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5. As regards the Myitkyina District, the proposals were less drastic and were to the effect that registered opium consumers should be allowed to cultivate a restricted area for their own consumption only. It was also proposed that a moderate tax should be imposed on the small areas placed under the poppy. As regards the possession of opium, no change was to be made. The orders of the local Government on Colonel Aplin's proposals were contained in Confidential letter dated the 8th January, 1914, from the Assistant Secretary to the Financial Commissioner, and were that the cultivation of the poppy was to be absolutely prohibited in the four districts of Myitkyina, Bhamo, Katha and the Ruby Mines, and recommendations were requested as to the measures to be taken to enforce absolute prohibition within It was further directed that the powers a limited period of three to five years. conferred by the Frontier Crossing and Disturbed Districts Regulation, I of 1907. should be strictly exercised, and persons believed to take part in smuggling should be warned not to reside or travel in the areas mentioned in the warning. Detailed proposals were subsequently submitted in this office, Revenue Department, Confi- dential letter dated the 8th April, 1914. A summary of the proposals is :--
(1.) That the Kachin Hill Tribes Regulation should be amended so as to make cultivation of the poppy in any hill-tract to which the regulation applies illegal.
(2.) That orders should be proclaimed in all villages in the hill-tracts that after the season of 1914-15 the cultivation of the poppy would be entirely prohibited, that the crop found would be destroyed and that the owner of the crop would be liable to prosecution.
(3.) That in the first season after the proclamation of the prohibition, all poppy crops found should be destroyed, but prosecution should not be resorted to, but in subsequent years prosecution should be undertaken; light punishments being inflicted, in the case of first offences.
(4.) That Chinese subjects found cultivating the poppy on the Burmese side of the frontier should be similarly treated; and should also be dealt with under the Frontier Crossing and Disturbed Districts Regulation and expelled from British territory.
6. It was not proposed that any measures to restrict the possession of opium should for the present be brought into force. Subsequently, owing to the outbreak of the European war, further action was stayed on these recommendations under the orders conveyed in letter dated the 24th February, 1916. Representations were subsequently made by Mr. Lewisohn when Deputy Commissioner, Bhamo, in his letter dated the 10th January, 1917, to the effect that every year during which restrictive measures were not taken would make it more difficult to prohibit the cultivation of the poppy and that considerable increase was noticeable every year in the area placed under the poppy. It was, however, decided to take no further action until the conclusion of peace.
7. From the replies now received from the Deputy Commissioners it will be noticed that there is no very great change in the position described in 1913. From Bhamo the Deputy Commissioner reports that it is probable that the area cultivated in 1919 was greater than the estimated area of 2,000 acres in 1913, because the price of opium had risen so enormously owing, I presume, to the drastic restrictive measures taken in Yunnan. Colonel Owens proposes that orders should be issued at once declaring poppy cultivation illegal and that the Assistant Superintendent, Sinlum, He should take steps to destroy any crops he finds during the present open season. approves the proposals made in 1914 by Mr. Lewisohn for the amendment of the existing legislation. From Myitkyina Major Bazett considers that prohibition of poppy cultivation is at the present time impossible and inexpedient owing to the relaxation of restrictive measures on the Chinese side. He is informed that the crop in Yunnan is likely to be a very large one, that the price of opium has already fallen about 50 per cent. from the enormous price of 325 rupees, which was reached in February of the present year, and that this will of itself tend to discourage any export to China. He points out that the Kachins use opium to a considerable extent as medicine in the case of certain diseases, that they use it as an article of exchange, that it is less harmful than certain other drugs and that the restriction of cultivation would cause trouble. A new factor which he mentions is that two seizures of opium which was intended to be smuggled into China were made this year, but the facts he
mentions indicate that the cultivation of opium at present does not extend over large areas and that it is mostly cultivated in small patches for home consumption. From Katha and the Ruby Mines Districts the Deputy Commissioners report that there will be no difficulty in enforcing effective prohibition of poppy cultivation throughout the Kachin Hills in their districts. For various reasons I am opposed to the Deputy Commissioner Myitkyina's policy of non-intervention. It is evident that cultivation has not extended as it has in Bhamo, and now is the time to take preventive measures. The Chinese policy of repression will, I believe, be a lasting one, and I pay little attention to a temporary set-back owing to careless or corrupt enforcement. There will be a return to the stricter policy with a change of officials. 8. I agree with the policy proposed by Colonel Aplin in 1914, and consider that the time has now come to put it into force. What I would now propose is that the Kachin Hills Regulation should be amended so as to make it illegal to cultivate poppy in all hill-tracts to which the regulation applies. The amendments proposed in Colonel Aplin's letter, dated the 8th April, 1914, appear to me to be suitable. These
are:-
That the following additions and alterations be made in section 31 of the Kachin Hill Tribes Regulation:—
Sub-section (1)—After (b) add "(c) Cultivate the poppy in any hill-tract to
which this regulation has been extended.”
Sub-section (3).--After the words "under sub-section (1)" insert “(a)
and (b).
Sub-section (4)-After the words "the opium" in the first line insert OT
poppies."
Sub-section (6). After the word "opium" in the seventh line insert"
poppies."
or
9. The criticism made by Mr. Wilkinson to the effect that these amendments will only authorise confiscation of poppies after conviction is not justified. An offence is committed by cultivating the poppy, and the crop can be confiscated whether a prosecu- tion is undertaken or not. But the matter is not of much importance as the crop can also be destroyed by executive order.
10. As regards the steps to be taken to enforce the new regulation I would propose that the restriction be gradually introduced in the manner proposed by Colonel Aplin. During the present season I would suggest that Deputy Commis- sioners and civil officers should take every opportunity of instructing the Kachins that cultivation of the poppy will not be allowed after the present season, after which the crop
will be destroyed wherever found and cultivators prosecuted. I also propose that steps shoul be taken during the present season to destroy all crops planted by persons who are not members of a hill-tribe, and that such persons should be dealt with under the Frontier Crossing and Disturbed Districts Regulation. During the season of 1920-21, I would take steps to enforce the prohibition and to destroy such crops as are found planted either by members of hill-tribes or others; but I would not undertake prosecutions except possibly in cases where resistance is met with. In subsequent seasons I would destroy all crops found, and undertake prosecutions wherever it is considered desirable. The proposals made by the Deputy Commissioner Myitkyina amount to an adoption of a non possumus attitude which is deprecated in Mr. Keith's letter, dated the 25th April, 1913, and cannot be accepted.
11. As regards Putao, I do not recommend that any action should be taken for the present. Mr. Barnard is new to the district, and has asked that his report be deferred until the conclusion of the present open season. Conditions are very different there, and the bulk of the cultivation is confined to the Khamti Long plain. The opium grown there is believed to be entirely consumed by the Shans, to whom it is practically a necessity of life at the present time, and any measures taken will have to be introduced very gradually. The poppy is also grown in small patches by the hill- tribes for their own consumption, but it is certainly not exported to China from this district. I think, however, that cultivation of the poppy may be made illegal in the Putao Hill Tracts also, though I would not enforce the law for the present.
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