NEWS/NOTE - Myanmar Regrets Over Fr

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Subject: NEWS/NOTE - Myanmar Regrets Over French Boycott of Drug Meeting

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>>NOTE: Myanmar saying it using it own resources against drugs. They use
equipment originally Given to them by the U.S. D.E.A.- Drug Enforcement
Agency. Millions $ of dollars never given to the populace that needs it has
been used to purchase extensive weapons from Singapore, China and more.
AND support and protect existing drug trade and production.


Myanmar Regrets Over French Boycott of Drug Meeting

           Xinhua
           20-FEB-99

           YANGON (Feb. 20) XINHUA - The government of Myanmar
           has expressed its regret over the refusal of France to
           participate in the Fourth International Heroin Conference to
           be held here this month. 

           Quoting the latest press release of the Myanmar Embassy in
           Paris, an official Information Sheet said here Saturday
           evening that it is regrettable that the French government has
           decided at the last moment not to send a delegation to the
           Fourth International Heroin Conference to be held in Yangon
           from February 23 to 26. 

           It stressed, "The issue of drugs is a humanitarian issue and
           not a political one, it is an issue related to human
security.
           The narcotic drug problem is not an individual national
           problem but a global one. Nations cannot solve this problem
           by finger-pointing and laying blame, but only through mutual
           understanding, help and cooperation". 

           "Myanmar considers the fight against narcotic drugs a
           national cause and is determined to carry on with or without
           the help of the international community," it said. 

  >         It added that despite the lack of assistance from foreign
  >         countries, Myanmar has waged a relentless war against drug
  >         trafficking by relying on its own resources. Immense
  >         sacrifices have been made by the security forces. 

           Myanmar will host the conference in cooperation with the
           Office of Director-General of Interpol, expecting several
           dozen countries to attend. 

           Meanwhile, the United States, Britain and some European
           countries like Belgium, Sweden, Norway and the

           Netherlands have announced boycott of the conference,
           over which Myanmar has expressed regret, urging them to
           put politics aside for the sake of the millions of people
           around the world whose lives are threatened by the drug
           trade. 

           The first International Heroin Conference was held in
           Washington, U.S.A., in 1994, the second in Istanbul, Turkey,
           in 1995 and the third in Genoa, Italy, in 1997.