BBC-Burmese anti-drugs chief critic

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Subject: BBC-Burmese anti-drugs chief criticises West's conference boycott

Tuesday, February 23, 1999 Published at 14:04 GMT
World: Asia-Pacific

Burmese anti-drugs chief criticises West's conference boycott

The most senior anti-drugs official in Burma, Colonal Kyaw Thein, has
accused Western countries of using human rights as a excuse for their lack
of commitment to the fight against drugs.

In an interview with the BBC, he said drug abuse was a humanitarian problem
which should not be entangled with political issues.

The international police intelligence organisation, Interpol, has opened a
conference on the heroin trade in the Burmese capital, Rangoon.

Several Western nations - including Britain and the United States - are
boycotting the meeting because of concerns over Burma's human rights record.

In his opening speech at the conference, the Interpol director of criminal
intellience Paul Higdon criticised the boycott, saying the drug problem was
being held hostage because of Burma's political situation.

>From the newsroom of the BBC World Service