Thai Museum Catalogs Opium Dreams -- and Nightmares

CHIANG SAEN, Thailand, Wednesday December 04 (Reuers!"

#irs reaci$ns $ Thailand%s &ian ne' $(ium museum in he G$lden Trian&le are
c$n)used* (leasan sur(rise a c$$l air a)er he inense r$(ical hea, bu hen
disorientation, sh$c+, e,en )ear" -isi$rs ener he .00/acre c$m(le0 hr$u&h a l$n&,
dar+, mis/)illed unnel, 'hich 'inds in$ he base $) a hill (as bas/relie)s $) distorted
human )i&ures be)$re emer&in& suddenly in$ bri&h sunli&h in )r$n $) a )ield $)
poppies" 1This is he mysery, he contradiction $) $(ium,1 says Charles 2ehl, head $)
research )$r he 2ae #ah 3uan& #$undai$n, 'hich has 4us c$m(leed he 5.0 milli$n
museum" 16(ium is $ne $) he ,ery bes dru&s 'e ha,e )$r reain& chr$nic (ain and
brin&in& relie) )r$m su))erin&" 7u i can als$ be $ne $) he '$rs, desr$yin& li,es i) i is
used )$r recreai$n $r exploited )$r c$mmercial &ain"1
7uil in$ a hillside by he 2e+$n& Ri,er $n he n$rhern i( $) Thailand, he museum
lies a he hear $) he G$lden Trian&le" Chian& Saen $'n is ab$u 480 miles n$rh $)
7an&+$+, $,erl$$+in& he 4unci$n $) he b$rders $) Thailand, 3a$s and 2yanmar,
)$rmerly +n$'n as 7urma" The G$lden Trian&le is a lar&ely la'less re&i$n ha las year
(r$duced m$re $(ium and her$in han A)&hanisan and m$re synthetic simulan (ills
han all he res $) he lab$ra$ries in S$uheas Asia (u $&eher, dru&s a&encies say"
Wesern bac+(ac+ers and busl$ads $) $her day/ri((ers ($ur daily in$ he (icures9ue
Chian& Saen disric, in Chian& Rai (r$,ince, $ buy s$u,enirs $n he 2e+$n&%s ban+s"
S$me ry illicit (u))s $n $(ium (i(es in nearby ,illa&es" The museum, 'hich 'ill $(en
$))icially early ne0 year, aims $ e0(l$i his $uris business, lurin& he curious 'ih
he (r$mise $) enerainmen and im(ressi,e audi$/,isual dis(lays in En&lish and Thai"
7u as ,isi$rs (r$&ress d$'n he labyrinhine c$rrid$rs ha srech acr$ss hree )l$$rs,
he 'arnin&s a&ains narcotic abuse &radually bec$me m$re ($'er)ul" 1:e$(le hin+ a
)irs hey +n$' 'ha hey 'ill see // a 9uain (resenai$n ab$u hill ribes &r$'in&
$(ium" 7u ha%s $nly a small (ar $) he s$ry,1 said 2ehl"
2ae #ah 3uan& has )$u&h a .;/year bale a&ains dru&/a+in& and addiction in Chian&
Rai (r$,ince, esablishin& 'ha he <nied Nai$ns 6))ice $n Dru&s and Crime
(<N6DC! says is (r$bably he bes ani/dru&s cr$(/subsiui$n (r$&ram in Asia"
3ess$ns )r$m ha (r$&ram, 'hich has succeeded in he nearby Thai m$unains $) D$i
Tun& in (ar by $))erin& )armers $) $(ium ($((ies a beer inc$me )r$m alternative
cr$(s such as c$))ee and macadamia nus, are buil in$ he museum" 7u i als$ $))ers a
h$r$u&h less$n in he his$ry $) $(ium, is deri,ai,es such as her$in and laudanum,
and e0(lains h$' he dru&s rade has hel(ed chan&e he '$rld )$r hundreds $) years"
Tragedy and Trauma
Th$u&h $ ha,e been used )irs al$n& he c$as $) he 2edierranean, archae$l$&iss say
he earlies e,idence $) $(ium 'as )$und in S'i=erland dain& )r$m he Ne$lihic
(eri$d" I 'as a ($(ular sedai,e in ancien E&y( and Greece be)$re s(readin& $
n$rhern Eur$(e and Asia and bec$min& a +ey c$mm$diy ha 'as e0chan&ed )$r
