Interpol Conference

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> Mr. Aryeh Neier
> Open Society Institute
> 									
> Dear Aryeh:
> 
> 	Thank you for your letter of January 15th, concerning the Interpol
> heroin conference in Rangoon. This conference is one of a number of law
> enforcement conferences Interpol holds yearly, bringing law enforcement
> professionals together to discuss problems of global scope.  Efforts to
> develop more effective strategies to meet that problem are important.
> 
> 	Interpol's secretariat chose the venue for this conference without
> consulting Interpol members.  The choice of a site only came to our
> attention recently.  Given how critical the problem is, you can appreciate
> how reluctantly the administration decided that Burma's overall record,
> including its human rights record made it impossible for any U.S. official
> to attend this meeting.  We would have preferred a conference outside of
> Burma, focussed on narcotics issues that specifically concern Burma,
> including money-laundering, corruption, and smuggling.
> 
> 	I understand that Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Ireland,
> have decided that they, also,  will not be sending representatives to the
> conference.
> 
> 	We appreciate the work that the Open Society Institute has done and
> is doing to promote real democratic change in Burma.  We look forward to
> continued cooperation in this effort.
> 
> 								Sincerely, 
> 								Frank Loy
	
United States Department of State
								Under
Secretary of State for Global Affairs