Staff Reporter : Myanmar remained on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) money laundering watch list since February 2020. For inadequate implementation of anti-money legislation and procedures. Organized crime, cyber crime & dark net based criminal activities are widespread and Reports mentioning drug money has been using for terrorist financing (ICG, 2019). Profits lead to more groups in drug production and trafficking. Golden Triangle drugs kingpin are rich but socioeconomic situation of the area is poor. The roots of the problem is different capacities for countries and geopolitical stance, and political instability leads to more drug production opportunity. Whatever, The countries of the Golden Triangle and Mekong region have been taking individual and joint measures to announce a drug free region. 06 countries of the Mekong region signed the Mekong MOU with the assistance of UNODC, Based on The Sub-Region Action Plan (SAP), established in 1995 for the purpose of drug control, which aims to formulate the necessary laws in the countries for drugs. The countries have been conducting Joint Patrols since December 2011, following the 2011 killing of 13 crews on two Chinese ships by drug lords in the Mekong River (Xinhua, July 20, 2021).
Golden Triangle is a part of the ASEAN countries that are called a region of rapidly developing Southeast Asia. ASEAN countries have taken massive steps to control drugs in their region, but increased ATS production and trafficking in Golden Triangle is the evidence that it is not enough. Golden Triangle area needs direct political and anti-drug measures by ASEAN, which they failed to take. In 2010 ministerial meeting, ASEAN countries mission was to make the region drug free by 2015 and in 2012, ASEAN countries launched ASEAN‘s Plan of Action on Drug Abuse Control (CTG, 2021). ASEAN‘s selective coordinated measures with China, India and Bangladesh would help to improve the drug and ethno-political problem of Myanmar. The solution of Myanmar ethno-political problems would ultimately increase the pace of Mekong drug problem.
Bangladesh need to effectively engage Myanmar in policy and strategy platforms and, where necessary, provide reasonable direct regional cooperation to address Myanmar’s internal drug, ethnic and political problems. Improvement of the situation is possible if action is taken by assigning responsibilities and monitoring the progress from time to time. The solution to the drug problem in Bangladesh and the region is largely dependenton ethnic conflict in Myanmar and drug control in the Golden Triangle region and the lower Mekong Delta.
In 2020, the ̳Conference on Combating Drugs Trafficking‘ was held in New Delhi, India, with BIMSTEC member countries, stating that the BIMSTEC region is one of the fastest growing centers for pharmaceutical production and trade. This makes the BIMSTEC region very vulnerable to pharmaceutical drug diversion and trafficking (Bhadouria, 2022). Besides, trafficking communication is being done especially using darknet marketplace. In the conference, the increase in the production and trafficking of ATS and heroin in the Golden Triangle near the Bay of Bengal and drug trafficking in the trade route of the Bay of Bengal including the pharmaceutical industry, were discussed and decision taken. China is leading another fast-growing pharmaceutical industry in the region. With the presence of Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Thailand in BIMSTEC, it has created a suitable platform to discuss ATS trafficking in Bangladesh. Coordinating, implementing, and sharing policies and strategies adopted by the Mekong Platform and BIMSTEC Platform will increase political commitment to drug control in the region, which is needed to solve Myanmar’s problems.
19.1 BIMSTEC Need to Play Major Role to Coordinate South and Southeast Asia : ‘BIMSTEC Convention on Cooperation in Combating International Terrorism, Transnational Organized Crimeand Illicit Drug Trafficking‘ came into effect in March 2021 after ratification by BIMSTEC countries. Under this convention, member states will be able to share information about people involved in drug trafficking, coordinate their processes and procedures, and create opportunities for mutual cooperation in law enforcement. Overcoming limitations of Bangladesh-Myanmar cooperation, it presents a great opportunity for Bangladesh toenhance bilateral and multilateral relations, which is equally needed by Myanmar. In October 2021, the meeting of BIMSTEC sub group ̳Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics Drugs, Psychotropic Substances and Precursor Chemicals‘ was held, which to establish a BIMSTEC focal point and BIMSTEC Drug Offenses Monitoring Desk for intelligence sharing (Sahu, 2022). By setting up this desk, Bangladesh can shape joint arrangements with Myanmar and India by prioritizing mutual information exchange and joint action. Investments in joint capacity building in logistics, border security, identification of vulnerable people, investment in treatment and awareness etc. are needed to control the inter-state drug trade, so that all countries, including Myanmar, can play a role in mutual partnership in controlling drug trafficking (Sahu, 2022).
The United States and European countries have jointly played a significant role in combating drug trafficking onthe darknet. Bangladesh has been holding bilateral meetings on drugs with Myanmar and India along withSAARC Drug Offenses Monitoring Desk, Colombo Plan Drug Advisory Program, BIMSTEC, UNODC, INCB etc. it will remain an infinite problem for the countries alone without the coordinated action of regional initiatives and international support.
19.2 Role of Bangladesh Drug Control Agency and International Agency : Bangladesh Department Narcotics Control (DNC) should constantly work with the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC), Myanmar’s responsible agency for drug control, to attract their attention, increase cooperation and strengthen mutual relations by presenting sensitive information. Bangladesh has to play aleading role in the regional scale for taking joint measures by identifying places of drug trafficking and vulnerable people on the border, identifying the modus operandi of drug trafficking, identifying the necessary logistics for border security and countering drug trafficking, investment in rehabilitation, etc. on the Bangladesh-Myanmar border. There is no alternative to increasing Bangladesh’s relationship with Myanmar, beit bilaterally, trilaterally or multilaterally, to deal with the flow of ATS. Cooperation initiatives at the level of Bangladesh-Myanmar, Bangladesh-India, Bangladesh-Myanmar-India, BIMSTEC, Mekong-BIMSTEC, etc. will provide greater support in determining Bangladesh’s action on ATS. UNODC and regional organizations should work with Myanmar‘s all neighboring country with equal emphasize as these countries suffers almost equally, and these countries can play political and economic reconciliation. Bangladesh can be a stakeholder to solve Myanmar military problem with Arakan Army, Thailand for Karen and Karenni, China for Kachin, UWSA etc. India for Sagaing region, Chin state etc., so that political as well as drug problems can be mitigated.
19.3 China ‘One Road -One Belt’ Policy and Myanmar Drug Strategy Implementation : China has increased regional law enforcement cooperation with regional countries for increased meth production and trafficking, and precursor chemical trafficking (Felbab-Brown, 2022). China is dependent on Myanmar for its ‘One road -One belt‘ policy and commercial and strategic reasons, similarly, Myanmar is dependent on China for its internal reasons. In the case of Bangladesh, establishment of long-term win-win relations with Myanmar can be fruitful only by establishing multiple connectivity with neighboring Myanmar and becoming a positive and influential partner in Myanmar’s economy and strategy. A report by the International Crisis Group (2019) noted that the drug trade would not have been possible without the high level of corruption in countries including China, Laos and Thailand, through which large shipments of drugs and precursor smuggling take place. China in particular has a role to play in preventing precursors. Large scale drug production and trafficking in Myanmar is not possible without the cooperation of the Myanmar government. Drugs have become geopolitical regulators as they are used to achieve political ends. Actions and positive implementation in Myanmar and countries in the region are largely linked to solving drug and other related problems. The solution to the drug and other related problems of Myanmar and countries in the region, is largely involved with the steps taken and positive implementation in Myanmar.
Source Article : ” Golden Triangle to Bangladesh: Regional Analysis of ATS Sources, Trafficking Routes and Kingpin Involved, and Role of Regional Organizations”