The Nation(20/7/99)

[mandalay@xxxxxxxxxx]

MPs push for Burma drug talks at Asean

A HOUSE committee is to recommend to the Foreign Ministry that evidence of
Burma's involvement in metamphetamine trafficking in Thailand be discussed
at the Asean forums. 

Referring to Burma as Thailand's western neighbour, the chairman of the
House Committee on Parliamentarian Affairs, Samai Charoenchang, said
yesterday the move is to be made to expose Burma's misbehaviour to other
Asean members, and to use the international forum as a means of pushing for
a solution to this increasingly critical problem. 

''Once the Asean countries learn about these facts, they will definitely
not be willing to befriend a country which allows its ethnic minorities to
produce ''goods'', or drugs, that genocidally kill mankind,'' Samai claimed. 

''Eventually, Burma will become isolated and, naturally, its rulers cannot
sustain the country in such a state for very long,'' he said. 

Samai said trafficking of the drug from Thailand's western and northern
neighbour is growing at a critical pace. He quoted statistics of the Office
of Narcotics Control Board, that between two and three million tablets of
metaphetamines flood Thailand yearly, which takes between Bt3.4 and Bt5.1
million out of the economy. One tablet of the drug costs about Bt17. 

Samai said the committee will hold a meeting on July 22 with the chiefs of
policy-making and concerned law enforcement agencies to discuss the
situation. 

Those attending the meeting will include the Secretary-General of the
National Security Council (NSC), Khachadpai Burusapatana, chief of Narcotic
Supression Bureau Pol Lt-Gen Khomkrit Patpongpanit and representatives of
the Foreign Ministry and provincial police. 

He said there were photographs and personal accounts to back up the charge
that Burmese rulers condoned drug production and trafficking. 

Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan, who had been scheduled to attend the
meeting, will however leave for Singapore on July 21 for the Asean foreign
ministers' annual meeting, scheduled for July 22-28, during which
discussion of future cooperation on ways to combat transnational crime is
to take place. 

Asean, which includes Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia,
Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam, has never criticised Burma
openly about its drug record. 


Asean's partners in dialogue, the US in particular, have always taken Burma
to task during annual consultations, which are held back-to-back with the
Asean ministers' meeting. Other western countries have also accused Rangoon
of not doing enough to combat narcotics problems within its borders. 

Asean recently came under fire for allowing Rangoon to host the group's
annual meeting on transnational crimes, saying that such a move effectively
means recognition of the ruling junta, which has been repeatedly lambasted
for its poor human right record and scant anti-narcotic efforts. 

Meanwhile, PM's Office Minister Jurin Laksanavisit, who oversees the ONCB,
said it had been found that more than 200 government officials in the South
and another 300 in the North had been involved in the amphetamine trade. 
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Army will repatriate 92 Burmese refugees today

THE Thai Army will today repatriate 92 Burmese refugees who had fled
fighting between government troops and armed rebel soldiers battling for
autonomy, the Army public relations department said yesterday. 

It said the situation in the area has returned to normal and fighting
between government troops and Karen National Union soldiers had ceased,
making it safe for the refugees to return. 

The refugees are going back voluntarily, according to the Army. 

The refugees will cross into Burma through the Huay Khok Moo pass in
Rachaburi's Suan Phung district. 

Army chief Gen Surayudh Chulanont has ordered the region to ensure that the
refugees return to the area safely and that they be treated with the utmost
dignity. 

The repatriation will be witnessed by Surayudh and representatives from the
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, as well as other foreign
agencies, the statement said. 

There are currently about 100,000 refugees from Burma stranded along the
border in camps run by foreign aid workers. 

National Security Council chief Kajadpai Burapat said last week that
Thailand will repatriate all displaced Burmese living along the border
within the next three years. 

Kajadapai said he will raise the issue with the UNHCR at the upcoming
meeting in Geneva in October. 

A number of attacks have been carried out in the recent years by renegade
rebel factions, allegedly with the help of Burmese government troops, on
these camps. 

The Thai Army has come under heavy criticism for not providing enough
security along these camps. 

International agencies have condemned the Burmese military government for
gross violations of human rights, while a number of Thai government
agencies said the ruling junta has not done enough to curb the drug trade. 

Kajadpai said the Burmese have indicated that they will take back the
refugees. 
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