12th Destruction of Sized Narcotic Drugs, (27-Feb-98),
Yangon.
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Presentation by the Secretary of the Central Committee
for Drug Abuse Control Director-General of the Myanmar Police Force Colonel Soe
Win at the ceremony for the 12th Destruction of Sized Narcotic Drugs.Distinguished Dignitaries Gracing
the OccasionState Peace and Development
Council Secretary-1, Chairman, Vice Chairman and Member of the Central Committee
for Drug Abuse Control, Military and Civil Heads of departments, Resident
Representatives of United Nations Agencies, diplomats, military attaches, local
and foreign correspondents, specially invited guests from the Association of
South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).
I am Colonel Soe Win,
Director-General of the Myanmar Police Force, Secretary of the Central Committee
for Drug Abuse Control.On behalf of the Central
Committee for Drug Abuse Control may I express my gratitude to all of you for
giving your time to attend this ceremony for the 12th Destruction of Seized
Drugs, and may I also wish you peace both in body and mind.Distinguished Guests
The presentation today is in two
parts. First, I will present to you on the behalf of the CCDAC the latest facts
and figures concerning endeavours by Myanmar to eradicate drugs. The second part
will be presentation by CCDAC member Police Colonel Manng Maung Than of the CID
concerning drugs to be destroyed today.Distinguished Guests
At this point I shall not be
elaborating on the poppy cultivation problem of who started it and how it was
initiated in Myanmar because most of the Dinstinguished Guests attending this
Ceremony are fully Conversant with them “Distinguished Guests
A proper study of efforts in
Myanmar for drug eradication through the ages would show, as attested by Royal
Decrees, that ancient Myanmar monarchs passed the death sentence on opium eaters
and traffickers. After regaining our national independence, the Government of
the Union of Myanmar instituted measures for eradication of the drug habit and
social rehabilitation of addicts within five years. The Revolutionary Council
promulgated the 1974 Narcotic Drugs Law and enforced it.In the time of the Government of
the Socialist Republic of the Union of Myannar, measures were taken with a
national outlook, with the formation and activation of the central committee,
work committees and regional committees. United Nations Drug Control Programme,
other organizations and nations including the United States cooperated.In the time of the State Law and
Order Restoration Council, the central committee and work committees were
reconstituted and measures were taken according to two strategies and three
tactics. Specially with the conviction that with the socioeconomic uplift of the
opium poppy cultivators in the border areas there will be eradication of poppy
cultivation, a separate ministry was established. Furthermore, the Chairman of
the State Peace and Development Councils Senior General Than Shwe the Central
Committee for the Development of Border Areas and National Races and the
Secretary (1) is the Chairman of the Work Committee for the Development of
Border Areas and National Races, totally spending over eight billion kyats.
Effort were made in 1991 under a six-year plan to turn the Mongla region in Shan
State (East) into an Opium Free Zone, and it was achieved on 22 April 1997.
Similar efforts are being continually made to turn Kokang and Wa regions into
Opium Free Zones in the very near future. Moreover, projects are being
implemented with the cooperation of tire United Nations Drug Control Programme
and other organizations and neighbouring countries for regional development,
eradication and demand reduction and in addition projects in the region and
sub-regions on the strength of MoUs involving three states and six states
respectively are being implemented and also in cooperation with members of the
Association of South East Asian Nations.In the time of the State Peace
and Development Council, the Central Committee was reconstituted, specially in
line with the policy to involve ministers and deputy ministers, personally
providing leadership. Tire CCDAC, in building up the momentum of narcotic drugs
eradication and long-term success has implemented Base line Data Collection
projects on poppy cultivation and drug addicts.To sum up, it was the British and
the Americans who got the nationals involved in drugs, and beginning with
divide-and-rule administrative policy, they implemented schemes to destroy
national unity Therefore, I would like you, Distinguished Guests, to reason for
