4th Destruction of Narcotic Drugs Ceremony

4th Destruction of Narcotic
Drugs Ceremony – 1st July 1991


Participants:

  • Secretary-1 of the State Law
    and Order Restoration Council and members
  • Resident Representatives of UN
    agencies
  • Diplomats and Military
    Attaches
  • Representatives of the UN Drug
    Control Programme and Drug Control Division
  • Foreign Media Personnel
  • Local Media Personnel
  • Department Heads and Invited
    Guest


    Report made by the Central Committee for Drug Abuse
    Control

    Statement given by joint
    secretary of the central committee for drug abuse control, pol. Col ngwe soe
    tun at the ceremony on destruction of narcotic drugs, seized by law
    enforcement agencies on 1st July 1991

    Participants

    Chairman of the Central
    Committee for Drug Abuse Control, Secretary-1 and Members of the State Law
    and Order Restoration Council, Resident Representatives from the United
    Nations Organizations in Myanmar, Diplomats and Military Attaches in Yangon,
    Local and Foreign Journalists, Department Heads and Invited Guest,

    The objective of the Fourth
    Destruction of Narcotic Drugs Seized by Law Enforcement Agencies, convened
    today, is the commemoration of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and
    Illicit Trafficking. On behalf of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse
    Control, I would like to extend my profound gratitude for your presence on
    this occasion.

    Today, I am presenting two
    portions. First of all, I would like to include some significant endeavours
    to fight against narcotic drugs during the period 18th. of September 1988 to
    now.

    Regarding the reconstruction
    of the lives of poppy growers in order to give up poppy growing, the
    Chairman of the State Law and Order Restoration Council made a remark which
    can be used as drug control policy as follows;

    “We must implement
    long-term and short-term projects. As a short-term project, cash crop should
    be introduced to them for their subsistence, while long-term project should
    include substitution of perennial crops, together with the social
    infrastructure development measures. Communication, education and
    dissemination of information will be also needed. We should upgrade living
    standard.”

    In accordance with this
    policy, income substitution activities such as annual and perennial crops
    replacement and livestock breeding, treatment, rehabilitation, upgrading
    social conditions, education and media network are being carried out by the
    respective sectors, for the progress of the living standard of poppy
    farmers.

    Your Excellencies and Invited
    Guests,

    The Border Areas and National
    Races Development Central Committee has been constituted on 25th. of May
    1989. Since then, border areas and national races development projects have
    been implemented in five States and one Division and will be extended in the
    other border areas. “With the development of border areas, poppy
    growing will be eliminated.” At the same time, in line with this aim,
    the anti-drug measures are being taken with the border areas and national
    races development programmes and would contribute towards the total
    eradication of poppy cultivation in border areas. As results of these two
    parallel projects, the local people in Kokang, Mongko regions and Mongla
    region in east of Kyaington area started giving up poppy cultivation and
    poppy refining gradually. You are aware of the fact that insurgent groups in
    those areas returning to the legal fold and are cooperating with us for the
    development of their border areas and the elimination of drug menace. In
    this respect, I am disappointed with a false news, carried recently by a
    foreign newspaper. It mentioned that we have planned to destroy over 20
    thousand acres of poppy fields annually in Kokang region without providing
    anything to the poppy farmers for their sustenance and they, therefore, fled
    to other country. Actually, border areas and national races development
    programme has been introduced in Kokang region.

    Setting up villages and towns
    road construction, opening of schools, hospitals and dispensaries, electric
    power supply, land development and provision of seeds, seedlings,
    fertilizers and agro-techinques through existing base and forward stations
    are being carried out by investing 52.23 million kyats. After the
    destruction of 1,500 acres of poppy fields by national races, on their own
    will in Nyophynsapar, Kokang region, a total of 3,500 bags of rice has been
    distributed immediately to the poppy farmers. Local and foreign journalists
    were present on that occasion and gathered the news and have disseminated
    that news to their agencies.

    Your Excellencies and Invited
    Guests,

    Altogether 16 representatives
    from the 8 United Nations agencies made a study tour to Kokang, Wa regions
    and Mongla in east of Kyaington area for two weeks in March 1991. They held
    frank discussion with the national races, in poppy growing areas. Evaluating
    on that study-tour, they are now preparing necessities for the supportive
    action.

