveral crops that require additional processing orhandling that can also be centered at the project. Thuswe have coffee trees and production of coffee beans,together with coffee roasting, packaging, and mar-keting at Doi Tung. We have macadamia trees and

Government Offices Handicrafts/Cottage Industries

Highland Ag. Dev. Center Rug Making Training CenterOrchard Research Center Cloth DyeingAccelerated Rural Development Weaving Training CenterRoad Construction Projects Sewing Training CenterRoad Maintenance Sa Paper Training CenterForest Animal Breeding Center Handicrafts Training CenterFisheries Promotion Center Coffee Roasting Training Cen.Forest Prevention Center Bag Making CenterIrrigation Center, Doi Tung Ceramic Training Center

Vetiver Pot MakingPa Kluai Tissue Culture CenterHuai Nam Khun Tissue Culture Center

Navuti Company (coffee, macadamia)Navutayayu CompanyCoffee Develop. Proj., NestleVetiver Dev. Center Royal Villa Gardens4,000 Rai Econ. Forest Project Mae Fah Luang GardenAfforestation Project, HRH 99 birthday Mae Fah Luang Arboretum

Housekeeping SectionKitchen Staff Section

Pesticide-Free Veg. ProductionVeg. Research and Develop.Mushroom Production AdministrationNursery Work Repair/Mechanics SectionCut and Potted Flower Center Social Welfare Support SectionCut Rose ProductionHighland OrchidsProduction of Rare Trees

Economic Forests

Agricultural Development

Project Support

Tourism Support

production of macadamia nuts, together withmacadamia processing, flavoring, other macadamiaproducts (cookies), and marketing. We have flowerand orchid growing, packaging and shipping, nurs-ery support, tissue culture support, marketing, andeven provide a major “consumer” of the floweringplants - the gardens of Doi Tung itself.

The handicrafts and cottage industries at Doi Tungcame out of the same policy. Some of the first cot-tage industries were a direct result of the reforesta-tion policy: the Sa Paper production was establishedto support a renewable forest resource (the Sa mul-berry trees), as the more one prunes the trees to useits bark, it grows back in profusion. Tissue culturecenters were established to help provide stock of vetivergrass and other plants used in erosion control andreforestation. Banana plants and fruit trees were alsopart of the tissue culture program.

One of the largest cottage industries - the weavingand sewing training centers - were established to buildupon existing traditional handicrafts of the project arearesidents. All the ethnic minority groups in Thailandhave distinctive clothing and long traditions in weav-

been developed, many incorporating traditional pat-terns, to broaden the market for the goods. New prod-ucts have been introduced, such as placemats andrugs. Some innovative designs have been made, in-corporating natural materials from the project, suchas vetiver grass and reed. Packaging, shipping, andmarketing of these cottage industries - at Mae FahLuang shops in Doi Tung, at the Chiang Rai airport,and in Bangkok, as well as to other outlets - are allcomponents of the project.

The latest cottage industry at Doi Tung, the ceramictraining center, also has links to the agricultural andforest components of the project. The macadamiahusks, which would otherwise be a waste product,are used as fuel for the ovens. Dyes are producedfrom the macadamia husks and from the outer por-tion of coffee beans, which would also otherwise be awaste product. Vetiver grass ashes are also used tocolor glazes for ceramic wares.

Table 2 shows the financial contribution in recent yearsof the cottage industries and their related activities tothe project.

3 In fact, the Mae Fah Luang Foundation was first established thirty years ago by Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother as the Hill TribesCrafts Marketing Foundation, to promote the sale of traditional hill tribe handicrafts as a means to improve the incomes of some of the poorestof the country’s residents in the northern hills. Once these goods became widespread and readily available through regular market channels,Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother changed the focus of the foundation to other social and economic development work.

Table 2: Gross Earnings from Cottage Industries and Related Activities, Doi TungDevelopment Project, 1996, 1998, and 2000 (in baht)

Activity 1996 1998 2000Mae Fah Luang Shops 7,675,542.99 13,394,825.50 10,908,319.39Cafeteria, Snack Shops 9,201,591.30 14,730,427.52 17,954,270.65Coffee Corner 2,184,103.50 2,498,823.76Rug Center 8,340,588.49 6,843,324.83 3,048,585.82Weaving Center 6,004,107.03 9,415,190.85 21,608,152.99Sewing Center 4,205,716.05 5,253,759.16 16,250,246.29Sa Paper Center 1,995,471.97 1,124,187.52 2,340,800.36Silk Screen 371,121.00 672,819.67 521,875.65Bag Making 38,000.00 199,380.33 404,203.00Water Bottling 120,270.00 825,654.00Coffee Processing 7,678,609.64 7,691,747.89Total 37,832,138.83 61,616,898.52 84,052,679.80

ing.3 Training has been provided to improve people’sweaving and sewing skills, bringing them to interna-tional standards. New cloth and clothing designs have

6. Marketing Doi Tung: Tourism Development

Doi Tung is perhaps best known as an important tour-

ist dest inat ion in Chiang Rai. Although theneighboring province of Chiang Mai remains the mostpopular tourist destination in northern Thailand,Chiang Rai is a fast-growing second. A part of theattraction of Chiang Rai, certainly for Thai tourists, isto visit the gardens and the Royal Villa, and to enjoythe lush mountain scenery of Doi Tung.

Her Royal Highness the Princess Mother initiated theMae Fah Luang Garden to give Thais who have noopportunity to travel overseas a place to enjoy tem-perate flowers. The formal flower garden thus becamean important attraction after it opened in 1994. Tworecent additions have more than doubled the area ofthe Mae Fah Luang Garden.

In 1998, the Royal Villa was opened to limited publicviewing, so visitors could see the beauty of the build-ing and its surroundings as well as the simplicity ofHer Royal Highness’ lifestyle. It is important to notethat the Royal Villa incorporated Her Royal Highness’beliefs on the environment and culture. No trees werecut down for this building, as the teak used for thefloors came from donated confiscated timber, and thepine wood for the walls came from old shipping cratesleft at the Bangkok dockyards. While the design ofthe building has elements of a Swiss chalet, it is pre-dominantly northern Thai with decorations and carv-ings by skilled villagers and artisans of the northernprovinces.

The same year also saw the opening of another tour-ist site, the Mae Fah Luang Arboretum, where thou-sands of rhododendron and azalea from throughoutthe world have been planted. Both Myanmar andChina have been instrumental in providing rhododen-dron for this site in great numbers.

Until recently, the project policy was that tourismshould be predominantly day visits. Hotel and restau-rant facilities should be developed by private enter-prises outside the project area. This to was limit theadverse impacts of tourism development in Doi Tunguntil the project was ready to expand its facilities andDoi Tung staff (especially local residents) had suffi-

cient skills to handle a larger tourist turnover. In 1998,a three-story building was opened for overnight stays.4

The number of paying tourists to sites at Doi Tung(those who pay to enter the Royal Villa, the Mae FahLuang Garden, or the Arboretum) is presented intable 3. Even with heightened security risks alongthe border since February, the first six months ofthis year have seen 55,471 more paying tourists thanthe same period last year.

Table 3: Number of Tourists Paying to VisitSites at Doi Tung, by month, 2000 and 2001(to June)

Month 2000 2001January 76,251 132,580February 44,599 53,124March 22,080 28,926April 66,505 66,660May 31,616 23,178June 16,394 23,178July 21,230August 22,704September 16,970October 65,736November 62,929December 60,865TOTAL 507,879 328,186

4 This building was originally designed house part of the retinue of Her Royal Highness. After her passing, the number of external staff at DoiTung (people not from the project area) was reduced to those administering various project activities. The number of government officialsresident at Doi Tung has also decreased as direct government involvement ends. Thus, a large portion of what was to have been staff housingbecame available for tourism.

Income generated from several tourism-related activi-ties is presented in Table 4. Note, however, that someof the tourism-related activities, such as income ofthe cafeteria, snack bars, and coffee corner, are in-cluded in Table 2 - cottage industries and related ac-tivities - presented in the previous section. Nor doesthis include two other sources of income for Doi Tungresidents that come from tourism: flower productionfor the gardens and private sales. The Mae Fah LuangGarden and the gardens around the Royal Villa re-quire a constant supply of flowering plants. Produc-tion of many of these plants is now being contractedout to Doi Tung residents who had earlier beenwageworkers in the project nurseries. Those who visit

Table 4: Gross Earnings from Tourism and Related Activities, Doi Tung Development Project,1996, 1998, and 2000 (in baht)

Activity 1996 1998 2000Mae Fah Luang Garden 6,342,410.00 23,757,444.00 22,303,680.00Mae Fah Luang Arboretum 205,380.00 793,819.00Royal Villa 10,598,150.00 14,787,845.00Pictures of HRH 553,592.00 799,010.00Restrooms 338,408.00 237,804.00 646,980.00Accommodations 3,198,898.00 10,114,286.74Total 6,680,818.00 38,551,268.00 49,445,620.74

Doi Tung will also see small souvenir stalls along theroad approaching the Mae Fah Luang Garden andthe Royal Villa, and between the Villa and the MaeFah Luang Arboretum. Project residents operate theseprivately.

A further development in tourism will start in a fewmonths with the first overnight village visits. Theproject is supporting the development of village-levellodging, to be operated by Doi Tung residents whohave worked in the tourism sector of the project. Thebungalows will be built according to the traditionaldesign of the ethnic group in each village (Akha, Lahu,Shan, and Chinese), the lodging will be simple butclean, with facilities of an acceptable internationalhygienic standard. The number of guests will still belimited, to assure tourism will not have serious detri-mental affects on the environment or on the localculture and society. At the same time, earnings fromtourism will go more directly to the Doi Tung resi-dents themselves.

7. Impact on Illicit Crop Eradication andCommunity Development

Doi Tung can claim success in eradicating opium pro-duction within the project area. Two main opium pro-ducing sites are now the sites of the Mae Fah LuangArboretum and the Mae Fah Luang Garden. Thissuccess, though, came not from replacing one landuse with another, but by providing people with viablealternatives to opium growing or the other harmfulactivities they previously relied upon.

The project has even had an impact on opium pro-duction in neighboring areas, even across the border.With the improved infrastructure in the project area,

many people in neighboring border areas now growfruit (strawberries) and vegetables (cabbage) that arepurchased by Thai merchants.

The initial effect of the project on narcotic consump-tion was mixed. Though opium production ceased,addicts still needed their drugs. The sudden rise inincome in the first years also led some to spend theirmoney on narcotics. The number of addicts actuallybegan to rise in the early 1990. A drug rehabilitationprogram was set up, and all project area addicts re-quired to enter. This one-time effort lasted 1,000 days,to build the self-esteem and provide new work skillsto the recovered participants. Most were taught skillsin handicraft production and high-value (fruit and veg-etable) agriculture. Current drug-rehabilitation effortsare the direct responsibility of the villages, with sup-port from local medical staff. They now find thatmethamphetamine abuse is more prevalent than othertypes of illicit drug consumption, since Doi Tung liesclose to methamphetamine production sites and ma-jor trafficking routes.

The impact on community development has also beenimmense. Although agriculture and forest-based ac-tivities remain the main project-related sources of in-come (including wage labor from economic forests,flower production, etc.), cottage industries and tour-ism alone helped bring about 120 million Baht intothe Doi Tung Development Project in 2000, or anaverage of about 12,000 Baht per person per year inthe project area. For some of Doi Tung’s 26 villages -those near the cottage industry training center andnear the main tourist attractions - these activities areimportant sources of income that have helped im-prove people’s standard of living.

8. Summary of Good Practices Learnedfrom Project and Recommendationsfor Other Alternative DevelopmentInitiatives

Two important aspects of leadership and administra-tion helped contribute to the achievements of the DoiTung Development Project. First, the project had adedicated leader, Her Royal Highness the PrincessMother, who provided the vision and commitment tothis complex effort, as well as the inspiration to acore of comparably dedicated staff. Second, the projectis coordinated by a neutral organization (the Mae FahLuang Foundation) with a long-term commitment tothe project. This has helped assure the continued as-sistance of a large number of government, non-gov-ernment organizations, and private enterprises, byassuring all have a role in planning, implementing,and gaining credit for their work in the project.

What can we learn from the experience of non-agri-cultural development at Doi Tung? The main lessonis that a mix of activities needs to be used to addressthe interconnected problems of environmental degra-dation, poverty, opium production, and other harm-ful activities. Non-agricultural activities can play a keyrole in helping people earn viable incomes that allowthem to improve their standards of living, withouthaving to depend on illegal narcotic production, traf-ficking, or prostitution.

Non-agricultural activities that are based on agricul-ture or sustainable use of forests provide the bestopportunities, since they depend on materials thatare locally available and that can help promote betterforest and land management. Value-added produc-tion can provide greater financial returns, with sev-eral stages of production, processing, and even mar-keting providing income to the project and its benefi-ciaries. It can also provide the most opportunities forpeople with different types of skills. Those who arebetter at farming can grow the fruit, vegetables, flow-ers, and tend the coffee and macadamia trees. Thosewith skills in various kinds of handicrafts and manu-facturing, or in tissue culture or ceramics, can findwork doing these tasks. And those who prefer tradeor tourism services can find opportunities in theseendeavors.

The Doi Tung Development Project is constantly evolv-ing. From a heavily subsidized project in its earlystages, it plans to be fully self-supporting by 2002.The next 15 years should see a gradual shift from aproject that is still administered by people from out-side the project area, to one that is under the directcontrol of the people of Doi Tung. It is important thatthis project be able to change to meet new condi-tions, as the people of the project area gain the expe-rience and skills that will enable them to control fullytheir own destinies.

Overview

The year 1969 marked the establishment of the RoyalProject in the North of Thailand as originated fromHis Majesty the King’s private study. Under the direc-torship of H.S.H. Prince Bhisatej Rajani, this RoyalProject has pursued its mission in collaboration withthe Royal Thai Government, foreign governments,universities, public and private agencies and volun-teers.

During the past decades, the Royal Project has suc-cessfully fulfilled His Majesty’s wish by placing em-phasis mainly on research and development whichlead to the proper cultivation of highland crops foropium substitution. The hill tribe’s consciousness onthe conservation of forests and watersheds has beenmotivated and better standard of living in the projectareas has been conceived,. In March 1992, The RoyalProject Foundation rendered public services with ef-fective management system and permanent budgetallocation. His Majesty the King Himself holds theposition of Honorary President of the Foundation.

The Royal Project Foundation, as it now becomes,has responded to His Majesty’s initiative to help thehill tribes to help themselves in growing useful cropswhich enable them to have a better standard of living.

Objectives

1. To help the hill tribes for humanitarianism.2. To help the nation by reducing the destruction

of natural resources in terms of forests andwatersheds.

3. To stop opium cultivation.4. To conserve soil and make proper use of land,

that is to avoid the encroachment of cultivatefields upon forest areas.

5. To produce cash crops for the benefit of theThai economy.

Operation

The Royal Project, under the directorship of H.S.H.Prince Bhisatej Rajani, was intended as a seminalproject which would help fund - from His MajestyThe King’s own private funds - much needed high-land agricultural research, development and experi-mentation work, prior to and parallel with the inten-sive efforts of state agencies to build up their capabil-ity in these newly recognized areas of national con-cern. The Royal Project activities would, it wasplanned, be flexible and responsive to developing situ-ations, would operate under a minimum of rules andregulations, and would thus be in a good position toassist the various government works.

In the early stage of establishment, the Royal Projectplaced emphasis on the projects of His Majesty’s pri-vate study which thoroughly specified His determina-tion, vision, objectives and the expecting results asstated in the Royal address on January 10, 1974:

“Help for the hill tribes and the Hill Tribes De-velopment Project has given direct benefits tothe hill tribes by helping them to grow useful

Royal Project Foundation

Presented by Dr. Santhad Rojanasoonthon,Director of Research, Royal Project Foundation

crops and enabling them to have a better stand-ard of living. One of the reasons underlying thecreation of the project was humanitarianism;the desire that these people living in remoteareas should have education and become self-supporting and more prosperous. Another rea-son, and which has received support from allsides, was to solve the problem of heroine. Ifwe are able to help the hill tribes to grow use-ful crops, they will stop growing opium, andthe implementation of the policy to preventopium-smoking and opium-trading will be suc-cessful. A further reason which is very impor-tant is that, as is well known, the hill tribes arepeople who use agricultural methods which, ifleft unchecked, could bring the country to ruin.In other words they cut down trees and prac-tice slash-and-burn methods which are totallywrong. If we help them it is tantamount to help-ing the country in general to have a betterstandard of living and security. If we can im-plement these projects successfully and ensurethat the hill tribes stay in one place, have areasonable standard of living and help in theconservation of forests and soil, then the ben-efits occurring there from will be significantand long-lasting...”

Research and development were priorities for theproject’s first decade. When meaningful extensionwork began to be carried out, the project began gradu-ally, but dramatically, to see significant results.

From the beginning, apart from pioneer work of vol-unteers, many agencies have established their workson strong foundations. These agencies include; uni-versities, the Ministries of Agriculture and Coopera-tives, of Science and Technology, the Ministry of In-terior, State Owned Enterprises, the private sector,international organizations and foreign governments.

The work of the Royal Project has evolved into threemajor endeavors: research, development with exten-sion and marketing.

Research: Various fields of research have been con-ducted at six experimental stations in the hilly area ofChiang Mai at Ang Khang, Pang Da, Mae Lod,Inthanon, Doi Pui (under directorship of KasetsartUniversity) and Khun Wang (under directorship of theDepartment of Agriculture).

Categories of research:1. fruit 2. Vegetable 3. Flower4. Forest 5. Plant Protection 6. Post Harvest7. Processing 8. Education 9. Social

Development with extension: Crops on culturaltrial include : temperate fruits, vegetables, cut flowers(gladiolus, chrysanthemum, carnation, lily etc.), ferns,coffee, tea, shiitake mushrooms, strawberries, pas-sion fruit guava, herbs, potatoes, legumes, cereals,dried flowers and fast growing species of forest trees.

Technology has been introduced for the minimum useof synthetic chemicals to control plant diseases andinsects, for soil conservation and for seed multiplica-tion. Livestock has been introduced : swine, sheep,ducks, chickens and bees.

Appropriate cash crop and agricultural technologyderived from research have been introduced to thehill tribe people and to surrounding lowlanders, uponthe realization that successful application requiresequitable allotment as well as guidance.

The hill tribe people have been motivated to thrivewithout destroying the forests. A stable income forthem is being maintained from fruit trees, other cashcrops and livestock. At the same time stabilizing ef-forts have been made to discourage their migratorypropensities.

At present the Royal Project administers 36 exten-sion centers situated in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, MaeHong Son, Lamphun and Phayao Provinces. Some284 villages are covered comprising of 15,495 fami-lies of 94,315 people.

An intensive effort has been and is being made todevelop the necessary infrastructure, e.g. village road,small irrigation systems and village electricity. Teamsare working on improvement of watershed areasthrough proper land use management and soil con-servation practices in the already slashed and burnedareas.

Small scale canning plants: Three small scale can-ning plants have been set up in Chiang Mai andChiang Rai to process agricultural products from hilltribe people and lowlanders in the area.

Marketing: this has become one of the most signifi-cant areas of the Royal Project’s activities. An exam-ple of this is the assemble of fresh fruits, vegetablesand flowers at a central point, where they are attrac-tively packaged and then transported in refrigeratedtrucks for sale to major retail outlets, supermarketsand hotels. For these contemporary packaging, trans-portation, and marketing services, the Royal Projectcharges 20 % of the proceeds to cover costs. Thebalance of the proceeds is distributed to the hill tribesand lowland producers within fifteen days of delivery.Now, with the help of Agricultural and Cooperativebank, most of our farmers use the service of the Bankand the project just buy their produces outright. AllRoyal Project products are marketed under the brandname Doi Kham, which means Golden Mountain.Today, with the help of the Royal Project, the “goldenmountains” face the future with renewed vigor andconfidence.

The Royal Project in Thailand has been elected toreceive the 1988 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Inter-national Understanding. The Royal Project is recog-nized for demonstration through a concerted nationaland international effort in northern Thailand that tem-perate climate cash crops offer hill tribes a viable al-ternative to the opium poppy.

Impacts

Overall improvement of the area under the RoyalProject wing is noted throughout. Such integratedefforts can only be assessed and maintained by theFoundation in the remote highland. Replacing of il-licit crop simply came at no surprise, since hill peopledo not receive big amount of money for this crop asexpected. Networking for various kinds and effortsby a whole range of offices and units had been an-other success that can bring about amiable sustain-able development.

It is important to note that there is a strong sense ofbelonging from these hill tribes who had picked uptheir responsibilities in looking after their cultivatedand protect respective forest in the area. Such re-sponsive action could came from their love and re-spect of their Royal Father, His Majesty the King, whoat the outset gave them the right to use those landswhich had been classified as watershed area class I,an area where nobody can live.

Strong indication is building up that with all the con-fidence that those villages have for the Royal Project,the improvement of their livelihood will increasinglymaintain throughout. At the present time, we areputting stronger emphasis in building up more aware-ness in their education, livelihood, social structure aswell as their health and welfare condition. These ac-tivities are necessary after our development chains,from growing plant with proper cultivation and goodpost harvesting together with able transportation andmarketing. Awareness in improvement as well asmaintaining marketable quality and quantity have beenconstantly reminded our hill tribal producers underour supervision. There are always requests for theRoyal Project to expand our responsibility to covermore villages and more area. It is our belief, however,that we cannot expand any more area wise. But ourmethod, based on His Majesty’s advice for pro-cedures of implementation, those are to be able to cutall red tape and always hurriedly help them to helpthemselves, furthermore, also constantly maintainingour motto of doing always the thankless jobs, let otherpeople get all the credits while we get our job done. Itis also our belief that the way we perform our job iswhat other agencies and organization should take heedand follow. A number of Royal Project village modelswill be available to observe and can be exemplifiedfor other area development. Royal Project Founda-tion can then proceed in doing more important im-mediate research to bring about more versatility inways and means to deal with problems of the high-land as a whole.

Lessons learned and suggestions

1. In order to maintain sustainable development,it is always necessary to have a more balancedapproach or the so called integrated development.In the highland, 30 years experience told usthat single or few conditions improvement ledto bottom neck in operation. We look at thewhole process of operation of this agriculture -led endeavors, ie. harvest, post harvest,packaging, transportation, marketing. In factany production should always have market-ledconnotation. Tribe people have to work in theproper area, maintaining the forest as wellas the overall environmental stability. Thehighlanders should increasingly improve their

health, education and social structure as part oftheir sequential pattern of development

2. Researchers should always look ahead for themarket-led produces, assist them in the processof proper cultivation and quality produces, aswell as looking forward for new and bettervarieties, proper both for production and formarketing.

3. These highlanders should be aware of theirpresence in the watershed area. Their conscious-ness in conservation and forest protect ionshould be maintained just as strong as theirability to grow crops for their living. Their be-havior towards better environment should betaught as a way of life more than just a rule tofollow.

4. There are the emerging challenges in the high-land as well as some other related areas. Drugsare now shifting from its original base of cropsto more chemical based products. For the RoyalProject Foundation, our King led us and hissubjects to perform and behave accordingly tothe legitimate type of operation and with themore sustainable development process. Theycan improve their lives without having illicitcrops in their cycle of production and theirliving condition. Thus, they will be a goodcitizen of the country where ever and whateverthey will be.

1. Overview

In April 1979, the German Government first ex-pressed interest in assisting the development of high-land communities in Thailand, both to improve theirstandard of living and reduce illicit drug supply anddemand. A first bilateral government agreement wasconcluded in 1981, which resulted in the introduc-tion of the Thai-German Highland Development Pro-gram (TG-HDP), a project based on a broad and ho-listic rural development approach. Over the following18 years (1981 - 1998), continually refined ap-proaches and a flexible strategy were adopted in re-sponse to growing experiences and evolving politicaland socioeconomic conditions.

The TG-HDP was jointly executed by the Office ofthe Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) and the DeutscheGesellschaft fuer Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ),in cooperation with more than 20 implementing agen-cies1 under the Ministries of Interior, Agriculture &Cooperatives, Public Health, Education, Commerce,and Labor & Social Welfare. The program was basedon a partnership among highland communities, gov-ernment and non-government organizations, and theprivate sector. Major contributions were made in termsof reduced opium poppy cultivation, increased forestcover and watershed protection, improved infrastruc-ture, primary health care and education, and increased

family income. However, the investment in humanresources development (HRD) has been the most im-portant program component during the entire period,because it is strongly believed that enhanced humanand institutional capacities at all levels are the keydeterminants of sustainable development.

Funding from the German side, totaling about US $20.6 million, decreased gradually over time, while thatof the (US $ 21.8 million) continually increasedduring the 18 year period (these figures do not in-clude either substantial RTG investments in major in-frastructure or the contributions from the communi-ties themselves).

Thai-German HighlandDevelopment Program(TG-HDP)in Northern Thailand

Presented by Mr. Hagen Dirksen,Senior Regional Adviser GTZ

1 Implementing agencies are also referred to in various project documents and the Organization Chart (Figure 3) as ResponsibleImplementing Agencies (RIAs).

2. Frame Conditions

Given that highland development projects (HDPs)operate in a complex socioeconomic, cultural andoften politically sensitive environment, there are sev-eral institutional aspects - or frame conditions - thatinfluence a self-sustained and equitable developmentprocess in the target areas. Such aspects relate to thefollowing:

● Political stability in target areas● Legal framework that permits permanent

settlement in the highlands● Political will and long-term commitment of

Government and local authorities to effectivelyaddress- drug abuse problems- poverty, esp. among indigenous com-

munities- environmental degradation- influx of illegal immigrants

● Commitment to increasing local decision-making and empowerment

● Transparency in governmental processes,which is crucial for gaining the response oflocal institutions and communities.

3. Project Goal

The overall goal and specific objectives of the TG-HDP evolved over the 18 year period, reflecting theproject’s commitment and ability to learn from expe-riences and adopt to changing conditions. During thefinal phase (1995-1998), drug abuse control (supplyand demand reduction) and ecological aspects wereparticularly stressed:

“The quality of life of the highland popula-tion is improved, the drug abuse problemsare reduced, and the ecological balance ismaintained better.”

This goal was to be accomplished through the follow-ing specific objectives:

● Strengthening of vil lage and Tambon (Sub-district) organizations and their participation injoint bottom-up planning, implementation andeffective management of sustainable developmentmeasures;

● Improvement of subsistence, cash farming andother income generating practices, which leadto a higher family income and a further reduc-tion in opium poppy cultivation;

● Conservation, development and efficient utili-zation of the natural resources in the highlands,in particular, forest, soil and water;

● A bet ter ut ilization of community-orientedsocial services and other development activities,including infrastructure leading to improvedhealth, education and a decline in drug addictionand related problems;

● Strengthening of district, provincial and higherlevel governmental and non-governmentalinstitutions in improved and sustainable parti-cipatory planning, implementation and manage-ment of highland development projects (HDPs),especially with regard to solving drug abuseproblems;

● Assistance in national policy planning and de-cision making, which will result in improvedframework conditions for the highlands and itspopulation;

● Enhancement of cooperation with neighboringcountries in Southeast Asia that face similarproblems related to narcotics, the environmentand poverty among their population.

4. Guiding Principles

The TG-HDP placed a strong emphasis on integrat-ing People, Institutions, and the Environmentthrough six guiding principles:

1. People’s participation2. Human resources development (HRD)3. Integration of programs4. Model building5. Rolling planning/continuous monitoring

and impact assessment6. Building self-reliance.

5. Project Areas and Phasing

Project activities were phased in both time and place,and covered three areas comprising approx. 1,500sq. km in two provinces. They included 199 villagesand more than 40,000 people from eight ethnic mi-nority groups. The program covered Orientation,Implementation, and Follow-up Phases, firstly in

6. Organizational Structure

The organizational set-up of the TG-HDP underwentcontinuous adjustments to accommodate the specificneeds of the project areas. A Management Unit (MU)was formed jointly with the ONCB and GTZ at theONCB’s Northern Narcotics Control Office (NNCO)in Chiang Mai. The MU was mainly staffed by Thaiand a small number of foreign professionals, who werecharged with assisting in concept development, plan-ning, training, steering, coordination and the moni-toring of program measures. During its final phase

(Fiscal Year 1995 - 1998), the project maintained asmall Task Force in Mae Hong Son Province, withthe aim to decentralize planning and decision-makingfurther.