yourselves and decide as to “Who is the real culprit”
Distinguished guests
With a view to honouring the
upcoming 53rd Anniversary Armed Forces Day, I would now like to present the role
of the Tatmadaw in measures for drug eradication.Our Tatmadaw is a National Army
born of the freedom struggle.The internal insurrection that
was spawned by the colonialists after we regained independence in 1948 was
further aggravated after 1970 because of their support and the trafficker and
the insurgent became inseparable.A glance back at history would
show that after the Kuomintang (Nationalist Chinese) were beaten in 1949 and had
to flee from China, some KMT Divisions intruded into northern and eastern Shan
State at the behest and support of the Central Intelligence Agency in line with
tits scheme to make forays into mainland China, using Myanmar as base. The
Myanma Tatmadaw had to launch operations Naganaing, Yangyiaung, Bayintnaung,
Mekong, etc to drive the intruders out. The remnants of the KMT organized local
insurgents in die area and were active together. To sustain their basic needs
and arsenals, the KMT stragglers forced tile local people to cultivate opium
poppy. The refined opium into its derivatives brown sugar and heroin. which they
trafficked. The main market was the other country which had good ports, airports
and connections via which the drugs found their way to other countries.Distinguished Guests
I would like to lay emphasis on
the fact that introduction of drugs and their trafficking started with the
schemes of the British colonialists and the Americans with cultivation and
trafficking committed by insurgents of different eras, tile KMT insurgents and
lastly the BCP insurgents financing themselves through profits of the poppy,
refining it into heroin and brown sugar and trafficking them.In Myanmar, Drugs and insurgents
existed side by side. Ethnic insurgent groups were formed and some of those
groups cultivated opium poppy, produced opiates, and trafficked them
extensively. Therefore, beginning with the operations against the KMT in 1948-49
right up to the operations against insurgent traffickers today, our Tatmadaw has
been sacrificing sweat and blood, and lives.In combating the spread of drugs,
we have launched Operations Mehlone, Ngayepan and Taunghteikpan which involved
manual destruction of crops, and Operation Taungyanshin which involved aerial
spraying.In operations to seek out and
destroy opium refineries on the border, there was Special Operation Mohein with
regional action in 12 phases from 26 April 1976 to 24 April 1988 that took our
troops into Kengtung, Tachilek, Mongton and Monghsat in eastern Shan State and
also the Thai border.The 12-year period saw 159 major
and minor battles in which 205 enemy were captured dead and 18 alive, together
with an assortment of 294 arms and 70607 assorted ammunition, 5,453.9 kilos raw
opium, 159.61 kilos heroin, large amounts of precursor chemicals and
paraphernalia.On our side, 109 sacrificed their
lives and 572 were wounded. That is the record of Operation Mohein.Distinguished Guests
Since 1989, armed national
groups, realizing that their acts had adversely affected national unity and also
hindered development in their areas and their socio-economic life, decided to
seek peace and work together with the Tatmadaw Government for development of
their areas. So far, 16 armed groups have exchanged arms for peace and are
working with the Government for regional development.At the same time, the Tatmadaw
mounted operations from 1994 to 1996 in the Tachilek, Mongton, Monghkat acid
border areas of eastern Shan State to crush the Mong Tai Army of drug
traffickers.In those operations, 468 enemy
were capture dead, together with 189 assorted weapons, 12,637 assort~9d
ammunition and 1,078 assorted bombs. On our side, 766, including 20 officers
sacrificed their lives and 2,292 including 81 officers were wounded. Them were –
166 contacts with the enemy. The Tatmadaw, employing military and organizational
means, effectively saw to the surrender of the Mong Tai Army led by U Khun Sa,
with a strength exceeding 15,000 bringing in about 10,000 assorted arms and a
large cache of ammo in different parts of Shan State.In other words, they exchanged
arms for peace. For them and other similar armed groups who thus exchanged arms
for peace, the Government has facilitated active participation in rehabilitation
and development.Distinguished Guest
These endevours have been made
with objectives aimed at achieving national unity, regional development and drug
eradication.A quick run-though of Myanmar*s
