Hakha, the capital of Chin state, a small town set on a mountain ridge far from major urban centers, is known for many things but a plethora of entertainment options is not one of them.
Its isolation has been cited as a factor in a recent study that found that 85 per cent of residents either use drugs or drink booze.
The Chinland Research initiative consulted members of 219 households – and the results were shocking to some.
“I don’t think the survey’s results are possible,” Anthony Cung Mang from the Grassroots Empowerment and Ecosystem Nurturing group told Myitmakha News Agency. “If it was 85 per cent of males, then it’s possible. But 85 per cent of the whole town’s population? That means it includes women as well.”
Others, including Deputy Police Chief Hla Ri, were less surprised.
“Residents of Chin State cherish alcohol as though it’s their mother’s milk. If the time’s right, they buy it to take-away and drink it where they see fit,” said Hla Ri.
While the police crack down on home brew operations, residents are calling on local authorities to provide more leisure activities.
They told Myitmakha that the only public park was shut in the late 1980s and the cinema closed in 1996.
“The government needs to create a lot of different leisure activities for the town’s people,” one resident, Salai Aung Khin, told Myitmakha. “It’s not surprising people tend to drink alcohol in their free time when there’s nowhere to go and nothing else to do.”
