NEWS: Major Myanmar Drug Source Sai

[mg_myanmar@xxxxxxxxx]

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

Thursday, December 9 

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. 

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." 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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

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. 

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. 

"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." 

"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. 

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. 

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. 

"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.
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Mg Myanmar
A Myanmar citizen who loves Myanmar

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