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Malaysian National News Agency
May 05 , 2000 16:08PM
MYANMAR CALLS FOR ROOTING OUT DRUG
PROBLEM
YANGON, May 5 (Oana-Xinhua) -- A high-ranking Myanmar official has called for the rooting out of the narcotic drug problem in the country, saying that the problem is an evil legacy left behind by the "colonialists." At an annual meeting of the Myanmar Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) here yesterday, Lt-Gen Khin Nyunt, first secretary of the country's State Peace and Development Council, said the problem is still being used by old and "neo-colonialists" to get political benefit in disparaging Myanmar, official newspaper The New Light of Myanmar reported on Friday. He noted the government is trying to totally eradicate narcotic drugs as a national task as the problem not only tarnishes the image of the nation and social norms but also threatens the entire mankind on the earth. He charged that at present, some of the big "neo-colonialist" countries, instead of rendering assistance to Myanmar's drug elimination efforts, are exploiting the country's drug problem to their political advantages and making accusations against Myanmar. In wiping out the problem of narcotic drugs, Myanmar not only applies control and eradication method but also strives for development of the areas where poppy was once grown, he said. He called for efforts to launch narcotic drug eradication campaigns in the country in cooperation with agencies of the United Nations, friendly countries and Southeast Asian family nations. -- Oana-Xinhua BBC-Saturday, 6 May,
2000, 04:43 GMT 05:43 UK
Human rights fears
for Burmese refugees
An international human rights group has called for increased protection for Burmese refugees in Thailand, following reports that some have been arrested and forcibly repatriated. The organisation, Human Rights Watch, said the Thai government had legitimate security concerns, but that did not justify acts which endanger the refugees. Human Rights Watch said in a statement that the Thai government had used incidents such as two cases of hostage taking involving Burmese activists, to justify a wider crackdown on Burmese living in Thailand. The group said that in one incident in February, five Burmese refugees had been deported and later jailed by the military authorities in Burma. From the newsroom of the BBC World Service |