Press briefing (April 2, 1998) - D

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Press briefing  (April 2, 1998)
Department of State


BURMA/UNDCP

Q. Reuters has reported that the U.S. pledged $3 million to a United
Nations Drug Control program in Burma following a two-day seminar in
Rangoon on eradication of opium poppy.  Why did the U.S. make this
contribution?  Does the U.S. separate the narcotics issue from other
political issues in dealing with Burma?

A. Of the amount pledged to UNDCP in 1997, $3.3 million was earmarked for
the alternative development program in Burma.  The aim of the program is to
reduce drastically opium cultivation in the Wa ethnic area of north Burma.
The U.S. and other donors worked with UNDCP over a long period to develop a
program with reasonable benchmarks and effective oversight.  The funding
goes to UNDCP and the project in the affected area, not to the Government
of Burma.  The U.S. believes alternative development has the potential to
reduce drug cultivation and trafficking in the Golden Triangle region,
traditionally a leading source of illegal opiates in the United States.

In developing a counternarcotics policy for Burma, the U.S. takes into
account the overall political situation.  The U.S. provides no
counternarcotics assistance to the Government of Burma.  The U.S. remains
concerned about the lack of democracy and human rights in Burma, and
concerned as well about the commitment of the GOB to fight narcotics.
Nevertheless, the U.S. wishes to limit the damage narcotics produced in
Burma can inflict on the U.S. and the rest of the world.  One channel to
address the problem is UNDCP, which has experience in alternative
development projects in areas of the world where U.S. access is limited.