Formation of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control

With the advent of the State Law and Order Restoration Council the Government under

Notification No. 11/89 reconstituted Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) to

be in consonance with the existing administrative system. The Minister for Home Affairs was appointed as Chairman with the

Director-General of Police Force as Secretary and Director (Narcotics) as Joint Secretary.

On 7 January 1993 under Notification No. 1 /93, the State Law and Order Restoration Council promulgated laws

regarding narcotic drugs. The Government reconstituted the Central Committee on Drug Abuse Control comprising 25 members.

The Minister for Home Affairs chairs the Central Committee with the Minister for Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs and the Minister for Foreign Affairs as Vice-Chairmen. It also includes the Director General of Myanmar Police Force as Secretary, and Director (Narcotics) as Joint Secretary and members from respective ministries and the Deputy Director from the Directorate of Defense Services

Intelligence and the Office of Strategic Studies.

In order to be more effective, the Deputy Ministers of the concerned M inJstries were assigned specific duties as members of the Central Committee.

Moreover; the Chief of General Staff (Police) was also included as a member of the Committee by Notification No. 9/98 of 17 August 1998. The composition of the Central Committee on Drug Abuse Control is shown in Appendix (A).

In pursuance to the Law on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, the

Central Committee (CCDAC) set up eleven Work Committees and assigned duties to them by

its Notification No. 1/95 dated 9 March 1995.

On 31 December 1997, the Monitoring Committee was also formed in addition to the 11

existing Work Committees. As it has become necessary to control precursor chemicals used in

the production of narcotic drugs, a Committee on Control of Precursor Chemicals was also set up

by Notification No. 11/98 of 4 September 1998, thus bringing the total number of the working

groups to 13. Those existing Work Committees under the Central Committee are as follows:

( a )   Monitoring Committee

( b )   Law Enforcement Supervisory Committee

( c )   Work Committee on Law Enforcement Sector

( d )   Work Committee on Crop Substitution Sector

( e )   Work Committee on Livestock Breeding Sector

( f )    Work Committee on Medical Treatment Sector

( g )   Work Committee on Rehabilitation Sector

( h )   Committee on Educating the Students and Youths

( i )    Work Committee on Mass Media Sector

( j )    Administrative Committee for disposal of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances

( k )   Work Committee on International Relations Sector

The Deputy Ministers of the Ministries concerned were subsequently appointed as chairmen of the respective

Work Committees, replacing the Directors-General and Managing Directors, with the latter acting as secretaries of their respective Work Committees.

Drug Abuse Control Committees were formed at State, Division, District, Township, village-tract and ward levels with the ex-officio chairmen of the regional Peace and Development Council concerned acting as chairmen. The secretaries of the Committees are appointed by the respective chairmen of the Regional Committees at different levels.

Law enforcement measures are being undertaken by the collective efforts of a total of 18 anti-narcotics units established at strategic points on the major trafficking routes. Among them, five anti-narcotics

units were set up in 1985 with the assistance of the United States of America at the

major cities of Yangon,

Mandalay, Lashio, Kyamg Tong and Taunggyi. During the time of the State Law and Order Restoration Council,

a total of thirteen more Anti-narcotics units were formed in the

following townships;

( b )  4 units in 1989     (Sittway, Myitkyina, Myeik and Yangon Airport):

( c )  2 units in l 990     (Pathein, Mawlamyine):

( d )  l unit in l991         (Homalin ):

( e )  2 units in 1994     (Tachileik and Muse );