The letter from Office of the Narc

[OKKAR66129@xxxxxxx]

Subject: The letter  from Office of the Narcotics Control Board of Thailand

The letter  from Office of the Narcotics Control Board of Thailand to the 
Editor of the Bangkok Post


Excerpts  from

Information Sheet 
No.B-1019 (I) 11th August, 1999
Yangon, Myanmar


Special Feature

This office is reproducing for your information the letter  from
Office of the Narcotics Control Board of Thailand to the Editor of the
Bangkok Post of complaint for the mispresentation carried in the said
paper.


No.1602/
Office of the Narcotics Control Board 
Din Daong Road, Phyathai District
Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Tel/Fax  2459354

August 5, 1999

Dear Editor of the Bangkok Post,

I wish to refer to the article entitled " Rangoon's troops active in
drug trade", published in The Bangkok Post on 25th July 1999 quoting
an anonymous high ranking officer of the  National Narcotics Operation
Centre as stating that "The Burmese military has played an active role
behind the UWSA's production of speed pills along our common border"
as well as other allegations about the involvement of the Armed forces
of the Union of Myanmar with narcotics destined for Thailand.

The Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) wishes to inform you
that such article caused the enormous misunderstanding that the Royal
Thai Government accused the Myanmar military of  helping the UWSA for
illicit methamphetamine production. This leads to the tremendous
damage to the bilateral cooperation on drug control between the  Royal
Thai Government and the Government of the Union of Myanmar which is
proceeding progressively on mutual understanding basis.  The ONCB,  as
the national narcotics control agency,  has enjoyed excellent
cooperation with the  Government of the Union  of Myanmar through the
Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) which  is the
national drug  control agency of the Union of Myanmar.  Both
organizations have worked closely with each other in our joint
endeavours for a common objective: the eradication of the narcotics
scourges that threatens the health  and the lives of our people. It is
therefore, highly regrettable that aspersion has been casted by the
aforementioned report in your  newspaper  on the authorities of the
Union of Myanmar who have extended serious, sincere and  positive
cooperation to the Thai authorities in our common war against
narcotics. The Royal Thai Government has placed the bilateral
cooperation with  neighbouring countries on drug control as the
priority. The news that lead to the  adverse effect to the national
foreign relationship should not be presented.

I do hope that The Bangkok Post will in the future verify your
information directly with the  ONCB in order to present an accurate,
objective and fair reporting on this narcotics issue that would help
strengthen the mutually beneficial cooperation  between the two
Governments against the drug menace.
                                    

Yours sincerely,


Payont Pantsri
Secretary-General, NCB

Editor,

The Bangkok Post,       
BANGKOK