Staff numbers were gradually reduced in Chiang Mai,and so the MU focused its tasks on backstopping theMae Hong Son Task Force (MTF). It strengthenedplanning and managerial capacities of ONCB’s re-gional personnel, and integrated proven concepts andpractical approaches at the national policy level, aswell as disseminating highland-specific knowledgebeyond project and national boundaries.

The TG-HDP or its managerial support structure wasnever established as a separate entity. It was concep-tualized under the assumption that all highland devel-opment measures would eventually be integrated intothe existing administration of the RTG as well as theexisting and emerging structures of village organiza-tions. Accordingly, the MU, together with the MTF,played an innovative and facilitating role and enhancedvertical and horizontal integration, as depicted by thechart in figure 3.

Table 1: Phasing of the TG-HDP

Area ‘82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98

Follow-up Post-Project1. Tambon Wawi OP Implementation Phase

Phase Activities

2. Nam Lang OP Implementation Phase Follow-up & Final Phase

3. Huai Poo Ling OP Implementation & Final Phase

OP = Orientation Phase

7. Program Strategy

From the outset, the TG-HDP pursued a multisectoraland integrated rural development concept and strat-egy, which

● Allowed space for diversity and flexibility,especially during the inception phase

● Offered wide-ranging options for incomegeneration and conservation practices

● Dealt with drug abuse (supply & demand)problems

Tambon Wawi (Chiang Rai Province), and then in NamLang and Huai Poo Ling (Mae Hong Son Province).This phasing allowed the programme to learn andconsolidate from its experiences of one phase to thenext. In addition, the phased approach enhanced theprocess of applying lessons from one geographicalsite to the succeeding project area.

Figure 1.

● Addressed equity and gender issues● Supported local institution building and

networking at all levels● Addressed the need for micro-finance and

rural banking services● Supported the involvement of NGOs and

the private sector● Dealt with land tenure and user right issues● Introduced participatory input/output mo-

nitoring and ongoing impact assessment.

The TG-HDP developed particular strength in apply-ing a demand-driven community-based approach, inwhich all stakeholders were given the opportunity toactively participate in the planning, management andsustainable utilization of local resources. In order tobuild trustworthy relationships between villagers andproject/program staff, it was deemed important tostrictly separate development work from law enforce-ment measures.

An important feature of the TG-HDP approach hasbeen the employment of Community DevelopmentCoordinators (CDCs). They are area teams of threeto five tribal and/or Thai men or women employedtemporarily by the project in assisting community-based development through awareness-raising, confi-dence-building, priority-identification and problem-solving in the villages. In dealing directly with the tar-get population, CDCs are able to initiate essential vil-lage activities at the inception of the program, at thetime when the implementing agencies have not yetdeployed sufficient field staff or introduced the neces-sary cooperation and working approaches betweenthe villagers and the respective agencies. In addition,CDCs support villagers in conceiving developmentplans and proposing them to the authorities con-cerned.

8. Major Project Components

During the life of the project, the TG-HDP had beeninvolved in initiating and implementing a wide rangeof measures - the following are among them:

Infrastructure - to support services and incomeearning activities where assistance was provided forthe construction of

● feeder roads and tracks● household water supply and sanitation

● small-scale irrigation systems● government facilities (schools, health stations,

community centers, etc.).

Community Development - to place the people atthe center of development, and promote individualsand communities to actively participate in the lead toself-reliance and ùownershipû with support grantedfor

- formation of interest groups, with a spe-cific focus on incorporating marginalizedpeople

- participatory processes in the context ofcarrying out situation analyses, planning,decision-making and joint managementtasks

- strengthening negotiation skills, conflictresolution and leadership capacities

- community-based exchange of experiencesand networking.

Health Services and Education - to provide pri-mary health care, sanitation and basic education (for-mal and non-formal education and vocational train-ing), and later, the integration of indigenous knowl-edge and skills in some areas.

Agriculture and Natural Resource Management- to promote community-based land use planning andsustainable farming practices, thus enhancing

● permanent settlement● demarcation between agricultural, forest and

protected areas● sustainable management of forest, water and

land resources● subsistence and cash farming activities● reduction and eventual elimination of opium

poppy cultivation● rural finance and marketing.

Off-farm Activities - to create opportunities, espe-cially among women and marginalized groups, forevolvement in non-agricultural income generating ac-tivities, for example handicraft, non-wood forest prod-ucts (e.g. honey, mushroom production), food pres-ervation and eco-tourism.

Human Resources Development (HRD) - amajor shift from formal training (transfer of know-how) to participatory HRD (learning from and ex-changing experience); recognition and incorporation

of local knowledge and skills; dissemination and ac-ceptance of the philosophy - “human and institutionalcapacity building as the key determinant of sustain-able development”.

9. Impact and Lessons

9.1 Opium Poppy Cultivation

Pursuant to the TG-HDP’s multisectoral rural devel-opment approach, the project has had a considerableimpact on the decline of opium poppy cultivation, asshown in the following table:

effect on opium growers. Highland villagers in Thai-land are generally aware that opium poppy cultiva-tion is illegal and that it can lead to unwanted con-flicts with officials. Most villagers have expressed astrong desire to legalize their status and improve ac-cess to social services, as well as markets for alterna-tive cash enterprises. Therefore, the majority of vil-lagers have shown great enthusiasm when develop-ment measures have been offered to them. Anotherreason why many farmers have expressed an interestin moving away from traditional opium-based shiftingcultivation systems is the experience of constantlydeclining yields of subsistence crops, mainly upland

2 In the cropping season 1980/81, about 6,000 hectares (ha) of opium poppy was cultivated in Thailand. Over the following years the totalproduction area declined by 50% to approx. 3,000 ha in 1988/89, and to less than 1,000 ha in1990/91. Since then, the production area hasbeen fluctuating between approx. 400 - 900 ha annually (Source: ONCB Opium Surveys).

Table 2: Opium Poppy Cultivation in the TG-HDP from 1981 - 1998 (in hectare)

Area 81/82 89/90 90/91 91/92 92/93 93/94 94/95 95/96 96/97 97/98

Wawi 240 21 7 31 54 47 13 19 27 63

Nam Lang 294 102 96 167 85 60 54 16 34 33

Huai Poo Ling N.A. 167 84 38 51 7 - 7 11 10

Note: Figures in Nam Lang refer to the project area only.

Past opium surveys in northern Thailand confirm thatthe most significant decline in opium poppy cultiva-tion occurred in the 1980s, when the total opiumproduction area fell from around 6,000 hectares in1980 to less than 1,000 hectares in 1990.2 Duringthat decade more than 12 major internationally do-nor-assisted projects were launched. The steep reduc-tion of opium production was also reinforced by sys-tematic eradication campaigns carried out by the RoyalThai Army and Border Patrol Police.

As shown in Table 2, the figures for opium produc-tion in the TG-HDP area followed a similar pattern.However, the production pattern over the years hasraised two main questions. Firstly, why did the rapiddecline of opium production take place, especially atthe early time of introducing alternative developmentmeasures, and secondly, why did the annual produc-tion tend to fluctuate markedly?

Past experience suggests that the increased presenceof government agencies in villages with opium plant-ing areas initially has a considerable psychological

rice and maize. Growing population pressure on landand an increased control on remaining forest areasby the Royal Forest Department (RFD) no longer per-mit shifting cultivation cycles of 10 and more years.In many instances, these cycles are now reduced to2- 4 years, and in some cases, continuous croppinghas become common practice.

To date, opium fulfils an insurance function, as evi-denced by the fact that farmers may revert to opiumpoppy cultivation when they lose their cash-crop pro-duction due to natural hazards, or when they are un-able to market their produce. A number of commer-cially attractive crops (e.g. tomatoes, beans, coffee,etc.) are often relatively perishable and susceptible topests and diseases. They rely on high inputs and effi-cient marketing systems. Therefore, although somecrops offer income opportunities that are more at-tractive than opium poppy cultivation, they exposefarmers to higher risks. This partly explains why theproduction area may fluctuate considerably from yearto year.

9.2 Drug Demand Reduction

The nature of drug abuse among highland villagershas been subject to radical change in the past tenyears. While addiction formerly involved opium smok-ing among the older adult population, there has beena rapidly increasing abuse of heroin, amphetaminesand volatile substances among youth. At the sametime, the traditional uses of opium have been decreas-ing gradually. This changing context of abuse had ledto parallel changes in the TG-HDP’s approach. Forexample, an externally driven focus on detoxificationto community-based and school-based programs indealing with prevention and treatment in a more ho-listic manner.

The main strategy of community-based drug abusecontrol (CB-DAC)3 is to focus on human resources

3 It is important to note that CB-DAC not only relates to drugs, but is a more general approach to community strengthening and empowerment,which has a positive impact on all risk behaviors and development approaches. It is a philosophy as well as a practice.

Table 3: Number of Opium Addicts in Nam Lang and Huai Poo Ling Project Areas

No. of Opium AddictsVillage

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998

Nam Lang Area >500 >500 380 381 272 272 <100 85 75

Huai Poo Ling Area <100 <100 75 75 25 25 <20 15 10

and knowledge at the community/local level in orderto (1) draw on the strengths and lessons in actual prac-tice, (2) ensure that project actions benefit those mostaffected by drug abuse, and (3) ensure that approachesand activities never lose touch with field level realitiesand are integrated into the national plans of action. Akey lesson from this approach is the project cannotdecide for the community that it has a drug abuseproblem and initiate corrective action on its behalf.The project has to take a facilitating role in recogniz-ing drug abuse as a community - not an individual -problem, analyze the difficulties and causes, estab-lish/reinforce locally responsible groups, learn fromeach other, take appropriate action, follow-up andevaluate.

The TG-HDP only started developing and implement-ing CB-DAC activities as an integral part of the over-all program in 1993. However, the project success-fully developed specific community and school-based

At the termination of the TG-HDP in 1998, heroinaddiction and the use of Amphetamine Type Stimu-lants (ATS) were only emerging in the target areas,however, the future threat was clear. Although con-crete figures are not available, the CB-DAC approach,then as now, was judged the most appropriate to stemthe spread of heroin or ATS and its use in highlandvillages.

9.3 Social Services

The development of social services (esp. primaryhealth care and education) in conjunction with basicadministrative and physical infrastructure is a vitalprerequisite for sustainable socioeconomic adjustmentsin the highlands. Access to government services, in-cluding the prospect of obtaining Thai citizenship andland use permits, is a strong motive for permanentsettlement and changes in agricultural practices.

concepts, which received wide recognition and havebeen extended to several provinces, adopted at na-tional level and disseminated by request to neighboringcountries (e.g. Lao PDR, Vietnam) in Southeast Asia.

At project level, the TG-HDP was instrumental in● establishing informal people’s organizations

(POs) and prevention networks comprising21 villages

● forming two student anti-drug networks● establishing three drug-free vi llages and

several others with no new addicts● assisting other projects in northern Thailand,

the Lao PDR and Vietnam on developingCB-DAC approaches.

The declining drug abuse/addiction in project villagesis shown in Table 3.

In recognition that alternative development in the hillsis not just an agricultural issue, the TG-HDP facili-tated the establishment of village health stations, dis-trict clinics, community centers and educational fa-cilities (formal and non-formal) in the project areas.This approach supported the RTG’s policy of expand-ing “basic need” services throughout the nation. Inmany cases, the project provided only a few start-upfunds and initial material, thus, allowing the respec-tive government agencies time to allocate budgets andstaff to continue the work.

Existing data confirm major improvements in the re-duction of infectious diseases such as malaria andsmallpox. The availability of fresh drinking water inmost of the target villages coupled with improvementsin sanitation resulted in a sharp decline of bacterialwater-born infections, including a gradually falling in-fant mortality rate (IMR) to about 50 per 1,000. Ac-cess to family planning services has helped to reducethe crude birth rate from around 4% in the 1970s toless than 2.5% by 1998, although it remains at about1% higher than in the lowlands.4

Over the years, the number of primary schools hasmore than doubled, and three secondary schools (onein Tambon Wawi and two in Nam Lang) were built inthe project areas. Student enrollment increased fromas low as 25% in 1981 to more than 65% in 1996(15 years). The availability of Thai educational serv-ices had a considerable impact in terms of improve-ments in general education as well as Thai languageskills. These advancements are most clearly seen inthe younger population, particularly those who havecompleted at least a few years of primary education.Among the lessons learned from promoting educa-tional services in the highlands, increased Thai lit-eracy facilitates the interaction between lowland andhighland people effectively, and thus enhances theoverall development process.

However, bringing Thai education to the hills hassometimes led to an unintended believe among hill

tribes that their traditional ways of life are old-fashionand non-functional. In the rush to provide the hillpeople with Thai education, even the most positivetribal attributes were ignored. Thai officials recognizedthat by de-emphasizing indigenous or traditionalknowledge, they might miss the chance to utilize as-pects of conventional tribal that could contribute sig-nificantly to the community’s development. Regard-less of these disadvantages, the highland populationperceives access to educational services as most es-sential for the future success of their children.

It is important to note that schools and health centersor clinics and their services play an important role indrug abuse prevention, both on their own and in con-junction with other efforts.

9.4 Family Income

When looking at the potential of alternative enter-prises to opium poppy cultivation, it is important tobear in mind that the development of cash-crop farm-ing and other income generating activities in the high-lands have benefited greatly from the rapidly expand-ing agro-based economy in northern Thailand. With-out a striving private sector, which offers new tech-nologies and inputs for diversified production systemsas well as markets, this fast expansion of alternativehighland development would not have been possible.Many farmers could double or triple their income fromcrop and/or cattle sales over a short period of time(3 - 5 years).5 Parallel with increased cash income,improvements in the productivity and variety of sub-sistence farming (rice, vegetable, fruit and small live-stock) have also been achieved.

However, the generally transitional changes from asubsistence to commercial economy were taking placeat a rapid pace, which in turn had the tendency todominate and override ecological concerns and over-all sustainability. For this reason, the TG-HDP focused,especially during the final five years (1994 - 1998),on promoting watershed protection in combination

4 Despite declining birth rates, the population in the project areas has grown rapidly, mainly due to in-migration. For example, in the Nam Langproject area (Pang Ma Pha District) the population increased from around 6,000 persons in 1983 to more than 15,000 in 1998, i.e. 150% in15 years.5 The impact of newly introduced cash crops such as green beans, taro, carrots and ginger has in several cases raised annual family cash incomefrom as low as US $ 120 in 1990 to more than US $ 1,000 in 1998.

with integrated farming system activities, by reinforc-ing the application of a comprehensive ‘community-based land use planning and local watershed man-agement (CLM) process.6

Family income from non-agricultural activities or off-farm employment had been growing considerablyduring the 1990s. While the TG-HDP never promotedoff-farm employment, it rather focused on creatinggreater options within the communities. They includedhandicraft production; food preservation for sale bothinside and outside of the villages; sale of forest prod-ucts, such as bamboo shoots and mushrooms; as wellas village-based tourism (provision of accommodation,food and trained tour guides).

While women usually contribute more to the house-hold economy than men do, they tend to be omittedfar too often from planning and decision-making. Forthis reason, the TG-HDP promoted women and wom-en’s groups to become more actively involved in theentire development process, including decision mak-ing. Hence, women participated in and benefited fromthe implementation of almost all project measures,most notably those related to health and education,subsistence agriculture (fruit tree, vegetable, rice andsmall livestock production) as well as non-agriculturalenterprises. It is noteworthy that many women whowere formerly engaged in the laborious task of grow-ing and harvesting opium were particularly respon-sive to alternative agricultural and non-agriculturalactivities, which have helped to increase family in-come and enhance their status in the community.Furthermore, experience shows that women play avery effective role in drug abuse prevention, treatmentand rehabilitation work because of their strong inter-est and special skills.

9.5 Human Resources Development (HRD)

Over the 18 years, the project had invested more re-sources into HRD than any other program compo-nent. This is reflected in the provision of a wide range

of formal/informal opportunities for individuals andgroups from target villages and their organizations,7

implementing agencies’ staff at field and higher lev-els, ONCB and TG-HDP personnel, as well as otherorganizations in Thailand and Asian countries (e.g.from 1995 - 1998 alone, more than 25 groups vis-ited the TG-HDP annually). A very substantial numberof personnel who benefited from HRD measures havemoved to higher positions, other governmental and/or non-governmental organizations, the private sec-tor or international organizations. In addition, an in-creasing number of ethnic highlanders have becomegovernment officials or acknowledged representativesof their organizations (e.g. TAO Chairperson).

In the interest of continuing HRD, the project pro-duced a considerable amount of resource material inall major areas (e.g. concept papers, surveys, studyreports, handbooks, best practices and media). Mostof this has been disseminated in the region, and madeavailable internationally through a computerized in-formation system of the GTZ Sector Network on Ru-ral Development in Asia: www.gtz-asia-online.org/

10. Project Costs

In view of the wide-ranging tasks pursued over a pe-riod of 18 years, the project costs have been moder-ate for the donor agency. As shown in the chart be-low, the Federal Republic of Germany contributedaround US $ 20.6 million from 1981 - 1998, whereas,the RTG provided direct assistance of US $ 21.8 mil-lion over the same period. The latter figure, however,does not include the substantial RTG investments intomajor infrastructure development (roads, electrifica-tion, public buildings, equipment, etc). Contributionsfrom the communities themselves, mainly in terms ofspecial skills and labor, are also not included in thefigures presented. It is also important to note that thedonor contribution decreased gradually over time,while that of the RTG continually increased duringthe 18-year period.

6 CLM is based on a participatory development approach which involves both the local inhabitants and development agencies. As a whole,CLM attempts to contribute to an appropriate elaboration of the legal and institutional aspects of highland development related to naturalresource management (NRM). It tries to strengthen the capacities of communities to manage their affairs and establish trustful relationshipsbetween villagers and government officials.

7 People’s Organizations (POs) and Tambon Administration Organizations (TAOs).

11. Critical Issues

The TG-HDP operated within the national context ofan extended period of economic growth. This hasresulted in greatly increased government revenues andlarger budgets for services and development programs.The change in the comparatively remote highlandareas has been particularly marked. Basic services, inthe fields of education, health and infrastructure haveincreased from the negligible levels of some 18 yearsago, when the project was initiated, to levels whichare gradually approaching those in adjacent lowlandareas. However, the dramatic economic slowdown,which started in 1997, required big cuts in govern-ment spending. To what extent these budget cuts hadon the effect and impact on highland development isnot well known. Nevertheless, it appears that the re-duction of operational funds has considerably reducedthe ability of government officals to regularly interactwith and support the target population.

The majority of ethnic minorities in the project areashave received Thai citizenship. Almost all highlandvillages now have permanent locations, and most areofficially recognized by the Ministry of Interior (MOI).TG-HDP’s community-centered development ap-proach has enhanced the capacity of many villagesto effectively manage and conserve local resourcesfor its own sustainable present and future use. The

focus on HRD has also increased the responsibility ofthe communities to inter-face with government agen-cies directly.

However, despite the RTG’s policy on decentraliza-tion and the desire to improve local capabilities, thecommunity development process is constrained byconflicting laws governing the policies of differentministries and departments. According to Royal For-est Department (RFD) regulations, many villages aresituated illegally in national forest reserves, and insome cases even in wildlife sanctuaries. In the ab-sence of formal land use rights and a legal framework(Community Forest Act) that gives community groupsthe opportunity to manage local forest areas, high-land communities remain exposed to changing inter-pretations and applications of government policies.

The overall sustainability of highland development isonly as strong as the national institutional frameworkwithin which all stakeholders are operating. Withouta long-term and solid government commitment to-wards past, present and future development, the fol-lowing efforts may be severely hampered:

● Permanent settlement, citizenship and landuse rights

● Poverty alleviation and national integrationof ethnic minorities

● Environmental protection, especially in wa-tershed areas

● Demand-driven agricultural research thattakes advantage of farmers’ intimate know-ledge of their env ironment and theirtraditional wisdom

● Drug abuse control, especially with regardto reducing the influx of heroin and ATS

● Control of in-migration● Flexible planning and budget procedures● Greater decision-making autonomy by the

communities, and● Inter-agency collaboration and coordination,

coupled with mechanisms ensuring that cen-tral and local authorities are held accountableto the highland population.

TG-HDP Operational Structure

GTZ ONCB Departments & other RTGAgencies

TG-HDP SteeringCommittee

Provincial ResponsibleImplementing Agencies

(RIAs)

Northern NarcoticsControl Office

Provincial DevelopmentCommittee

Distriet RIAs

District DevelopmentCommittee

Tambon AdministrationOrganisation (TAO) &

Networks

Village Committee &Networks

TARGETPOPULATION

CHIANG MAIOFFICE

&

MAE HONG SONTASK FORCE

HIERARCHY LINECOORDINATION LINESERVICE LINE

National Development Policy

Two of the five main objectives of the 8th NationalEconomic and Social Development Plan are directlyrelevant to sustainable agricultural development. Theyare:

● To utilise, preserve and rehabilitate the environ-ment and natural resources in such a way thatthey can play a major role in economic andsocial development and contribute to a betterquality of life for Thai people;

● To develop a stable society, strengthen familyand community, support human development,improve quality of life and promote increasingcommunity participation in national development.

Targets related to these objectives include: increaseawareness of sustainable agricultural methods, andincrease opportunities for their application. Specificstrategies proposed encompass:

● Natural resource and environmental manage-ment, including conservation and rehabilitationof natural resources in order to promote a balancewithin ecosystems;

● The development of science and technology asa foundation for sustainable development andundertaking area-based and community-baseddevelopment activities to promote higher produc-tivity and better quality of life.

In the application of the National Plan, a holistic ap-proach, emphasising cooperation and participationof agencies concerned in formulation and implemen-tation of programmes and projects, is encouraged.An area-function-participation system is proposed and

the need for various indicators to be established tomeasure success identified.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives hasestablished a number of specific plans to implementrelevant aspects of the 8th National Economic andSocial Development Plan. Reducing Economic Im-pacts on Rural People and Society is one such planwhich emphasises the promotion of sustainable/al-ternative agricultural development for small holderfarmers. The objective is for farmers to become moreself sufficient and less reliant on external agriculturalproduction inputs (such as fertilisers and agriculturalchemicals).

Project Concept

The central idea of SADP is to promote and developefficient sustainable agricultural practices throughemphasis on:

● Community participation, particularly with smallfarm households and farmer groups;

Sustainable AgriculturalDevelopment Project

Presented by Mr. Prasong Jantakad,Deputy Chief Technical Adviser

● Coordination and cooperation with all involvedorganisations including government organisations(GOs), non-government organisations (NGOs),private sector, academic institutions, communityand farmers groups;

● Combining the resources of al l stakeholders,especially local indigenous knowledge, to improvecommunity level agricultural productivity withina sustainable natural resource managementcontext.

Project Objectives

The overall objective of the project is “to improveenvironmental conditions and reduce land degrada-tion, provide consumer options through the availabil-ity of ‘green’ agriculture products and to improve thequality of life of small-farm households”.

The specific objective of the 2-year pilot phase is“to promote systematic and efficient implementationstrategies and learning programmes for the enhance-ment of sustainable agricultural technology develop-ment”This is to be achieved through:

● Testing and piloting approaches and strategiesfor sustainable agriculture;

● Building up the capacity, knowledge and infor-mation on sustainable agriculture;

● Facilitating cooperation between governmentorganisations, NGOs, private sector and farmersgroups to practice sustainable agriculture.

Implementation Arrangements

SADP is a bilateral technical assistance programmewith funding from Danish Cooperation for Environ-ment and Development (DANCED). The Ministry ofAgriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC) is the Execut-ing Agency and the Department of Agriculture (DOA)serves as the formal Implementing Agency. At theregional level, the Offices of Agricultural Researchand Development (OARD) located in the 8 main geo-graphic regions of Thailand act as the coordinationbodies at both regional and local levels. Collabora-tion with other organisations and agencies from thegovernment, non-government, academic, privatesector and community sectors is formalised at nationallevel by a Project Steering Committee, regional level

by Regional Implementing Committees and local levelthrough Field Level Working Groups. The ProjectCoordination Office is located within the Departmentof Agriculture in Bangkok.

Review of Strategies and Approaches

The term “research and development” can be care-fully synthesized and understood. In the past the termwas divided into its two constituent parts. The word“research” was on the researcher side while the term“development” was used by extension agents or fieldworkers. In most cases a package solution from thescientist was the answer: for this problem, there is aneed to do the research first then use the result ofthis research to solve the problem later. Researchwas the responsibility of the researcher with the re-sults of the research to be used by the extension agentor field worker to solve the problem.

This clearly suggests that research and developmenthave been separately used. The researchers mainlyconcentrated on research topics based on their owninterest whilst extension and field workers also con-centrated their work to try to solve the problems ofthe rural people. However, a few researchers andextension workers have worked jointly on “researchand development”. Actually, research and develop-ment should go along together, it should be a one-word term and not separated. When conditions areto be developed successfully, there should be “ques-tion” and “analysis” of the present situation; Whythings happened like this? What are the causes? Or,in the case of a best or successful practice, questionsposed may include: Why is it not expanding or spread-ing to other areas? Why is it not adopted by farmers?What are the causes? Have these things been triedout? Or, were there any efforts to try to solve theseproblems? The concept of research and developmentis primarily to find out the local solution or even localknowledge. If there is no local knowledge availablethen alternatives from outside or imported technolo-gies need to be tried. These must be suitable withlocal condition in terms of economic and cultural con-text. During the implementation of activities, record-ing of data should also take place according to theresearch schedule. The analysis of the ensuing resultsmust aim to improve the methodology or options.This process is sometimes referred to as action re-search. It can be seen that there are many stakeholders

Project Organization

DANCED(Donor)

Other Stakeholders DTEC

MOACProject Steering Committee

Project ManagmentGroup● Project Director

(DOA)● Project Manager

(DOA)● Chief Technical

Advisor (DARUDEC)

Project CoordinationOffice

DARUDECDanishConsultingCompany

Technical AssistantTeamSADP Bank Account(DANCED Fund)

DOA

OARD Director Chairman of RIC

OARDs (1-8) RegionalImplementingCommittee

● Farmer group / Networks● 2000 = 48● 2001 = 78(Each group / Network has OARDCoordinator)

PLANNING

ACTIONREFLECTION

Aim to

PROCESS

involved in this process, such as the researcher, ex-tension or field worker, community organisation, andothers. Due to many agencies being involved, there isa need for joint planning, discussion, sharing infor-mation and ideas particularly from the communityorganisations. Hence, it may also be appropriate tocall it a “community-based research”.

Project Approaches

The strategy supported by SADP involves the OARDsmodifying their approach to research and develop-ment in a number of ways. These include:

● Working directly with other organisations, agen-cies and local community groups to achieve amore holistic approach to research and develop-ment. In particular, a national Project SteeringCommittee, Regional Implementing Committeesand Field Level Working Groups have been estab-lished to plan, coordinate and implement projectactivities;

● Working with farmer groups and network ratherthan individual farmer households;

● Using a participatory approach to analyse agri-

cultural systems to identify technology strengthsand weaknesses (originating from both indi-genous and introduced practices);

● Reaching local agreements on act ivit ies tostrengthen sustainable agriculture, includingresearch and demonstration plots, training, studytours, forum, marketing support, media produc-tion etc, and

● Consolidating data into an information systemwhich can be shared nationally.

● SADP refers to the process as Part icipatoryTechnology Development, based on the conceptas described to introduce Low External InputSustainable Agriculture (LEISA). This processaims to bring researchers, extension workersand farmer together to concentrate on strengthenlocal capacities to experiment and innovate.

The 2-year pilot phase can be considered as a learn-ing process for the concerned project partners at na-tional, regional and local levels. The term sustainableagriculture was understood quite differently by themany representatives encountered during the first 6months of this project. It was anticipated that throughactual implementation, a greater understanding would

● Strengthen capabilities- to experiment- to innovate

● Encourage farmers toevaluate indigenoustechnologies.

● Choose, test and adaptexternal technologies onthe basis of their owncultural system.

