UN: Poverty, conflict drive opium production in Myanmar-Laos

The U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime’s latest opium survey for Myanmar and Laos, released 15 December, said poverty and conflict are the driving forces behind poppy cultivation, the second largest behind that of Afghanistan.

In its latest production assessment, UNDOC said although Southeast Asia’s opium poppy output generally has steadied in recent years, production is still more than triple the output in 2006.

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