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NEWS - Foreign Nations Question Sup (r)



Subject: RE: NEWS - Foreign Nations Question Support for Myanmar's Opium B attle

      Re question about specific source: The Post reporter references a
September report by the Drug Enforcement Agency.

     Re question about seizures: no this is not my interpetation : The
Feb 18 story by Douglas Frah states "Colobia provides about 80 percent
of the cocaine and two-thirds of the heroin consumed in the United
States".
     Re question about rise in amphetamine production reflecting failure
to compete against Colombia in the US heroin market.  This idera comes
from my reading of the two articles which make a powerful case that
Colombia is winning the battle for the US heroin market. It seemed
logical to me that this might be one reason why the Golde Triangle
produicers have shifted to another product- but your theory of an
entrpreneurial response sounds just as good - maybe iot is bit of both. 
     Re question on narcotics aid - no we are not supporting narcotics
aid per se but we do support humanitarian aid. It is interesting that a
recent State Department Narcotics report recognizes that ultimately
large-scale and long-term international aid, including development
assistance  will be needed. This may reflect an understanding that the
farmers need an alternative to poppy growing as a means to earn a
living. 
     Re HR situation - I think I have made clear that the Council
believes  that economic engagement rather than sanctions and isolation
is more likely to improve the deplorable human rights situation. We also
support  greater humanitarian aid to alleviate the suffering of the
people.

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	W. Kesavatana-Dohrs [SMTP:dohrs@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
> Sent:	Thursday, March 11, 1999 12:06 PM
> To:	Tony Albrecht
> Cc:	'Rangoon Post Co-Editor'; burmanet-l@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject:	RE: NEWS - Foreign Nations Question Support for
> Myanmar's Opium B attle
> 
> 
> On Wed, 10 Mar 1999, Tony Albrecht wrote:
> 
> >        According a Washington Post story in mid-February in a
> "dramatic
> > shift' Colombia seems to have replaced Burma as the major heroin
> > supplier to the US. Colombia was the source of 75% of the heroin
> seized
> > recently in the US 
> 
> Can you give a specific reference for these seizure figures?  Does the
> article imply that seizure figures accurately reflect the proportion
> of

> heroin on the street coming from various sources, or is that your own
> interpretation?
> 
> > and  a combination of low price and high quality has
> > increased the number of heroin users from 600,000 to 810,000 in the
> past
> > three years . US-supplied airplanes and helicopters are now spraying
> > poppy fields .in Colombia and the US gives Colombia $289million
> annually
> > in anti-drug aid. 
> >      Comment: With the US focussing on Colombia( and failing to
> attend
> > the Interpol meetin in Rangoon) it makes sense for Thailand and
> Burma to
> > take matters into their own hands and  sign a cooperation agreement
> on
> > narcotics suppression. The inability to compete effectively with
> > Colombia  in  the USmarket may account for the rise in amphetamine
> > production in the Golden Triangle with nearby Thailand as the best
> > market. 
> 
> An interesting theory.  Most analysts whose work I've reviewed suggest
> that the amphetamine production is an entrepreneurial response to a
> new
> potential market, not a forced change because a traditional market
> (i.e.
> North America) is drying up.  Is your theory put forth by anyone else,
> or
> it it your own?
> 
> > As in Colombia the problem for Thailand and Burma will be how to
> > finance programs to help local farmers to grow alternative crops.
> > Hopefully the UN can help. 
> 
> Is it the position of the US-ASEAN Business Council to support the
> military junta in its drive to win counternarcotics aid?  Just hoping
> to
> clarify the situation...
> 
> LD
> 
> PS, I'm looking forward to continuing our previous discussion about
> the
> US-ASEAN Business Council's position on the HR situation in Burma.
> You
> wrote that it is "deplorable and worthy of condemnation" but never
> responded when asked some specific questions to follow up.
> 
>