Opium in Myanmar (1885-1948)

OPIUM IN MYANMAR (1885-1948) PhD DISSERTATION AYE AYE HLAING DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY UNIVERSITY OF MANDALAY MYANMAR MARCH, 2008 OPIUM IN MYANMAR (1885-1948) University of Mandalay OPIUM IN MYANMAR (1885-1948) A Dissertation Submitted to University of Mandalay In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in History Department of History Aye Aye Hlaing 4 PhD - Hist - 24 Mandalay, Myanmar March 2008 5 ABSTRACT The word “opium” derived from Latin, meaning “the one and single remedy of God”. In Pali, it is derived from Ahi-phena; in Sanskrit, Aphena. It was called Aphein in Hindi, and from that word derived the Mon word and the Myanmar word “Bein”. The Opium War of China stood as evidence that while opium would serve as a useful remedy; the abuse of opium could result in the ruin of the country. In Myanmar, the Dutch traders trafficked opium in the 16th century. But the Myanmar kings gave punishment to the opium-eaters or opium users, even death sentence. Thus, danger of the opium was presented in the reign of Myanmar kings. But after Myanmar had been annexed by the British government, licenses were issued for opening opium shops, and the Myanmar people, then were confronted with the dangers of the opium. This point has been presented in this dissertation. Next, it is discussed that the use of opium for healing or for remedy in the tradition of Myanmar indigenous medicine was transformed into the abuse of the opium which resulted from the bad heritage of colonialism. In other words, it is highlighted that it was the British colonialists who first brought the problem of drug abuse which followed the abuse of opium, in Myanmar. Although the British government earned a lot of income or revenue collected on opium license and the opium shops, some Myanmar became the victims of opium as opium eaters or smokers. This dissertation has presented, together with statistics of primary sources, the fact that one-tenth of all criminal cases that took place in Myanmar during the colonial period where related to the abuse of the opium. In the Review it is discussed that the problem of the opium which took root in the sixteenth century has still been the cause for the national threat today. There has as yet been lacking a dissertation which presents an account on opium as a narcotic drug based on reliable, collected contemporary primary sources, and this has been a gap in Myanmar history which this dissertation aims to fill. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Abstract iii List of Table v List of Photographs vii List of Maps ix List of Appendices x List of Abbreviations xi Glossary xiii Introduction xix Chapters 1. Background History 1 2. Opium Laws 23 3. Opium Cultivation and Production 60 4. Opium Distribution and its Consequences 84 Conclusion 131 Appendices 150 Bibliography 156 List of Tables Page 1. The largest opium excise collected districts 18 2. The least opium excise levied district from 1905-06 to 1911-12 19 3. The largest amounts of opium excise collected districts from 1912-13 20 to 1930-31 4. Least amount of opium excise collected district from 1912-13 to 21 1930-31 5. Opium Cases 27 6. Report on Opium-Related case 34 7. Special tax on opium trafficking 37 8. Opium Crime and punishment in lower Myanmar and Upper 42 Myanmar 9. The amount of opium weight arrested all over the country 45 10. Control of case breaching the opium Act 49 11. Opium cases in Myanmar 52 12. The Excise Collection 78 13. The amount of opium sold in Rakhine Division 89 14. Sale, loss and Profit of Opium in respective districts 92 15. Net Revenue on opium in Respective Districts 93 16. Rental Fees in Respective Districts 94 17. Opium Sale in Lower Myanmar 96 18. Opium issued, Opium shop Rental Fees and Sale in 1886-69 99 19. Comparison of license Fees for selling the opium 104 vi 20. The Revenue of 1883-84 and 1884-85 105 21. Fees for the Warehouses 110 22. Fees on the issuing of the license Fees of opium in Upper Myanmar 110 23. Revenue colleted on Opium in Upper Myanmar 112 24. Issuing the license of Opium 113 25. Opium shops and license Fees 114 26. Opium sale of Rakhine District 115 27. Opium Sale of the Bago District 115 28. Revenue collected on opium in Lower Myanmar 117 29. Amount of opium annually imported from India into Myanmar 118 30. Opium Consumers of the jail population for Lower Burma 123 31. Number of Opium Shops and Revenue in the Shan States 124 32. Estimate Revenue from 1940 to 1944 126 List of Photographs Page 1. Cultivating and Producing Opium Crop in India Since 11th Century 135 2. Self-consumption of Opium by Rich Arabs and Trading it throughout 135 the World 3. An Arab Smoking Opium and a Woman in the Same Way 136 4. An Arab Teaching How to Use Opium and Sellint it in Myanmar 137 Po-win-taung Mural