12-12-2024 (YANGON) Military conscripts in Myanmar were compelled to consume methamphetamine to maintain battlefield alertness and diminish their sensitivity to violence, according to shocking revelations from soldiers captured by rebel forces.
Fresh allegations have emerged from five detained servicemen, who appeared in footage released by the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), claiming that Myanmar’s military junta routinely supplied army outposts with methamphetamine tablets.
The soldiers disclosed their forced recruitment following the February 2021 military coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratic government, triggering widespread conflict between the junta and ethnic resistance groups.
One captive, identified as Private Poe Htoo, revealed that troops were administered methamphetamine and ordered to burn “suspicious dwellings” in eastern Kayah state. Another detained soldier admitted to torching houses that “impeded military visibility” and properties where resistance fighters’ uniforms were discovered.
The civil strife intensified in late 2023 when the Three Brotherhood Alliance—comprising three prominent ethnic armed groups—launched successful operations against military installations, securing multiple strategic positions along border regions.
According to the captured soldiers’ testimonies, the stimulant, locally known as ‘Ya ba’, was distributed to combat fatigue during sentry duty. One soldier notably claimed that even high-ranking officers, including a major, participated in drug consumption.
The revelations align with long-standing accusations against Myanmar’s military regarding involvement in narcotics production and trafficking. This connection was further evidenced when resistance forces reportedly discovered 1,300 soap boxes containing heroin during their capture of Pinlebu town in Sagaing region.
The ongoing instability has transformed Myanmar into a significant hub for methamphetamine production, exacerbating the narcotics crisis across Southeast Asia. A recent UN Office on Drugs and Crime report highlighted unprecedented methamphetamine seizures in East and Southeast Asia, reaching 190 tonnes in 2023, with nearly 89 percent originating from Southeast Asia, predominantly the Golden Triangle region.
