SLORC hands Drug Suspect To Thailan

[moe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Subject: SLORC hands Drug Suspect To Thailand

Saturday May 17 3:27 PM EDT 


BANGKOK, Thailand (Reuter) - The man accused of masterminding the biggest
heroin haul in
U.S. history was returned to Thailand from Burma Saturday and said he was
ready to be
extradited to face trial in the United States. 

"I am prepared to go to the United States to stand trial there," Li Yun
Chung said on arrival in
Bangkok after the Burmese military government handed him over to Thai
authorities. 

Li, alias Phongsak Rogianasakul, had fled to Burma after jumping bail in
Thailand in March while
awaiting a court decision on his extradition to the United States.
Washington complained about the
decision to grant bail to Li, who has a Thai identity card. 

The Burmese government had denied sheltering Li, the main suspect in a drug
haul worth up to
$122 million. 

Li, who said he fled to the northern Thai border town of Tachilek with the
help of a Chinese friend,
apologized for having jumped bail. 

"I would like to ask Thais to forgive me for causing this embarrassment," he
said in fluent Thai. 

Burma's ruling State Law and Order Restoration Council said it regarded
total eradication of
narcotic drugs as a national task, and its decision to hand over Li to
Thailand was aimed at
boosting the region's fight against drug trafficking. 

Li was indicted by a New York court in May 1996 in connection with the
largest heroin haul ever
in the United States -- the seizure in 1991 of nearly 1,070 pounds in
Hayward, California. 

Drugs officials put the U.S. street value of the haul at $87.5 million to
$122 million. 

Li was the second major drug suspect wanted in the United States who was
seeking refuge in
Burma. 

Opium warlord Khun Sa, also wanted on drugs charges in the United States, is
living in Rangoon
after surrendering to Burmese troops last year. Burma has vowed not to
extradite him and said the
government would deal with him in its own way. 

Li's handover to the Thai authorities occurred the same day Thai Prime
Minister Chavalit
Yongchaiyudh completed a two-day official visit to Rangoon, where he
discussed border
cooperation and the joint fight against drugs. 

U.S. drug officials have accused Burma, which they say is the largest
producer of opium, of not
doing enough to fight the narcotics scourge. 

The officials estimate that more than half of the heroin on the streets in
the United States originates
in Burma. Heroin is a refined form of opium.