    Your Excellencies and Invited
    Guests,

    A firm resolution calling for
    the community to stop illicit production, trafficking and abuse of narcotic
    drugs through international or regional or sub-regional co-operation,
    instead of taking national drug control measures, was passed by the 17th/
    Special Session on Narcotic Drugs of United Nations General Assembly held in
    New York in February 1990 and World Ministerial Summit to Reduce Demand for
    Drug and to Combat Cocaine Threat held in London in April of the same year.
    In line with this resolution, Myanmar has entered into co-operation with her
    neighbours — People’s Republic of China and Thailand. Such co-operation
    projects will soon be initiated. There are three main objectives in
    combating narcotic drugs in co-operation with neighbouring countries. They
    are;

    1. to reduce trafficking in
    narcotic drugs and chemicals used in refining of heroin across the China/
    Myanmar. Thai/ Myanmar borders.

    2. to eliminate opium poppy
    cultivation in the areas adjacent to the borders through economic and social
    development programmes linked to phased eradication,

    3. to reduce the demand for
    the local consumption of narcotic drugs in the areas along China/ Myanmar
    and Thai/ Myanmar borders.

    The detail measures will be
    carried out as soon as the projects begin.

    Your Excellencies and Invited
    Guests,

    The significant fact. I would
    like to mention, in wiping out drug menace, is that Myanmar has now
    deposited the Instrument of Accession to the 1988 United Nations Convention
    Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances with
    the Secretary-General of the United Nations on 11 June 1991. It is one of
    the historic events in our drug control efforts. Formerly, some of the
    countries misunderstood us as we have not made accession or ratification to
    that International Convention. Now, it Provides for our endeavours in the
    fight against narcotic drugs and we can stand firmly and brilliantly among
    the international community without being blamed or misunderstood on us by
    those countries. Relating this matter, press conference has been held by the
    respective authorities. For your reference, statement by H.E. U Ohn Gyaw
    Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, on that occasion, is included in the
    booklets distributed to you.

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    Your Excellencies and Invited
    Guests,

    Law enforcement activities
    such as seizures of narcotic drugs and destruction etc. are shown in the
    exhibition hall with photographs, slides and graphs and also in your
    booklets.

    Your Excellencies and Invited
    Guests,

    The second part deals with
    the destruction of narcotic drugs which could be classified in two types.

    The first type is that the
    narcotic drugs seized by Law Enforcement Agencies such as Tatmadaw (Armed
    Forces), People’s Police Force, Customs and others are deposited to the
    Criminal Investigation Department, after the trial. Among them, heroin,
    morphine, opium oil, liquid opium, tablets and liquid are destroyed as
    permitted. Up to now, it has been held for three times and destruction of
    drugs value at US $ 1,319 million.

    The other is supply reduction
    activity to reduce cultivation and production of narcotics. National races,
    on their own will, have destroyed poppy fields, refineries, heroin,
    chemicals, paraphernalia and huts in poppy suitivated and opium produced
    areas. Such type of destruction has been carried out for one time in 1990 —
    in Laukkai, Kokang region — and for two times in 1991. — in Mongko
    region and Mongla region. National project —– Border Areas and National
    Races Development Programme —- has been implemented in these regions and
    necessary assistance will be provided to them by the international
    organizations through the United Nations.


    drugs

    The drugs to be destroyed for
    the fourth time today are;

    Heroin – 76,355 kilograms
    Morphine – 28,965 kilograms
    Opium Oil – 1,542 kilograms
    Liquid Opium – 6,726 kilograms
    Marijuana – 377,789 kilograms and

    Phensedyl – 2,266,750 kilograms

    which value at US$ 192
    million (in Myanmar currency kyats 1,206 million.

    Your Excellencies and Invited
    Guests,

    Narcotic drugs which have
    been destroyed for three times value at US$ 1,319 million and if the value
    of narcotic drugs to be destroyed today includes, it will be US$ 1,511
    million while drugs, refineries, chemicals and poppy fields reduced in
    supply reduction activities in border areas value at US$ 2,819 million.
    Thus, the total value is US$ 4,330 million. Such amount of narcotic drugs
    destroyed by us could not be calculated by only money value, but it should
    be compared with the lives, blood and time, money, medicines, techniques and
    agonies of the relatives of those who cultivate, produce and traffic
    narcotics and those of addicts including those suffered by the State. Here,
    you would find the scourge of narcotic drugs as frightful and disgusting
    scence. Therefore, please compare measure for control of drugs with valuable
    lives of the human beings rather than its value.


    drug

    Your Excellencies and Invited
    Guests,

    As stated in the Motto,

    “Let’s Join Hands in
    the Fight Against Narcotic Drugs — the Menace of Mankind,”

    I would like to urge the
    world community to participate in solving the drug problem not only as a
    national duty but also as an international cause.

    Thank you very much.