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Myanmar News Bulletin



MYANMAR  INFORMATION  COMMITTEE
Yangon, Myanmar

Information Sheet
No.B-1026 (I)        15th August, 1999


This office is presenting a News Release dated 12 August, 1999 from
Myanmar Embassy in London for your information.

Myanmar News Bulletin
Published By the Embassy of the Union of Myanmar
19A  Charles Street, London W1X 8ER
Tel: 0171 499 8841     Fax: 0171 629 4169

News Release  No. 5/99      Dated:  12 August, 1999


An update on the Recent Developments in Myanmar

Against the back-drop of negative media campaign by dissidents living
in Western countries, some positive developments concerning the Union
of Myanmar in recent days have become particularly noteworthy.
1.  Since early June 1999 the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) began to visit major prisons and other correctional facilities
in Myanmar in a cooperative effort with the government to ensure a fair
and humane treatment of all prisoners in the country.
2.  In later July and early August, the Australian Foreign Minister
observed for the first time that the negative economic and other
measures taken by the European Union and the United States against
Myanmar had not worked all that well or had not borne fruit
respectively. This was followed by the visit of Australian Commissioner
for Human Rights and Equal Opportunity who met not only the government
officials, but also politicians and leaders of nationalities in Myanmar
and exchanged views and explored avenues for cooperation in the area of
human rights.
3.  More armed insurgents from among the remaining few, namely, the
Kayinni National Development Party returned to the legal fold joining
countless other returnees who embraced the exchange of Arms-for-Peace
programme and now living peacefully and harmoniously in their
respective homelands.
4.  More seizures of narcotic and stimulant drugs continued as a result
of valiant efforts by the Myanmar anti narcotic authorities with a view
to completely eradicating poppy plantations by the year 2015.
Even a leading English language newspapers in Bangkok suffered serious
embarrassment when their allegations of Myanmar government complicity
in the drug trade was refuted not only by the Myanmar side but also by
the Secretary-General of the narcotic Control Board in Thailand- who
confirmed in his letter to the Editor of Bangkok Post that "the
authorities of the Union of Myanmar have extended serious, sincere and
positive cooperation to the Thai authorities in our common war against
narcotics."
5.  Finally it was no coincidence that, a few days before this Thai "
news-fiasco" - the Canadian Foreign Minister announced that his country
would begin to co-operate with Myanmar's anti-drug effort somehow.
If any trend of development is to be read out of these recent events -
it certainly favours only a trend for peace, stability and integrity of
the Union of Myanmar at the dawn of the new millennium.

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