Painting (17th Century) 5. A Native being Taught How to Smoke Opium by a Foreigner Po- 137 win-taung Mural Painting (17th Century) 6. Foreigners Using Opium in Myanmar Po-win-taung Mural Painting 138 (17th Century ) 7. Opium Pipes 138 8. Opium Pipes 139 9. Tattooing a Burmese Boy, Permission to Use Opium while being 140 tattooed and to have Opium in hand (Tattooer) 10. Opium Seeds 140 11. Raw Opium and its Extract 141 12. Various Opium Crops 142 viii 13. Production of resin from poppy pod 143 14. A Licenced Opium Dem 144 15. Woman Opium Consumer 144 List of Maps Page 1. Opium Shops in Rakhine Division 146 2. Opium Shops in Taninthayi Division 147 3. Opium Shops in Lower Myanmar 148 4. Opium Shops in Upper Myanmar 149 List of Appendices Page 1. License Fees of Opium in Upper Myanmar 150 2. Revenue Collected on Opium in Myanmar 152 3. Increase and Reduce of Opium Shop in Myanmar 154 4. Increase and Reduce of Opium Shop of District in Myanmar 155 List of Abbreviations Anti-Narcotic Drug Campaign, Anti-narcotic drug and Intoxicant Abuse versus 1972 the United Nations, the United Nations Headquarters, New York, Department of information, 1972 Aung Than Htun, 1980 Anti-narcotics Campaign, Yangon, Sarpay Beikman Press, 1980 BLS, 1925 Pyidungsu Myanmar Naingantaw Bein-Let-Swe- U Pade (The Myanmar Opium Manual) Yangon Union of Myanmar, 1925 Bo Hlaing, 1961 U-du-baw-zana Thingaha Kyan, Yangon, Hanthawaddy, 1961 BOEM, 1911 The Opium Act, The Bihar and Orissa Excise Manual, Government Printing, 1911 BOM, 1927 The Burma Opium Manual 1925 Rangoon, Government Printing, 1927 Brief History, 1907 Brief Histories of the States in the Southern Shan States. For the year 1906, Rangoon, Government, Printing, 1907 Chin Hills, 1923 Report on the Administration of Chin Hills, Rangoon, Printing, 1923 Crosthwaite, 1968 The Pacification of Burma, Frank Cass and Co. Ltd, 1968 Daly, 1890 Record on the Northern Shan States, Rangoon xii Government, Printing, 1890 FACE, 1947 Frontier Areas Committee of Enquiry 1947, Report, Rangoon, Government Printing, 1947 Godley, 1906 Return of the Amount of India opium annually. Consused in Burma during the last thirty years, Indian stationary, office, 1906 Hall, 1945 Europe and Burma, London, Oxford University Press, 1945 Hertz, 1960 Burma Gazetteer Myitkyina District, Rangoon, Government Printing, 1960 Ireland, 1907 The Province of Burma, Vol.II, A Report Prepared on behalf of the University of Chicago, Cambridge, The Kiberside Press, 1907 Japanese Occupations, 1943 Burma During the Japanese Occupation, Vol.I, 1st October, 1943, Burma Intelligence Bueau, 1943 Khin Khin Sein, 1964 Alaungphaya ei Ameinttaw Myar (The Royal Order of Alaungmintaya), Yangon, Myanmar Historical, Commission, 1964 Khin Maung Gyi, 1961 Kambawza ne win Bayin Myar (Lord of the Sunset) Yangon, Magalar Press, 1961 Ko Ko Gyi, 1975 Bhama a twin tha baw (Into hidden Burma), Yangon, Gorki Sarpay, 1975 Konbaungzet, 2004 Konbaungzet Maha Yazawintawgyi (Great Chronicles of the Konbaung Dynasty) Vol.I, Yangon, Ya Pyei publishing House, 2004 xiii Kyaw Than Htun, 1987 Narcotic drugs and Indigenous medicine, Yangon, Sarpay Beikman, 1987 Kyi Mar, 1973 Ngayeban (The Hell Flower), Byaiktaw, Yangon, Oh Way Sarpay, 1973 La Mottee, 1920 The Opium Monopoly, Macmillan Company, New York, 1920 Maung Maung Tin, 1975 Shwenanthone Wawhara Abhidan, (A dictionary of Palace usages), Yangon Government, Buddha Sasana Council Press, 1975 Mg Htin Aung, 1956 The Thirty Seven Lords, JBRS, Vol xxxlx, pt, 1956 Morrison, 1963 Burma Gazetteer Henzada District, Rangoon, Government Printing, 1963 Myanmar Abhidhan, 1991 Myanmar Abhidan, (Dictionary of Myanmar), Yangon, Myanmar Commission, 1991 Myanmar Swezonkyan, 1963 Myanmar Swezonkyan (Encyclopedia of Myanmar), Vol VII, Yangon, Sarpaybeikman Press, 1963 Nisbet, 1901 Burma under the British Rule and Before, London, the sea wood Printing, Works, 1901 Nyo Mya, 1973 Bein Dika thone saung twe (The opium world in three volumes), Yangon, Oh Way Sarpay, 1st impression, 1973 Opium Manual, 1945 The Opium Manual, Rangoon, Government, Printing, 1945 PAB, 1886 Proceeding of the Administration of Burma on the Department of Finance and Commerce, Upper Burma, 1886 xiv PGB, 1900 Proceeding of the Government of Burma, 1900, Rangoon Government Press, 1900 Pearn, 1939 A History of Rangoon, Rangoon, American Baptist Mission Press, 1939 Po Latt, 1963 Myanmar Saga Ahpwint Kyan (Explanatory Text to Myanmar Language), Vol. II, Yangon, Pyinnya Nanda Press, 1963 PRCO, 1886 Paper Relating to the Consumption of Opium in Lower and Upper Burma, 1886, Rangoon, Office of the Superintendent, Government Printing, Burma, 1886 RAB, 1867-1911 Report on the Administration of British Burma, Rangoon, Government Printing, 1867-1911 RACJB, 1908 Report on the Administration

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