Aim and Process of Participatory Technology Development (PTD)

● Gaining a joint understanding; agro-ecological system.● Identifying priority problems and indigenous knowledge

(IK).● Experimenting locally: ID, local farmer and formal

science.● Enhancing farmers’ experimental capacities and

farmer-to-farmer communication.● Developing local capacities and organisational linkages

necessary to sustain the process.

PTD

be generated through jointly planning, taking actionand reflecting.

Working Definition of Sustainable Agriculture

The following working definition was agreed duringthe course of a workshop attended by OARD staff inDecember 1999. This definition is likely to be modi-fied as a result of project experience.

Sustainable agricultural development involves us-ing good practices to strengthen production systems(1) based on appropriate natural resource manage-ment to provide maximum benefit to improve livingconditions, stability and self-reliance (2), without deg-radation of the community (3) and biophysical envi-ronment.

(1) Includes the capacity of community members(2) Includes economic and social aspects(3) Includes traditional, cultural and mutual caring

values

7 basic steps:

1. Introduction of concept and establishment offield level working group

Organise specific training workshop with concernedstakeholders at regional level to introduce the con-cepts, practices and application of area analysis andParticipatory Technology Development. Establishmentof field level working group comprising governmentagencies, non-governmental organisations, privatesector, Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO),academic institutions, community organisations etc,with a common interest and willingness to work andlearn together.

Terms of Reference for the Field LevelWorking Group

Criteria for membership

● Members of Field Level Working Group willcomprise of representatives from governmentorganizations, non-government organizations,community organizations, Tambon AdministrativeOrganization, private sector etc. which havebeen approved by the Regional ImplementingCommittee.

● Members of Field Level Working Group are thepeople nominated by the farmers’ group ornetwork.

● Number of members depends on the conditionsat each site.

Structure

● Field Level Working Group for each site willselect their own chairman, secretary and workinggroup members.

● OARD Project coordinator for SADP will takethe role of coordinator for all sites.

Roles and Responsibilities

● Carry out area analysis activities (agro-ecologicalanalysis) with OARD staff and involved agencies.

● Support working process at each site to streng-then capabilities of community organizations andSA farmer groups.

● Together with OARD staff and concerned Agen-cies develop an implementation plan and budgetfor each site, according to the Project Documentframework and guideline as stated in ProjectInformation Folder.

● Implement activities together with farmer groupsaccording to the implementation plan at each site.

● Monitor and evaluate the implementation ofproject activities and prepare progress reportsincluding recommendations to submit to RegionalImplementing Committee.

● Support and carry out activities for disseminationof successful cases in various forms such as orga-nizing field days, forums on SA, study tours etc.

● Support the establishment and development SAinformation system.

2. Agro-Ecological or Area Analysis

Community study carried out by the field level work-ing group using various methods and tools such asagro-ecological analysis, PRA, RRA, etc. This is animportant step for researchers who may need tochange their working approach. They go to the com-munity with the objective of learning together. Farm-ers are members of the team, rather than individualswho are being studied by “outsiders”. The study aimsto collect information at the community, group andhousehold levels to allow the working group to have

an initial overview, familiarity and understanding ofthe situation of the community. This includes aspectsof the community’s history, administrative and organi-sational structure, culture, ecology, farmers’ groups,community resources, land use and tenure, croppingpatterns, production techniques, etc. Identification offarmer groups and their leaders who are involved indeveloping sustainable agriculture. Identification ofindigenous practices and modern technology used atcommunity and small farm household levels.Prioritization of key issues or problems.

3. Technology assessment for sustainabilityTechnology analysis to identify potential solutions toproblems. In the process of participatory technologydevelopment, the community representatives are mem-bers of the working group and should be encouragedto express their opinions and propose ideas. Due todiverse cultural backgrounds, research and other, staffmay have to adjust themselves to communicate effec-tively with farmers. Identify indigenous knowledge orbest practices and technologies used by farmers andassess community level problem solving skills. Ana-lyse alternatives for technology development andagreement on which trials and demonstrations shouldbe conducted.

4. Design trials and demonstrations

The design of trials and demonstrations should bemainly based on farmers’ needs taking account of thesuitability of the technologies for local conditions. Theyshould be regarded as learning sites where skills andcapabilities to conduct on-farm experimentation canbe strengthened. Write up trial and demonstrationproposals for inclusion in the community work plan.Organize training / study tour for specific topic ac-cording to need

5. Testing

The research team carries out implementation ac-tivity of the trials and demonstrations according tothe work plan. Establish monitoring and evaluationprocedures and tools.

6. Summary of experimental results

Analysis of the results of trial and demonstration sitesshould be jointly carried out by all members of the

working group, including community and farmer groupmembers.

Strengthening the skills and capabilities of commu-nity members to experiment should encourage themto test alternative technologies on their own. Exten-sion workers can use the results for development workwith other communities. Researchers have the op-portunity to synthesize the results in scientific terms,and identify the channels and mechanisms for theirdissemination.

7. Dissemination

The results of experiments can be documented andproduced into various forms of media to transfer theexperiences to other researchers, extension workersand farmers.

Experiences and lessons learned

From two years working experience of SADP, eventhough the period of implementation of the project isquite short, it is strongly supported by the policy level.The main experiences are:

● The participatory working approach is not new,it has been used for a long time by manyagencies but in practice there are only fewpractitioners (particularly researchers) who reallyhave skills to facilitate the participation process.

● The benefits of the Participatory Technology

Field level facilitation and participatorygroup work.

Development approach are widely recognized bystakeholders.

● Facilitation skills are necessary for participatoryworking approach and learning process

● Learning process must be flexible and dynamic● Local organisations, such as Tambon Admini-

strative Organisation, have a potentially impor-tant role for sustainability and for disseminationof technology at field level.

● Grouping and networking is important to techno-logy development and dissemination. Groupmembers have better inter-relationship and aneffective learning process. Groups have thepotential and skills to analyse and summarisenew knowledge and experiences in a dynamicway which is able to serve the needs of groupmembers and at the same time technology canbe effectively disseminated through networking.

● Group or community based approaches contri-bute to good attitude and relationship amongststakeholders in terms of partnership.

● In the view of farmers, natural resource manage-ment and agricultural development should bedeveloped simultaneously under the sameumbrella as they are not separate issues.

The impact of working together through the partici-patory technology development process was foundthat farmer groups and networks are interested indeveloping local technology with the aim of reducingexternal inputs. particularly agro-chemicals. Some

networks even set up very clear objectives regardingtheir technology development, such as:

● Reduce production costs● Improve the quality of products● Exchange knowledge and experiences amongst

farmer groups● Develop the quality of bio-extracts● Conserve the environment● Promote local indigenous knowledge● Promote the use of local materials● Strengthening the capabilit ies of community

organizations● Provide safe products for consumers

The example of some technologies which have re-sulted from the PTD working process are:

● Ratoon technique for paddy rice● Bio-Extract technology● Mushroom culture by using local material (giant

mimosa)● Chemical free vegetable production● Agro-forestry● Cut flower production by using organic matter● Dry manure compost fertilizer● Silage by using corn● Soil improvement using organic fertilizers● Organic vegetable production● Organic rice production● Dry bio-compost fertilizer

SUMMARY OF SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT TARGET SITES: 2001

OARD1) Site/Group Network Farming system Province

1 8 Upland farming ChiangMai,Integrated farming ChiangRai, Phrae,Organic rice PayaoAgro-forestryOrange farming(Fruit tree)

2 19 3 Rainfed rice Pitsanulok,Irrigated rice Pichit,Vegetable production SukhothaiIntegrated farming

3 9 1(BE) Agro-forestry Khonkaen,Cut flower Loey, Udon, Nongkai,Integrated farming Chaiyaphoom,Livestock Kalasin,Fishery Sakonnakon

4 5 1(BE) Cut flower Ubon,Agro-forestry Yasothon,Integrated farming Roi-et, Surin,Organic rice Srisaket

5 15 3 Irrigated rice Chainart,Vegetable production Uthaithanee,Community forestry- Nakonsawan, Lopburi,

Integrated farming Singburi, Supanburi,Kanchanaburi

6 8 Fruit tree farming Sakaew, Trad,Vegetable production Chantaburi,Integrated farming Chonburi,Livestock Chacherngsao

7 5 1(BE) Agro-forestry Surathanee,Integrated farming NakonsrithamaratPararubber farming

8 9 1(BE) Livestock Songkhla,Agro-forestry pattaloong,Integrated farming Trang, Pattanee,Organic rice StoonField cropPararubber

Total 78 10 14 38

1)Offices of Agricultural Research and Development

Thailand took thirty years to reduce opium produc-tion and use. As shown in Table 1, opium productionin the country has fallen to less than 10 tons in thelast two years. This is far below the domestic con-sumption level making Thailand a net importer of thesubstance. The map on the following page shows thatcultivation is limited to a few areas in the north, mainlyon provincial boundary lines such as between ChiangMai and Chiang Rai or Mae Hong Son and ChiangMai.

Experiences from this country contributed significantlyto the alternative development concept as adopted bythe UN General Assembly in 1998. This comprisedcrop replacement, rural development, and demandreduction.

In the process, serious objections were made to theway this process was undertaken. Three major pointsmade were that the opium replacement projects:

- Destroyed local cultures and were anti-tribal,- Introduced new drug problems in the hills, and- Degraded the environment.

These arguments have gained such strength that manyobservers in both the development and the academiccommunities believe these projects were intrinsicallyflawed. These assessments have been made, how-ever, without thoroughly studying the early projects.Complicating the process is the fact that the perti-nent records and documents have ended up scatteredin various private and public collections or lost. Torectify the situation and to make a satisfactory reviewof the thirty years of opium replacement in Thailand,UNDCP engaged me to conduct such a study.

In conducting this study it soon became obvious thatthose involved in the projects, especially those in the1970s, saw them in a different light than did manyscholars. Almost all those who had worked on theprojects, such as the first UNFDAC initiative, the CropReplacement and Community Development Project,were enthusiastic about the resourcefulness and flex-ibility of the project, how they worked together withthe villagers, and the progress they made. At the sametime, these people would most likely have had to con-cede that their projects had not reduced opium culti-vation or found many useful replacement crops.

To resolve this conflict, a complete review of the proc-ess was undertaken beginning with the coming ofopium cash-cropping to Thailand in the late-nineteenthcentury. The projects began little more than a decadeafter opium growing had been criminalized. Even then,little enforcement work had been done in the hillsdue largely to a lack of government resources. Opiumcultivation had become a part of the culture of thepeople and their economy. Opium poppy growing

Eliminating Opium:Lessons From Thailand

Presented by Dr. Ronald D. Renard,UNDCP Consultant

and marketing had been refined so that it flourishedin the local hill conditions of northern Thailand. Linkswith traders in neighboring countries made this agri-cultural system part of an international complex withdeep roots.

At the same time, the price for opium was high, buy-ers provided incentives and paid cash in the village.No advanced technology, handling or inputs wererequired. And, opium was good medicine.

Table 1 : Opium Production in Thailand: 1961-1999a

GROWERSINCOME

baht $US

1961/62b 12,112 64,000 850 43 54,440,000 2,722,000

1965/66 17,920 145,600 8.0 500 25 72,800,000 3,640,000

1980/81 6,026 48,565 8.1 1,500 71 72,487,500 3,451,785

1981/82 7,391 57,178 7.7 1,500c1 71 85,767,000 4,084,143

1982/83 5,531 33,527 6.1 1,750c2 76 58,672,250 2,550,967

1983/84 6,933 35,949 5.2 2,000c3 87 71,898,000 3,126,000

1984/85c4 8,290 33,560 4.0 2,500 109 86,685,000 3,768,913

1985/86 2,428 16,510 6.8 2,500 109 41,275,000 1,794,565

1986/87 592 3,848 6.5 2,750 120 10,582,000 460,087

1987/88 2,811 16,866 6.0 3,000 130 47,410,326 2,661,319

1988/89 2,982 29,820 10.0 3,500 152 174,881,000 7,603,522

1989/90 782 8,602 11.0 3,200 139 27,526,400 1,196,800

1990/91 355 5,680 16.0 3,400 136 19,312,000 772,480

1991/92 869 9,994 11.5 3,500 140 34,979,000 1,399,160

1992/93 999 14,381 14.4 7,500 300 107,857,500 4,314,300

1993/94 479 3,228 6.8 7,500 300 24,210,000 968,400

1994/95 169 7,113 13.25 8,000d 320 56,904,000 2,276,160

1995/96 368 12,581 12.5 10,000 400 125,810,000 5,032,400

1996/97 252 17,016 11.25 10,000 400 170,160,000 6,806,400

1997/98 770 16,974 11.25 20,000 400 339,480,000 6,789,600

1998/99 702 7,899 11.25 20,000 500 157,980,000 3,949,500

1999/2000 330 3,712 11.25 20,000 500 74,240,000 1,856,000

aFigures for 1961 and 1965 from the surveys noted above. For 1980-1988, see ONCB’s annual reports for Thailand; for subsequent years, seeONCB’s Opium Cultivation and Eradication Reports .bFigures based on reinterpretation of Public Welfare Department 1962 by United Nations Survey Team.c1Estimated figurec2Estimated figurec3 Estimated figurec4From 1984 on, when the government began a program to eradicate opium poppy, the area is calculated by subtracting the amount destroyedfrom the amount cultivated. In cases where the same plot was cultivated more than once, the area is calculated to include each time a plot iscultivated. See ONCB’s Opium Cultivation and Eradication Report for 2000 for figures, methodology and other details. The yield is based onthe amount of opium an average hectare produced before destruction efforts. It should be noted that in 1930, the government reported poppyeradication had been carried out in the north. [Commission of Enquiry 1930 I, p. 87]dPrice figure represent average estimates calculated by ONCB.

$USbaht/kg.

PRICEKG/HAYEAR

AREA(ha.)

PRODUCTION(kg.)

To bring an end to opium cultivation, many obstacleshad to be overcome. In the 1960s, no officials knewthe hilltribes, poppy cultivation or highland languages.Roads did not go into the hills and hill people rarelyvisited towns. Few hill schools existed and, amongthe opium growers, only a few spoke any Thai. Hardlyanyone had studied opium growers. Replacementcrops, the marketing infrastructure for hill goods,tested cropping systems, demand reduction modules,and hill education did not exist.

Complicating the replacement process was the factthat nationalistic Thai school curricula implied thatnon-Thais were aliens. As a result, to most Thai,hilltribe opium growers looked completely foreign. Asmostly immigrants outside the Thai mainstream, thegrowers, who were mainly hill people such as Hmong,Mien (Yao), Akha, Lisu, and Lahu, lacked Thai citi-zenship and Thai forest law forbade them from livingin the forests where they had settled.

At the international level, there were also misconcep-tions. Giuseppe di Gennaro, then UNFDAC’s Execu-tive Director, describes what he learned from KingBhumibol. On 30 June 1982, he told di Gennaro thatreplacing opium would take thirty years

I...[pointed] out that thirty years was an unac-ceptable time frame. No serious planning couldbe so long term...so many independent variablescould hinder the productivity of any investment.

I tried to let His Majesty understand that if Iproposed such a long time frame to my donors,they would disappear. The King listened insilence. I was sure I had changed His Majesty’smind. But when, after the audience, I mentionedthis feeling to those accompanying me, theyexplained that it is a Thai custom not to reactin such circumstances. Silence did not meanacceptance.”

The king was right. The process took three phases(the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s) of crop replacement,integrated rural development, and participatory work.These moved from donor-driven work to active gov-ernment engagement in Phase 2 to people’s involve-ment in Phase 3. Once I was able to identify thisprocess, it was then possible to reconstruct the proc-ess and structure by which opium replacement oc-curred.

Work began when King Bhumibol Adulyadej learnedopium growers made money from multiple sources.When he learned that some Hmong in Chiang MaiProvince had earned more income from a kind ofindigenous peach that was used only for pickling, heconcluded that there were crops that could be grownto replace opium as a cash crop. To do this, he set upthe Royal Project in 1969 to help them develop thealternatives.

International activities began soon thereafter. U.S.concern over Thai opium production followed in-creased drug use in the West during the 1960s. U.S.officials identified Thailand as one of three producingcountries in this region that came to be named the“Golden Triangle.” Coined unintentionally by a U.S.Assistant Secretary of State on 12 July 1971, the“triangle” implicitly recognized the absence of opiumin China. Nixon soon visited China and a top advisorwent to Chiang Mai to say the U.S. would supportcrop substitution. A project was quickly drafted, basi-cally following the model of the Royal Project (withwhich the UN worked closely) to find alternative cropsto replace the income from the 145 tons of opiumharvested annually by ethnic minorities in northernThailand.

Replacing poppy cultivation required substituting notjust cash that the poppy yielded but conditions sur-rounding production. The government and UNFDACwere unprepared. Neither had implemented any cropreplacement projects such as they were to try in Phase1. Nevertheless, during the early years of work, con-siderable resourcefulness was used within the UN andin the hills to bring about an understanding with thevillagers and to identify satisfactory crops and waysto grow them.

The UN Crop Replacement and Community Devel-opment Project (CRCDP), begun in 1971, set out toidentify and promote alternative crops. CRCDP es-tablished experimental stations and worked with theRoyal Project. At the king’s suggestion, it was agreedthat no poppy would be destroyed until alternativesexisted. Considerable effort was made to improve theimage of Thai officials, particularly the police, in theeyes of the hill people. At the same time, the empha-sis on crops diverted attention from the inadequatelaws and regulations governing hill people as well asfrom finding ways to rehabilitate drug users.

Although the CRCDP Project Manager called for in-tegrated community development to facilitate detect-ing “possible future heroin addiction,” the next project,begun in 1979, emphasized marketing. Work in othersectors was done secondarily. As a result, poppy re-duction proceeded slowly.

Thai officials observing the Phase 1 projects worried.Without understanding the causes they saw problems:opium, forest destruction, and security risks by “non-Thais”. Although they sanctioned the crop replace-ment projects, the officials perceived that the agendawas donor-driven. The government decided to unifyhighland work under national five-year developmentplans so as to bring the highland work within its inte-grated development policies.

Phase 2 projects, in the 1980s, were multi-sectoral.Successes in finding high-yielding replacements werebeginning to occur with the result that the govern-ment began to eradicate poppy in 1984, earlier thansome such as King Bhumibol had suggested.

Some Phase 2 projects focussed on specific water-sheds while others promoted new cropping systemsthat were meant to improve the environmental, socialand economic welfare of the hilltribes. The Austral-ian and German governments supported work to de-vise integrated cropping systems but also became in-volved in infrastructure development and health care.Environmental concerns arose as some new croppingsystems evolved in ways unintended by the designers.

Although Phase 2 projects paid little attention to druguse, enforcement activities starting in 1984 reducedpoppy cultivation by half or more. The result madeThailand an importer of opium.

Simultaneously, heroin use spread down traffickingroutes to old opium growing sites. Because of thecrops promoted in project sites, men in these villagesunaware of heroin but with extra cash and ready toexperiment began trying heroin. Heroin spread mostquickly to villages with weak leadership, by 1994comprising 150 villages and 5,000-6,000 people.

A question is whether reducing the opium supply soquickly contributed to heroin use as it has in someother countries. While reducing opium was a factor,more important was that Phase 2 projects were not

intrinsically participatory, did little demand reductionwork, and were not true alternative development. Thisissue was addressed at an International Conferenceon Drug Abuse in 1987. Its Declaration mandated“universal action to combat the drug problem in allits forms.” The increased importance given to demandreduction was accepted in Thailand where controlefforts remained ineffective.

Similarly, Thai policies grew more participatory. Na-tional highland planning called for more equitable dis-tribution of income, and developing human resources.The Eighth Plan (1997-2001), drafted with an NGOumbrella organization, stresses people’s participation,civil society, and the increased role of local govern-ment. A new “People’s Constitution” coming intoeffect in 1997, granted more authority and autonomyto the people.

Phase 3 projects promoted demand reduction andpeople’s participation. UN and bilateral projects de-vised community-based drug control initiatives thatwere more effective than old institution-based mod-els. Royally-sponsored alternative income work con-tinues with the Royal Project in 300 villages in fiveprovinces. Four research stations, 35 developmentcenters, and a marketing component using the tradename, Doi Kham (Golden Mountain) support the work.Another Royal initiative was established by The Prin-cess Mother on Doi Tung, a tall mountain in ChiangRai. Here alternative occupations are promoted, vari-ous crops grown plantation style, and drug use hasbeen stopped.

The Thai government took over more hill work in the1980s and 1990s. It built roads, supported agricul-ture, and constructed schools and clinics. The gov-ernment funded Tambon Area Councils, electrifica-tion and communication projects. The total invest-ment is increasingly steadily. Many NGOs work in thehills, carrying out development, education, relief andother activities.

Empowering local communities became a governmentand development agency priority in the late-1980s.Although bottom-up planning had existed in royalwork, it was only after many experiences such as see-ing increased heroin use did granting local autonomybecome government policy.

A participatory model devised by the Thai-Germanproject in the 1990s comprises: 1) supporting a com-munity in studying its strengths and weaknesses, 2)setting up groups with good leaders to overcomeweaknesses, and 3) doing group work to strengthengroup process and networking. In this, if villagers donot agree that drugs are a village problem the drugproblem will not be solved.

There have been critiques that the development proc-ess in Thailand suppressed local culture and onlyserved to move opium cultivation to neighboring coun-tries. But in-depth evaluations have noted forces largerthan the development process. Regardless of inter-national donors and the opium in the hills, eventuallythe vibrant Thai economy and population would havemoved into the hills. Development would have en-tered the highlands guided mostly by the profit mo-tive, the forces of globalization, and laissez-faire, pre-sumably with harsher consequences on the hill peo-ple.

By the 1990s, when the development paradigm hadbecome participatory, chances for villagers to prac-tice their culture had risen. Indigenous handicraft pro-duction has grown. Local leadership has new author-ity to promote local culture. Educated hill people areentering Thai life.

Besides these impacts in the hills and the people there,highland development also affected national policy.This included 1) facilitating forest use and makingprogress towards passing the Community Forest Actwas made, 2) providing citizenship for most of thehill people in Thailand, 3) planning for highland de-velopment, such as by encouraging hil l areamasterplans, and 4) providing infrastructure, such asroads. This final point did not change national policybut hastened implementation.

Several factors contributed to the sustainability of workin Thailand. They include: 1) build awareness amongthe people, by which a flow of information is main-tained between the villagers and the outside, 2) evokeinterest among the people, such as by the RoyalProject’s trade name, Doi Kham, 3) leave time for

evaluation as well as conduct trials to create self reli-ance, and 4) maintain a presence in the area. KingBhumibol suggested that replacing opium would taketime. The Royal Project is still active. Although longtimeframes might seem infeasible, Thai-German-HDPlasted eighteen years. Its participatory, communitybased approach was fully developed in its last years.

CONCLUSIONS

Thailand’s peaceful reduction of opium productionthrough a balance of development, demand reduc-tion, and law enforcement is unique. But the contrib-uting factors were not unique; they can be replicated.The model devised in the process, which can be con-sidered a successful result of the process, (see dia-gram on following page) can control new and exist-ing drug use. The UNDCP Regional Centre in Bang-kok has identified several factors regarding the Thaiexperience:

● Visionary Leadership, by which King Bhumibolpromoted environmentally friendly, participatoryprojects before the development community“devised” them. The king’s influence over go-vernment agencies encouraged them to assistthe poppy growers.

● National Unity & Political Will through a struc-turally unified Thai state with shared values,cultural oneness, and a willingness to acceptgovernment policies such as eradicating opium.When difficulties arose in the 1980s and 1990s,the goal was not forgotten.

● Commitment of Ample Resources. Besidesreceiving funds from international donors, thegovernment and local NGOs allocated even morefor developing the hills. The total investment inopium replacement by all stakeholders approachesone billion U.S. dollars.

● Participation of the People. Although the peopleworked willingly with the royal and other effortsto replace opium, only in Phase 3 did theprojects become genuinely participatory. Asvillages grow more participatory and the peoplejoin more in local initiatives, their resilience willgrow increasing their resistance to drug use.

1. Present situation of drug criminals anddrug abuse in Vietnam

In the last three years, drug trafficking and drug abusetrends in the world and in Southeast Asia have fluctu-ated in very diverse ways. Taking advantage of thegeographic location of Vietnam, e.g. proximity to the“Gold Triangle” and “Gold Crescent” (the main opiumproducer and supplier of the world), Vietnam’s longand mountainous control-difficult border, many drugtrafficking gangs tend to intensify drugs trafficking toVietnam using all three available ways: the land bor-der, the sea, and the air. The struggle against drugcriminal and drug abuse is very hard. The drug crimi-nals use all possible means to fight back, includingusing arms, when being chased or arrested.

The number of drug addicts remains high, mostlyadolescence and teenage. One hundred thousand drugaddicts were recorded, filed and controlled. Among28,000 people infected with HIV, 70% were due todrug injection. The majority of drug addicts have pre-criminal records. At present, amphetamine, metham-phetamine and other synthetic drugs have been ille-gally introduced to Vietnam. In 2000, these drugswere found and seized in 40 provinces and cities.Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City remain the biggest placesof drug trafficking, drug abuse and criminals (51.06%of cases and 56.4% of drug convicts have been foundin recent time). Drug criminal and drug abuse becamea real worry of every family, especially those whohave young children under 18, and a real threat tosustainable development of our country and our na-tion.

2. Results of drug control activities in1998-2000

On July 31, 1998, the Prime Minister issued the De-cision 139/1998/Q§ - TTg approving the ActionPlan for Drug Control Program in the period 1998-2000. Our Government has also strengthened the drugcontrol systems, established a “National Commit-tee for AIDS, Drug and Prostitute Control”,now Standing Office for Drug Control (SODC),networking to grass-root levels. In 2000, the NationalAssembly approved the Drug Control Law that cre-ates a legislation corridor for the drug control pro-gram. Related branches like police, security, inspec-tion and court have also promulgated different docu-ments guiding drug control activities.

Vietnam : Results of DrugControl Programme in 1998-2000 and Future Directionsin 2001-2005.

Presented by Mr. Ha Dinh Tuan,Vietnam Agricultural Science Institute

Participating in such a nation wide program are allbranches, ministries, mass organizations such as:National Farther land Front, Woman Union, YouthUnion, Trade Union, universities, schools, Pupil Fa-thers’ Union, Veteran Association, Labor Union, etc.

The popular slogan is “All people to unite to builda peaceful life in their living quarter”. Drug iscontrolled everywhere (at home, in school and in com-munities). To the end of 2000, in the whole country,there were 5592/10257 (53%) living quarters regis-tering to be drug-free (increased by 16% compared to1999). The following are the main measures:

Information, communication and education

The Ministry of Culture and Information, Ministry ofPublic Security have continuously cooperated withother branches, ministries and localities, public me-dia offices to carry out drug control campaigns mobi-lizing masses to take part. During the three last years,183,582,417 people have been propagandized andtrained in drug control practices; 685,570 programscirculars, news, articles on drug control were pub-lished or broadcasted on radio and television.

The remarkable feature is that these activities weretargeted to localities where the illicit crops used to begrown, to drug abuse places and to high risk groups.Education and propaganda playing crucial role in drugprevention is carried out as the compulsory and per-manent duty of all organizations.

Organization of struggle against drug

During 1998-2000, the Ministry of Public Securityhad cooperated with the Ministry of Defense, theGeneral Department of Customs to concentrate thedrug control activities to 3 continental borderlines and4 hot localities Hanoi, HCM City, Lai Chau and NgheAn provinces. Surveys, inspection activities were regu-larly conducted to detect drug trafficking lines, drugcriminal groups. A number of drug spots were eradi-cated. (30,366 cases were found, 60,735 drug con-victs were arrested. This was 2.3 and 2.4 times higherthan 1997 in the number of cases and convicts, re-spectively). Seized were 163.69 kg of heroin, 1,862.35kg of opium, 2,990 kg of cannabis, 228,000 doses,packets, 295,060 ampoules of addict able westernmedicines, 1.025 flasks, 23 025 pills of synthetic

drugs and the VND 30 billion worth properties origi-nated from drug trafficking. Only in the year 2000were 10,300 cases revealed and 19,500 drug offend-ers were arrested.

