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Subject: AP-Major Myanmar Drug Source Said To Pledge To Stop By 2005

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Thursday, December 9 9:24 PM SGT=20
Major Myanmar Drug Source Said To Pledge To Stop By 2005
BANGKOK (AP)--The ethnic army in Myanmar responsible for much of the =
illicit drugs flooding out of Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle has =
pledged to end all drug production by 2005, a top Myanmar police officer =
said Thursday.=20
Brig. Gen. Hla Tun, deputy director general of Myanmar police, defended =
the ambitious target set by the United Wa State Army, which is widely =
acknowledged as the leading producer of heroin and methamphetamine in =
Myanmar, as "realistic."=20

Myanamar's ruling generals have been accused of striking deals with drug =
lords and allowing them to launder money in a bid to end ethnic =
insurgencies in its border areas.=20

He made the comments at a press conference after an annual gathering in =
Bangkok of heads of national drug law enforcement agencies from 33 =
countries in the Asia-Pacific region, organized by the U.N. =
International Drug Control Program.=20

Over four days, officials discussed how to step up cooperation in =
fighting trafficking of heroin and illegal stimulants, amid growing =
concern about the huge increase in heroin production in Afghanistan and =
methamphetamines in Myanmar, also known as Burma.=20

Hla Tun said the Wa were mostly reliant on drugs production because they =
were poor, so the government was trying to improve their living =
standards.=20

"But we can't deny that sometimes the border areas are out of our =
jurisdiction, so we can't control it," he said.=20

The UWSA, which reached a cease fire with Myanmar's military regime ten =
years ago, has autonomy in its corner of Shan State in eastern Myanmar. =
Most villagers live in abject poverty, while UWSA leaders are thought to =
accrue huge revenues from illicit drugs.=20

Thailand, which has struggled to contain the flood of drugs from =
neighboring Myanmar, has seized some 33 million methamphetamine pills so =
far this year, most believed to have been produced in Wa territory.=20

"Sure he's a trafficker," said Viroj Jutmitta, deputy commissioner of =
the Thai Narcotics Bureau, referring to the UWSA leader Pau Yu Chen. =
"But that doesn't mean it's the responsibility of Gen. Hla Tun to get =
him tomorrow, next year or in three years time."=20

"We had Khun Sa (in Thailand), and chased him out (to Myanmar) and now =
he's surrendered to the Myanmar authorities," he said, referring to a =
leading trafficker, wanted on trial in the U.S., who surrendered to =
Yangon's regime and now lives in peaceful retirement.=20

Australia's representative at the four-day conference was also =
complimentary about law enforcement cooperation with the military state, =
dubbed a narco-state by critics.=20

Mick Keelty, general manager of national operations of the Australian =
Federal Police, said Australia would be sending its first narcotics =
liaison officer to Yangon for a six-month trial period in January.=20

"The beauty of law enforcement is that is we are apolitical and not =
constrained by boundaries that other people may be constrained by," he =
said.=20


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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Thursday, December 9</B> 9:24 PM SGT =

<H2><FONT size=3D4>Major Myanmar Drug Source Said To Pledge To Stop By=20
2005</FONT></H2>BANGKOK (AP)--The ethnic army in Myanmar responsible for =
much of=20
the illicit drugs flooding out of Southeast Asia's Golden Triangle has =
pledged=20
to end all drug production by 2005, a top Myanmar police officer said =
Thursday.=20
<P>Brig. Gen. Hla Tun, deputy director general of Myanmar police, =
defended the=20
ambitious target set by the United Wa State Army, which is widely =
acknowledged=20
as the leading producer of heroin and methamphetamine in Myanmar, as=20
"realistic."=20
<P>Myanamar's ruling generals have been accused of striking deals with =
drug=20
lords and allowing them to launder money in a bid to end ethnic =
insurgencies in=20
its border areas.=20
<P>He made the comments at a press conference after an annual gathering =
in=20
Bangkok of heads of national drug law enforcement agencies from 33 =
countries in=20
the Asia-Pacific region, organized by the U.N. International Drug =
Control=20
Program.=20
<P>Over four days, officials discussed how to step up cooperation in =
fighting=20
trafficking of heroin and illegal stimulants, amid growing concern about =
the=20
huge increase in heroin production in Afghanistan and methamphetamines =
in=20
Myanmar, also known as Burma.=20
<P>Hla Tun said the Wa were mostly reliant on drugs production because =
they were=20
poor, so the government was trying to improve their living standards.=20
<P>"But we can't deny that sometimes the border areas are out of our=20
jurisdiction, so we can't control it," he said.=20
<P>The UWSA, which reached a cease fire with Myanmar's military regime =
ten years=20
ago, has autonomy in its corner of Shan State in eastern Myanmar. Most =
villagers=20
live in abject poverty, while UWSA leaders are thought to accrue huge =
revenues=20
from illicit drugs.=20
<P>Thailand, which has struggled to contain the flood of drugs from =
neighboring=20
Myanmar, has seized some 33 million methamphetamine pills so far this =
year, most=20
believed to have been produced in Wa territory.=20
<P>"Sure he's a trafficker," said Viroj Jutmitta, deputy commissioner of =
the=20
Thai Narcotics Bureau, referring to the UWSA leader Pau Yu Chen. "But =
that=20
doesn't mean it's the responsibility of Gen. Hla Tun to get him =
tomorrow, next=20
year or in three years time."=20
<P>"We had Khun Sa (in Thailand), and chased him out (to Myanmar) and =
now he's=20
surrendered to the Myanmar authorities," he said, referring to a leading =

trafficker, wanted on trial in the U.S., who surrendered to Yangon's =
regime and=20
now lives in peaceful retirement.=20
<P>Australia's representative at the four-day conference was also =
complimentary=20
about law enforcement cooperation with the military state, dubbed a =
narco-state=20
by critics.=20
<P>Mick Keelty, general manager of national operations of the Australian =
Federal=20
Police, said Australia would be sending its first narcotics liaison =
officer to=20
Yangon for a six-month trial period in January.=20
<P>"The beauty of law enforcement is that is we are apolitical and not=20
constrained by boundaries that other people may be constrained by," he =
said.=20
</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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