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"Interpol bemoans West's boycott of Burma drug meet"

By Stephen Collinson
"The Asian Age" Newspaper
Date February 25, 1999.

Rangoon, Feb. 24: Interpol on Wednesday expressed regret at the Western
boycott of its international heroin conference as delegates exchanged
intelligence on drug trafficking in private meeting.
Paul Higdon, director of Interpols criminal intelligence unit, said the
conference was going well despite a boycott by nations including the
United States, Britain and France. Boycotting nations said their
presence would have implied endorsement of the anti-drugs policy of the
military government in Burma, one of the world's largest sources of
opium.
"You get a lot of solidarity when people are there," said Mr. Higdon,
who added that the fight against drugs was best tackled through
international cooperation.
However, he cautioned against expecting immediately results from a very
"technical" conference of law enforcement officers. "It is a continual
process rather than an event which happens," he said.
The three-day conference, which opened on Tuesday, has drawn around 70
delegates from foreign police forces and non-governmental organizations.

Mr. Higdon said Australia, which refused to join the Western boycott of
the conference, had already picked up useful information. "It is
certainly putting Australia on guard. They have to know who the enemy
is," he said.
Australia ambassador to Burma Lyndall McLean said on Tuesday her
country had attended, as it was important to work towards united
efforts. Delegates at the conference on Wednesday held talks on
trafficking routes in America and Europe, Mr. Higdon said.
Discussion on Tuesday focused on Southeast Asia, the source for most of
the world's opium, which is processed into heroin. Burma has criticized
the boycott, claiming it was making an effort to crack down on opium and
needed help.
"As two of the largest markets form heroin in the world, the US and
Britain bear special responsibility to work with the rest of the
international community in every way possible," said Burmese home
affairs minister Tin Hlaing.  (AFP)