Worried of their children becoming drug users, women in Muse township’s Mongpaw tract are up in arms against both drug addicts and peddlers, according to sources coming to the Sino-Burmese border.

Made up mostly of Kachin and Shan women, the group, since 2 months ago, has been launching raids on houses in villages suspected of selling drugs to the local people and youth. “They would burn up the drugs seized in public,” said a businessman who had visited the area. “They are also setting up their own treatment centers for addicts.”

The sources however were unable to offer more details.
Mongpaw has a Burma Army run People’s Militia Force (PMF), headed by Keng Mai, 42, who was “elected” as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Shan State Assembly in 2010. He is also a member of the ruling military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP).

During the 2010 election campaign, he reportedly told the villagers at one rally: “If you vote for me, I’ll be elected. But if you don’t vote for me, I’ll still be elected.”
He has been named by Shan Drug Watch 2012 as one of the 9 druglords in Parliament. All are USDP members.

Naypyitaw, on 5 October, declared the end date for drug eradication in the country has been moved from 2014 to 2019.