Myanmar News

Narcotic Drugs News

in 1997


National

Workshop on Community Based Drug Demand Reduction Lessons from Projects on

Reducing Illicit Drug Use in the Highlands of East-Asia

National Workshop on Community Based Drug Demand Reduction Lessons

from Projects on Reducing Illicit Drug Use in the Highlands of East-Asia

jointly sponsored by Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control and the United

Nations Drug Control Programme (UNDCP) under the MoU signed by six countries on

the project on drug control in the sub-region opened at Hotel Equatorial on

Alanpyaphaya Road on 6 January. Secretary of CCDAC Director-General of Myanmar

Police Force, Resident Representative of UNDCP and Adviser on Reducing Illicit

Drug Use Mr. Wayne Bazant made speeches. Projects on Reducing Illicit Drug Use

are being implemented from 1997 to 1999 in six villages in Muse Township in

Northern Shan State and Momauk Township in Kachin State. Advisers, experts and

departmental officials including project managers of UNDCP Regional Office in

Bangkok will discuss matters relating to Community Based Drug Demand Reduction.

The workshop continues on 7 January.


Eleventh

Destruction of Narcotic Drugs seized by Myanmar

The Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control will hold the Eleventh Destruction

of Narcotic Drugs seized by Myanmar Law Enforcement Agencies on the morning of

30th January 1997 in Yangon.


Handing

Over of Thai Bail Jumper in Drug Related Case.

Li Yun Ching a.k.a. as Pongsak Rojanasaksakul, a person who had taken on Thai

citizenship and who had been indicted on charges of drug trafficking in the

criminal Court of Justic, Thailand and who had subsequently been granted bail

amounting to baht 5 million by Deputy Chief Justice Somchai Udomyong, was

captured within the territory of the Union of Myanmar and detained by the

Myanmar authorities.


Unsubstantiated

Allegations related to Narcotics Control

A Globe and Mail editorial (June 5, 1997) stated “This is a regime that

profits from drugs, prostitution and child labour” based on a previous

article published in the same paper by John Ralston Saul. However, it failed to

mention its own acknowledgment that John Ralston Saul’s article was in fact a

lecture delivered at a meeting of the “Canadian Friends of Burma” – a

pro-dissident, pro-opposition political organization that has never spoken or

written a positive word about the government of the Union of Myanmar. The

negative political campaign that this organization has been relentlessly waging

for some years is well-known and well-documented.


The

destruction ceremony in Kokang area of the Northern Shan State.

On the 16th of July in Northern Shan State in LAUKKAI a ceremony was held to

destroy the seized narcotic drugs. It is the 7th destruction of seized narcotic

drugs in Kokang area of the Northern Shan State. The destruction included :

783.13 kilos of opium, 64 blocks of heroin weighing 21.33 kilos, 15.26 kilos of

morphine, 92 gallons of liquid opium, 45 gallons of opium oil, 4.47 kilos of

opium precursor chemicals, 89 gallons of ether, 553 kilos of other chemicals

(powder), six liters of ammonium chloride and paraphernalia.


Officials

discuss Myanmar-Thai Joint narcotic drugs control program

Myanmar and Thai officials this morning sought means to reduce use of narcotic

drugs and to control HIV/AIDS on Myanmar-Thai border. They exchanged views on

laying down of plans and strategies and conducting joint operations in

implementing projects at Kyaington and Tachileik regions in Myanmar and Chiang

Mai and Maesai regions in Thailand.


Joint

Communique Issued on the Occasion of the State Visit to the Union of Myanmar of

His Excellency Fidel V Ramos, President of the Republic of the Philippines.

During the visit, the following Agreements and Memoranda were signed: a.

Agreement on the Establishment of a Joint Commission of Bilateral Cooperation;

b. Trade Agreement; c. Memorandum of Agreement on Cooperation Against Illicit

Trafficking of Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and Abuses.

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