Along the Vietnam-Laos border, Lai Chau, Nghe An,Ha Tinh and Thanh Hoa provinces are the hottestspots of drug trafficking (mainly opium, heroin andsynthetic methamphetamine). The Vietnam-Cambo-dia border is characterized by trafficking of mainlycannabis, heroin, methamphetamine to HCM Citythrough Tay Ninh, An Giang, Dong Thap, Long Anand Kien Giang provinces. In 2000, the number ofrevealed cases was 236 and 632 convicts were ar-rested (increased by 21.3 and 16.6% respectively).

The drug control forces have been strengthened andreorganized to work in a more effective manner: 145large amount drug trafficking trans-national groupsacting for a very long time and 50% of drug criminalspots (1312/2589) were eradicated, creating goodatmosphere to threaten drug criminals and to raisepeople’s belief. The most important were the casesof Nguyen Van Tam, Luong Van Chinh in the North-ern provinces, Bui Huu Tai and Nguyen Duc Luongin Nghe An, Lin Zhaopan in Ho Chi Minh city, LeVan An in Ha Tinh.

The strict, just and appropriate judgment by courtshas brought into play the influence of education andwarning. During the last three years, the People’s In-stitute of Prosecution had handled in law courts27,704 cases, 33,888 convicts prosecuting 19,923cases and 28,748 convicts. The People’s Courts atdifferent levels had judged 15,000 drug cases, morethan 25,000 defendants sentencing 153 dead penal-ties, 177 life imprisonment’s, 3,000 imprisonment’sfrom 10 to 20 years.

Organization of reeducation and training for givingup opium smoking, prevention and protection againstdrug abuse in schools.

At the beginning of 2001, 101,036 drugs addicts wererecorded and filed (4% decrease compared to 2000),including 10,838 drug addicts being controlled andre-educated for giving up smoking opium in 53 differ-ent rehabilitation camps managed by the Ministry ofPublic Security. The number of children addicted todrugs in 2000 was 1,533 (considerably decreased

compared to 2,900 in 1997 and 2,221 in 1999). In2000, 29 provinces and cities like Cao Bang, HaGiang, Tuyen Quang, Yen Bai, Lang Son could stopthe increase in the number of drug addict but in therest 32 provinces and cities, this number still contin-ues to increase.

During 3 years, Vietnam had re-educated 76,822people times for giving up drug use, increased by 64%compared to 1995-1997; 8,598 people werevocationally trained and provided with jobs.

The Ministry of Labor War Invalids and Social Af-fairs, the Ministry of Public Security used many dras-tic and strong measures to reduce drug problems.There appeared good examples. Drug abuse has dra-matically decreased in many places. The Ministry ofEducation and Training has been cooperating withMinistry of Public Security and their branches at alllevels to launch a campaign “Do not try, keep, buy,sell and use drugs”, involving students, pupils, par-ent-teacher associations and other mass organizations.Documents on drug prevention and control measuresare published and included into curricula; 800 train-ing courses on drug prevention knowledge were or-ganized for 92,240 people times including pupils, stu-dents, propagandists in schools; 14,000 mass dem-onstrations, 94,000 meetings and 250 exhibitionswere organized; 26,449 documents on drug preven-tion control were published; 600 workshops were or-ganized and 18 million pupil times were provided withknowledge about the negative effects of drugs andprevention measures. The number of pupil-addictshad decreased by 43% as compare to 1997.

Development of alternatives to illicit crop cultivation

To the beginning of 2001, the areas for illicit cropcultivation decreased by 98% (323 ha) as comparedto 19,050 ha in 1985, and 50% as compared to 1998.Programs for alternative crops development werelinked with other socio-economic development pro-grams. Considerable contribution to this cause werePrograms 327, 661, Hunger Eradication and Pov-erty Reduction, Permanent Settlement and Develop-ment of New Economic Zones, and very recently theProgram 135 focusing in mountain rural infrastruc-ture development for 1000 under-privileged com-munes.

In Cao Bang, Lang Son, Lao Cai, Yen Bai, ThanhHoa, Ha Giang and Hoa Binh, the illicit crops werebasically eliminated. At present, Son La, Lai Chauand Nghe An are trying best to liquidate the rest opiumgrowing areas. High value cash crops like cotton, cof-fee, tea, black pepper, rubber, sugar cane, cannola,arachis, soybean, sunflower, cinnamon, annis, fruittrees, high yielding varieties like hybrid-maize, newrice varieties were introduced increase the income forlocal farmers.

The animal breeds like hybrid ducks, F1 piglets, su-per-egg ducks and chicken were also introduced. Train-ing courses on agriculture and rural development andtechnical courses were organized to strengthen theknowledge, skills, awareness and capacity of localfarmers. The flow of opium seeds with the peoplemigrating from the North to the South is being foundand cut, thus preventing opium growing anew in theCentral Highland.

Great attention has been given to creation of off-farmincome like eco-tourism in Sapa, handicraft, marketdevelopment as well as international cooperation inthe development of sustainable land use (agro-forestry,crop and animal diversification, inter-cropping, relaycropping, cover crops for soil improvement, protec-tion and animal fodder).

International cooperation in drug control programs

Government and National Drug Control Committeehave been strengthening the cooperation with UnitedNation Drug Control Program, ASEAN countries andespecially with the countries that have common bor-der with Vietnam within the framework of 5 govern-mental level drug control agreements, 15 ministeriallevel agreements, 6 national projects and 9 coopera-tion projects for sub-regional drug control activities.Especially effective was the cooperation with Laosand Cambodia contributing very much to preventingdrug trafficking to Vietnam.

A number of 300 drug control officials were sentabroad for training, sharing and learning experiencein drug control. More than 3000 drug control offi-cials participated in the in-country drug control train-ing courses organized by National Drug Control Com-mittee, Ministries, branches and by international co-operation programs.

The Project VIE/92/660 was carried out to build theMaster Plan for Drug Control in Vietnam. In 1996-2000, UNDCP and Vietnam jointly carried out theProject VIE/95/B09 for “Alternative Socio-EconomicDevelopment to Replace Opium Poppy Cultivation”with the total budget of U$ 3.8 mil. The Project hasachieved important successes: support to communityand agricultural development, construction of infra-structure (irrigation systems, transportation, cleanwater supply). The second phase will be focused oncapacity building and strengthening for local farmersto apply advanced technologies to increase their in-come and sustain ably eliminate opium cultivation.

Other international cooperation projects are beingcarried out to help mountainous farmers to developtheir economy. Though they are not directly relatedto National Drug Control Program, they do bring farm-ers more income in more sustainable ways. This meansthat they also contribute to the cause of drug elimina-tion in Vietnam.

3. Lessons from drug control programsand projects

● Tight leadership of Political Bureau, NationalAssembly, Prime Minister, leaders at differentlevels are very important and decisive factorfor the success of drug control programs.The localities with strong leadership of localParty Commit tee, Government and massorganizations are more likely to succeed indrug control activities.

● Drug control movement is the cause of allpeople, whose participation, which is nowwide recognized as participatory approach,is truly indispensable. The fundamentalprinciple is “prevention is better than cure”.So, propaganda, including education toincrease the public awareness play the basicrole. People are the basis; each family is abasic cell; communes, villages, living quarter,factories, institutions, offices, schools arethe fulcrum and security forces are the core.Without mass participation, there will beno chance for success.

● Priority should be given to building andstrengthening special drug control task forcefrom central to grass-root levels. It is neces-sary to combine the struggle against drug

trafficking lines with the mass movementfor eliminating drug selling, retailing anddrug smoking points in every living quarter.

● Training for giving up opium smoking mustbe carried out from family to communitylevels, and up to re-education camps. Theseact ivit ies must go together w ith greatsympathy, love and with job creation fordrug addicts after giving up opium smoking,because they are mostly victims and notoffenders.

● Priority should be given to provision ofmanpower, facilities and financial resourcesand other logistics for drug control forces.

● More investment is needed to help thefarmers who were used to be dependent onillicit crops growing for a living. More jobsmust be created for them, either on-farmor off-farm.

● More international cooperation is needed inco-action, training, exchange of experience,as wel l as the technical and financialsupport not only in drug control but alsoin alternative development for il licit cropcultivation.

4. Future direction and activity plan fordrug control program in 2001-2005

● Ministries, branches, people’s committeesat all levels to concentrate efforts on imple-mentation of the Decision 150/TTg issuedon December 28, 2000 by the Prime Minis-ter approving activity plan for the NationalDrug Control Program in 2001-2005.

● Government and the National Committeefor Drug, AIDS and Prostitute Control totake lead in the pilot implementation of drugcontrol plan for 2001-2005 in 4 provincesand cities Hanoi, HCM City, Nghe An andLai Chau. Regular review will be made at6 monthly intervals.

● All efforts will be concentrated to carryingout 7 drug control projects:1. Information, propaganda and education

on drug control issues (Ministry of Cultureand Information).

2. Development of alternatives to il licit

crops cultivation (Ministry of Agricultureand Rural Development).

3. Struggle against drug criminals, manage-ment of pre-drug materials and streng-thening international cooperation in thedrug control program (Ministry of PublicSecurity).

4. Strengthening training act ivit ies forgiv ing up opium smoking and post-addicts management (Ministry of Labor,War Invalids and Social Affairs).

5. Promotion of drug control activities inschools and universit ies (Ministry ofEducation and Training).

6. Research and application of drug-giving-uprecipes, combining traditional medicinewith other measures in curing drugaddiction and functional rehabilitation fordrug addicts after giving up drug smoking(Ministry of Public Health).

7. Building drug-free models at differentlevels (National Fatherland Front).

● Implementation of drug control law approvedby National Assembly being in power from1 June 2001.● Prime Minister to issue guidelines for

implementing Drug Control Law as soonas possible.

● Ministry of Law to cooperate with relatedbranches and offices to make propagandaabout Drug Control Law to wide range ofthe masses through mass media, trainingcourses, as well as meetings.

● Efforts to be concerted to build legislationdocuments for implementation of DrugControl Law.

● Research to be carried out to strengthencapacity and renovate the organization ofdrug control in new conditions.

● Prime Minister is suggested to take thefirst 6 months of a year as the “Monthsfor all people to struggle against drug cri-minals and drug abuse”, and the day of26 June every year as the “Day for allpeople to struggle against drug criminalsand drug abuse”.

5. Ministries, branches, people’s committeesbelonging to the central level have to reportregularly every month, every 4 months, and evensuddenly if necessary to the National Committee forDrug, AIDS and Prostitute Control (through the DrugControl Standing Office for Drug Control, Ministry ofPublic Security) about the situation of drug control intheir localities. The National Committee should regu-larly review and examine the local problems to findsolutions and give guidance for future activities.

1. Overview of the illicit drug situation:production, trafficking and abuse

In Vietnam, both seizures and number of people in-volved in drug trafficking, have increased over the re-cent years and drug smuggling is unfolding in an evermore complicated manner. Such a development is saidto be the combined consequence of Vietnam’s prox-imity to the “Golden Triangle”, the recently introduced“open-door” policy as well as the high profits involved.Moreover, the Vietnamese law enforcement authori-ties are facing difficulties in tackling the escalatingsituation partly because the long borders and coastallines have proven to be extremely difficult to control.

Vietnam is today considered a minor drug producingcountry, even more so after a remarkable success inthe eradication of poppy plants since the introduc-tion of the Government legislation decree 06 of Janu-ary 1993. The decree spelled out provisions for arapid eradication of opium poppy cultivation and al-ternative means to income for the opium poppy culti-vating ethnic minorities of Vietnam. The area underpoppy cultivation went from approximately 10,000before 1990 to as little as 428,6 hectare in 2000.Minor production of cannabis in the Southern prov-inces of Vietnam takes place and ATS has made aninroad and there is no confirmation but anecdotalevidence pointing at certain precursors and possiblyATS being produced in Vietnam.

According to Government statistics there are currently101,036 registered drug addicts in Viet Nam. Accord-ing to a MOLISA/UNDCP survey conducted, around80 % of the addicts are under the age of 35 withfemale drug addicts representing less than 6 %. Thetrend for the extent and pattern of drug abuse in VietNam is shifting from an older to an increasinglyyounger age group among the population who con-

sume mainly heroin, opium and cannabis The emer-gence of amphetamine-typed stimulants (ATS) in VietNam is also likely to have an impact on younger peo-ple in particular. ATS have become available in in theprincipal cities and in some of the provinces. Intrave-nous drug use and continued practice of needle shar-ing is fuelling an explosion in the region’s HIV-AIDSepidemic. 65.3 % of the total 28,091registered HIVcases are made up by intravenous drug users.

2. National policies on drug control andillicit crop eradication

The Government has been persistent in pursuing itsnational drug control policy. Production and abuse ofopium is forbidden under article 61 of the 1992 con-stitution and the government resolution No. 06/CPof January 1993, in addition there is also the morerecent “Law on Narcotic Drugs Prevention and Sup-pression” of 2000. This latest legislation is based onthe provisions of the existing criminal code and it rec-ognizes that the prevalence of drugs is a social prob-lem and that addicts are not offenders or criminals. Itentered into force 1 June 2001.

The Government legislation decree 06 of January1993 is responsible for the rapid eradication of opiumpoppy cultivation with an early attempt to providealternative means to the opium poppy cultivating eth-nic minorities of Vietnam. A number of Governmentprogrammes that would support this decree have alsobeen implemented of which the following deserves tobe mentioned: the National Government’s program327, the HERP, Hunger Eradication and ReductionProgram, and the 135 program assistance to infra-structure development in remote mountainous com-munes. Under the Government eradication pro-gramme, farmers are provided with some compensa-tion for the eradication of their opium poppies in the

Ky Son Alternative DevelopmentProject in Vietnam1)

1) The paper was prepared by Mr.Per Vogel, Associate Expert, UNDCP Country Office, Vietnam and presented by Mr.Leik Boonwaat,farmer CTA of the Project.

first year, but less or no compensation provided foreradication if opium poppies are re-cultivated.

A first national drug control master plan for the pe-riod 1996-2000 was successfully implemented andapart from the implementation of the UNDCP-sup-ported master plan, which is primarily aiming at mo-bilization of external resource for the fight against drugin the country, the government also launched a two-year action plan 1998-2000 with support from thestate budget. A National Drug Control Action Planfor 2001-2005 has also been developed and approvedby the Government.

3. Review of alternative developmentstrategies and approaches

The Government approach as seen through its de-cree 06 in 1993 and the early alternative develop-ment efforts undertaken as a support to the decreewere very effective (as described above) in reducingthe areas under opium poppy cultivation but failed tosustain ably deal with the vacuum that appeared inthe wake of the establishing of good, relevant andproductive alternative crops and means of income tosubstitute for what had been taken away. Re-cultivat-ing poppies in Vietnam, cross border cultivation inLaos as well as involving in trafficking of drugs wereby some seen as the rational choice where alterna-tives were lacking or insufficient.

Earlier attempts by government programs to deal withthe above situation tried to introduce a variety of live-stock and crops substitution programs, but did so with-out proper trials accentuated by a lack of follow upand proper technical advice and therefore failed toestablish any sustainable alternatives for the local popu-lation.

The UNDCP initiative came in to trial its model ap-proach in districts that was regarded by the Govern-ment as belonging among the very poorest of Viet-nam, a district that also had one of the highest yieldsof opium poppies. Despite initial difficulties and prob-lems in re-establishing trust, lost by the earlier failedattempts at crops substitution, and a good relation-ship with the district authorities and the local people,the Ky Son project was able to learn from these ear-lier lessons and improved the methodology as well as

changed the originally pessimistic attitudes of the lo-cal people providing them with new hope and confi-dence. The project successfully completed but needto continue and expand what was achieved duringthe first phase.

4. Description of the project: Objectives,strategies, activities, resources andplanned outputs

In each of its three main components of the projectthe immediate objectives were as follows:

Drug Control ObjectiveTo develop & replicable methodology for the establishmentof opium income substitution and drug demand reductionprograms among ethnic minority groups in Vietnam,through the strengthening of the capacity of the nationalinstitutions responsible for delivering the required services.

Community development:To reinforce the capacity of local officials and the eth-nic population to improve health care, education,women’s development and community leadership andorganization, and reduce the demand for illicit drugs -consistent with both government policy and local be-liefs and practices.

Infrastructure development:To build new capacity for management, design, con-struction and operation of infrastructure projects inKy Son district, Nghe An province, to support agri-culture, animal husbandry, and community develop-ment initiatives for replacement of the opium-basedeconomy

Agricultural development:To augment livestock-based sources of householdeconomy by risk reduction, improved fodder supply,health services and increased stocking numbers. Todiversify cropping-based sources of household foodand cash economy by increased use of new varieties,intercropping of legumes and cereals, increasing fruittree seedlings, developing locally appropriate technol-ogy, paddy development and the development of al-ternative crops and improved varieties. To stimulatemarket ing and processing oppor tunit ie s andstrengthen the local organizational and skill bases.

5. Modalities of the project managementand implementation

The Ky Son Project employed active local participa-tion in a participatory development approach as acore strategy to formulate development programs. Thiscore approach was adopted in all stages of the projectcycle: planning preparation, implementation, moni-toring, and evaluation. The approach was seen asbeing consistent with Ky Son district’s social and eco-nomic conditions as well as in line with Governmentpolicy on developing democracy from the grassrootslevel.

included community par t icipatory needsassessment and needs prioritization. Communedevelopment committees formulated programsand draw up work plans addressing priorityneeds trying to match both district and localneeds.

● Training was provided to enable the farmers tocarry out the activities and work plans requiredby the various programs.

● Implementation was then carried out byselected key farmers in key communes. Themain objectives in this pilot phase was to setup successful trials and demonstrations.

Figure 1: The Project’s implementation strategy

The project implementation strategy includes five maincomponents as follows:● Exposure to enable farmers to have access to

new ideas and experiences● Dialogue to enable farmers to understand what

they have seen or been exposed to and applyit to solving their own identified priorities. This

EXPOSUREto new ideas,

experiences andinformation

IMPLEMENTaction with assistance

from governmentand project

TRAINING &EDUCATION

to enableimplementation

DIALOGUEwith partcipatory,needs assessment

and planning

Monitoringevaluation,review and

EXPANSION

Selected key communes and key farmers formnucleus communes from which successful mod-els are expanded to satellite communes and on-wards to cover complete focal areas

Monitoring and evaluation was also carried out at allstages to ensure that the activities were carried out ina proper and effective manner. The trials were thenevaluated by the communities themselves before plansmade for expansion.

6. Marketing of developed products

Marketing of products has been helped by the mar-keting development program brought about moreawareness about marketing. As a result traders fromthe lowlands now purchase products directly fromfarmers in the villages. This development was in partfacilitated by the improvement of commune accessroads but also by a district marketing task force thatassisted in the sale of ginger, potatoes and legumes.Commune authorities and farmers are beginning tounderstand the importance of marketing and now havea better idea of price fluctuations and setting of real-istic prices.

In addition the project also initiated support to betterpost harvest technology trials and demonstrations aswell as looking into the issue of post harvest process-ing, all in order to diversify, according to the com-parative advantage of each of the local communes,and improve products to be brought to the marketsbringing a higher price if at least in part processed..

Handicraft development in collaboration with an NGOnamed proved very successful. The quality of the prod-ucts increased significantly and traditional natural dye-ing techniques were “brought to life” and as a resultthe local handcraft producers have by now partici-pated in four major handicraft bazaars in Hanoi. Or-ders have also been received from the USA for handi-craft applique and embroidery produced in the projectarea.

7. Analysis on impacts of the alternativedevelopment projects on illicit croperadication and community development

Illicit crop eradication is undertaken solely by the au-thorities (mainly through the Border Army forces) andhas been so rapid that it has been difficult for theproject to follow and fill the needs and demands cre-ated among the former opium growing. Too rapideradication could be counterproductive and result inmore re-cultivation, loss of trust in alternative devel-opment where an AD project can not deal with therapid increase in demand of its services caused byrapid and efficient enforcement of eradication poli-cies.

It is important to address and improve communitydevelopment conditions in the highlands. The assist-ance the project provided under the community de-velopment component to health, education, womendevelopment, commune leadership and demand re-duction were very important. One of the biggest con-straints to development, stated by the government andthe communities, is the lack of infrastructure prereq-uisites. These include commune access roads as wellas commune to hamlet feeder roads, water supplyschemes, electrification, and communications.

● Population constraints:● 1989 = 41,570● 1999 = 57,375. + 15,805. (10 yrs)● Pop: Growth rate 2.8%/yr. NA: 1.7%/yr● Total land area 179,172 ha.● Density 3.12 p/ha NA: 2.31p/ha● Population 60%<19 years NA: 44% <19yrs.

Assistance to village water supply schemes has beenimportant and have helped to reduce the many hoursthat women and children have to spend on carryingwater. Another serious constraint is the problem ofthe high increase in population, by some 15,800 overthe last ten years. The population growth rate in KySon is estimated at 2.8% compared to a national av-erage of 1.7%. While figures show a remarkable re-duction in the amount of opium poppy harvested overa short period of time, the ability to sustain this re-duction in acreage under opium poppy cultivationdepends, as the government recognizes, on morecomprehensive socio-economic development of opiumproducing areas, which generally are among the leastaccessible and poorest areas of the country.

Implementation constratints:● Lack of highland specific research● Lack of grass-root extension capability● Lack of socio-economic & infrastructure prerequisites

for development● Lack of understanding of market demands● Lack of sufficient financial & human resources● Very high expectations of the people

8. Summary of good practices andlessons learned from the project

During the first phase the project was able to success-fully achieve most of the planned objectives. It con-

tributed to the strengthening of the existing local dis-trict capacity. Project interventions contributed toimproving the quality of people’s lives in Ky Son,opening their minds and attitudes to new ideas andopportunities and demonstrated that it is possible toimprove and provide better food security and increasedfamily income with the right assistance. This has givenrise to new hope and confidence.

However, a continued extension of assistance is nec-essary to ensure sustainability and successful expan-sion of these initial achievements. The project’sachievements have been highlighted in various na-tional, international seminars, study tours, interna-tional visits, and broadcasts on national and provin-cial television. This has given the project an impor-tant and unforeseen role in creating better understand-ing of the problems in the highlands and providesvaluable lessons and experiences for addressing themnot only in Vietnam but also within the region.

The project has been successful in its strategy andparticipatory grass root approach to develop a widerange of viable alternative models designed to increaseindividual village family income within the existingfarming systems. This has been done through the useof farmer-based action research trials with key farm-ers successfully demonstrating various models. Theprevention of livestock diseases has resulted in in-creased income. The introduction of new improvedseed and cultural practices resulted in a two, to threefold increase in certain crops yields in the project zone.Some trials have now been expanded to cover nearlyall of the communes within the district. Several of themodels have also progressed from being trials anddemonstrations to providing farmers with actual ben-efits and increased family incomes as a direct resultof project interventions. This in particular refers tothose farmers involved in the improved rice, maize,livestock, legume, potato, vegetable, fruit, honey,mushroom and handicraft programs

It is important that the national counterpart imple-menting agency or responsible Ministry at the centrallevel have a strong feeling of ownership of the projector program and that a continuity of responsible offi-cial bodies is maintained during the entire operationallifespan of the project. In Ky Son during the first phasea strong supportive relationship and ownership wasbuilt up over the years.

There are both advantages and disadvantage to hav-ing a National Project Director (NPD) at the Districtlevel. Normally in projects of this nature and size theNPD usually represents a central level national or-ganization or ministry in order to maximize the sup-port and understanding at the central level as well asensuring replication of successful models on a widernational basis. An NPD at the district level does maxi-mize the support and actual cooperation in activitiesat the field level. Especially when the NPD is the Chair-man of the District as in the case of the Ky Son project.

Four years is too short a period for this kind of pilotproject when the establishment of basic infrastructureis one of the prerequisites for the introduction of al-ternative economic development activities and drugdemand reduction. It is a well-accepted fact that al-ternative development requires long-term continuedcommitments, politically, financially and technicallyto ensure its success.

9. Recommendations for futuredevelopment and implementationof alternative development and croperadication initiatives

● In order to expand successful models on alarger scale it is important to address theserious problem of providing sufficientnumbers of motivated and qualified nationalstaff to support on-going developmentprograms and the expansion of successfulmodels to other parts of the district. Thiscould be done by strengthening existingdistrict & commune networks and wherenecessary establishing new extension servicecapabilities at the grass root levels. Thiswould naturally also mean the need for alarge number of external technical supportpersonnel and the commitment of Govern-ment funds.

● It is also important to ensure the continuityof staff assigned to work with projectactivities. The fact that project activitiesand district activities are one and the sameis crucial to its success. It is important tocontinue training programs for local staffand key farmers to continue to upgradetheir skills. It is important that these people

are not changed arbitrari ly and that amechanism is developed to ensure someform of continuity as well as to providehigher motivation to work in remote moun-tain areas.

● In order to efficiently utilize developmentassistance to the mountain areas it is veryimpor tant to properly coordinate al ldevelopment efforts from the government,internat ional organizat ions and NGOs,ensuring full transparency to avoid pos-sible overlapping and confusion within thesame area, between various developmentprograms both international and national.This could happen through the establish-ment of a Development Coordination Unitat both District and Provincial level. This unitshould provide regular reports and coor-dinate work plans on a periodic basis.

● The project should make use of the manynational consultants available at differentnational institutions representing a veryvaluable pool of knowledge and experiencethat should be incorporated more fully intoprovincial, district and communal networkservice providing mechanism.

● It is important to continue support to im-proving the quality of life of people in thehighland areas through community develop-ment, better food security, and increasedfamily income. Alternative development canonly be successful when the necessaryinfrastructure and socio-economic prerequi-sites are present.

● There is a need to build up a transparentand accountable fund disbursement andservice delivery mechanism at local and grassroot levels before a large-scale replicationand expansion of successful models isattempted.

● It is important to continue assistance to thedevelopment of marketing awareness, valueadding and establishment of trade links.Marketing of products is st il l a seriousconstraint although farmers involved inproject programs have already reached thestage where they are roughly packing,transporting and selling their products onthe open market. Products being soldinclude, fruit, honey, mushroom, handicraftproducts, maize, rice, groundnut, soybean,mungbean, potatoes, cassava, ginger, taro,vegetables, chickens, ducks and pigs. Thishas all helped to increase vil lage familyincome and improve living conditions.

● A project design which uti lizes regularinputs from short-term consultants can onlybe effect ive if it includes the technicalcapacity to evaluate the consultants’ pro-posals and if there are experienced andmotivated national support staff to implementthe recommendations. Lack of sufficient andqualified full time government counterpartnational staff will seriously hamper theability of providing long-term sustainablesupport to the achievements of projectactivities.

Same four girls in potato field. Moung Long 1999.Four girls in a poppy field. Moung Long 1996.

ForwardGiven the short period of one week to research andwrite; this paper is not an in depth analysis but ratheran attempt at a general overview of alternative devel-opment (AD) and its linkage and impact relating toillicit crop eradication policies, strategies and actionsin the region based on available information.

In this instance illicit crop refers to the opium poppyand the region covers the five signatory countries ofthe Drug Control Memorandum of Understanding(MOU) in 1993 and1995, consisting of China, Laos,Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam that have a historyof opium production but excludes Cambodia whereopium poppy cultivation has not been officially con-firmed.

This paper was prepared for a regional seminar onalternative development for illicit crop eradication:policies, strategies and actions to be held in the Un-ion of Myanmar during July 2001. The seminar wasplanned under the UNDCP Regional Center’s sub re-gional project on AD cooperation in East Asia (AD/RAS/98/C96) to provide an opportunity for policymakers and senior personnel in participating coun-tries to discuss national policies, strategies and ac-tions related to AD and illicit crop eradication. Thepaper is based on a compilation of information fromvarious documents, reports and publications as wellas personal project management experiences andobservations from a succession of crop substitution,highland integrated rural development and alterna-tive development projects in the region.

Acknowledgements:Appreciation is expressed to the staff at the UNDCP

Regional Center for East Asia and the Pacific includ-ing its Representative, Dr. Sandro Calvani, Dr. SanongChinnanon, Mr. Bengt Juhlin, Mr. Peter Lunding, andKhun Thevee Kasemsuvan for their support and as-sistance also to UNDCP Lao country representative,Dr. Halvor Kolshus for valuable insights.

