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Bangkok Post News (9-2-99)





<bold>Thais call for measures to stop row escalation Surin in telephone
call with Win Aung

</bold>


Thailand yesterday called for interim measures to prevent an escalation
of conflicts at sea with neighbouring Burma after a Thai trawler was shot
at by a Burmese naval ship.


Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan proposed the measures in his telephone
contact with his Burmese counterpart Win Aung following the incident on
Sunday, a Foreign Ministry source said.


The ministry also urged the two countries to exercise restraint in order
not to let tensions disrupt a forthcoming border meeting.


Thailand will host the Regional Border Committee talks in Phuket next
month. Thailand has proposed joint patrols in the disputed area and the
setting up of a Burmese liaison office in Ranong.


Ministry deputy spokesman Kitti Wasinondh warned that trawlers had to be
extremely cautious and stay away from trying to fish in the disputed
area.


Conflicts at sea are expected to be an issue when the Burmese foreign
minister visits Thailand this month. Burmese Prime Minister Than Shwe
plans to visit the country early next month.


A Thai navy ship was called to help after a Thai trawler in Thai
territorial waters was fired at by a vessel sailing in Burmese waters off
the coast of southwestern Thailand on Saturday, a navy statement said.


By the time two Thai navy vessels had arrived at the scene a second
Burmese vessel was also there, the statement added.


Mr Kitti said the incident was being investigated in the light of a spate
of similar confrontations in recent months.


"We are collecting information because we know only that Burmese boats
chased Thai fishing boats and the Thai navy helped," he said.


"We are looking for the report on the cause of the incident. If they
(Burmese boats) violated our maritime territory we will be able to do
something."


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<bold>Rangoon makes a curious choice to host drug talks 

</bold>

A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT


The choice of Burma for an Interpol drug conference is causing the
deepest divisions in recent memory among anti-drug officials.


Most European nations will boycott the Fourth International Heroin
Conference, which begins in Rangoon on Feb 23. Thailand will send a full
delegation, as will France and Italy. The Americans also will attend -

but will be represented only by their Rangoon-based agents with the Drug
Enforcement Administration.


The decision by Interpol to convene in Burma has raised major passions.
Whatever progress the conference may make is certain to be overwhelmed by
the debate over the site itself.


Some angry officials charge the International Criminal Police
Organisation with overstepping its responsibility. The agency's
constitution forbids it from undertaking any activities of a political
character.


Virtually all nations in the world are members of Interpol, which gathers
information only and has no actual police powers. The official purpose of
the Rangoon conference is to investigate the consumption and
international trafficking of heroin. Police officers also will try to
strengthen cooperation.


Among the countries which will boycott the meeting are Britain, Denmark,
the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Germany, which is trying to mend
the Europe-Asean rift over Burma, has still not announced if it will send
a delegation.


China and Thailand, the two nations most affected by Burma's trafficking
in heroin and amphetamines, will send full delegations to the Rangoon
meeting. Surin Pitsuwan, the foreign minister, praised Burmese anti-drug
efforts last week after two small drug seizures.


Passions are high.


The New York-based Open Society Institute, backed by billionaire George
Soros, called on the US to boycott the meeting. Mr Soros's group said it
was "like holding a convention on weapons of mass destruction in Baghdad
or on women's rights in Afghanistan". The institute normally backs the
legalisation of drugs.


Burma continues to provide sanctuary to the world's most famous heroin
traffickers, including Lo Hsing-han and Khun Sa. In addition, anti-drug
agents have claimed recently that Thai fugitive amphetamine king Surachai
"Bang Ron" Ngernthongu has taken refuge inside Burma.


Rangoon, which seldom is awarded the honour of hosting an international
conference, already has begun to exploit the meeting for its propaganda
purposes.


A statement issued on Sunday by the ruling junta, known as the State
Peace and Development Council, said Burma would be delighted to issue
visas to officials from United States and the European Union - although
both ban visas for senior Burmese officials.


"In fact we are more than happy to cooperate and work with officials from
any country in the fight against the narcotic drug menace," said a junta
officer in Rangoon.


A statement from the Shan Democratic Union, an opposition group, called
on all Interpol members "to boycott the ridiculous conference".


The dispute over the conference site now vastly overshadows the heroin
problem, which is once again growing around the world. Burma is the
world's largest producer of opium and heroin, according to US and United
Nations figures. The latest US "World Factbook" said the Burmese opium
crop was 2,340 metric tonnes.


In fact, as usual, the Interpol meeting is scheduled to be all talk and
no immediate action. A particularly bland agenda calls for discussions on
heroin trafficking in Southeast and Southwest Asia, smuggling in Africa,

money laundering and - an old discussion favourite - traffic in precursor
chemicals used to make heroin.


It remains to be seen whether delegates of those countries which bother
to show up will be too polite to mention that heroin holds up the host
regime. Apart from laundered drug profits, there are few local or foreign
investments in Burma.


For its part, Burma is promising through pre-conference literature to be
a good Interpol host, and has promised to pick up all arriving delegates
and their spouses at the Rangoon airport.