drug eradication endeavours would provide the following evidence.In 1996, 1,300.002 kilo opium,
504.6033 kilo heroin, 13,809 kilos brown sugar, 263.786 kilos marijuana and 5.9
million tablets amphetamine were seized. That was the highest record chalked up
between 1988 and 1996. However, compared to that, the record in 1997 included
seizure of 7883.97 kilos (over 7 tons) raw opium, 1,401.08 kilos (over one ton)
heroin, while in the previous year only about four tons and destroyed 33 heroin
refineries, together with presursor chemicals and paraphernalia, as also those
used in production of amphetamines. Therefore, our endevadour in 1997 netted the
highest cost.Distinguished Guests
The credit for such success by
the Tatmadaw in 1997 is due to its endeavour in operations thus capturing heroin
refineries, exposing contraband opium, the Military Intelligence working in
concert with the police, the Customs and regional organizations, working in
unison.Therefore, we put on record here
and honour the Tatmadaw, the Police, Customs and other Organizations which
collaborated.Distinguished Guests
We are using our own resources to
develop the whole country, it is necessary for the international community to
study the true face about our country ru14 instead of accusations, help in the
fight against the dangers of narcotic drug.Distinguished Guest
CCDAC feels that the dangers of
narcotic drugs is a problem of the whole of mankind and not just that of one
country. We are ready to cooperate with any country that have the basic good
will.Myanmar has cooperated with the
U.S in Conducting four opium yield survey between 1993 and 1998.Distinguished Guest
In the endeavonrs for eradication
of hard drugs, the following data stands out:Although there was assistance
from various countries from 1974 to 1988, the areas where there were poppy
cultivations and where opium way refined into brown sugar and heroin remained
under insurgent control. Therefore, operations only for drug control and
eradication were possible and regional development could not be undertaken. For
instance, when roads and bridges, hospitals and clinics and schools were built,
the insurgents got in the way or destroyed them.Today, the armed groups having
made peace with the Government are practically involved in ensuring area peace
and tranquillity and under such favourable conditions, we can work for
improvement of socio-economic conditions.While concerted efforts are being
made for drug eradication on our own, success will take time due to technical
and financial constraints.Drug eradication will succeed
within a short time if there is international participation Therefore, quoting
the slogan “Let’s cooperate to eradicate drugs”, I conclude.Thank you.
REPORT PRESENTIED BY POLICE, COLONEL MAUNG
MAUNG THAN, DIRECTOR OF THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATTON DEPARTMENT AND MEMBER OF TIIE
LAW ENFORCEMENT SECTOR. CCDACEsteemed Guests,
I am Police Colonel Maung Maung
Than Member of the Law Enforcement Sector and Director of the Criminal
Investigation Department. Myarmar Police Force.In the second part, I shall be
presenting the figures of narcotic drugs that have bean destructed in the past
and of those that will be destructed to-day. To-day’s destruction includes
narcotic drugs that were seized by Law Enforcement Agencies such as the Army,
Myanmar Police Force, die Customs Department and other agencies on which
judgement had been passed by this Courts as which are under custody at the CID.The narcotic drugs that are to be
destructed to-day are: Opium -4587.292 kgs Heroin -898.43 kgs Morphine -93.953
kgs Opium Oil -8.642 kgs Opium Liquid -11.304 kgs Inferior Opium -20.95 kgs
Marjuana -138.877 kgs Phensedyl -1499.975 litres Stimulant -2842783 tablets
Cough Syrup -88.190 gallons (contain opium) Cough Pastille -4845 pastilles
(contain opium) Methaqualone tablets -750 tablets Morphine Injection -180
ampoules.The grant total of all the
narcotic drugs destroyed up to this the twelth destruction are:
- Opium -16500.117 kgs
- Heroin -2860.087 kgs
- Opium Oil -118.336 kgs
- Opium Liquid -131.196 kgs
- Morphine -158.524 kgs
- Marjuana -4385.382 kgs
- Phensedyl -28025.549 litres
- Inferior Opium -20.95 kgs
- Cough Syrup -935.195 gallons
(contain opium) - Injection -1405 ampoules
(contain opium) - Speciosa -2.414 kgs
- Stimulant -8127864 tablets
- Methaqualone tablets -750
tablets - Cough Pastille -4845 pastilles
(contain opium)
Esteemed Guest,
Please may I state that there
will be further destruction of seized narcotic drugs in the furture. Please
feel free to inspect the drugs displayed before you prior to destructing
them with your own hands.Thank you.