IntroductionThe term alternative development (AD) was first coinedby UNDCP in the early 1990s and was defined as:

“A process through which the prevention, reductionand elimination of illicit cultivation of drug crops isachieved by specifically designed rural developmentmeasures aimed at providing lawful, economicallyviable and sustainable means of income as well asan improved livelihood to rural communities.”

The UN general assembly special session in June 1998endorsed an action plan on International Coopera-

An Overview Of AlternativeDevelopment And Illicit CropEradication Policies, Strategiesand Actions in The Region

Presented by Mr. Leik Boonwaat,Resource Person UNDCP Vientiane

tion on the Eradication of Illicit Crops and AlternativeDevelopment that stresses the importance of integrat-ing AD programs and law enforcement measures. Itfurther states that AD programs should:● Contribute to sustainable social and economic

opportunities● Be linked to national development planning

to ensure sustainable political and economicalintegration of areas involved in illicit cultivation

● Be adapted to the conditions prevailing in theproject area

● Be based on a community-participation basedapproach, involving indigenous knowledge,skills, interests and needs. Local communitiesshould commit themselves to reducing illicitcrops until they are eradicated

● Contribute to the promotion of democraticvalues to encourage community participationand the development of a civic culture thatrejects illicit cultivation

● Build enduring local institutions● Observe environmental criteria● Enable women and men to participate equally

in the development process● Include appropriate demand reduction measures

where a drug abuse problem exist

The action plan states the necessity of law enforce-ment measures at every stage of the drug cycle. Thatthe use of measures such as eradication, destructionof illicit crops and arrests may be appropriate whenorganized crime is involved in the cultivation.1

AD is an on-going evolving concept. It is based onthe idea that the drug and development problems areinterconnected and that addressing these problemswould also mean addressing the problem of sustain-ing human development and poverty alleviation.

Illicit crop eradication and replacement began in Chinain the 1950s where the Chinese Government pro-moted the cultivation of improved cash crops to re-place income from opium poppy cultivation in thesouth western part of the country.2

In the three decades of highland development theapproach taken in Thailand evolved in three phasesfrom a crop replacement effort mainly supported bydonors in the 1970s, to integrated rural developmentwith the government taking a more active role in the1980s, to a participatory and people centered ap-proach in the 1990s.

Overview of the illicit drug situation: production, trafficking and abuse

1 ODCCP Drug Supply Reduction website.2 McCoy 1972 and Rerkasem 19993 Statistics on Production and trafficking of Narcotic Drugs. UNDCP 14-17 November 2000.

Laos Columbia

Myanmar

Afghanistan

Global illicit opium production in 2000 is estimated at 4,700 tons.

Afghanistan accounts for some 69%, Myanmar 23%, Laos 4%, Thailand 0.1%, Vietnam 0.3%, Columbia 2%,Mexico1%, Pakistan 0.2% and other 0.4%.3

the country. This is about 4.4% of the total popula-tion in China at that time.

During the early years of the People’s Republic ofChina opium poppy cultivation was virtually elimi-nated. China enjoyed the reputation as a drug freecountry for more than twenty years. It was only inthe end of the 1970s that the border areas especiallyin South West Yunnan met with large amounts ofopium and heroin trafficking. In recent decades therehas also been a reappearance of cultivation in themore remote mountainous areas. This illegal cultiva-tion is limited and most of the produce is consumeddomestically. There is no reported significant produc-tion of heroin in China. In recent years China hasbecome a major source of illicit ATS. This growingproduction is not only for domestic use but findingmarkets in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines andTaiwan. Most of the heroin from Myanmar is traf-ficked through China to markets in Australia, Europeand North America.

Year Area (ha) Imported (tons) Addicts (estimate)

1860 891,100 3,300

1905 1,252,900 6,000 20,000,000

1929-34 5,356,000 80,000,000

1949 1,340,000 20,000,000

1950s 0 0 0

1999 Insignificant 680,000-7,000,000

[1949 estimated opium poppy area was 20 million mu. (1 mu = 0.067 hectare)]

4 Su 1997. China’s successful anti-drug campaign in the 1950s. Zhou Yongming5 China Country Profile. Peter Lunding. UNDCP Regional Center for East Asia and the Pacific.

It is estimated that there were two million addicts inChina before the Opium War of 1839-42. Chinastarted cultivation of opium poppy on a large scale inthe early 19th century. China was importing up to6000 tons of opium in 1932. During the years 1929-1934 an estimated 6.1% of the arable land in thecountry was used to cultivate opium poppy cultiva-tion,4 producing an estimated 50,000 tons of opiumannually. During that same period addicts of all kindsof drugs in China reached an estimated 80 million. In1949 there were some 20 million opium addicts in

Official government statistics in 1999, recorded680,000 registered drug addicts but the number ofthose abusing drugs is believed to be much higherand conservative estimates now point to a figure ofapproximately 7 million drug users.5

LaosThe Lao PDR is estimated to have some 11 per centof the world opium poppy cultivation in terms of areabut only about 4 per cent of its production. This re-flects the very low yield of Lao opium production at

China began dealing with opium poppy eradicationmore than 50 years ago and was able to eradicateopium poppy cultivation and drug abuse in less thanten years. It took more than 30 years before Thailandwas able to reduce opium poppy cultivation to insig-nificant levels. AD related projects and governmentprogrammes have reached different developmentstages in Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam. Certain cul-tural, geographical and ethnical similarities exist be-tween these nations. Sharing information, experiencesand expertise available in the region is important andshould contribute towards strengthening these pro-grammes as well as success in a shorter period oftime.

ChinaArabian merchants are reputed to have introducedopium poppy into China more than a thousand yearsago during the Tang dynasty (618-907 AD). It wasonly in the early 19 century that opium addiction be-come widespread in China.

in the world with the annual prevalence for opiatesonly exceeded by that of Pakistan and Iran. Accord-ing to the 1999-2000 National Opium Survey thereare some 63,000 opium users in the country, equiva-lent to 2.26 per cent of the population of 15 yearsand above. Opium consumption is concentrated inthe opium producing provinces of the north and isassociated with cultivation. Of the 123 tons produceddomestically, it is estimated that 70 tons are consumednationally, with 50 tons being consumed by addictsand 20 tons for medicinal and social purposes. In thenorthern provinces alone, the rate was 4.84% of thepopulation above 15 years old.6

The ability of the Lao PDR to control the flow ofdrugs within the country and along its long and po-

4.6 kg/ha in 1998 as compared to 15.8 kg/ha, theworld average.6

Opium is produced in 10 out of 17 provinces and 90per cent is concentrated in the northern parts of thecountry, particularly in the remote mountain regionswhere access is difficult. There are an estimated 2056villages with families growing opium poppy.

Laos has one of the highest rates of opium addiction

●The illicit cultivation of opium poppy and production of opium in the region from 1988-2000 (UNDCP estimates)

COUNTRY 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

LAOS (ha) 40,400 42,130 30,580 29,625 19,190 26,040 18,520 19,650 21,601 24,082 26,837 22,543 20,000

(Tons) 267 278 202 196 127 169 120 128 140 147 124 124 180

MYANMAR 104,200 143,000 150,100 160,000 153,700 165,800 146,600 154,070 163,000 155,150 130,300 89,500 108,700

1,125 1,544 1,621 1,728 1,660 1,791 1,583 1,664 1,760 1,676 1,303 895 1,087

THAILAND 2,811 2,982 1,782 3,727 3,016 998 478 168 368 352 716 702 890

17 31 20 23 14 17 3 2 5 4 8 8 6

VIETNAM 12,000 14,000 18,000 17,000 12,199 4268 3,066 1,880 1,743 340 442 442 2,300

60 70 90 85 61 21 15 9 9 2 2 2

*24TH Meeting of Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement Agencies, Asia and the Pacific. Myanmar 14-17November 2000. (UNDCP/HONLAP/2000/CRP.1) This data should not be viewed as comprehensive statisticsbut more as indicators of recent developments. Figures may indicate area cultivated but not necessarily mean areaharvested in that year

rous borders with Thailand, Myanmar, China, Viet-nam and Cambodia is difficult. Most drug smugglingtakes place in the Northern Region and across theMekong River. Lao Government sources estimate thatonly 35 per cent of the total traffic in opium in LaoPDR is produced domestically. Heroin is either traf-ficked from Lao PDR or transiting through the coun-try from Myanmar on its way to China and Vietnam.Though trafficking in opium is apparently still morewidespread than in heroin, there has been a clear

6 A Balanced Approach to Opium Elimination in the Lao PDR. UNDCP,

Map 1 : Main Opium Production Areas inS.E. Asia

upward trend of heroin trafficking in recent years. In-terpol reports suggest that small amounts of meth-amphetamine may be produced in Laos.

Map 2 : Major heroin trafficking routes

Over the last ten years opium poppy cultivation hasdeclined by some 40%,7 however the manufacture ofATS amphetamine type stimulants in these remoteborder areas of Myanmar is rising and become a majorproblem. In 1998 The Government of the Union ofMyanmar estimated that over 300,000 people be-

MyanmarThe situation in Myanmar is complex and unusual.Most of the areas where opium poppy is cultivatedhave limited Government control and are controlledby different ethnic groups with whom the governmenthas been involved in an armed struggle for many dec-ades. Even though cease-fire agreements have beennegotiated since 1989 many of these areas are stillunder varying levels of autonomy and self-government.Government presence in remote border areas is stillminimal and uneven.

In 1999 some 80% of the opium poppy cultivated inSouth East Asia was in Myanmar. Opium productionsurged by about 60% during the 1987-1991 period.

● Price of 1kg heroin,

BORDER LENGTHSChina-Myanmar -1,997 kmThailand-Myanmar -2,387 kmYannan-Lao -710 kmYannan-Vietnam -1,245 kmTotal China-Vietnam -2,300 km

7 The Drug Situation in the Union of Myanmar. UNDCP 21 February 2001.8 AD Policies, Strategies, Key Success, Indicators, Risks and lessons in WADP. John Dalton.

longing to various hill tribes are engaged in opiumpoppy cultivation as a means of livelihood.8

The main destination for surplus illicit opiates includedChina and Australia. Every year some three to four

tons of heroin (equivalent to 30-40 tons of opium) isestimated to enter Australia, with more than 80% fromSouth East Asia.9 The number of officially registereddrug abusers in Myanmar reached 60,905 in 1999;this is some 0.2% of the population 15 and above.91% of were registered abusers of opiates with 60%accounted for opium and 31% heroin. However thisfigure does not represent the actual prevalence of drugabuse. In some hill-tribes opiate abuse has been re-ported as high as 10% and more. UNDCP estimatedover 300,000 people might abuse illicit drugs.5

ThailandIn 1965-1966 a UN Commission on Narcotic Drugssurvey estimated opium production of 145 tons fromsome 17,920 ha. In 1999-2000 the Thai Govern-ment estimated opium poppy cultivation at some1,087 ha of which some 757 ha or 69.66% was eradi-cated. Opium poppy cultivation involves mostly theAkha, Hmong, Lahu, Lisu and Yao ethnic minoritieswith the Karen sometimes hired out as labor in thefields. The potential opium poppy cultivating areas ofThailand covers some 10 million rai in Northern Thai-land. This includes some 1000 villages, or 30,000households with a population of about 200,000 peo-ple.10

While opium poppy cultivation areas have been re-duced significantly in some areas farmers have beenincorporating sprinkler systems and fertilizers to im-prove yields. In 1999 average yields for Thailand wasestimated at 11.25 kg/ha. Addiction is high in thehighlands with the estimated local consumption esti-mated at about 33 tons per year.

The ONCB Narcotic Annual Report for 2000 reportsthe average wholesale price of raw opium at 20,000baht/kg.

Thailand has an increasing problem of meth-ampheta-mines abuse with users estimated at some 1.1% ofthe population 15 years and above compared to heroinuse at 0.6% for the same age group.11 The total numberof drug users of all kinds in the country is estimatedat more than 3 million.12

VietnamAlthough opium has been known in Vietnam for along time, it became widespread in the latter half ofthe 19 century when hill tribes who had learnt opiumpoppy cultivation in China moved into Vietnam andother areas of S.E. Asia. During the colonial periodgovernment controlled opium monopolies became animportant source of revenue.

After 1975 the government promoted production ofopium to be used in the pharmaceutical industry inVietnam as well as in other COMECON countries.After the halt of government purchase surplus opiumwent into illicit markets.

The main opium poppy cultivating areas are in thehighland areas of the northern provinces of Vietnam.The main ethnic minority group is the Hmong whocultivate about 75% of the opium poppy. The KhoMu, Thai, Dao, Moung, Hoa and Vietnamese alsocultivate small areas. These areas are difficult to ac-cess and people living there have a lower level of edu-cation, health, nutrition and income in comparisonwith other rural areas of Vietnam.

The Government’s office of statistics estimates thatin 1991-92, there was some 15,495 ha of opiumpoppy cultivated of which 12,203 ha was harvestedyielding some 43,230 kg of opium. In 1992-93,12,878 ha planted and 4,559 harvested with an out-put of some 15,588 kg. In 1997-98 the area underopium poppy cultivation was reduced to some 424ha.

There have been signs of re-cultivation of opium poppyin some areas in 1999-2000. Some 5,995 villageswith a population of 1,341,000 were included in asurvey of highland communes known to either haveopium poppy cultivation, opium use or both.13

Vietnam has become a transit point for trafficking ofillicit drugs. Since 1992 there has been a number ofseizures of drugs destined for Australia, Europe andNorth America.

9 INTERPOL heroin world report 1999. ODCCP Global Illicit Drug Trends 2001.pg 52.10 Highland Development Experiences in Thailand. Pornthep Iamprapai. ONCB. 6-9April 1999. Simao11 ODCCP Global Illicit Drug Trends 2001. pg 52.12 Thai Press reports. ITV13 Vietnam Drug Control Masterplan. Nov 1995.

According to provincial reports the number of drugaddicts in Vietnam was some 183,155 in 1994. Astudy conducted in the year 2000 by the Drug Steer-ing Board reports that there are 100,293 drug ad-dicts in Vietnam. The actual number is estimated tobe about 200,000 for opiate abuse and much morefor drugs of all kinds.14 The problem of increasingdrug use in certain areas, injecting of drugs and HIVare cause for serious concern.

National policies on drug control, masterplans and illicit crop eradication

ChinaBeginning in 1952, through the use of nationalisticappeals in a drug control campaign of mass propa-ganda and mobilization, China by the late-1950s wasessentially free of poppy cultivation and opium use[Zhou 1999, pp. 93-111].

In 1957 the authorities proclaimed for the first timethat no nationality would be allowed to plant poppy,sell opium or to operate opium dens.15

The 1979 Criminal Law imposed severe punishmentfor the manufacture, trafficking and supply of illicitdrugs. This legislation was expanded with laws cov-ering Narcotic drug control in 1989 and PsychotropicSubstances in 1988 and with a comprehensive deci-sion of the Standing Committee of the National Peo-ple’s Congress on the Prohibition on Narcotic Drugsin 1990.

Chinese drug control policies consists of four mainelements with a main focus on law enforcement:● Law enforcement aimed at eliminating trafficking

in drugs and precursor chemicals● Treatment of drug users● Preventive education● International cooperationA nation wide anti-drug campaign has been conductedin China since 1989. The National Narcotics ControlCommission is the national drug control coordinat-ing body.

LaosIn 1994, the Lao National Commission for DrugControl and Supervision (LCDC), with support fromUNDCP, published a Proposal for a ComprehensiveDrug Control Programme for the country. A pro-gramme approach is proposed in the document tosupport the national development plan. Key elementsof the approach are:

1. the implementat ion of rural developmentprojects aimed at opium reduction which willcomplement the government’s policy to reducethe ecological risks of shifting agriculture andcontribute to socio-economic development andimproved living standards;

2. enhancing the capacity of the public sector toaddress drug control issues through strengthening:● capacities to plan, monitor and co-ordinate

rural development activities;● the drug control administration;● law enforcement agencies;● public services in rural areas.

The Lao PDR is party to the 1961 Convention andsince 1997 it is also party to the 1971 Convention.In 1990, an article concerning trade or possession ofnarcotic drugs was included in the Penal Code.

In 1996, the Lao Government revised its drug con-trol law (Article 135 of the Criminal Code on DrugTrafficking or Possession) and for the first time offi-cially prohibited the production of opium. The scaleof penalties for illicit trafficking was increased to lifeimprisonment and dispositions were introduced forprecursor control.

The Government has further reinforced this with thePrime Minister’s order of 28 November 2000 andthe policy to eradicate slash and burn cultivation andopium poppy cultivation by the year 2005 stated atthe seventh party congress meeting in March 2001.

This strong Government political commitment hasgiven a legal framework through which authoritiesare able to enforce the reduction and eventual elimi-

14 Asian Harm Reduction Network estimates.15 China’s successful anti-drug campaign in the 1950s. Zhou Yongming. University of Wisconsin-Madison.

nation of opium poppy cultivation. The Governmenthas chosen a gradual approach involving the intro-duction of alternative sources of income for opiumpoppy farmers and elimination of opium productionby the year 2005. The Lao National Commission onDrug Control and Supervision is the drug control na-tional coordinating body.

MyanmarMyanmar signed the 1961 Single Convention onNarcotic Drugs in 1963 and in 1974 enacted theNarcotics and Dangerous Drug law that provided abroad legal framework for drug control.

The Union of Myanmar has been waging opium eradi-cation campaigns since the 1980s at the same timeattempts were made at crop replacement. This wasdifficult considering that much of the area under opiumpoppy cultivation had limited government control. Inthe mid 1980s aerial spraying of opium poppy fieldswere carried out with assistance from the D.E.A. Thisended with the political unrest of the late 1980s.

On the 27 January 1993, the State Law & OrderRestoration Committee Law No: 1/93 promulgatedthe Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Lawwhich provided for destruction of narcotic crops, con-fiscation of equipment, and penalties for drug moneylaundering. It also required registration and treatmentof drug addicts.

The Cabinet meeting No:35/98 stated the declara-tion to effectively eliminate cultivation, production andabuse of narcotic drugs in the Union of Myanmar bythe year 2014.This was to be conducted in three fiveyear planning phases beginning from the year 1999-2000. The priority activities include:● Eliminat ion of opium poppy cult ivat ion and

production● Elimination of drug demand and enforcement● Community part icipation and internat ional

cooperation

The plan calls for progressive socio-economic areadevelopment focused on main drug production bor-der areas with concurrent development of law enforce-ment, treatment and public awareness. The Central

Committee for Drug Abuse Control is the nationalcoordinating body.

ThailandThe first criminal code against opium addiction datesback to 1860. In 1955 the Prime Minister, Field Mar-shal Sarit Tanarat, issued a proclamation banning allproduction, sale, and use of opiates as of 1956. How-ever, because of the heavy reliance the Thai govern-ment placed on revenues earned from the sale ofopium, the Harmful Habit-Forming Drugs Act did nottake effect fully until 1959.

Thai national development policy is stated in the Na-tional Economic and Social Development Board’s(NESDB) five-year economic and social developmentplans. The government began preparing such plansin 1961. During the Sixth Plan (1986-1991) whenthe development of “human quality” was promoted.People’s participation was recognized, essentially forthe first time, in the Sixth Plan. At this time, highlanddevelopment was rethought in the formulation of theRural Development Plan. Three main objectives wereidentified for hill area work:

● Establish permanent settlements● Reduce areas under opium poppy cultivation● Conserve natural resources, in particular the

watersheds

In the Seventh Plan, for 1992-1996, NESDB soughtto convert rapid economic growth to sustainablegrowth with stability. [UNDP 1992, pp. 18-19] Thistype of planning continued through the Eighth Planthat was drafted in cooperation with an NGO um-brella organization and finalized in 1996 as the Peo-ple’s Development Plan. 16

Thailand has a comprehensive drug prevention pro-gram as well as a voluntary treatment and rehabilita-tion program as part of its demand reduction strat-egy. Opium eradication is a part of the narcotics cropscontrol strategy with opium eradication campaignstarted in 1984-1985,17 and jointly planned by theRoyal Thai Army Region 2 and the Internal SecurityOperations Command. The Office of the Narcotics

16 Thirty years of sustainable alternative development in Thailand have achieved opium reduction goals. R. Renard. 2001.17 Opium cultivation and eradication report for Thailand : 1999-2000. ONCB.

Control Board under the Office of the Prime Ministeris the national drug control coordinating body.

VietnamThe production and abuse of opium is forbidden un-der article 61 of the 1992 constitution, and govern-ment resolution No. 06/CP of January 1993 strength-ens the direction of drug abuse prevention and con-trol. It also calls for the elimination of opium poppycultivation through alternative crop and income pro-grammes and related assistance activities.

The government policy is to eradicate opium poppycultivation as soon as possible and significant fundshave been provided for improved alternative crops andlivestock for income replacement programs as well assome small infrastructure projects since 1992. Underthe eradication programme, farmers are provided withsome compensation for the eradication of their opiumpoppies in the first year, but less or no compensationis provided for eradication if poppy cultivation iscontinued the next year. This programme has ledto an overall decline in the opium poppy harvestedfrom approximately 10-12,000 hectare in 1991/92to approximately less than 500 hectare in 1998.While these figures show a remarkable reductionthe ability to sustain this reduction in acreage underopium poppy cultivation depends, as the governmentrecognizes, on more comprehensive socioeconomicdevelopment of opium producing areas, whichgenerally are among the least accessible and poorestareas of the country. 18

On July 31, 1998 Decision N° 135/1998/QD-TTgwas signed approving the Programme for Socio-Eco-nomic Development of Communes in Especially Dif-ficult Circumstances in Mountainous and RemoteAreas, most commonly referred to as Programme 135.This programme aims at accelerating socio-economicdevelopment in the most underprivileged communesassessed to include some 1715 communes in thecountry of which 1000 communes would be given apriority. There are a number of other government andbilateral assistance projects and programs that com-plement AD efforts in Vietnam. Road constructionprojects supported by ADB, World Bank and otheragencies will contribute to improve market access.The Vietnam National Drug Control Committee now

known as the Standing Office for Drug Control is thenational narcotic control coordinating body.

Review of alternative development strategiesand approaches

ChinaIn China the main focus has been on law enforce-ment, general development of rural areas and imple-mentation of poverty alleviation programs. This hasincluded plantation crop programs such as tea, cof-fee, rubber and sugar cane run by various groups. Inthe Langshen Group run Wanmu tea plantation fami-lies were relocated from highland areas to work in theplantations and sub contracted to manage 3-5 mu ofland earning an income of some 2,500 Yuan(US$312.5) per annum.

The Longshen Group made the initial investmentsfor land development, seedlings and wages for farm-ers before the tea comes into full production. Thegovernment provided the infrastructure costs from itspoverty alleviation fund. Loans were made from theAgricultural Bank with terms of 5 years duration at4% interest per annum. The Government providedschools and health stations. China, through the Simaoauthorities has also provided support to AD inMyanmar and Laos. This included seed, training andtechnical assistance for rubber, coffee, tea, medicinalplants, upland rice, watermelon seed.

LaosIn Laos the emphasis has been on a balanced ap-proach to opium poppy elimination. The strategy hasbeen prepared, as a UNDCP proposal, in response tothe agreement reached between H. E. KhamtaySiphandone, President of Lao PDR and Mr PinoArlacchi, Executive Director of UNDCP, to effectivelyeliminate opium poppy cultivation in six years bymeans of an accelerated rural development pro-gramme in the major opium producing districts.

It proposes to utilize US$ 80 million in new invest-ment over the opium growing districts of the Lao PDRboth in specific new drug control projects and to en-hance ongoing and new projects that have compli-mentary objectives in poverty alleviation. Of this anestimated US$ 3 million per district was proposed for

18 UNDCP Ky Son Project Document

AD in some 15-20 opium poppy growing districts inthe Lao PDR. In addition other road constructionprojects funded by ADB, World Bank and other agen-cies will contribute to improving market access.

The strategy takes into account the fact that almosthalf of the opium grown is consumed in the growingregions and that this is strongly correlated with thepoverty in these regions. Thus the opium eliminationstrategy is fundamental to achieving the poverty alle-viation objectives of government and other donors inthese regions.19

MyanmarIn Myanmar the main AD strategy has been to lift theliving standards of the national races that will resultin the gradual elimination of opium poppy cultiva-tion.

This include:● The development and improvement of commu-

nications and transport infrastructure● Development in health and communication● Availability of sanitary water● Transport communication and electricity● Alternative incomes to opium poppy cultivation● Treatment of addicts20

To convince the actual powers in control of the bor-der areas to cease opium poppy cultivation Yangonhas to rely on indirect methods such as moral persua-sion, next to the promise of non-military interventionand the provision of economic assistance. The Gov-ernment has set itself the goal to have Myanmar opiumfree by the year 2014. To achieve this objectiveYangon has formulated in 1999 a comprehensive 15year Narcotics Elimination Plan estimated at US$ 62.8

Figure: The logical framework of an opium elimination strategy for Laos.

Elimination Strategy

Elimination of Poppy Cultivation and lllicit Drug Use

Alternative Development + Demand Reduction + Law Enforcement

Food Security + Health Promotion + Law EnforcementIncome Generation Demand Reduction Regional Cooperation

Physical Infrastructure

Social Infrastructure

Training & Human Development

Participatory Community Development

Flexible Response to Local Development Action

MuscleMaterialMeansINPUTS

Approach

Outputs

ImmediateObjectives

GOAL

19 A Balanced Approach to Opium Elimination in the Lao PDR.20 Drug Control Situation. Pol Col. Myint Wai. CCDAC.

million and agreed on time frameworks with ethnicgroups. The Kokang area became in theory opiumfree in 2000 and the Wa region has 2005 as its targetdate.21

ThailandIn Thailand UNDCP assistance in AD can be broadlydivided into four phases:

Phase 1. Crop Replacement and Community Devel-opment Project (1973-79) that used a strategy of con-centrating development services in key villages. Theapproach taken was more top down with people co-operation rather than people participation. Directhired staff were employed and the project managedby the Narcotics Control Board.Key elements included:● Agriculture - experimental stations, limited field

extension, focus on subsistence crops- uplandrice, corn and cash crops for key farmers.

● Primary Healthcare - Mobile units operatingfrom provincial towns, detoxification of addictsat drug treatment centers.

● Education - some primary classes for childrenand evening literacy classes for adults.

● Infrastructure - limited improvement mainly inKey villages.

The outcome was several suitable cash crops such ascoffee, red kidney bean, potato were identified as suit-able substitute crops for opium poppy. Lettuce, cab-bage and carrots for off season production. Villagersbecame interested but marketing limited due to inac-cessibility. Project subsidized inputs rather than initi-ate credit schemes that limited project sustainability.There was no significant reduction in opium poppycultivation in target villages.

Phase 2. Highland Agricultural and MarketingProject (1980-1984) that had a strategy of focusingdevelopment in key villages but also giving attentionto satellite villages. Project extension services wereemphasized and project subsidized the marketing ofcash crops with expansion into other target areas.The carrot and stick approach was adopted but withlimited people participation. Changes were based onproject planning. There was more involvement ofgovernment line agencies and coordinated project

management. The key elements included a strongfocus on the extension of cash crops, project creditprograms and marketing orientation with project guar-anteed prices. Health, education and infrastructurewere carried out by responsible line agencies.

The outcome was a strong emphasis on marketingcomplimented successful promotion of cash cropping.Merchants made direct contact with highland farm-ers. However farmers refused to accept market fluc-tuation and became used to project subsidies. Therewere moderate reductions in opium poppy cultiva-tion. Many farmers grew both the new cash cropsand poppy. Project sustainability was difficult toachieve because there was only one implementingagency actively involved.

Phase 3. First Masterplan for Highland Developmentin Opium Poppy producing Areas. (1985-1991).Strategies include targeting eight large opium poppycultivating areas for an AD approach with responsi-ble line agencies implementing the projects. Devel-opment efforts worked parallel with law enforcementwith a more people participation in project planning.There was more integration of development effortsand coordination with provincial and district authori-ties as well as involvement of line agencies at the de-partmental and ministerial levels. Environmental con-servation issues also began to be included.

