U.S. Troubled By Interpol's Myanmar

[tinkyi@xxxxxxx]

Subject: U.S. Troubled By Interpol's Myanmar Drug Meeting

U.S. Troubled By Interpol's Myanmar Drug Meeting
01:19 a.m. Feb 11, 1999 Eastern
BANGKOK (Reuters) - The United States said Thursday it had decided not to
attend an Interpol anti-narcotics meeting in Myanmar as it believes Yangon
may use the event to give a false picture of its drug suppression efforts.

It said Interpol's decision to hold the conference in Yangon was
``troubling'' and Washington wanted to avoid misunderstanding of its policy
toward Myanmar.

``The United States believes the Burmese regime could use the conference to
create the false impression that it demonstrates international
approval...for its counter-narcotics and anti-crime efforts,'' a U.S.
embassy spokesman quoted a State Department statement as saying.

``Interpol's decision to hold this year's conference in Rangoon and to
structure an agenda that largely overlooks key U.S. counter-narcotics
concerns in the region, and in particular with Burma, is troubling,'' it
said.

``The U.S. government will not send anyone to the meeting. and would prefer
that it be held in another location.''

Myanmar is one of the world's leading producers of heroin and overseas
officials working to stem a flood of narcotics from its refineries have
expressed doubts about the military government's commitment to eradicating
the menace.

The U.S. statement said Yangon's counter-narcotics efforts, ''while
improving, are far from what is necessary.'' In addition, Myanmar ``persists
in its disregard for political and human rights,'' it said.

Had Interpol sought U.S. views, Washington would have advocated both a
different venue and agenda for the conference, concentrating more on
narcotics issues specific to Myanmar, ''including money laundering,
corruption, smuggling and crop destruction and substitution,'' the statement
said.

Several European countries have said they will not attend the meeting.

Wednesday, Myanmar said it greatly regretted decisions by the United States
and Britain to boycott the conference. It said that as two of the largest
markets for heroin in the world, they had a ``special responsibility'' to
take part.

The Australia Burma Council, a Sydney-based non-governmental organization,
has criticized Australia's planned participation, saying it would merely

serve the propaganda interests of a ''brutal, incompetent and corrupt''
government.