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10/12/99AAP:AUST.FEAR WEVE OF SPEED



Subject: 10/12/99AAP:AUST.FEAR WEVE OF SPEED FROM ASIA

Posted 13 Dec 99; 6:00am

[ADDED NOTE: On the news of Australian Federal Police officer to be
stationed in Burma to suppress illicit drugs( especially Amphetamines
tablets) I am not quite alarmed as one of our friend in Paris. In
contrast to the earlier Australian initiative on Burmese junta to set-up
a human rights commission, I think this initiative makes a lot more
sense. It will be helpful if we know a little more about what kind of
co-operation Australian/Thai police are seeking from Burmese authorities
in this particular case.

In talking about co-operations, if Australian/Thai police are only
looking to provide training and drug-detection equipment to Burmese,
then we might just call this operation an "Australian Federal Police's
Picnic to Rangoon". That kind of limited involvement will not help
improve situation at all.

What we would like to see in co-operation is those criminal elements,
not necessarily of that higher-up echelons, to be arrested and
prosecuted. I think the Thai Police already have the list of drug
trafficking criminals from Burmese side. I suspect that the Thais have
been pushing on this line all along since early this year. It looks like
because of no apparent moves were made from the Burmese side, the
Australian -- other international players perhaps -- have now been
brought into the matter.

It is worth noting that, although the media and the activist circle 
have often quite rightly charged Burmese government rank-and-file of
complicity in illicit drug trade, we have never been quite close to
eventually proving anything. International intelligence circle may
already have had some substantial information on illicit drug trade (for
example, early this year, one ANU Professor wrote detailed report on
drug related corruption in Burmese government). The US Government put
few million dollar price on some high profile drug traffickers. But
Burmese junta noted it to be a little more than US publicity stunt.
To get things done, one has to keep closer to the target -- which
probably the Thai and Australian police seems to be doing. 

The Australian government and the Federal Police should seriously push
the Burmese authorities arresting drug traffickers on Burmese side (the
Australian Government and Police can be rather casual and slack in some
way: it is my impression). Should this push been successful, i.e.
Burmese begin to arrest and prosecute real traffickers, it will no doubt
beneficial to all of us. But( i.e. my feeling) it is more likely that
the Burmese side will eventually cancel the operation when time has come
to carry out serious tasks. Until that time, let us wish well to the
Australian and Thai police in their jobs. -- Regards, U Ne Oo.]

*****************************

THAI-DRUGS ASIA: AUST FEDERAL POLICE FEAR "WAVE' OF SPEED" FROM ASIA 
DATE: 18:54 10-Dec-99 
 ASIA: Aust Federal Police fear "wave' of speed" from Asia Thai drugs

 By Ron Corben

 BANGKOK, Dec 10 AAP - Australia could be the next target for Asian ae
Vdert VhatX[Z wan explosion in  supplies in South East Asia, federal
police have warned.

 Australia is already fighting a rising tide of heroin from the Golden
Triangle region of Thailand, Burma and Laos -  now increasingly routed
through Vietnam and China.

 The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has expanded its operations to
include Vietnam, China and  Burma in a bid to gain an edge on the drug
gangs.

 They are now growing increasingly worried about methamphetamines, or
speed, which have been flooding  Thailand from factories in the jungles
of neighbouring Burma.

 Thai seizures in the 10 months to October stand at 36 million tablets
amounting to 3,248 kg - compared with just  nine million tablets,
weighing 812 kg in 1996.

 General Secretary of Thailand's Narcotics Control Board, Sorasit
Saengprasert, and other officials acknowledge  they find just 10 to 15
per cent of what has entered the country.

 AFP general manager, national operations, Mick Keelty, said the fear is
this flood of amphetamines will eventually  be directed to Australia.

 "It is important that we keep on top of this situation with the
exponential growth of amphetamine type substances  in this region,
because it is a wave that will hit Australia eventually," Mr Keelty
said.

 "If we can get the education programmes and health programmes in
Australia, as some sort of barrier to reduce  the impact of that wave,
then it's a very positive thing," he said.

 Australia "must be prepared for the wave when it comes, because if it
hits Australia like it has hit here (in  Thailand) its going to be an
enormous problem to deal with".

 Mr Keelty, and with representatives from 33 heads of national drug law
enforcement agencies from the  Asia/Pacific held a four day conference
this week in Bangkok.

 The main areas of discussion were heroin trafficking, the manufacture
and distribution of "stimulants", and  trafficking by way of the mail
and international courier systems.

 In 1998/99 Australian federal agencies made 233 seizures of
amphetamines, amounting to 116.8 kg. This was up  from 179 seizures the
previous year amounting to 56.5 chugs.

 The main source, at present, for amphetamines and acoustics was largely
from Western Europe, while  methylamphetamines - which includes the
psycho-hypnotic drug "ice" came from South-East Asia.

 But Australia is not alone. "Methamphetamine is the most widely
abusedOrita, director of Japan's National Police  Agency told delegates
at the conference.

 Japanese police seized almost 550 kg of stimulant drugs in 1998 -
triple the amount a year earlier when 173 kg were  confiscated. Japanese
police made over 17,000 stimulant drug-related arrests.

 The main source for the drugs to Japan was through China, with Chinese
smugglers alone caught with 312 kg.

 AAP rec/cjh 2 
-- 
HTTP://www.physics.adelaide.edu.au/~uneoo
EMAILS: drunoo@xxxxxxxxxxxx, uneoo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
POSTMAIL: Dr U Ne Oo, 18 Shannon Place, Adelaide SA 5000, AUSTRALIA
[http://freeburma.org/[http://www.angelfire.com/al/homepageas/index.htm]
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