Key elements include promotion of subsistence andbackyard and cash crops, extension of paddy areas.Promotion of health services and the establishmentof village health care stations. Promotion of educa-tion and non-formal education centers. Roads, bridgesand water supplies were developed. Mini-watershedstrategies developed. Opium poppy was eradicatedby suppression.

The outcome was the project support for the provi-sion of basic services through the involvement of sev-eral line agencies. In many cases their staff had littleknowledge and experience of highland development.They also found working in the highlands difficultwhich resulted in less people participation thanplanned. There was a tendency to concentrate devel-opment activities in more accessible villages. Onceestablished basic services continued to be provided

21 The Drug Situation in the Union of Myanmar. UNDCP 21-2-2001.

after the project ended and community based strate-gies were successfully developed by some projects.Household incomes were generally substantially raisedespecially in areas with good market access. Largereductions in opium poppy cultivation but addictionto heroin increased at an alarming rate in more pros-perous villages.

Phase 4. The 2nd Master-plan for Highland Devel-opment, Environmental Conservation and DrugAbuse Control (1992-present)Strategies include targeting all highland areas withthe objective of providing developments services forhill-tribe people through a more balanced integrateddevelopment process.

The approach taken was to ensure village representa-tives were involved in planning. Line agencies at dis-trict and provincial levels responsible for implementa-tion and the use of regular government budgets. Keyelements included the provision of Thai citizenship,permanent village settlements, sustainable agriculturalsystems, soil and water management and conserva-tion. Incorporation of drug control enforcement meas-ures in production, trafficking and abuse.

Outcomes include the continued expansion of gov-ernment services in highland areas. Budget alloca-tion tended to be made at a departmental level with-out using bottom-up planning mechanisms. Stand-ard programs are implemented at field level withouttaking into account local situations and needs of high-land people. There was little coordination betweendifferent implementing agencies. Drug abuse amongstthe hill tribes continued to increase.22

VietnamIn Vietnam the main emphasis started in 1992-93with program 06 which included mobilization of thepeople and persuasion to eradicate opium poppy to-gether with income replacement through the promo-tion of improved rice, maize, irrigation and livestock.In the early 1990s there was a more top down ap-proach taken. Demand reduction activities were alsocarried out under program 06.

In the mid 1990s this approach progressed to a moreintegrated participatory community based alternative

development approach introduced partly through theUNDCP supported Ky Son socio-economic develop-ment pilot project. The Ky Son project demonstratedcommunity based participatory planning processesand the development of various livestock, agriculturaland non-agricultural based income generation mod-els for villagers living in remote mountainous areas aswell as strengthening of local institutions to be able tosustain replication and expansion of services to vil-lagers. The project was a focal point for inter-agencycooperation and collaborated with many national in-stitutions in the country providing lessons in coordi-nation and making development efforts more efficientand focused.

This was followed in the late 1990s, by a communebased widespread government program 135 to ac-celerate socio-economic development and infrastruc-ture in the 1000 most underprivileged and remotecommunes. In 5-7 years the main objective is to im-prove road access, irrigation works, schools, healthstations and water and electric supply systems. Onaverage, each commune will receive VND 400 mil-lion (roughly US$ 28,500) a year to build and com-plete one or two projects. The commune leadershipis given the responsibility for selecting and oversee-ing the implementation of the projects.

While program 06 targeted opium poppy cultivatingareas program 135 targeted the most difficult andremote communes many of which had relied on opiumpoppy cultivation for income. These programs to-gether with other government and bi-lateral programscontribute to improve socio-economic conditions forvillagers.

Summary of UNDCP & other alternative de-velopment projects in the region

In China little information is available to summarizethe number of government programs and projects aswell as funding provided for highland development.In Yunnan, funding had come in the form of govern-ments poverty alleviation programs and plantationprograms funded by loans from Government banks.

In Thailand the major highland development projectsinclude:

22 Highland Development Experiences in Thailand. Pornthep Iamprapai. ONCB. 6-9April 1999. Simao.

Project Donors Budget Agency Years

1. The Royal Projects Various 100 Royal Household 1969-present2. Doi Tung Highland Various 25 Mae Fah Luang 1988-present

Development Project Foundation3. Thai/UN Crop Replacement USA 3.4 UNFDAC/ONCB 1972-1979

& Community DevelopmentProject

4. Thai/UN Highland Area UN 3.7 ONCB 1979-1984Marketing & Production Project

5. Mae Sa Integrated Watershed 3.0 RFD 1973-1981Development Project

6. Highland Coffee Research Netherlands 1.5 CMU 1982-1992& Development Center

7. Mae Chaem Integrated USAID 9.0 C.Mai Prov 1980-1986Watershed Development Project

8. Hill Areas Education Project USAID 1.5 NFED 1980-19869. Thai-German Highland GTZ 25 ONCB 1981-present

Development Program10. Narcotics Crop Cultivation USA 5 ONCB 1980-90

Control Project11. Thai-Australian Highland Australia 8 PWD 1986-1993

Agricultural & SocialDevelopment Project

12. Thai/Un NCA Highland NCA, Norway 6 PWD 1985-1992Lampang Development project

13. Thai/UN Pae Por Highland Sweden 2.5 DOLA 1986-1994Development Project

14. Thai/UN Doi Sam Mun HDP. Canada/ Sweden 3.5 RFD 1987-199415. Thai/Un Wiang Pha HDP. Intl. O.G.T 2.9 RFD 1987-199416. Thai/WIF HDP Norway 1.5 ONCB 1987-199217. Thai/New Zealand New Zealand 0.5 MOA 1989-1992

Cooperative Temperate FruitTree Development Project

18. Thai/UN Doi Yao-Pha Mon Japan 0.7 ONCB 1990-1994HDP

19. Thai/UN Integrated Pocket Germany 3.9 ONCB 1990-1994Area Development project

20. Thai/UN Strengthening of Germany 0.27 ONCB 1994-1996Community based DrugPrevention Strategies in theHighlands of N. Thailand

Total of Listed Projects US$ 257 million (approximately)

Budget figures based on bilateral and UN donor contributions ( the Thai Government providedadditional inputs in kind and in cash)23

23 Eliminating Opium lessons from succeeding in Thailand. R. Renard. UNDCP December 2000.

LaosBetween 1982 and 1988, the government of the LaoPDR received no assistance for drug control activi-ties. However, since 1989, a series of projects aimedat the reduction and gradual elimination of opiumpoppy cultivation and the reduction of demand fordrugs has been initiated with support from variousdonors. In addition, several projects are planned forthe coming years. These include:

● LAO/550, (1989-1996), Alternative Develop-ment in Xaisomboun, Hom District: Referred toas the ‘Palaveck’ project, it successfully elimi-nated opium production (3 tons per year) in theproject area. (Budget: US$ 6.68 million)

● LAO/551-2-3 (1992-1998), Alternative De-velopment, Xiang Khouang: Combined with anIFAD loan, it had a difficult start but achieved tolaunch a province wide agricultural developmentprocess and to reduce opium production in theprovince by 25%. (Budget US$ 6.2 million).

● LAO/760 (1993-1995), Drug Supply andDemand Reduction in Border Areas of NorthWestern Laos: Pi lot phase, budget US$1,026,500.

● LAO/865 (1994-1997) Alternative Develop-ment, Bokeo-Luang Namtha: Pilot and firstphase. It has laid the groundwork but did notcover all intended project areas. (Budget US$1.5 million).

● LAO/C97 and C98 (1998-2000) AlternativeDevelopment Bokeo-Luang Namtha Phase 2.(Budget: US$ 2.8 million)

● LAO/554 (1993-1995), Institution building:Master plan development and opium surveys.

● LAO/876 (1994-1997), Institution building :project used for data collect ion, legislat iondevelopment, programme formulat ion andtraining. (Budget: US$ 0.27 million)

● LAO/866 (1996-1999), Law Enforcement:Establishment of the first Drug Forensic labora-tory in Laos. Operational since September1997. (Budget: US$ 0.29 million)

● LAO/867 (1996-1999), Law Enforcement,Bokeo-Luang Nam Tha: Support the establish-ment of Counter Narcotics Units of the LaoPolice.(Budget US$: 0.3 million).

● UNHCR-UNDCP (1997-1998), Demand

Reduction: Establishment of training centre fortraining and rehabilitat ion of opium addictsand Lao returnees.

● Australia (1996-1997), Alternative Develop-ment, Xaisomboun, Hom District : extension ofUNDCP LAO/550 to bridge the gap withplanned EU assistance.

● France (1995), Institution Building: Magistratetraining seminar in collaboration with UNDCP.

● Japan (1997), Demand Reduction: Contributionto the renovation of the training and rehabili-tation training center in Louang Prabang.

● USA (1994-1997), Law Enforcement: establish-ment of decentralised counter narcotics units(Vientiane, Savanahket, Bokeo)

● USA (1989- ), Alternat ive Development,Houapanh

● USA (1998- ), Law Enforcement : plannedestablishment of decentralized counter narcoticunits (Oudomsay, Phongsali, Louang Prabang,Houapanh, Xieng Khouang, Champassak)

● USA (1999- ), Alternat ive Development,Oudomsay (under consideration)

● Germany (1998- ), Alternative Development;Louang Nam Tha (Sing District), Bokeo, XiengKhouang: some funds also earmarked forinstitutional strengthening.

● EU, (1998-1999), Alternative Development,Xaisomboun: under consideration.

● Oudomsay (Beng Distr ict): (1998-2000):UNDCP Micro-project to be attached to UNDPprogramme in Oudomsay.

● USA, (1998-2000), road construct ion inOudomsay, in col laboration w ith UNDCPOudomsay micro-project.

● Sayabouri (1998-2001): formulation in 1998,UNDCP project to be attached to UNDP/IFADprogramme

● Phongsali, (1999-2001): UNDCP project, for-mulation in mid-1998.

● UNDCP (1998-2001) : UNDCP CapacityBuilding

● UNDCP(1998-2000): Demand Reduct ion(legislation and data collection)24

MyanmarFor the period between 1976 to the year 2000 theinternational community has provided about US$ 35

24 Nonghet C99 Project document.

million through UNDCP to the Government ofMyanmar.

These included funding for:● The Integrated Rural Development Sub-projects

in Mong Yang township, AD/RAS/92/711executed by UNOPS and the Ministry of BorderAreas and National Races and DevelopmentAffairs as the implementing agency (1994-1996) with a UNDCP budget of US$ 4.066,655.

● The Integrated Rural Development sub-projectin Tachilek township, AD/RAS/92/721. withUNOPS as the executing agency and the Mi-nistry for Progress of Border Areas Agency andNational Races Development as the imple-menting Agency. July 1993- December 1996.UNDCP budget US$ 2,292,438

● The Wa Alternat ive Development Projectofficially known as the Drug Control and Deve-lopment in the Wa Region of the Shan State,AD/RAS/96/C-25", the project was originallydesigned in 1996. The project document wassigned in July 1997 by representatives of theGovernment of the Union of Myanmar(GOUM),the Peoples Republic of China (PRC)and United Nations International Drug ControoProgram (UNDCP). Project implementationbegan in late 1998. The total budget plannedis US$ 15.4 million.

● Support for Opium Eradication Programs inLaukkai, Kokang Region. UNDCP budget US$339,000

● Support for Opium Eradication Programs inNamtit, Wa Region. UNCDP budget US$226,000

● Karamosia Symbiotic Development ProjectsWa Region. Mong Pyen. Y 220 million.

● JICA 2KR Program Increasing Food Productionin Border Areas. Budget 1.8 billion Yen.

● Buckwheat (Soba) cultivation project for cropsubstitution. (JICA)

VietnamUNDCP funded the Alternative Socio-economicDevelopment Project to Replace Opium PoppyCultivation - Ky Son Pilot Scheme.AD/VIE/95/B09better know as the Ky Son project. The project wasexecuted by UNOPS with the Committee for EthnicMinorities and Mountainous Areas as the mainimplementing agency. Total UNDCP funding was

US$ 4,023,200. (May 1996-April 2001).

The Government has expended significant amountsof funds under its 06 and 135 programs that togetheris contributing to improving socio-economic condi-tions as well as infrastructure in the remote moun-tainous areas. Other projects supported by the UN,the EU, Sweden and various NGOs have also beeninvolved in improving living conditions for the peopleliving in mountainous areas in which opium poppywas cultivated.

Analysis on impacts of alternative develop-ment programmes and projects on illicit croperadication and community development.

Alternative development aims to provide acceptablesocio-economic conditions that are sustainable andsurpasses those provided by a livelihood dependanton illicit opium poppy cultivation. It also aims to im-prove the capacity of national and local institutions tosustain, replicate and expand development processes.There are certain similarities including the aim of ADacross the region and certain cultural, geographicaland ethnic similarities. Differences include approachestaken and resources available in different countries.Reasons for households to grow opium poppy maydiffer. The understanding of what is an acceptablelevel of socio-economic conditions may differ. Capaci-ties and resources of some local institutions requiresignificant strengthening. Many areas are still difficultto access and certain areas have problems of securityand limited government presence or control.

While rankings may differ some of the main prioritiesidentified by villagers include:Improved road accessImproved access to health and water supplyImproved access to educationImproved food securityImproved income generating opportunities

Some of the most commonly questions asked by offi-cials and villagers when discussing alternative devel-opment are:What kind of crops, livestock or products should bepromoted?Where to market and sell these products?Where and how to train the people involved?How to target assistance?

Where to source expertise, technology and inputs?

In general opium poppy cultivation has been reducedby a combination of alternative development and theenforcement of drug control legislation and eradica-tion measures. The question arises on what comesfirst; sustained alternative development, eradicationor a combination of both. There have been instanceswhere opium poppy cultivation was reduced withoutlaw enforcement but through strong local leadershipand provision of viable alternative livelihoods such assufficient lowland rice fields together with other im-provements to socio-economic conditions in the area.

In China besides the general integrated rural devel-opment improvements as part of national develop-ment and poverty alleviation programs, a plantationcrop replacement approach using mainly tea, coffee,rubber, sugarcane as main crops was promoted. Mar-keting of these crops were targeted to the domesticmarket.

During the 1970s crop substitution was the mainapproach taken in Northern Thailand to replace opiumincome. Many alternative crops were found to be suc-cessful but some only with long-term government as-sistance and subsidies. Crops promoted included kid-ney bean, temperate fruits and vegetables as well asArabic coffee. Some of these crops faced problemswith external pressures on cost of inputs, marketingand price fluctuations. Additional problems includedenvironmental degradation and soil erosion. In Thai-land, initial expansion of new crops faced marketingconstraints. These constraints were overcome withlarge-scale infrastructure development and the estab-lishment of marketing supports.

In the 1980s the resulting rapid and large- scale ex-panded mono cropping of certain cash crops in North-ern Thailand failed because production could not bemaintained on a long-term basis and in certain areasresulted in degradation of soil and forest resources.

However there are certain highland communities thatwere able to overcome the problems of uncertain eco-nomic conditions and the transition from traditionalagricultural practices to a more sedentary form ofagriculture through the development of sustainable

farming practices. Household subsistence and incomewas supplemented and derived from diverse sourcesincluding agricultural, livestock, nonagricultural andforest products.25 Some other sources of non-agricul-tural based income generation included developmentof handicrafts and eco-tourism.

In Laos, farmers in the Palaveck area have been ableto still sustain opium poppy reductions some five yearsafter the end of UNDCP project assistance. The projecthad provided basic infrastructure improvements andinitiated the first village based treatment and rehabili-tation program in Laos. The project had been able toassist in initiating development of sufficient lowlandrice fields with the added advantage of irrigated dryseason cropping of vegetables and other cash crops.Local young people who were trained as health carestaff by the project continue to provide improved healthcare services. They have also been incorporated intothe government’s health care system. Farmers alsoearned an income from selling livestock. The projectassisted improved simple post harvest processing ofchilies also continued to provide income. Other newimproved crops introduced by the projects have nothowever expanded beyond a few progressive farm-ers. Maintenance of access roads remains a problemand electricity as well as other modern amenities hasstill not reached this area.

In Vietnam, the UNDCP Ky Son project area villag-ers identified livestock as their main source of incomeand requested assistance to reduce livestock diseasesand deaths. In addition as a response to farmer iden-tified priorities project efforts were also made to addvalue to crops such as maize and cassava by introduc-ing simple improved post harvest and storage tech-niques that contributed to better quality livestock feedand higher incomes from livestock sales. Introduc-tion of various cash crops have proven initially suc-cessful. Mushroom production, honey production hasprovided increased incomes for some farmers. Handi-craft development also proved to be a good source ofnon-agricultural based income sources.

For some opium farmers, markets in neighboringcountries are closer than those in their own coun-tries. Improving and sustain ably changing livelihoodsdependant on opium poppy cultivation hinges on the

25 Regional perspectives on alternative development. Kanok Rerkasem Hanoi 2000

existence of secure supplies of inputs as well as ac-cess to markets. It thus becomes very important todevelop proper cross border trading channels.

Some AD projects in border areas have experienceddifficulties in obtaining necessary inputs and facilitat-ing marketing of products. Informal trade channelshave a greater risk of exploitation and less reliabilitythan a properly regulated trade mechanism. There isalso a greater risk of smuggling and movement of il-licit drugs as well as disease outbreaks as a result ofcattle movements through informal channels.

There is a general assumption that alternative devel-opment requires significant amounts of funding. It isestimated that Thailand may have spent more than abillion US dollars for highland development. Much ofthis was the result of nation wide development pro-grams during the strong economic growth in Thai-land from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s. Fundingis becoming more limited in the entire region and it isimportant to be able to use available funding in themost effective and efficient way. There is a risk thatbecause of time constraints and the use of shortcuts;taking certain steps before the necessary developmentprerequisites have been established will not achievethe results expected.

There have been significant reductions in opium poppycultivation in areas where alternative developmentprojects are or have been implemented. It is howeverdifficult to analyze the direct impact that alternativedevelopment programs and projects have on illicit croperadication. There have been a number of positiveeffects that include:● Regional governments capacities to plan and

develop drug control and development policieshave become more enhanced.

● The inclusion of highland area developmentinto nat ional development master plans byGovernment policy makers.

● There have been more wide spread comple-mentary national development programs addedto alternative development project areas in somecountries.

● The concept of part icipatory planning andempowerment of local communities has becomemore widely accepted and has become integratedinto some national development programs

within the region.● Before 1970 not much was known about the

mountainous areas and the people who live inthese regions. Awareness and importance ofunderstanding and integrating developmentplanning with local cultures, traditions as well asindigenous knowledge is better accepted.

● Government line agencies in many countriesare more aware of the importance of providingeffective and efficient services to remote moun-tainous areas and are gaining more experiencetowards providing these services.

● Some once remote areas have improved livingconditions and improved accessibility.

● Although stil l limited there is more researchavailable regarding sustainable highland agricul-tural development: Some farmers have managedto adopt more sustainable upland agriculturalpractices.

Summary of lessons learned

There are three main elements used commonly inanti-opium propaganda and campaigns in China.These focused on the damage could do to the per-sonal health, fortune, work and family at the individuallevel. At the state level opium damages extended tothe strength of the country depriving it’s financial andmanpower resources. Lastly the vitality of the Chi-nese nation and race was the issue.26

In Thailand, the H.M. the King and other membersof the Royal family strongly promoted the develop-ment of hill-tribes, the mountainous areas and theelimination of opium poppy cultivation.● It is important that there is a strong and long--

term polit ical and financial commitment tosupport alternative development efforts. ThatAD is a top national development priority.

● It is important that not only local communitiestake ownership of their development but alsothat relevant Government bodies at all levelstake ownership and an active role in alternativedevelopment efforts.

● It is important that there are stable secureconditions with easy access for government lineagencies to provide rural development services.

● It is important to strengthen local institutions.

26 China’s successful anti-drug campaign in the 1950s. Zhou Yongming.

More assistance is required to provide qualityhuman resource development activities incor-porating local human resources encouragingself-reliance.

● It is important to take a participatory approachto development and ensure projects addresspriorities identified by the communities con-cerned with their participation. Opium farmersare on the whole very low risk tolerant and willonly adopt what they really think will benefitthem.

● While the successful promotion of cash crops,improved livestock husbandry within sustainablehighland agricultural practices may contributeto reducing opium poppy cultivation there is aneed for enforcement of drug control legislationand eradication to ensure sustained reductions.

● The provision of improved socio-economic de-velopment must include environmental con-servation considerations.

● Marketing and credit should not be directlysupported by the project but facilitated with theaim of sustainability after the project ends.

● The sharing of relevant information and ex-pertise is important to achieving success inalternative development in the region.

● More emphasis, support and special strategiesincorporat ing par t icipatory processes arerequired to achieve more success in demandreduction.

● Resettlement should come from a voluntary andspontaneous process of a migration pull towardsareas of development rather than policies offorced involuntary push of people to developother areas.

● Special strategies and assistance is required todevelop proper cross-border trade channels.Informal trade channels are likely to be lessreliable and are more at risk to exploitation thanwell regulated trade mechanisms.27

Conclusions

The concept of alternative development has beenaccepted as part of the drug control policy of choicefor governments in the region. ASEAN has set a goalof being drug free by the year 2015 and the ultimatealternative development goal is the eradicate illicit

opium poppy cultivation by the year 2008. This tar-get was set by the United Nations General Assemblyspecial session in 1998.

Major opium producing countries in the region havedrawn up their own goals and timeframes to elimi-nate opium poppy cultivation within their borders.There is presently a good opportunity to achieve suc-cess in the region however this also comes at a timewhen donor funding has become scarcer and govern-ment funds and resources remain limited. The ques-tion is what to do and how can governments in theregion continue with alternative development effortsconsidering limited resources available.

It is important to continue to share information, ex-pertise and experience available in the region. TheUN agencies led by UNDCP should work with thegovernments at the highest level to ensure that AD isa top national development priority as well as createthe necessary environment and prerequisites for thesuccessful implementation of AD and hence povertyalleviation. There is a need to foster more collectiveregional and national efforts in this direction includ-ing the development of cross border trading mecha-nisms that will facilitate AD efforts.

The typical opium poppy farmers in the region areisolated impoverish ethnic minority communities cul-tivating opium poppy in remote mountainous areasto earn or complement a subsistence livelihood. Com-pared with other areas in the region these have lowerlevels of health, education, nutrition and income. Inmany instances the rate of opium abuse is also higher.Alternative development aims at improving their liveswith the main objective of alleviating poverty anddependence on opium.

This would mean creating sustainable socio-economicconditions that surpasses that provided by a liveli-hood based on the cultivation of illicit crops. The de-velopment of systems of good local governance thatcan provide the necessary services for sustainable ruralarea development including easy access to health,education, markets, agriculture extension, credit andprovide sufficient food security and incomes from le-gitimate sources.

27 Discussion Paper on cross Border Trade. UNDCP RCEAP. Hanoi. 14-15 May 1998.

It also requires the presence of supportive policiesthat allows people to live with dignity, provides lawand order, basic human rights and sustainable hu-man development. It is only through the provision ofthese conditions that the need to depend on illicitcultivation of opium poppy in the mountainous re-gions be sustain ably eliminated and the vision of adrug free ASEAN become a reality.

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DISCUSSION FOLLOWING PRESENTATIONOF CHINA :

Cross border trade and cooperationThe need for cooperation and collaborative long termAD strategies between neighboring regions separatedby state borders, particularly along China-Myanmarand China-Laos borders, was expressed, with em-phasis on the positive impact that for example liftingtrade barriers can have on AD activities.

Globalization and tradeSubject to discussion was also the ongoing globaliza-tion and WTO regulated liberalization of world trade,particularly as this can create a contradictory force topotential AD aims and efforts at regional economiccooperation and trade. These new international regu-lations may prevent certain subsidies rendered to ADproducts.

Competitiveness of AD productsThis discussion centered on the issue of how to im-prove the competitiveness of AD products in interna-tional and domestic markets.

Production level/scaleThe relationship between self-sufficiency farming andcash crop for local and regional markets was discussed,with emphasis on the importance of starting small aswell as paying due respect to the difficulties manyfarmers will have with managing the risks involvedwith up scaling.

DISCUSSION FOLLOWING PRESENTATIONOF LAOS :

Law EnforcementDiscussion focused on if law enforcement should beintegrated into AD or rather be treated as a separatearea of activity. Several accounts of hands-on experi-ences enriched a debate on whether sanctions shouldbe community-based or carried out through regularlaw enforcement channels.

Resource allocationOf particular interest during the debate on projectresource allocation was the relationship betweenspending on infrastructure and farmer income gen-eration.

Long term sustainabilityDiscussion centered on the need for long term com-mitment from donors and organizations, recognizingthat alternative development does not evolve and sus-tain within the confines of a three-year project. An-other issue was whether AD projects, after opiumeradication, should become development projectsrather than being phased out completely, to addressthe issue of sustainability.

Coordination in the project communityLaos has several ongoing AD projects, and thisspurred a discussion on how to coordinate betweenthe various projects.

Summary of Key IssuesRaised after Presentationsand During Discussions.

Achievement indicators for ADOf concern was also whether achievement indicatorsfor AD projects should be different from developmentprojects in general. This question was based on theconception of AD as having a much wider scope thanpoppy eradication alone. Meanwhile, differentiatingbetween AD projects and development projects wasalso commented upon as important with regards todonors.

DISCUSSION FOLLOWING PRESENTATIONOF MYANMAR :

Cost efficient project design andimplementationThe proper utilization and balancing of national andinternational human resources was discussed, withemphasis on how to make cost efficient use of neces-sary international assistance.

Discussion also included the need for cost effective,efficient and appropriate project design and manage-ment, the full utilization local resources before im-porting external resources.

Small versus large scale projectsAn issue was raised with regard to the cost-effective-ness of large scale AD projects with a lot of resourcesallocated to infrastructure and international consult-ants. The seminar also discussed the challenge ofdownscaling a project after implementation hasstarted, particularly difficulties in dealing with expec-tations among people that are no longer realistic.

Should projects start before they arefully funded?While it would be an ideal situation to await full acqui-sition of funds before implementation, the discussionof experiences seemed to acknowledge that this of-ten is not possible, particularly for a very large-scaleproject.

DISCUSSION FOLLOWING PRESENTATIONOF THAILAND :

Learning from the Thai experienceDiscussion centered around how to make use of thethirty years of experience in Thailand and ease theopium eradication process in other countries in the

region. Noting on the one hand that more cost effi-cient methods surely could be available to other coun-tries; the discussion also recognized that certain fea-tures, such as the level of infrastructure and accessi-bility to markets were highly favorable in Thailand.

Cultural identityThe issue of AD and potential loss of cultural herit-age was also noted during the seminar.

DISCUSSION FOLLOWING PRESENTATIONOF VIETNAM

Use of national resourcesWith a particular view to national research institu-tions, the seminar discussed the importance of mak-ing use of national resources. The need to createawareness about local resources was highlighted andnational agencies called upon to assist in this task.

Making use of existing political structuresExemplified by the “mass organizations” of Vietnam,a topic for discussion was whether AD projects shouldmake use of political structures such as these. If so,another issue would be how to differentiate - andwhether it is necessary to do so - between the politi-cal objectives of these organizations and the AD ob-jectives. The efficiency in making use of existing struc-tures was noted.

Coordination between projects andnational agenciesThe need for increased coordination was discussed inthe context of AD projects facing the challenge ofrelating to a plethora of agencies as well as differentlevels of administration (local, regional, national).

Voluntary relocationRelocation recurred as a topic during the seminar,with several accounts of successful voluntaryrelocations (in response to project activities, infrastruc-ture and so on).

ADDITIONAL TOPICS OF DISCUSSION:

AwarenessRecognizing the importance of awareness in drugcontrol, the debate emphasized the need to constantlyconsider ways of creating awareness at all levels.

Strategy for illicit crop eradication:Eradication then sustainability?Another topic for debate was the method for eradica-tion and sustainability: whether to eradicate quicklyby force and then to sustain it by AD, or rather havea slower process of AD leading to illicit crop eradica-tion.

The role of law enforcement in opiumreductionThis topic centered on what role law enforcementshould play in a balanced approach of AD.

Research centersThe problem of the ability to bridge the gap betweentheory and practice, the seminar discussed the use ofresearch centers and the usefulness of their researchfor fieldwork at the village level. The aim of promot-ing more participatory action research for AD wasnoted including the integration, coordination, colla-boration and strengthening of national and regionalresearch and technical institutions with AD efforts.

