2005-03-17

 

Clash between police and farmers left 4 injured

Farmers of Achin district of the eastern province of Nangarhar clashed with police on Wednesday, resisting police officials attempts to destroy their poppy field, resulting in injuries to two policemen and two villagers. While the police were attempting to destroy the fields the villagers started firing on the police and the police also opened the fire. The Nangarhar deputy security police, Liwal, denied the injury of any policeman. According to the locals of Depo and Goshtan villages of Achin district, the residents of two villages attacked on the police and during the clash two policemen and two villagers were injured. The residents of the area said there were two helicopters of security forces flying overhead to help the police. Locals said they will not let the campaign to eradicate their poppy fields succeed. "The government promised us a lot of things but didn't keep any of them". They said if the police destroy the poppy their children will die of hunger.

Comments:
Waheed,

What in your opinion is the solution to the poppy farmer's woes?
 
Waheed

Are the goverment providing a viable alternative for the farmers or are they just going into poppy fields and burning them
 
I'd advocate Adam's "another option". Growing opium for medical use would allow the farmers to keep growing their crop and maybe they could even afford to diversify into growing some food crops as well (since they'd not have to pay bribes to local officials).

Though I'll also comment on #2 in Adam's first comment. Compensating farmers for destroying fields would only give them reason to grow more poppy fields so they could get more money for the destruction (etc.). Better just to pay them not to grow opium. (Farm subsidies, anyone?)
 
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