Chinese ea and $her s(ices by he 7riish and Duch" Wih >?0/de&ree s(ecial e))ecs,
he museum races he .@h cenury $(ium 'ars be'een 7riain and China be)$re
l$$+in& a prohibition in he A0h cenury and $))icial e))$rs, $)en s(ecacularly
unsuccess)ul, $ s$( he use $) ille&al dru&s"
The museum as+s ,isi$rs $ hemsel,es decide 'ha c$uld be he bes a((r$ach $
narc$ics // (r$hibii$n, dru& eradication schemes, decriminalisai$n $r le&alisai$n //
bu i (ulls n$ (unches $n he tragedy and rauma in)liced by dru&s $n abusers" A )inal,
hear/'renchin& &allery rec$uns he ($'er)ul rue s$ries $) ,icims $) dru& abuse
ar$und he '$rld hr$u&h inimae ,ide$ esim$nies by heir )amilies"
1The )eelin&s 'hich de,el$( hr$u&h a ,isi $ he museum chan&e $'ard he ,ery end
'hen here is e,idence $) he deah and su))erin& ha dru& abuse (r$duces,1 said
An$ni$ 2aria C$sa, e0ecui,e direc$r $) he -ienna/based <N6DC" 1The end
messa&e is ,ery sr$n&, namely ha use $) dru&s sh$uld be )$u&h" S$ciey has $ use all
is insrumens, 'hich means la' en)$rcemen )$r sure, bu n$ $nly la' en)$rcemen"
:re,eni$n and reamen are e9ually im($ran"1
a B A)er &uessin& meanin& )r$m c$ne0, ch$$se he c$rrec ans'ers bel$'"
." The '$rd 1dis$rienai$n1 in (ara&ra(h . is cl$ses in meanin& $*
A B bein& inr$duced
7 B $al c$n)usi$nC n$hin& bein& clear
C B ha((iness
D B undersandin&
A" The '$rd 1dis$red1 in (ara&ra(h . is cl$ses in meanin& $*
A B )am$us
7 B e0ra$rdinaryC ,ery unsual
C B benC 'isedC sran&e sha(e
D B unclear
>" The '$rd 1($((ies1 in (ara&ra(h . is cl$ses in meanin& $*
A B cale
7 B )l$'ers
C B cr$(s
D / shee(
4" The '$rd 1c$nradici$n1 in (ara&ra(h . is cl$ses in meanin& $*
A B $(($sie $) s$mehin& else
7 B ille&aliy
C B beauy
D / '$nder
;" The '$rd 1e0(l$ied1 in (ara&ra(h . is cl$ses in meanin& $*
A B )irin&sC l$ss $) 4$bs
7 B (r$m$i$nsC raises
C B used un)airlyC de,el$(ed in a bad 'ay
D / em(l$yed
?" The '$rd 1synheic1 in (ara&ra(h A is cl$ses in meanin& $*
A B )as
7 B chea(
C B naural
D / ari)icial
8" The '$rd 1illici1 in (ara&ra(h > is cl$ses in meanin& $*
A B unla')ulC n$ all$'ed
7 B )ree
C B chea(C ine0(ensi,e
D / e0ciin&
D" The '$rd 1curi$us1 in (ara&ra(h > is cl$ses in meanin& $*
A B ineresedC ea&er $ +n$'
7 B middle class
C B b$redCdisineresed
D B rich and )am$us
@" The '$rd 1narc$ic1 in (ara&ra(h > is cl$ses in meanin& $*
A B dru&
7 B (hysical
C B l$cal
D B inernai$nal
.0" The '$rd 1addici$n1 in (ara&ra(h 4 is cl$ses in meanin& $*
A B salesC e0($r
7 B enc$ura&emen
C B cruelyC meanness
D B h$$+edC unable $ s$(
.." The '$rd 1alernai,e1 in (ara&ra(h 4 is cl$ses in meanin& $*
A B ne'
7 B di))eren
C B )as &r$'in&
D / le&al
.A" The '$rd 1(r$hibii$n1 in (ara&ra(h ; is cl$ses in meanin& $*
A B sales
7 B bannin&C s$((in&C ma+in& ille&al
C B (r$m$in&C enc$ura&in&
D B increasesC rises
.>" The '$rd 1eradicai$n1 in (ara&ra(h ? is cl$ses in meanin& $*
A B ma+in& misa+es
7 B rem$,in& c$m(leelyC &ein& rid $)
C B e0(lainin&C &i,in& in)$rmai$n ab$u
D B nuureC (r$(a&aeC &r$'
.4" The '$rd 1ra&edy1 in (ara&ra(h ? is cl$ses in meanin& $*
A B di))iculy
7 B dama&eC harm
C B e0(ense
D B &rea sadness and (ain