Pilot and real projectsDiscussing the relationship between pilot and realprojects, costs and availability of labor as well as otherresources were considered key points.

Seed money and micro credit for ADThe seminar raised the issue on the need to incorpo-rate micro credit or seed money for AD farmers. Seedmoney, in cash or kind, through revolving funds, wasemphasized as an important measure to start up newAD activities.

Marketing AD productsProduced in remote areas, finding and accessing amarket for AD products can be a challenge in itself.Much discussion centered on the need for marketinginformation and strategies for AD products. The need

to be demand driven when it comes to project designand support was emphasized and exemplified, andmarket research and quality control were seen as keytools to achieve this.

Bilateral assistanceWith regards to AD activities and projects, bilateralassistance between countries was considered an im-portant challenge and goal for the future.

Resource mobilizationThe seminar also raised the issue of funding for ADprogrammes and projects. Some AD projects facemajor financial constraints and have had to bedownsized with a lot of cuts on project activities andhuman resources. The issues of proactive resourcemobilization and allocation were highlighted.

DonorsThe seminar emphasized the need for AD beingconsidered a national development priority by go-vernments and that fact being known to donors.

KEY ISSUES RAISED DURINGDISCUSSIONS BY THE WAREPRESENTATIVEDescribing the lack of infrastructure and the challengethis poses for development in the area that is popu-lated by small and scattered communities, the needfor further assistance to improve this situation wasexpressed.

Private sector actors were invited to consider invest-ment in non-agricultural industries such as gems andmining.

The commitment to stop opium growing was restated,and relocation of the Wa to potential AD areas dis-cussed.

Balanced approach for ADPolicy level:

● AD is closely linked to demand reduction.However, law enforcement should be clearlyseparated and addressed by institutions outsidethe project.

Project level:● There is a need to redefine and clarify com-

munity sanctions as a part of the integratedapproach in order to keep the separationbetween law enforcement and AD.

● There is a need to redefine achievementindicators for AD.

● Balanced approach in drug demand reductionshould be broad and not substance specific. Po-sitive prevention measures are preferred tonegative.

Agricultural alternative developmentPolicy level:

● Mechanisms should be established for thesharing of regional technical knowledgeconducive to the establishment of suchfarming systems.

● Land allocations, land tenure and land useneed to be addressed.

Project level:● Ident ified project beneficiaries should be

consulted during the project design process.● Marginalized groups needs should be

addressed.● Food security and food sufficiency should be

the immediate aims of AD.● PTD - Participatory technology development

should be an integrated part of AD.● Non-timber forest products should be given

special attention in a sustainable way.● Participation and training of women must be

ensured

Non-agricultural/non farm alternativedevelopmentProject level:

● Physical and social infrastructure should beincluded under non-agricultural/ non-farmalternative development.

● Handicrafts and eco-tourism should be takeninto considerations.

● Negative aspects of physical infrastructureand interventions should be considered.

Micro credit system for ADProject level:

● Micro credit is a very important tool and ahigh priority for AD, that AD projects’ shouldsupport but not own.

● Such systems must be facilitated and supportedin a way that ensures sustainability after theproject is terminated.

● Micro credit systems for AD should strengthencommunities’ ability to manage their ownfunds and possibly link to rural bankingsystems.

● AD projects should consider to provide seedmoney in kind or cash, but also stress theimportance of a saving component.

Marketing strategies for AD productsProject level:

● Marketing is a major concern, which should

Consolidated Summaryof Recommendations fromGroup Discussions.

be considered by all projects.● The project should only facilitate and support

marketing, but not be a marketing agency.● Incorporat ing food processing and other

value adding activities in marketing shouldbe considered.

● Market research should be given specialattention and any introduction of new ADproducts should be based on sound research.

Cross border cooperation and trade for ADPolicy level:

● Establish joint mechanisms to facilitate themovement of AD products across borders.

● Encourage cooperation in exchanging expe-riences, know-how and resources acrossborders, if possible establish joint mechanismsto facilitate and institutionalize this.

● Expand the existing channels of cross bordercommunication to serve drug control purposesas well for instance by establishing liaisonmechanisms serving drug control issues.

● Electronic communications channels shouldalso be applied.

Emerging challenges and roles of UN and in-ternational development agenciesPolicy level:

● Different international external cooperationagencies and organizations and governmentsconcerned should collaborate and coordinatemore effectively.

● Co-financing should be well coordinated andwell planed in advance.

● Facilitate awareness of alternative development

as a top priority for national development.

Project level:● AD projects should incorporate best practices

from rural development and other sectors andUNDCP should if possible act as a depositoryfor information of best practices within theregion.

● Projects should be properly designed based onavailable resources and achievable objectives.

Other issuesPolicy level:

● The exchange and sharing of AD relevantinformation and technology should be en-couraged and continue to be strengthenedthrough AD regional seminars like the presentseminar as well as other means.

● UN should consider the large scale replicationand sustainable continuation of good practicesdeveloped during project implementation.

● AD projects should strengthen the cooperationwith and between nat ional and regionalresearch institutions.

● AD should be incorporated into nationaldevelopment plans.

● One important prerequisite for AD projectimplementation is stable and secure politicalconditions.

Project level:● AD should be based on sound research and

incorporate local knowledge.● Environmental concerns should be taken into

account in the design of all AD projects.

Group one Group two

Appendices

1. Introduction

The Regional Seminar on Alternative Developmentfor Illicit Crop Eradication : Policies, Strategies andActions was organized by the United Nations Inter-national Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) incooperation with the Government of Myanmar as partof the sub-regional project on Alternative Develop-ment Cooperation in East Asia. The seminar is aimedat providing a forum for the delegations and partici-pants to share experiences, lessons learned and goodpractices on policies, strategies and actions in thefield of alternative development and illicit crop eradi-cation. The seminar was attended by 47 delegatesand participants including policy makers, senior drugcontrol officers, alternative development specialists andproject managers from China, Lao PDR, Myanmar,Thailand and Vietnam. Representatives from UNDCPHeadquarters and Field Offices in the region and do-nor countries also participated in the seminar. Theseminar proceeded as follows:

Monday, 16 July 2001

2. Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony of the seminar began witha opening remark by Police Major General Soe Win,Secretary of CCDAC, who expressed concerns overthe increasing drug problems and commitment of theMyanmar Government to fight against illicit drugs.He also highlighted the importance of internationalcooperation for drug control and illicit crop eradica-tion. The second opening remark was delivered by

Colonel Win Hlaing, Colonel General Staff of EasternCommand, who enlightened the participants of theprogress towards opium elimination in the Shan Statestressing the importance of alternative developmentin the pursuit of this goal. The final speaker was Mr.Sanong Chinnanon, Alternative Development Coopera-tion Project Coordinator, who outlined the regionalsituation of opium production and emerging chal-lenges. He highlighted the objectives and the expectedoutcomes of the seminar. On behalf of UNDCP, healso thanked the host country for their cooperationand support provided to the seminar.

Immediately after the opening ceremony the meetingconvened.

3. Election of Chairperson and Approval of MeetingProgramme and Agenda

The meeting unanimously agreed to elect the head ofthe Myanmar delegation, Mr. U Nyi Nyi to be Chair-man of the meeting. The programme and the agendawere reviewed and approved by the meeting. Theprogramme is shown in the Appendices.

4. Introduction to the Seminar

Mr. Sanong Chinnanon in his capacity as the coordi-nator of the seminar and the Alternative DevelopmentCooperation in East Asia Project presented the re-gional overview of illicit drug situation, regional strat-egies for alternative development as well as specificobjectives, activities and expected outcomes of theseminar.

Consultations andSharing Best Practices:Seminar Proceedings

5. Presentations of AD Programmes and Projects inthe Participating Countries

The Chairman invited the representatives of theparticipating countries to present the overall policies,programmes and results of alternative developmentin their countries.

China

The first presentation regarding national AD policies,strategies and actions was made by Ms. Zhang Xiaon behalf of the Chinese delegation. Since the Chi-nese experience is rather atypical and opium eradica-tion was achieved through mass mobilization in the1950s, the Chinese delegation chose to focus onYunnan Province’s experiences with emphasis onopium eradication efforts and cross border assistanceon AD to neighboring countries especially Myanmarand Laos. The presentation of Chinese experiencestimulated a wide discussion among the participantson the strengths and weaknesses of AD projects aswell as their impacts on overall community develop-ment. The discussion illustrated a need for cross bor-der collaborative AD strategies and increased marketresearch to improve the economic incentives to farm-ers in order to support opium growers to move awayfrom dependence on opium cultivation. The issue ofthe impact of globalization and international traderegulations on AD products and their market com-petitiveness were also raised.

Laos

The presentation from Laos was made by the headof delegation Mr. Kou Chansina, and Mr. Shariq BinRaza who focused on the current national masterplan and efforts on alternative development for illicitcrop eradication. A large number of AD projects ofvarious sizes are being implemented all across thecountry fully in accordance with the country’s opiumeradication strategy, which is first to provide farmerswith alternatives to opium and then afterwards intro-duce an opium production ban with an increasinglevel of law enforcement as the alternatives becomesmore evident and viable.

Five projects made individual presentations. Theywere:

● UN Nonghet Alternat ive DevelopmentProject - Dr. Bounpone Sirivong

● Long AD Project - Mr. Krister Winter● Beng AD Micro Project - Mr. Houmphanh

Bouphavanh● The Lao-German Drug Control Project -

Ms. Andrea Kuhlmann● Village-based Development Component in

ADB Shifting Cultivation Stabilization PilotProject in Huoaphan Province - Mr. MahinadaKurukulasuriya

The presentations raised intensive discussion on theissues of marketing research and strategies, law en-forcement approaches in AD projects and coordina-tion mechanisms for AD efforts.

Myanmar

Myanmar’s national AD experiences were presentedby U Nyi Nyi and Pol.Lt.Col. Wa Tin who introducedthe meeting to the AD efforts at present being imple-mented as part of the 15 year National Narcotics Elimi-nation Masterplan. The presentation focused on theefforts being made to facilitate AD and opium eradi-cation in the opium growing areas. It was clearly ad-mitted that the obstacles to these efforts are tremen-dous since infrastructure on the opium growing areasis limited and the most of these areas had encoun-tered the problems of insurgency and fighting amongdifferent ethnic minority groups. However, it wasstressed that both infrastructure and security are rap-idly improving preparing the ground for increased ADefforts in the opium producing areas.

Two projects made individual presentations.They were:

● Wa Alternative Development Project - Mr.Xavier Bouan

● Support for Opium Eradication Programmein Kokang Region - U Kyaw Thu

The presentations were followed by interesting dis-

cussions on issues of scale and complexity of ADprojects as well as the most efficient and relevant uti-lization on national and international staff. The dis-cussion also raised the challenges on proper ADproject design and formulation that takes into accountthe local political and environmental conditions. Theexperiences of the Wa Alternative DevelopmentProject were discussed extensively in the respects ofproject complexity, commitment and support of Waauthorities, cost effectiveness of a large scale project,funding situation and impacts of budget cuts.

Tuesday, 17 July 2001

The Chairman opened the meeting and invited a rep-resentative from the Thai delegation to make a pres-entation of Thailand’s AD experiences and policies.

Thailand

The Thai Country paper was presented by Mr. PittayaJinawat who summarized Thailand’s 30 years expe-riences on AD and highlands development which hasresulted in a decline in the annual opium productionfrom approximately 150 tons a year in 1965 to amere 4 tons a year in 2000. Based on this expe-rience a number of key recommendations were made.It was especially stressed that the Thai AD experi-ences proved that AD projects could not solve theopium eradication problem without the governmentcommitment to mobilize efforts and resources for theoverall highland development.

A number of projects made individual presentations.They were:

● Doi Tung Development Project - M. R. PutrieViravaidya

● Royal Project Foundation - Dr SanthadRojanasoonthou

The presentations from Thailand sparked an inter-esting debate focusing on the extension of govern-ment services into the highlands. The participantsdiscussed the issue of high investment costs to theopium reduction and highland development in the past30 years and questioned whether the Thai experi-ence could be replicated in the neighboring countries.

Vietnam

The Vietnamese country paper was presented by Mr.Ha Dinh Tuan who emphasized the rapid reductionin opium poppy cultivation which has been takingplace in Vietnam during the last years. It was explainedhow rapid results were achieved through a policy oflaw enforcement targeting opium farmers and ADinitiatives securing improved socio-economic condi-tions in opium producing areas, which are commonlythe poorest areas of the country. The participantsdiscussed the Vietnamese experiences on integrationof a law enforcement strategy in AD initiatives. Aspart of a mis-conception on forced resettlement ofethnic highlanders, it was confirmed that forced re-settlement was not an option for highland develop-ment in Vietnam given the fact that population den-sity in the lowlands is very high.

The Ky Son AD project was presented by LeikBoonwaat, the former CTA of the project.

After the project presentation, the seminar discussedthe experiences on involvement of NGOs and massorganizations in AD activities. The CTA of the KySon AD project stressed that he had very fruitful co-operation with the NGOs and mass movementspresent in the project areas regarding advocacy, pri-mary prevention and the extension of knowledge intoremote areas.

Two Additional Thai Projects

Two special Projects implemented in Thailand werepresented to provide additional experiences and les-sons learned on AD.

● Thai-German AD Project - Mr. Hagen Dirksen● Participatory Technology Development to

Strengthen Sustainable Agricultural Develop-ment - Mr. Prasong Jantakad

These presentations opened up for a discussion onthe need for a longer term commitment of fundingagencies and donor countries for AD in order to en-sure sustainability of AD efforts. It was indicated that,based on the experience of the Thai-German ADproject, a project duration of 2-4 years has provedtoo short to sustain the AD and opium reduction ef-

forts. The seminar also discussed the difficulty of fund-raising for AD projects and securing long term com-mitment from donor countries.

The final presentation of the day was about a researchstudy on the Thai experience of opium poppy eradi-cation during the last 30 years. The presentation wasmade by the researcher Mr. Ronald Renard who high-lighted a number of interesting points from his re-search findings especially regarding the lack of knowl-edge about the hill tribes when the early projects wereinitiated, the dynamic structures of the projects andthe Thai legislation concerning land use and owner-ship and citizenship of ethnic minorities. The studyindicated that success indicators in the Thai AD ef-forts included visionary leadership, national unity andpolitical will, commitment of ample resources andparticipation of people. The issue of extensive invest-ment by the Thai Government and international com-munity on alternative development in the past 30 yearswas discussed. The participants felt that the Thaiexprience was too costly a way to eradicate opiumcultivation and other countries would not be able tomobilize such resources. Eonseguently, more costefficient methods had to be de veloped. However, itwas pointed out that the overall investment was aimedat comprehensive highland development with opiumreduction as part for the objectives.

After this interesting exchange of viewpoints theChairman summarized the discussions and closed themeeting for the day.

Wednesday, 18 July 2001

The day was utilized for a field trip taking the partici-pants to among other venues an agricultural exten-sion project driven by the Japanese NGO Karamosia,which made a very interesting presentation and tookthe participants to study the actual development ac-tivities. Karamosia aims to improve both educationand agricultural output in the region. One of the toolsto improve the agricultural output was the introduc-tion of an organic fertilizer, which could be producedby utilizing agricultural by-products. The fertilizer didtrigger a lively discussion among the participants, sinceit was quite labor intensive and it was consequentlyquestioned if the results could be reproduced on alarger scale beyond the size of pilot projects. Please

see the appendix on Karamosia for more informa-tion. The field trip also provided opportunity for theparticipants to observe living conditions of local com-munities and the environment of Inle Lake.

Thursday, 18 July 2001

6. Regional overview, group discussions and recom-mendations

Regional Overview

The last presentation of the seminar was made byMr. Leik Boonwaat concerning a regional analysis ofpolicies, strategies and actions on AD and illicit croperadication. The presentation summarized the nationalexperiences in the five countries participating in theseminar (China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Viet-nam) and outlined successes achieved as well as prob-lems yet to be faced. The summary triggered a numberof clarifications and the debate was at times reallylively. Touching upon problems such as AD crops inremote areas, cross border cooperation and market-ing.

After the last presentation the participants were di-vided into two groups for group discussions. Amongthe subjects to be discussed in order to make recom-mendations for good practices in the field were:

1. What is a balanced approach for AD2. Agricultural alternative development3. Non-agricultural alternative development4. The role of micro credit systems in AD5. Marketing strategies for alternative develop-

ment products6. Cross border cooperation and trade7. Emerging challenges and roles of UN and

international development agencies

After election of Chairman, each group discussed themain issues and recommendations related to the abovetopics. The group discussion continued until the af-ternoon when a plenary session was resumed for pres-entation of results and outcomes of the discussion.The seminar further discussed the key issues and rec-ommendations proposed by each group. Details ofthe key issues and recommendations are shown inthe concluding chapter.

7. Other businesses and follow up actions

7.1 With regard to the implications of seminarrecommendations which was raised earlier,it was proposed that concerned programme/project managers or coordinators considerhow relevant technical issues and recommen-dations at the practical level can be imple-mented in each programme/project. Theissues and recommendations related to policyand programme/project design strategywhich are beyond the control of programme/project managers should be communicatedto concerned agencies and UNDCP Offices.The issues and recommendations at theglobal level should be proposed to relevantglobal forums for further consideration anddeliberation.

7.2 The seminar agreed that UNDCP RegionalCentre in cooperation with the resourceperson could edit the initial papers andseminar materials for further publicationin order to extend sharing of experiences,lessons learned and good practices on AD andopium elimination to other concerned agencies.

8. Evaluation of the seminar

An evaluation of the seminar was administered at thelast session before closing ceremony. An open endedevaluation form was used to obtain feedback fromall delegations and participants. Results of the evalu-ation are shown in the Appendices.

9. Closing Ceremony

The closing of the seminar was initiated by theChairman who invited the heads of the nationaldelegations to deliver their closing remarks. They werefollowed by Mr. Sanong Chinnanon who reviewedthe objectives and activities of the seminar. He high-lighted the values of information and experiences eachparticipant contributed to the seminar which madethe forum a true learning and lesson sharing oppor-tunity. On behalf of UNDCP Regional Centre, hethanked the delegations and participants for theirtireless efforts during the seminar and the representa-tives from CCDAC were thanked in particular for theirtremendous efforts in preparing and facilitating theseminar. Finally, the Chairman concluded and closedthe meeting.

Distinguished members of the Shan State Commit-tee for Drug Abuse Control, Representatives fromthe MOU Countries, Project Coordinators fromUNDCP Regional Centre and Country Offices, InvitedGuests Ladies and Gentlemen.

At the outset, I wish to extend a very warm welcometo all the delegates to Myanmar and to Taunggyi, thecapital city of southern Shan State. At the same time,may I wish you all the best of health during your stayhere attending this seminar.

On behalf of the CCDAC, I am pleased to be affordedwith the opportunity to give this opening address atthe Regional Seminar on Alternative Develop-ment for Illicit Crop Eradication : Policy,Strategy and Actions.

Initially, the venue for this seminar was to be KyaingTong in eastern Shan State. It was chosen as an ap-propriate venue because it is a region where alterna-tive developments for illicit crop eradication are beingimplemented. However, taking into consideration ofthe heavy monsoon weather, communications andflight constraints, it was decided to change the venueto Taunggyi Aye Thayar Golf Resort Hotel. I certainlyhope you all will like it here.

Today’s seminar, with regards to the project, is thefirst of its kind in the East Asia Region. It is fittingthat the initial step on Alternative Development forIllicit Crop Eradication Policy Strategy and ActionSeminar be started here in Myanmar. It is an appro-priate venue among the MOU countries as Myanmar

is the major producing country of opium in the EastAsia Region. In this regard, we certainly look forwardto learn a lot from the policies, strategies and actionsthat will be presented by experts and delegates fromcountries participating and various other agencies thatare working in this field.

It is also the understanding that the UNDCP RegionalCentre aims to enhance exchange of information andexperiences and cooperation among the countries inthe region through the implementation of this alter-native development project.

The main object of the project is to enhance knowl-edge, skills and capacities of policy makers as well asin effectively implementing the alternative develop-ment activities particularly in China, Laos, Myanmar,Thailand and Vietnam.

Opening Remark by Police Major General Soe Win, Secretary of the CentralCommittee for Drug Abuse Control, Myanmar.

Presented by Police Major General Soe Win

Elimination of Illicit Drugsis a National Duty for Myanmar.

The project inputs, activities, projected outputs werediscussed, coordinated and decided upon only last year.Accordingly, the Seminar on Alternative Developmentfor Illicit Crop Eradication Policy, Strategy and Ac-tions was organized in Myanmar as the first activityof the project for this year. Representatives attendingthis seminar are high-level officials and it is foreseenthat important and useful issues on policy, strategyand actions will be discussed here.

Please let me stress that the illicit crop eradicationprograms cannot be successfully carried out overnight.It takes time. Furthermore, it requires not only hu-man resources and expertise but also financial andmaterial resources. The most difficult part is chang-ing the entrenched concept and attitude of the opiumfarmers. In addition, marketing strategies need to beconsidered beforehand for substituted crops. Lack ofa market for their produce is one of the discouragingfactors for farmers and leads to the failure of alterna-tive development activities or crop substitution activi-ties. Furthermore, the development in the transpor-tation, communication, education and energy sectorsis also a necessity. To realize this and make it work,technical expertise in various fields and coordinationare crucial too.

Since 1988, the Government has designated the elimi-nation of narcotic drugs as a national duty and hasescalated countrywide anti-narcotics programmes andactivities. In this major undertaking, the most impor-tant activities we have focused in the opium puppycultivating border areas are appropriate crop substi-tution, income substitution and development of theinfrastructure.

In Myanmar, illicit poppy cultivating areas are at theundeveloped border regions where the terrain is diffi-cult, remote and mostly inaccessible. Consequently,these areas have been left behind in development fromthe mainstream of the country in terms of education,health and economy.

Likewise, our government has come to peaceful termswith the armed national ethnic groups and is workingtogether for the eradication of the poppy by crop sub-stitution, livestock breeding for income substitutionin the respective Special Regions. In addition, infra-structure development programmes such as the con-struction of roads, bridges, communications, schools

and hospitals are undertaken. At the same time, poppyfarmers are educated on the evil consequences ofdrugs production and addiction. With technical andfinancial assistance, they are discouraged to continuepoppy cultivation and encouraged to change their live-lihood.

Income substitution, in lieu of income from opiumpoppy is created with substituted crops like rice, leg-umes, maize, wheat, sugarcane and other perennialslike rubber, lychees, tea and coffee. Technical exper-tise, seedlings and fertilizer are also assisted. Live-stock breeding is also encouraged with technical as-sistance in setting up of poultry and pig farming. Cattleand goats breeding are also supported. In this waywe are trying to stamp out the habit of poppy cultiva-tion gradually.

Finally, I wish to take this opportunity to inform youthat we are at present implementing the 15-YearNarcotic Elimination Plan, which initiated in the fis-cal year of 1999/2000. The master plan is dividedinto 3 phases each lasting 5 years, terminating in2014.

The total budget estimated for the 15-Year Plan isover 33,588 million Kyats and 150 million US$ ofwhich, an expenditure of 1,319 million Kyats and1.5 million US$ had been spent in the First Year of1999-2000. This master plan was drafted based onour own resources. It is universally acknowledged thatthe drug problem is faced by all nations and cannotbe tackled by a single nation. In this regard, we lookforward to assistance from the international commu-nity so that the objectives of the plan could be reachedin a much shorter period.

While the central government is implementing the 15-Year Narcotic Elimination Plan, the national groups,in their own rights are also carrying out developmentprogrammes in the opium income substitution, culti-vation, livestock breeding and economic sectors intheir own Special Regions. A very positive and en-couraging example of their activities is the establish-ment of an Opium Free Zone at Mongla in the No.4Special Region of Eastern Shan State on 22nd April1997, with the opening of an anti-narcotic Museum.It was a declaration to the world of their commitmentand determination to get rid of the poppy cultivationand drug production.

Similarly, I am pleased to inform the seminar that theKokant Region and the Wa Region leaders havepledged their regions will be opium free in 2002 and2005 respectively. The Government together with theleaders of the national races will be putting out theirbest foot forward to realize these commitments anddeterminations.

In this connection, I am confident that this will be avery useful and effective seminar as participants fromthe MOU countries and UNDCP, will contribute andshare their vast and rich experiences on alternativedevelopment, from which we can all gain importantlessons and invaluable knowledge. It will be an op-portunity for every participant to learn the disadvan-tages and advantages from these experiences of eachindividual country.

Conclusion

Again, I wish you all the best of health during thecourse of the seminar so that you will not miss theopportunity to take time out and enjoy sightseeingaround Taunggyi and Inlay Lake.

Particularly, Inlay Lake is a scenic and unique area inMyanmar. The floating villages, markets, plantationsand various pagodas are famous and a favorite spotfor tourists. Also, the leg-rowing customs of Inlay Lakeis unique in the world.

I am happy to know you will have one day out of theconference room to enjoy the local food together withthe picturesque environment of Inlay Lake.

I am also happy that KARAMOSIA International, aNGO from Japan has invited all participants to give avisit and tour their project at Taung Bogyi. KaramosiaInternational is implementing a project assisting inreforestation and greening of the Inlay Lake area thatwill be environmental friendly.

Last, but not the least, as the host of this first interna-tional conference to be hosted by CCDAC outside ofYangon at this venue, I wish to ask for your under-standing and to bear with us if there are any short-comings from our side. However, please do not hesi-tate to ask Colonel Wa Tin and CCDAC staff if youhave any particular needs that we can attend to.

Representatives from the five MOU countries, Coor-dinators from UNDCP regional and country offices,Invited Distinguished Guests, Director-General of theMyanmar Police Force and Senior Police Officials,

Please may I first wish you all the best of health andwell being. Welcome to the Eastern Command.

I am honoured to give this statement at the openingof this important seminar on alternative developmentfor Illicit crop eradication: policies: strategies and ac-tions.

The Shan State (south) is a rugged and mountainousarea and has a wet climate. Illicit opium poppy culti-vation, which was inherited from the colonialist, isnow being stamped out by the implementation of thefifteen years narcotics elimination plan. The plan wasstarted in our area since 1999.

In accordance with the narcotic elimination plan, thefirst five years plan is 1999-2000 to 2003-2004. Itinvolves the townships of KUNHEIN, MONGPAN,LINKHE, HSESAING, PHEKHONE andMONGKAING. The second five years plan is from2004-2005 to 2008-2009 and involves HOPONE,MONGNAI and PINLAUNG townships.

The third five years plan is from 2009-2010 to 2013-2014 and involves KYAYTHEE, MONGSHU,NAMSANG, NYAUNG SHWE and LECHAR town-ships. Altogether 14 townships are involved in the 15years narcotic elimination plan in the Shan State(South).

Opening Remark by Col.Win Hlaing, Colonel General Staff of Eastern Command,Myanmar.

In the above townships the following activities will beimplemented:

● elimination of cultivation and production ofopium

● elimination of drug abuse● law enforcement● involvement of the local populace● international relation

Conclusion

May I say that we are honoured to host this seminarin Shan State (South) because it is a recognition ofthe antinarcotic activities that is being implementedat present. I wish you all a pleasant stay.

Presented by Col.Win Hlaing.

Pol.Maj.Gen.Soe Win, Secretary of CCDAC andDirector of Myanmar Police Force, Col.Win Hlaing,Colonel General Staff of Eastern Command, Distin-guished delegations and participants, Ladies andGentlemen,

First of all, on behalf of the United Nations In-ternational Drug Control Programme and on behalfof all participants at this seminar, I would like to ex-press my sincerest thanks to Pol. Mj. Gen. Soe Winand Col. Win Hlaing for coming to deliver the open-ing statements for the Regional Seminar on Alterna-tive Development for Illicit Crop Eradication: Policies,Strategies and Actions. I wish to say that UNDCPhas received full support and cooperation fromCCDAC as well as other concerned agencies in or-ganizing the seminar at this beautiful Aye Thar YarResort in Taunggyi. We are very grateful for your co-operation and assistance in making the seminar pos-sible.

