The People’s Defence Force has suffered a major symbolic setback by losing control of the first town it seized – accusing the Myanmar military of destroying Kawlin in order to reclaim it – but its troops vow to fight on.
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The People’s Defence Force has suffered a major symbolic setback by losing control of the first town it seized – accusing the Myanmar military of destroying Kawlin in order to reclaim it – but its troops vow to fight on.
On June 26, the government commemorated the International Day Against Drug Abuse by burning illicit drugs with a street value of more than US$200 million at a lavish ceremony in Yangon. Despite these publicity stunts, drugs remain a major issue in Myanmar, with the country still the second-largest producer of opium in the world. Frontier’s Oliver Slow spoke to UNODC regional representative Mr Jeremy Douglas about the extent of illicit drug use in Myanmar, measures being taken to improve treatment for users and the agency’s programmes aimed at combatting transnational crime.
Delphos International, a Washington DC-based company focused on project financing in emerging markets, recently completed the first phase of a study on Myanmar’s energy sector under a project financed by the United States Trade and Development Agency (USTDA). At the request of the Ministry of Electricity and Energy, the study was expanded to include the state of the national electricity grid and its capacity to handle power from renewable sources. The manager of the project, Mr Eric Shumway, spoke to Frontier’s Thomas Kean about why the ministry has concerns about renewables, comparing the cost of different power generation types and why power shortages could get much worse before the situation begins to improve. Before joining Delphos to manage the project, Shumway was a director at London Economics International, an energy economics consultancy.

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Stories in this issue
Myanmar enters 2021 with more friends than foes
The early delivery of vaccines is one of the many boons of the country’s geopolitics, but to really take advantage, Myanmar must bury the legacy of its isolationist past.
Will the Kayin BGF go quietly?
The Kayin State Border Guard Force has come under intense pressure from the Tatmadaw over its extensive, controversial business interests and there’s concern the ultimatum could trigger fresh hostilities in one of the country’s most war-torn areas.