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NEWS-Myanmar Must Speed up Drugs Ac
- Subject: NEWS-Myanmar Must Speed up Drugs Ac
- From: Rangoonp@xxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 23 Feb 1999 21:06:00
Subject: NEWS-Myanmar Must Speed up Drugs Action -U.N.-- INFO. INCLUDED
NOTE: Does anyone want to send a reply to the UN-DCP person about his
actions and comments and beliefs ?? Please read the article below the
contact information.
Christian Kornevall, East Asia and Pacific representative of the U.N.
International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP)
http://www.undcp.org/
Postal Address:
United Nations International Drug Control Programme
Vienna International Centre
PO Box 500
A-1400 Vienna
Austria
UNDCP INCB CND
Telephone: +43-1-26060 0 +43-1-26060 0 +43-1-26060 0
Facsimile: +43-1-26060 5866 +43-1-26060 5867 +43-1-26060 5885
Telex: 135612 UNO A
Cables: unations vienna
E-Mail: undcp_hq@xxxxxxxxx incb@xxxxxxxxx
INCB-Internation Narcostics Control Board
MYANMAR/BURMA OFFICE:
Mr. Richard Dickins, UNDCP Representative
Address:
P.O. Box 650, Yangon, Myanmar
40, Thanlwin Road,
Bahan, Yangon, Myanmar
Tel: (95-1) 512-647 & 512-648
Fax: (95-1) 512-646
E-mail: undcpmyanmar@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
NEW YORK OFFICE LIAISON
Mr. Vincent McClean, ODCCP Representative
Address:
United Nations Headquarters,
Room DC1-613, 1 United Nations Plaza,
New York, NY 10017, USA
Tel: (1212) 963-5634 & 963-2104
Fax: (1212) 963-4185
E-mail: mcclean@xxxxxx
________________________________________
Myanmar Must Speed up Drugs Action -U.N.
Reuters
23-FEB-99
BANGKOK, Feb 23 (Reuters) - Military ruled Myanmar is not
doing enough to combat narcotics production and trafficking
and should speed up its opium eradication programme, a
senior U.N. narcotics official said on Tuesday.
Myanmar, the world's biggest single source of heroin,
recently announced a target date of 2014 for total
eradication of opium production within it borders.
Christian Kornevall, East Asia and Pacific representative of
the U.N. International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP),
told Reuters there had been evidence of increased narcotics
seizures and drugs enforcement in Myanmar, but added:
"They are not doing enough, of course not, and the timetable
which they have set out, it's a pity that it doesn't follow
the
U.N. ... They have put out their own line."
He said the United Nations wanted a "substantial reduction"
in production by 2008 and for Myanmar to accelerate
alternative development programmes in opium-producing
areas.
Asked whether Yangon was making enough use of its
substantial military resources to suppress opium and heroin
production and bring traffickers to justice, he replied:
"We would, of course, like to see more resources in
Myanmar devoted to this and that they have the possibility to
curb more effectively the whole production and
manufacturing of drugs."
Kornevall said latest U.S. estimates showed Myanmar's
opium output fell below 2,000 tonnes in 1998, a "significant"
reduction. U.S. estimates for 1997 were 2,365 tonnes.
However, Kornevall said that while Myanmar attributed the
fall to its alternative development programmes and there had
been some progress in reducing production in some areas,
both the United Nations and the United States said poor
growing weather was largely responsible.
While there were indications of some decrease in heroin
production, amphetamine output had "skyrocketed," he said.
Producers were diversifying production to include
amphetamines. "This we are seeing as very, very severe
and we are very, very worried about this," he said.
Kornevall said the UNDCP was not involved in police work
and so had no evidence to back claims by anti-Yangon
groups of involvement in the drugs trade of high-level
Myanmar officials.
But the UNDCP would like Myanmar to be "more
forthcoming" about its relations with ethnic drug-producing
groups: "We would like them to find ways of curbing this
production," he said.
While praising the work at an operating level of some
Myanmar enforcement officials working in cooperation with
UNDCP programmes, he said political progress was
necessary in Myanmar to allow real progress on drug
eradication.
"A political solution of course is very much needed...to
enhance better cooperation between Myanmar and other
governments. The overall political situation in the country
makes it difficult," he said.
He said this had been shown by the boycott by the United
States and European nations of a narcotics conference
organised by Interpol which started in Yangon on Tuesday.
Western states have been sharply critical of Myanmar's
failure to democratise and of its human rights and drug
eradication efforts.
Kornevall told a seminar on Tuesday the UNDCP was taking
part in the conference despite the boycott because it was
important to promote greater cooperation in drug
suppression.
"It's a very complex situation and it might be easier to have
an opinion from very far away than actually be up in those
areas...(but) I think it would be very detrimental for the
drugs
case if countries individually were to take a very negative
attitude towards drug cooperation."