Reuters-Myanmar leader in Thailand

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Subject: Reuters-Myanmar leader in Thailand for drug, border talks

Myanmar leader in Thailand for drug, border talks
10:41 p.m. Mar 07, 1999 Eastern
By Sutin Wannabovorn

CHIANG RAI, Thailand, March 8 (Reuters) - Myanmar premier Senior General
Than Shwe arrived in Thailand on Monday for talks on border disputes and
narcotics trafficking, which Thailand has called the biggest threat to its
national security.

The visit is the first on a bilateral basis by a Myanmar leader since
Myanmar troops crushed a pro-democracy uprising in 1988 provoking widespread
international condemnation.

Than Shwe, dressed in a blue suit rather than his usual army green, was
accompanied by senior figures of his military government including powerful
military intelligence chief Lieutenant General Khin Nyunt.

The Myanmar leader was to hold talks with Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai on
narcotics suppression and border disputes.

He appears set for some tough talking with Thailand wanting action to stem a
flood of heroin and amphetamines from Myanmar's factories and a resolution
to a simmering maritime row that has claimed several lives.

Thailand picked for the location of the meeting a royal crop substitution
project about 40 km (25 miles) from this northern town and just 10 km (six
miles) from the Myanmar frontier. It is on the edge of the ``Golden
Triangle'' opium growing region formed by the borders of Myanmar, Laos and
Thailand.

``We will focus on cooperation in narcotics supression,'' Chuan told
reporters as Than Shwe arrived. ``Narcotics are a danger to people all over
the world not just in Myanmar and Thailand.''

Thailand has been praised for the success of its opium eradication efforts
through crop substitution.

Myanmar insists too it is putting significant efforts into the fight against
drugs despite a lack of outside assistance. But it remains, according to the
United States, the world's biggest producer of heroin.

Last week during a visit to Thailand, U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright said Myanmar could do a better job and criticised the generals for
protecting drug lords.


Thailand is the last of the eight other member states of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations Than Shwe has visited since Myanmar joined the
grouping in 1997.

Myanmar's entry into ASEAN provoked controversy because of its human rights
record.

Recently Thailand had the unenviable task of attempting to mediate a row
caused by the European Union's refusal to accept Myanmar's foreign minister
at an EU-ASEAN ministerial conference next month.

Yangon has stood its ground and insisted on its right to attend, and the
meeting now appears unlikely to take place.