NEWS- Interpol blinded as Myanmar W

[Rangoonp@xxxxxxx]

Subject: NEWS- Interpol blinded as Myanmar Wins Some Credibility on Drugs

Myanmar has been able to cover the truth-up and hide it from
Interpol.  Interpol also continues to offer a blind-eye to the whole
picture.  They want proof of money laudering, etc.  LET'S give it to
them !!!


Interpol blinded as Myanmar Wins Some Credibility on Drugs

               Reuters
               01-MAR-99

               YANGON, March 1 (Reuters) - Opium producer Myanmar,
               accused of laxity in curbing poppy growing and being a
               money launderer and harbourer of infamous druglords, is
               regaining some credibility in its lonely war on
narcotics,
               experts say. 

               Last week, Myanmar's campaign received a boost when
               Interpol pressed ahead with a meeting on heroin in Yangon
               despite refusals by the United States and most European
               nations to attend because of the controversial venue. 

               Interpol's Director of the Criminal Intelligence
Directorate
               Paul Higdon publicly commended Myanmar's plan to wipe
               out drugs by the year 2014. Myanmar needed more world
               assistance to achieve this objective, he said. 

               Colonel Kyaw Thein, member of the central committee for
               the control of drug abuse, says Myanmar is struggling
with
               the drug menace because it sorely lacks money and
               equipment. 

               "We are ready to do it with whatever resources we have on
               our own. But it will help speed up...if we get more
               international assistance," he told reporters last week. 

               Currently, Myanmar gets little or no world aid to fight
drug
               warlords operating mainly in the northeastern Shan state
               which forms part of the poppy growing Golden Triangle
area
               where the borders of Myanmar, Laos and Thailand meet. 

               Intensive crop surveys, with some U.S. involvement, are
               under way to establish the true extent of the poppy
               cultivation to move away from guesstimates of the past,
               Kyaw Thein says. 

               Myanmar predicts this year's opium crop will fall by half
from
               an estimated 680 tonnes produced in 1998 because of crop
               eradications and bad weather. Experts say this forecast
is
               too optimistic but agree less will be produced. 

               Most of Myanmar's heroin goes to Australia and Canada. 

               Official data shows Myanmar had 151,000 acres (60,400
               hectares) under opium last year and Kyaw Thein claims
               40,000 acres of poppy have already been eradicated while
               another 6,000 will be cut this year. 

               But the United Nations puts opium output at 1,700 tonnes
in
               1998. 

               Experts at the Interpol heroin conference said they were
               encouraged by Myanmar's determination to combat drugs.
               But some said the government's plan would take many years
               to bear fruit. 

               "They have a good programme. But it will take a lot of
time to
               start to be truly effective...maybe five to 10 years,"
said one
               Interpol expert. 

               The United States, in a significant declaration on
Myanmar
               drugs, said last week the country was the world's largest
               source of illicit opium and heroin but noted there was no
               evidence its military government as an institution was
               involved with drugs. 

               The U.S. State Department's Bureau for International
               Narcotics and Law Enforcement said Myanmar's opium
               production fell by 26 percent last year, due partly to
               government efforts to eradicate the poppy crop. 

               But it said there were persistent and reliable reports
that
               Myanmar officials, particularly corrupt army personnel in
               outlying areas, were either involved or paid to allow the
drug
               business to be conducted by others. 

               Kyaw Thein said his government was aware of this
               corruption. Some of those involved were as highly ranked
as
               colonel and action was being taken against culprits. 

               Myanmar's other problem is that its more than 6,000 km
               (3,750 miles) of borders with Thailand on the east, China
in
               the north and northeast and India on the west, are so
               porous. 

               "It's so difficult to control movements of traffickers,"
said
               another expert from the Interpol conference. 

               Experts and officials also say that the government,
having
               arranged ceasefires with poppy-growing, anti-government
               insurgent groups, now has the dilemma of what to offer
them
               in terms of crop substitution or commercial
opportunities. 

               If cash-strapped Myanmar was unable to help them in
               substitution, they could return to the illicit trade. 

               A sticking point in Myanmar international relations on
drugs
               is the fact that it harbours two or more wanted drug
               traffickers -- Khun Sa who lives in Yangon under
government
               supervision and known trafficker Lo Hsing-han who is
doing
               business in Myanmar. 

               Kyaw Thein says his government believes it is better if
these
               druglords are kept out of the business, to reduce the
outflow
               of opium and heroin, than to charge them. 

               He also denies drug money laundering charges levelled at
               Myanmar and says accusers should help find proof. "There
               is a lot of talk outside...it's only talk. We have no
evidence." 

               Interpol replied on Monday to criticism about the venue
for
               the meeting, saying that "Interpol's main responsibility
is to
               prevent drug production and trafficking." 

               "How can the organisation be expected to have the
slightest
               hope of achieving this if it refuses contact with one of
the
               world's main producer countries?" chief spokesman Serge
               Sabourin said in a statement from Interpol headquarters
in
               Lyon, France.