Translation of Danish Newsagency Ri

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Subject: Translation of Danish Newsagency Ritzau

This is the translated version of the Danish Newsagency Ritzau story
released today.


RITZAU, June 10, 1997. 15:49 GMT

The military regimein Burma are now apparantly denying the import of the
pesticide paraquat which the Danish firm EAC is co-responsible for producing
in Thailand.

Nor Myanmar (BUrma0, or the private sector have plans to buy or import the
paraquat, it is said in an official statement from the military government
in Rangoon which was received by fax by the newsagency AFP. 

Eac owns 49 % of the factory Zeneca Agro Asiatic Ltd in Bangkok which is
producing paraquat and marketingit under the name Gramoxone.  The rest of
the shares are owned by the British Zeneca. The firm itself informs that it
sells 10,000 liters of paraquat annually in BUrma.

At teh same time when the military government denied the import existed, the
sale to Burma was defended by Steve Renshaw of Zeneca AGro.  He rejects the
accusations from human rights groups that the use of the poisonous herbicide
puts farmers health and life at risk.

"We see no reason to defend the sale of 10,000 liters of the product to
Myanmar because we trust that it is used according to the rules" says Steve
Renshaw to AFP.

Zeneca shipped the latest cargo of Gramoxone to Burma in January where it
was received by the distributer in Rangoon, Forward Company Ltd.

Apparantly the company has taught Burmese farmers and civil servants in the
use of agro chemicals as recently as two- weeks ago.

EAC in Copenhagen does not understand the statement from the Burmese
military Government:

"I know of an export of 10,000 liters. BUt there has been no massive export
push as mentioned in the press" said Chief of EAC department Niels
Frederiksen from the directors secretariat at EAC.

The mother company Zeneca in LOndon does not understand the message from the
BUrmese Generals either.

"As far as I know the substance has been sold to Burma in small amounts
through joint venture companies. SO I do not understand it," says Steve
Brown from Zeneca to Ritzau.

EAC was criticised heavily recently when it was known that Zeneca ANgo
Asiatic exports the substance to Burma which are now facing international
boycott actions.  HOwever, the export is not illegal according to Danish
legislation as Denmark has not put sanctions against Burma in place.