As we know, the fast increasing drug problemsin this region have posed serious threats to our soci-ety. Despite continuing efforts of governments andconcerned agencies to reduce illicit drug production,trafficking and abuse, Southeast Asia is still the sec-ond largest source of opium and heroin productionwith an estimate of 1260 metric tons of opium pro-duction in the year 2000 according to the UNDCPGlobal Illicit Drug Trends report. Opium productionstill exists in the remote areas of Myanmar, Laos,Thailand and Vietnam. In recent years, with increasedalternative development activities and illicit crop sup-pression, we can see significant reduction in opiumand heroin production in this region.

Early this year, Afghanistan, the largest opiumproduction country, has declared to ban the poppycultivation in the country. Recent unconfirmed reportsindicate that there is a sign of declining in poppycultivation in Afghanistan. If the strong enforcementof the Taleban government is to continue and majoropium reduction has taken an effect there, it would

be important for us to monitor whether or not thesituation in Afghanistan will have an impact or bal-loon effect leading to an increase in opium cultivationin our region. In an attempt to eliminate narcoticscrop cultivation, UNDCP will continue to work in closecooperation with the member countries in monitor-ing the illicit drug situation and providing alternativedevelopment for the communities in the opium culti-vation areas.

The seminar this week intends to provide a fo-rum for all of us here who have been working in drugcontrol and alternative development to share infor-mation and experiences on policies, strategies andactions on alternative development and illicit croperadication and learn from each other the good prac-tices which have been created in various programmesand projects in the participating countries. I also hopethat the seminar will provide an opportunity for theparticipants to get to know each other and supporteach other in the future drug control and alternativedevelopment activities. On behalf of UNDCP, I wishto take the opportunity to express my gratitude to theGovernment of Australia for supporting the seminarand other activities of the sub-regional project on Al-ternative Development Cooperation in East Asia.

Finally, I would like to express my appreciationonce again to the government of Myanmar, particu-larly CCDAC, NATALA and the Shan State PoliceForce for all your support and assistance provided tothis seminar. I wish to convey my special thanks toPol. Col. Wa Tin from CCDAC and his team whohave been working hard to make the best arrange-ments for the seminar. I also thank the hotel manage-ment for the excellent support provided to all of us. Ihope we will have a pleasant stay and look forward toour fruitful presentation and discussion during thisseminar.

Thank you very much

Opening Remark by Sanong Chinnanon, Alternative Development CooperationProject Coordinator, UNDCP Regional Centre.

We Look Forward toan Enhanced Cooperation.

Mr. Song Shiyin, Head of the ChineseDelegation.“Mr. Chairman, on behalf of the Chinese Delegationto the Regional Seminar on Alternative Developmentfor Illicit Crop Eradication: Policies, Strategies andActions, I would like to express our sincere thanks toUNDCP, CCDAC and the participants for the suc-cessful achievements and efforts during the four daymeeting that provided us with much experienceswhich will be useful for us. I would like to once againthank the Government of the Union of Myanmar,UNDCP and the participants.”

Concluding remarks fromheads of delegations

Mr. Kou Chansina, Head of the LaotianDelegation.“Mr. Chairman, The seminar has been extremely usefuland informative. Not only have we learnt much re-garding alternative development but we have also beenable to establish many professional contacts withworking colleagues. I would like to express our sin-cere thanks to the organizers of the seminar and thehost country Myanmar for the excellent organizationand wonderful hospitality.”

U Nyi Nyi, Head of the Myanmar Delegationand Seminar Chairman.“I would like to express our appreciation to UNDCP,the Australian Government and the delegates for ena-bling this important seminar to be achieved success-fully. The seminar proceedings have been frank andcomprehensive resulting in many friendly and pro-ductive relationships. We have gained a lot of experi-ences and knowledge during the seminar. Howeverwe are concerned about the balloon effect to opiumproduction in Myanmar from the reported reductionof opium production in Afghanistan. Myanmar re-quires international assistance to eliminate opium pro-duction in the country. To try to do so by our selveswill take time and effort. With the goal of 2014 setfor the elimination of narcotics in Myanmar this leavesus with not much time. Compared to Thailand,Myanmar has limited time and international assist-ance. Myanmar is a Least Developed Country andwe request the international and wealthy countries tohelp us in this important endeavor to eliminate opiumpoppy cultivation in our country.”

Mr. Pittaya Jinawat, Head of theThai Delegation.“Mr. Chairman, the seminar was a great opportunityand time to meet friends, brothers and sisters and tolearn from each other. We all face the same problemsand have the same goals. With good collaboration wecan achieve success. I hope you will be able to visitThailand where we will make you feel at home just asyou have made us feel at home here in Myanmar.”

Mr. Ha Dinh Tuan on behalf of Mr. Dang NgocHung, Head of the Vietnamese Delegation.“Mr. Chairman, We would like to express our sincerethanks and appreciation to UNDCP, CCDAC and theGovernment of the Union of Myanmar for providingthe opportunity to attend this important and helpfulseminar to learn experiences from our neighboringcountries. We hope to meet again at the next ADregional seminar in the near future.”

Delegations and Participants of the seminar

REGIONAL SEMINAR ON ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT FORILLICIT CROP ERADICATION: POLICIES, STRATEGIES AND ACTIONS

16-19 July 2001, Taunggyi, Myanmar

PROGRAMME

Sunday, 15 July

Arrival of participants

Monday, 16 July

08:00-08:30 Opening and welcoming remarks08:30-09:00 Coffee break09:00-09:45 Introduction of the seminar and programme09:45-11:00 Presentation of a country paper on alternative development and

illicit crop eradication: policies, strategies and actions (China )11:00-12:00 Presentation of a country paper on alternative development and

illicit crop eradication: policies, strategies and actions (Laos)12:00-13:00 Lunch13:00-15:00 Presentation and discussion on best practices and lessons learned

from AD projects in Laos● Village-based development component in ADB Shifting Cultivation

Stabilization Pilot Project in Houaphan Province● Beng Alternative Development Micro0Project● UN Nonghet Alternative Development Project● Drug Supply and Demand Reduction in Border areas of

North-western Lao PDR15:00-15:15 Coffee Break15:15-16:15 Presentation of a country paper on alternative development

and illicit crop eradication: policies, strategies and actions (Myanmar)16:15-17:30 Presentation and discussion on best practices and lessons learned

from AD projects in Myanmar● Wa Alternative Development Project● Support for Opium Eradication Programme in Kokang Region

Tuesday,17 July

08:30-10:00 Presentation of a country paper on alternative development and crop eradication:policies, strategies and actions (Thailand)

10:00-10:15 Coffee break10:15-11:00 Presentation and discussion on best practices and lessons learned from

Doi Tung Development Project11:00-12:00 Presentation and discussion on best practices and lessons learned from

the Royal Development Projects)

12:00-13:00 Lunch13:00-14:00 Presentation of a country paper on alternative development and illicit

crop eradication: policies, strategies and actions (Vietnam)14:00-14:45 Presentation of the Ky Son Alternative Socio-economic Development Project

to Replace Opium Poppy Cultivation14:45-1500 Coffee Break15:00-16:00 Presentation and discussion on best practices and lessons learned from

the Thai-German Alternative Development Project16:00-17:00 Presentation and discussion on best practices and lessons learned from

the Sustainable Agricultural Development Project17:00-18:30 Presentation of research study on sustainable alternative development

and opium eradication in Thailand

Wednesday, 18 July

08:00-17:00 Field study visits to alternative development projects

Thursday, 19 July

08:30-10:00 Presentation and discussion on comparative analysis of policies,strategies and actions on AD and illicit crop eradication

10:00-10:15 Coffee break10:15-12:00 Group discussion and recommendations:

Balanced approach for ADAgricultural alternative developmentNon-agricultural alternative developmentMicro credit system for alternative developmentMarketing strategies for alternative development productsCross border cooperation and tradeEmerging challenges and roles of UN and internationaldevelopment agencies

12:00-13:00 Lunch13:00-14:00 Group discussion continued14:00-15:00 Presentation of outcomes of group discussion15:00-15:15 Coffee break15:15-16:00 Presentation continued16:00-17:00 Summary, evaluation and closing of the seminar

Friday, 20 July Departure of participants

❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖

At the end of the seminar the participants were givenan open ended evaluation form, which included threequestions. The participants were asked what they likedabout the seminar, what they did not like and whichrecommendations they would have for future semi-nars. The majority of the participants returned theforms and the following analysis is based upon theseanswers. The evaluations made by the participantsare generally very positive and none at all were gen-erally negative. The outcome of the evaluation inanalyzed below.

The positive aspects highlighted by theparticipants were most importantly:

1. The seminar was very successful in achievingits objectives especial ly lesson sharing andnetworking among AD pract it ioners. Theseminar did build up understandings betweenparticipants and institutions. Plenty of expe-rience and knowledge was exchanged.

2. The lessons learned and good practices de-veloped in neighboring countries were exchangedamong most participants and many explicitlyhighlighted, that they had gained practicalknowledge and learned good practices, whichthey in the future would apply in the policies orprojects they themselves were working on. In-formative and comprehensive presentat ionsfrom most participants.

3. The general arrangement of the meeting andthe functionality of the venue was highly praisedand so was the atmosphere in which themeeting was conducted. Logistics are wel lorganized and excellent.

4. The presentations and discussion were generallydescribed as frank and useful. It was alsoexpressed by many participants that they werevery satisfied with the selection of participants,which they saw as reflecting a high level ofexpertise around the topic. A good compositionof participants who made important contri-bution to the seminar.

There were also comments from theparticipants for future improvement:

1. The representatives from the Wa authoritiesgenerally felt rather neglected as their nameswere not on the preliminary list of Myanmar de-legation and there was no Wa presentation onthe seminar programme.

2. Some participants received late nominationand information about the seminar whichaffected their preparat ion for papers andpresentations. It would be better for us if wewere informed earlier about this seminar, thenwe would have more time to prepare all thethings better.

Summary of the Evaluationof the Regional Seminaron Alternative DevelopmentHeld in Taunggyi, Myanmar,16-19 July, 2001.

3. A number of participants also found that theplenary discussions were too long and more timeshould be used on group discussion preferableon more impact oriented group discussion.Country paper presentation is taking too longtime, too short time for group discussions. Notenough focus and output-oriented discussions.

4. In case, one country had several project papers,there should be coordinated presentations tosave time and to avoid duplication. “Too manypresentations which repeat the same message,especially on Thailand: a lot of duplication andtime spent”

The different participants also made a numberof recommendation for future seminars:

1. Quite a number of participants suggested toinstitutionalize yearly AD seminars in order tofacilitate lesson learning and sharing of goodpractices. Such AD seminars should be heldalternately within the MOU countries: toexchange information on AD projects.

2. Specific important technical issues such asmicro-finance and AD marketing strategiesshould be highlighted in future seminars to sharegood practices and discuss key issues andrecommendations which would be useful for ADpractitioners. AD seminars should producepackages of technical papers on agricultural

alternat ive development to be applied bypractitioners.

3. It was recommended to invite more represen-tatives from donor countries to future seminarsenabling them to get a better understanding ofthe problems faced by the regions AD policymakers and practitioners.

4. It was strongly recommended that there shouldbe an organized follow-up to the good resultsthe participants felt the seminar had provided.

5. A harder enforcement of the agenda and moretime for group discussions preferably in smallergroups were recommended by a number of par-ticipants. Generally most participants recom-mended more time for such seminars and, ifpossible, also for practical field trips to provideopportunity for the participants to visit theremote AD project sites.

6. Some part icipants also recommended thatfuture seminar secure more time for technicalissues and questions with shorter country andproject presentations.

7. In summary, the participants expressed a ge-neral satisfaction with the overall organizationof the seminar and the quality of inputs andcontribut ions each countr y and projectprovided to the seminar.

INTRODUCTION OF ORGANIZATIONKARAMOSIA was established in 1981 in KagoshimaPrefecture of Southern Japan. KARAMOSIA is a com-pound word of “KARAIMO” (KARAIMO is aKagoshima dialect meaning Kagoshima specialty sweetpotato, which has a symbolic connotation of grass-roots) and “Asia”. Its initial work was based on activa-tion of rural communities in Kagoshima through vari-ous international exchange programs, in cooperationwith sectors such as local associations, universities,institutions, governments and business sectors of South-ern Japan. Participants of these exchange programseventually started community-based international co-operation through human resource development andtechnology transfer in various parts of Asia.

PROJECTS IN MYANMARIn the Union of Myanmar, KARAMOSIA Internationaloperates two projects, one in Inle Region of SouthernShan State and another in Wa Special Region No. 2.In both areas, KARAMOSIA International introducesappropriate local-based integrated development, bymaximizing potentials of human and natural resourcesthrough Symbiotic Development System, by applyingKARAMOSIA technical networks in Southern Japanand other parts of Asia. Symbiotic Development Sys-tem focuses on reproductive and regenerating agentsin local technologies and resources, and explores themost effective ways to utilize limited resources in a sus-tainable manner.

Southern Shan State Comprehensive Develop-ment Program (ILSD)ILSD consists of two projects in Southern Shan State:● Inle Lake Symbiotic Development Project (Inle

Project)

1)Address 19/6B, Kan Yeik Tha Lane, Kaba Aye Pagoda Rd. Mayangon Township, YangonPhone No. (01) 662-777Fax No. (01) 651-186E-mail karamosia@mptmail.net.mmRepresentative Mr. Kenichi KatoHeadquarters in Japan Room 504, KSC Kamoike Bldg, 2-4-35, Yojiro, Kagoshima 890-0062Phone No. 81-99-813-4410Fax No. 81-99-813-4415E-mail karamosia@omega.ne.jpHome Page http://karamosia.omega.ne.jp

KARAMOSIAInternational1)

● Naung Kar Model Village Comprehensive Develop-ment Project (Naung Kar Project)

1) Inle Lake Symbiotic Development Project (Inle Projet)Inle Project attempts to undertake following multi-sectoral activities in order to break away from the vi-cious cycle of “population increase - environmental de-struction - increasing poverty” and to achieve sustain-able coexistent of human and nature. Activities cur-rently undertaken are:

Organic Agriculture● Dochakkin (local microbe) Compost Making● Rice & Duck Farming Method● Charcoal Acid as Organic Insecticide● Agricultural Trainings and Seminars

Sustainable Forestry & Environmental Conservation● Bio-tope Reforestation● Sustainable and Integrated Reforestation● Small Forest Movement● Environmental Seminars

Alternative Use of local Resources● Wind and Solar Hybrid Electric Generation● Gully Control with Bamboos● Utilization of Lake Sediment into Fertilizers

(survey)

Education● Scholarship to Inle Students● KARAMOSIA Boarding School● Support to School Infrastructure

Trainings● Dispatching Trainees to Japan

KARAMOSIAInternational

● Trainings and Seminars by Japanese Experts● Various Trainings and Seminars

Cultural Exchange● Inle Students Exchange Program (Myanmar

students to Japan)● MBC-K ARAMOSIA Exchange Students

(Japanese students to Myanmar)● Kagoshima University Agricultural Training

2) Naung Kar Model Village ComprehensiveDevelopment Project (Naung Kar Project)

Naung Kar village is situated in Pa-O Special RegionNo. 6 in Taunggyi Township, Southern Shan State.With cooperation of farmers and local administrators,Naung Kar Project attempts to undertake activitiesmentioned above in addition to improved local ad-ministration in line with agriculture-based develop-ment, capacity building and strengthening organiza-tion. Naung Kar village will be a model village forother parts of Myanmar, and experiences and knowl-edge will be shared with people from various sectorsand areas through trainings and seminars at NaungKar Training Center.

Wa Symbiotic Development (WSD)WSD is based in Mong Phen Township of Wa SpecialRegion No. 2. Due to geographical, climatic and eco-nomic reasons, opium cultivation continues to attractproducers for main cash substituting activity. WSDbelieves that opium eradication cannot be tackled asis or in replacement with alterative income genera-tion alone, but it should be placed in the wider spec-trum of the improvement of the living conditions ofvillagers. Thus WSD is taking four-fold approachesto eradicate poverty situation of the region and toeradicate opium production:

● Increase in agricultural productivityIntroduction of compost and vegetable stimu-lant, improved agricultural techniques

● Improvement of living conditionSanitation, production of household goods,

● Local industry development as alter-native income

● Human resources development

List of Participants

CHINA

Country Delegation

1. Mr. Song ShiyinDeputy Division Chief of InternationalCooperation Yunnan Provincial NarcoticsControl Committee Narcotics ControlAdministration of Yunnan ProvincialPublic Security DepartmentNo. 131, Wuyi Road, Kunming City650021, PR ChinaTel: (86-871) 305 1427Fax: (86-871) 305 2490

2. Mr. Zhang HuiminProgramme Officer Yunnan ProvincialNarcotics Control Committee NarcoticsControl Administration of Yunnan ProvincialPublic Security DepartmentNo. 131, Wuyi Road, Kunming City650021, PR ChinaTel: (86-871) 305 1427Fax: (86-871) 305 2490

3. Ms. Zhang XiaEconomist, Division Chief of Planningand Financial ManagementWu Hua Shan, Kunming CityYunnan Province,650021, PR ChinaTel: (86-871) 363 0057Fax: (86-871) 362 2864E-mail: xiazhang@public.km.yn.cn

LAOS

Country Delegation

4. Mr. Kou ChansinaNational Programme DirectorPFU, P.O. Box 6559KM3, Thaduea Road, VientianeLaosTel: (856-21) 351 035Fax: (856-21) 351 035

5. Mr. Sounthone SybounhluangHead of Drug Control Unit (DCU)Ministry of Agriculture and ForestryP.O. Box 811Vientiane, LaosTel: (856-21) 412 349Fax: (856-21) 412 349E-mail: doag@laotel.com

6. Mr. Phaylam OudomkhamOfficial, Office of the Secretariat, LCDCThaduea Road, Benngkhagnong Tai VillageSisattamark DistrictLaosTel: (856-21) 351 030Fax: (856-21) 351 033E-mail: LCDC@laotel.com

Representatives of AD Programmes/Projects

7. Mr. Mahinda KurukulasuriyaTechnical Advisor, AD/LAO/00/D35P.O. Box 345, Phon Kheng Road,Vientiane, LaosTel: (856-21) 413 204/416 427Fax: (856-21) 413 203E-mail: kurukula@undp.org

8. Mr. Krister WinterChief Technical AdvisorLong Alternative Development ProjectMuong Long, Luang Namtha ProvinceLaosTel: (856-21) 413 867Fax: (856-21) 413 867E-mail: ncalong@laotal.com

9. Dr. Bounpone SirivongNational Project DirectorXieng Khouang Province-Lao PDRNonghet Alternative DevelopmentProject AD/99/C99LaosTel: (856-61) 312 430Fax: (856-61) 312 373E-mail: bounpone.sirivong@undp.org

10. Ms. Andrea Christiane KuhlmannAssociate Advisorc/o GTZ Muang Sing, P.O. Box 100Luang Namtha ProvinceLaosE-mail: an_kuhlmann@yahoo.com

11. Mr. Houmphanh BoupkakhamNational Project DirectorUNDCP/Government of Lao PDRBeng AD Micro-Project AD/LAO/98/C85LaosTel: (856-81) 312 085Fax: (856-21) 252 127

12. Mr. KhamsaoLADP, Project CoordinatorNorwegian Church Aid (NCA )Regional OfficeVientiane, LaosTel: (856-21) 413 867/416 510Fax: (856-21) 413 450

MYANMAR

Country Delegation

13. U Nyi NyiDirectorProgress of Border Areasand National Races DepartmentYangon, MyanmarTel: (95-1) 251 895Fax: (95-1) 285 257

14. Pol. Lt. Col. Wa TinDeputy DirectorCentral Committee for Drug AbuseControl (CCDAC)Ministry of Home AffairsYangon, MyanmarTel: (95-1) 549 228Fax: (95-1) 549 284

15. U Thien AungDeputy General ManagerMyanmar Agriculture ServicesSouthern Shan State, TaunggyiMyanmarTel: (95-1) 081 21057Fax: (95-1) 081 21057

Representatives of AD Programmes/Projects

16. Mr. Xavier BuanProject Coordinator, WADPUNDCP Country Office, Yangon11-A, Malikha Road, Mayangone TownshipYangon, MyanmarTel: (95-1) 666 903Fax: (95-1) 666 903E-mail: wadp@eikmail.com

17. U Khaw ThuLaukai/Namtit DevelopmentProject Consultantc/o UNDCP Country Office, Yangon11-A, Malikha Road, Mayangone TownshipYangon, MyanmarTel: (95-1) 666 903Fax: (95-1) 666 903

18. U San NyuntUpland Crops SpecialistField Office, Mong Pawk, Shan StateMyanmarTel: (872-762) 694 920Fax: (872-762) 694 921E-mail: wadp@eikmail.com

19. Mr. Wang Khuam ChamUWSA CentreUNDCP, WADP ProjectNo. (2), Wa Special RegionNonphein, MyanmarTel : (95-1) 662 777Fax: (95-1) 662 777

20. U Aung MyintWa Liaison Officer/Member of Central CommitteeWa Solidarity SocietyNo. 8, Kan Street (Dathar Phyu)Hlaing Township, Yangon, MyanmarTel: (951) 511 910Cell Phone (959) 501 6998

21. U Ko SaiWa Liaison Officer, Mong HphenUnited Wa State Army (UWSA)Mong Hphen BrigadeWa Special Region 2Eastern Shan StateMyanmarTel: (872) 7626 9492 0Fax: (872) 7626 9492 1

THAILAND

Country Delegation

22. Mr. Pithaya JinawatDirectorSouthern Narcotics Preventionand control OfficeOffice of the Narcotics Control Board434 Sai Buri Road, Bo YangMuang, Song KlaThailandTel: (66-74) 312 088Fax: (66-74) 321 514-5E-mail: pithayaj@oncb.go.th

23. Mr. Pornthep IamprapaiDeputy DirectorNorthern Narcotics Control OfficeChotana Road, Chiang Mai 50303Tel: (66-53) 211 796, 211 797Fax: (66-53) 211 808E-mail: thewada500@yahoo.com

24. Mr. Pipop ChamnivikaipongDirector of Survey and Report UnitNorthern Narcotics Control OfficeChiang Mai City Hall AreaChiang Mai 50303ThailandTel: (66-53) 211 796-7 Ext. 135Fax: (66-53) 218 996E-mail: chamnicnx@yahoo.com

Representatives of AD Programmes/Projects

25. M.R. Putrie ViravaidyaDeputy Secretary GeneralMah Fah Luang FoundationSra Patum Palace195, Phyathai Road,Bangkok, ThailandTel: (66-2) 252 4579Fax: (66-2) 255 0830E-mail: putrivi@mozart.inet.co.th

26. Dr. Santhad RojanasoonthonDirector of Research, Royal Project Foundation65 Suthep Rd., Chiang Mai 50200ThailandTel: (66-53) 278 332, (66-2) 502 1172Fax: (66-53) 278 997, (66-2) 502 1276E-mail: santhad@inet.co.th

27. Mr. Prasong JantagadDeputy to Chief Technical AdviserSustainable AgriculturalDevelopment Project (SADP)Department of AgricultureTechnology Transfer Building,Department of AgricultureMinistry of Agriculture and CooperativeBangkok, ThailandTel: (66-2) 940 7262Fax: (66-2) 940 6412E-mail: prasong@sadp.org

28. Mr. Hagen DirksenSenior Regional AdviserRural Development, AsiaGTZBaan Nai Fun, 203/15, M3Kan Klong Chonpratan Rd.,Muang, Chiang Mai 50100ThailandTel: (66-53) 838 698Fax: (66-53) 838 698E-mail: hdirksen@loxinfo.co.th

VIETNAM

Country Delegation

29. Mr. Dang Ngoc HungDeputy Chief Division,Standing Office on Drug Controlof Vietnam, SODC16 Yet KieuHanoi, VietnamTel: (84-4) 942 0930Fax: (84-4) 822 3943

30. Mr. Le Dinh BangSenior StaffMinistry of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentSo2 Ngoc Ha, Bach ThaoHanoi, VietnamTel: (84-4) 823 1569Fax: (84-4) 843 8790

31. Mr. Ha Dinh TuanHead of DepartmentVietnam Agricultural Science InstituteThanh Tri, HanoiVietnamTel: (84-4) 861 5480Fax: (84-4) 861 3937E-mail: vacb@netnam.org.vn

RESOURCE PERSONS

32. Mr. Ronald D. RenardUNDCP ConsultantP.O. Box 87 CMUChiang MaiThailandTel: (66-53) 216 067Fax: (66-53) 213 528E-mail: rrenard@loxinfo.co.th

33. Mr. Leik BoonwaatResource PersonUNDCP Country Office, VientianeP.O.Box 345, Phon Kheng Rd.Vientaine, LaosTel: (856-21) 413 204, 416 627Fax: (856-21) 413 2033003/56 Wharf Street,Bridgewater River TerracesKangaroo Point QLD.4169. Australia.Tel/fax: (61-7) 3391 2335E-mail: leikboonwaat@hotmail.com

REPRESENTATIVES OF UNDCPAND FUNDING AGENCIES

34. Dr. Sanong ChinnanonInstitutional/Human ResourcesDevelopment Specialist and AlternativeDevelopment Cooperation Project CoordinatorRegional Centre for East Asia and the PacificUNDCP, Bangkok, ThailandTel: (66-2) 288 1292Fax: (66-2) 281 2129E-mail: sanong.chinnanon@undcp.un.or.th

35. Mr. Peter LundingAssociate ExpertRegional Centre for East Asia and the PacificUNDCP, Bangkok, ThailandTel: (66-2) 288 2537Fax: (66-2) 281 2129E-mail: peter.lunding@undcp.un.or.th

36. Ms. Lise BendiksenInternRegional Centre for East Asia and the PacificUNDCP, Bangkok, ThailandTel: (66-2) 288 1906Fax: (66-2) 281 2129E-mail: lise.bendiksen@undcp.un.or.th

37. Mr. Shariq Bin RazaUNDCP Programme Director, PFUKm3, Thadeua Road, VientianeLaosTel: (856-21) 351 029, 351 124Fax: (856-21) 351 035

38. Mr. Michael AlexanderProgramme OfficerODCCP, ViennaAustriaTel: (431) 26060 4024Fax: (43-1) 26060 5827E-mail: Michael.Alexander@undcp.org

39. Mr. Guillaume Le HegaratProgramme Management OfficerUNDCP Country Office, Yangon11-A, Malikha Road, Mayangone TownshipYangon, MyanmarTel: (95-1) 666 903Fax: (95-1) 666 903E-mail: guillaume.lehegarat@myanmar.undcp.org

40. Ms. Yasuyo YamaguchiProgramme OfficerUNDCP Country Office, Yangon11-A, Malikha Road, Mayangone TownshipYangon, MyanmarTel: (95-1) 666 903Fax: (95-1) 666 903E-mail: yasuyo.yamaguchi@myanmar.undcp.org

41. Mr. Craig Douglas KeatingSecond Secretary(Technical and Economic Cooperation)Australian Embassy37 South Sathorn Road,Bangkok, Thailand 10120Tel: (66-2) 287 2680 Ext 5531Fax: (66-2) 287 2028E-mail: craig_keating@ausaid.gov.au

OBSERVER

42. Lt. Col. Tan Swan KaingGeneral Staff Officer Grade (I)Eastern CommandTaunggyi, MyanmarTel: (95-81) 21533-4

43. Pol. Capt. Khin Maung LwinSupervisor, Anti-Narcotic UnitTaunggyi, MyanmarTel: (95-81) 21800

44. Pol. Lt. Muang AungSection Chief (Crime Prevention)Shan State Police ForceTaunggyi, MyanmarTel: (95-81) 21013

45. U Nyi ThienManagerWa General TradingYangon Branch OfficeYangon, MyanmarTel: (95-1) 511 910

46. U Chin YoneD4 District ChairmanUnited Wa State Army (UWSA)Mong Pawk DistrictWa Special Region 2Eastern Shan State, Myanmar

47. Dr. Kham Noan HsamOrganizational support3003/56 Wharf Street,Bridgewater River TerracesKangaroo Point QLD.4169.AustraliaTel: (61-7) 3391 2335E-mail: khamnoanhsam@hotmail.com