Distinguished citizens of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar,
I extend my warmest greetings and sincere wishes for peace, prosperity, and well‑being to all nationals of our beloved country.
Today, as we mark another International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, we are reminded that the global community continues to face a persistent and evolving drug crisis. For decades, nations across the world have struggled to contain this menace, and its far‑reaching consequences — social disintegration, economic loss, public health emergencies, and threats to national stability and development remain profound. Myanmar is no exception. We are confronting the complex realities of opium poppy cultivation, the large‑scale production of synthetic narcotics, and the rampant abuse and trafficking that fuel instability within our borders.
To address these challenges decisively, the Government has established the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control, which has formulated clear policies and mobilized eleven specialized task forces to execute comprehensive enforcement, prevention, and rehabilitation measures. The country has designated the fight against narcotics as a national priority and has accelerated operations with unwavering resolve.
However, we must acknowledge a grave reality. Certain ethnic armed organizations and PDF terrorist groups have exploited periods of political uncertainty to expand their involvement in the illicit drug trade. They have intensified the production, transportation, and sale of narcotics, using the profits as their primary source of revenue. These funds are systematically channelled into the recruitment of new fighters, the procurement of weapons and ammunition, and the sustainment of violent campaigns that directly undermine national security, public safety, and long‑term development. This is not a mere allegation; it is corroborated by the mounting evidence of arrests and seizures conducted by our law enforcement agencies.
As the Head of State has clearly articulated, those who refuse to abandon the armed path under the pretext of federalism, democracy, or ethnic rights are, in truth, financing their operations through the narcotics trade, as well as engaging in transnational crimes including online fraud and online gambling. These activities not only prolong the existence of insurgent groups but also pose a persistent danger to the stability of our nation. In response, the country is conducting special counter‑insurgency operations on a nationwide scale, while simultaneously strengthening cooperative frameworks with neighbouring countries and international organizations.
In the execution of our anti‑narcotics strategy, the Government has implemented a series of special operation plans. To date, forty‑one such operations have been conducted, and a further operation is currently being planned for this year. In the course of these efforts, members of the Defence Services and the Myanmar Police Force have made the ultimate sacrifice, laying down their lives for the sake of the nation and its people. Their courage and devotion will never be forgotten.
Our intensified enforcement actions have yielded significant results. During 2025 alone, authorities registered 5,370 drug‑related cases, arrested seven thousand five hundred and sixty‑two offenders, and seized narcotics, precursor chemicals, and related materials valued at over K1,761 billion. Furthermore, to strike at the very roots of the drug trade, we are pursuing not only the direct perpetrators but also accomplices and masterminds operating behind the scenes. Assets derived from drug offences are being confiscated under the Anti‑Money Laundering Law, and during the same period, assets worth over K4,285 million were forfeited to the State treasury.
In keeping with international practice, the contraband seized is destroyed each year on 26 June, on which we have destroyed narcotics and related materials valued at over one thousand K72 billion in 2025. As for this year, Myanmar will also commemorate its destruction ceremony as a national event in Yangon, Mandalay and Taunggyi by destroying narcotics and related materials valued at over K2,209 billion. Due to the intensified special operations for narcotics control and suppression, the number of apprehensions has risen significantly, necessitating the destruction of more than double the quantity seized compared to the previous year.
Beyond enforcement, the Government is equally committed to reducing the supply of drugs through sustainable alternative development. The Alternative Development Implementation Management Committee, together with the Crop Substitution and Agriculture Sector and the Livestock Sector, is actively working to reduce opium poppy cultivation by providing viable economic alternatives. The second‑phase pilot project, covering the period from 2024 to 2029, is also currently being implemented in sixty‑five villages within Hopong and Hsihseng Townships. In addition, we are collaborating with Thailand’s Office of the Narcotics Control Board in the Naungtayar region of Southern Shan State, and with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime in Taunggyi and Hopong areas. These partnerships have already borne fruit in 2024; over 153 tonnes of coffee from the Hopong and Loilem regions were exported to France, and that figure rose to over two hundred and five point five tons in 2025. Similarly, over six tonnes of dried coffee beans from the Naungtayar region were sent to Thailand for value‑added processing last year.
The Crop Substitution and Agriculture Sector has carried out extensive work across fifty‑five project townships with a budget exceeding K4,431 million. These activities include agricultural education, distribution of short‑term seeds and perennial saplings, provision of fertilizers and pesticides, establishment of model plots, and the expansion of both seasonal and perennial crop cultivation. Meanwhile, the Livestock Sector has provided livestock support, organized vocational training and awareness sessions, conducted beekeeping courses, and administered vaccinations to over 500,000 animals while treating more than 10,000 others.
On the prevention and demand‑reduction front, we are actively raising public awareness through talks, talk shows, and the distribution of educational materials, utilizing all available information channels. Drug prevention education has been accelerated across higher education, teacher training, basic education, and non‑formal education sectors. Within the seven School‑Based Education processes, the eradication of drug hazards has been designated as the first priority process.
For those already affected by substance abuse, we have established twenty‑nine major and fifty‑seven minor drug treatment centres, complemented by 36 methadone maintenance clinics and five buprenorphine treatment clinics. To support the reintegration of recovered individuals into society, fourteen rehabilitation camps have been opened, and we are actively working to expand these facilities across regions.
The Government recognizes that international cooperation is indispensable in this fight. Myanmar is a signatory to all three United Nations drug control conventions, and we are actively collaborating with UN agencies, regional and extra‑regional partners, ASEAN member states, BIMSTEC members, the UNODC, the US Drug Enforcement Administration, the National Narcotics Control Commission of China, and the Office of the Narcotics Control Board of Thailand. We regularly participate in the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Drug Matters and the Senior Officials Meeting on Drug Matters, as well as in the Ministerial and Senior Officials meetings of the signatories to the Memorandum of Understanding on Drug Control in the Mekong Region. Our Safe Mekong Cooperation Centre office in Taunggyi serves as a vital hub for intelligence sharing and joint operational coordination.
The theme for this year’s commemoration, as conveyed by the UNOD “World Drug Problem: Persisting Issues, New Challenges, Innovative Responses”, reminds us that the nature of the drug threat is constantly evolving, and so too must our responses. The Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control is continuously reviewing the changing landscape and adjusting its strategies to ensure that our enforcement, prevention, and rehabilitation efforts remain effective and forward‑looking.
Yet we must be clear that the drug problem is not a challenge which can be overcome by the Government alone. No single individual, no single agency, and no single organization can succeed in isolation. It is only through the collective vigilance, active participation, and shared responsibility of the entire populace that we can hope to uproot this menace. Every citizen has a role to play in reporting suspicious activities, in refusing to be complicit, in supporting rehabilitation, and in building a drug‑free future for our children and grandchildren.
Therefore, I call upon all people living within the Union of Myanmar, regardless of ethnicity, religion, or background, to unite as one and to join hands with the State in this noble and necessary struggle. The stability and development of our nation depend on it. Our future depends on it.
Let us stand together, with courage and determination, to protect our society, our youth, and our national sovereignty from the scourge of narcotics.
Thank you, and may you all be blessed with safety, health, and prosperity.
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