Information Sheet N0.A-0803(I)

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MYANMAR  INFORMATION  COMMITTEE
YANGON

Information  Sheet
N0.A-0803(I)                       16th  February 1999 	

(1)		National Convention Convening Commission Meets
		National Convention Convening Commission held a meeting at the meeting hall
of NCCC office at 2 pm on 15 February.  Secretary of Natiional Convention
Convening Commission and members of National Convention Convening Work
Committee and National Convention Convening Management Committee reported on
matters related to the National Convention. Members of the NCCC  took part in
the discussions.
(2)		Minister for Foreign Affairs Leaves on Four-Nation Tour
		Minister for Foreign Affairs left Yangon on 15 February morning by air for
Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand at the invitation of his
counterparts of the respective countries.
(3)		Cruise Liner MV Minerva Arrives at Thilawa Port
		The cruise liner MV Minerva with 304 tourists of Britain on board on 15
February arrived at Thilawa Port, Yangon and was welcomed by officials of the
Ministry of Hotels and Tourism and Diethelm Travel & Ltd. The tourists toured
Bago and Yangon on 15 February morning and visited the Shwedagon Pagoda in the
evening.  They will leave Yangon on 16 February.	
Special Feature
		This office is presenting an article entitled "Boycotts smack of high
hypocrisy" written by Peter Alford which appeared in The Australian Newspaper
dated 11th February, 1999 for your information.

Boycotts smack of high hypocrisy
		Until The Weekend Australian disclosed the high tensions caused by
Interpol's move to stage its heroin conference in Rangoon, even most of the
boycotting countries had kept quiet on the matter.
		Small wonder.
		For the "isolate Burma" zealots in the international community the issue was
not the international narcotics trade; it was protecting the purity of their
diplomatic stances.
		The interests of police and Customs services and indeed of vulnerable
citizens were ignored in order to stay politically "on message". But once that
particular message sinks in at home, it might cause a lot of trouble for the
governments involved. Tough on drugs? Not if it means being less tough on
Burma.
		Nor does it actually help their argument that the State Peace and
Development Council is running Burma as a "narco-State".
		Rangoon was always going to use the conference to propagandise its claims to
be suppressing Burma's massive opiates industry. But the boycott suggests

those who have been loudest in making the narco-State case were most nervous
about having it tested by 
observation.
		Never mind, either, that the boycotting nations include the world's largest
single narcotics market and several other very big ones Hey, we don't make the
stuff -- we just buy it. What we make is gestures!


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