Attachments
1. Introduction
Alongside the Burma Army[1]’s shelling, air strikes, and violent attacks, villagers in Southeast Burma (/Myanmar)[2] have been forced to contend with another threat to their community’s safety and wellbeing: the rapid spread of drugs, chief among these yaba[3]. The armed conflict in locally-defined Karen State[4] has created conditions in which drug use and trade have flourished. The conflict’s impact on access to job opportunities, education, and livelihoods, as well as on mental distress, has pushed many villagers (of different gender and ages) towards drug use. Simultaneously, the widespread presence of drugs has encouraged further heightened levels of use in communities, including amongst children.
Villagers have reported that their personal, familial, and communal wellbeing has worsened significantly due to drug use in villages. Individual users face stigma and poor physical and mental health, sometimes leading to suicide. Families have seen a rise in domestic violence perpetrated by those using drugs, while communities have experienced an increase in youth gang activity, theft, and sexual violence and exploitation. Despite clear gaps in access to drug awareness, rehabilitative treatment, and support, villagers continue to employ strategies to respond to the impacts of drug abuse in their communities, including taking drug users to treatment centres or to drug-free areas, raising awareness, and reporting their concerns to relevant stakeholders.
This briefing paper discusses the spread of drug availability and abuse in Southeast Burma and its impacts reported by villagers in 2025. First, a historical overview is presented, reviewing the development of drug trafficking and consumption in Southeast Burma. The paper later explores the factors driving drug use; the impacts on the wellbeing of users, families, and communities; and villagers’ voices, strategies, and challenges faced while dealing with drug issues. This is followed by a legal analysis of the national and international legal implications of drug-related issues in Karen State. The paper finishes with recommendations to key stakeholders.