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ST-Thai PM blames Yangon



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The Straits Times, JAN 5 2000=20

      Drugs: Thai PM blames Yangon=20



      Chuan Leekpai hits out at Myanmar's lack of cooperation in =
stemming the inflow of drugs, alleging that the latest haul comes from =
Myanmar=20

      BANGKOK -- Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai yesterday blamed the =
Myanmar authorities for soaring drug-addiction rates among youth because =
of their lack of cooperation in stemming the inflow of illicit drugs.=20

      The criticism follows the discovery by police here of two hauls =
totalling 3.8 million amphetamine tablets allegedly manufactured by =
ethnic Wa insurgents in eastern Myanmar.=20

      "I have instructed the national police chief to find more =
effective measures to intercept drugs as this haul has proved that =
international cooperation was useless," Mr Chuan told reporters.=20

      "From the report it is clear that the drug belongs to the Wa, so =
the drugs certainly came from outside Thailand," he said.=20

      "I have made the observation that the arrests were accidental. How =
can that quantity of the drugs have slipped past the authorities' eyes." =


      Although Mr Chuan did not directly name Myanmar, Yangon has =
repeatedly vowed to cooperate with neighbouring Thailand to clamp down =
on the illicit cross-border trade.=20

      Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan received an assurance of =
cooperation while in Yangon in August at a meeting with powerful junta =
First Secretary Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt.=20

      Thai officials have blamed the United Wa State Army for =
trafficking hundreds of millions of amphetamine tablets made in jungle =
laboratories across the border.=20

      Critics of the Myanmar regime accuse it of allowing the Wa =
insurgents to continue trading drugs in return for a ceasefire.=20

      Many believe the junta also profits financially from the trade, a =
charge Yangon's generals deny.=20

      Myanmar is one of the world's biggest producers of heroin along =
with Afghanistan and is accused of hosting hundreds of amphetamine =
factories along its border with Thailand.=20

      Meanwhile, Thailand reportedly has more than 600,000 child drug =
addicts.=20

      Researchers from Chulalongkorn University's Education Centre for =
the Underprivileged recently found that children made up more than 50 =
per cent of total drug arrests and up to 80 per cent of cases in the =
juvenile court related to amphetamines.=20

      In Bangkok, amphetamine use is rampant in the slums. In Klong Toey =
port slum -- home to 100,000 taxi drivers, stall holders, dockers and =
the unemployed -- amphetamines known as Ya Baa are widely consumed by =
users who need to stay awake for long working shifts. -- AFP=20
    =20



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<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><FONT face=3D"Helvetica, Arial" =
size=3D2><B>The Straits=20
Times, JAN 5 2000 </B></FONT>
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    <TD vAlign=3Dtop><FONT size=3D+2><!-- head ends here --><FONT=20
      color=3D#800000><STRONG>Drugs: Thai PM blames Yangon =
</STRONG></FONT></FONT>
      <P>
      <P>
      <P>
      <P><B>Chuan Leekpai hits out at Myanmar's lack of cooperation in =
stemming=20
      the inflow of drugs, alleging that the latest haul comes from =
Myanmar</B>=20
      <P>BANGKOK -- Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai yesterday blamed =
the=20
      Myanmar authorities for soaring drug-addiction rates among youth =
because=20
      of their lack of cooperation in stemming the inflow of illicit =
drugs.=20
      <P>The criticism follows the discovery by police here of two hauls =

      totalling 3.8 million amphetamine tablets allegedly manufactured =
by ethnic=20
      Wa insurgents in eastern Myanmar.=20
      <P>"I have instructed the national police chief to find more =
effective=20
      measures to intercept drugs as this haul has proved that =
international=20
      cooperation was useless," Mr Chuan told reporters.=20
      <P>"From the report it is clear that the drug belongs to the Wa, =
so the=20
      drugs certainly came from outside Thailand," he said.=20
      <P>"I have made the observation that the arrests were accidental. =
How can=20
      that quantity of the drugs have slipped past the authorities' =
eyes."=20
      <P>Although Mr Chuan did not directly name Myanmar, Yangon has =
repeatedly=20
      vowed to cooperate with neighbouring Thailand to clamp down on the =
illicit=20
      cross-border trade.=20
      <P>Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan received an assurance of=20
      cooperation while in Yangon in August at a meeting with powerful =
junta=20
      First Secretary Lieutenant-General Khin Nyunt.=20
      <P>Thai officials have blamed the United Wa State Army for =
trafficking=20
      hundreds of millions of amphetamine tablets made in jungle =
laboratories=20
      across the border.=20
      <P>Critics of the Myanmar regime accuse it of allowing the Wa =
insurgents=20
      to continue trading drugs in return for a ceasefire.=20
      <P>Many believe the junta also profits financially from the trade, =
a=20
      charge Yangon's generals deny.=20
      <P>Myanmar is one of the world's biggest producers of heroin along =
with=20
      Afghanistan and is accused of hosting hundreds of amphetamine =
factories=20
      along its border with Thailand.=20
      <P>Meanwhile, Thailand reportedly has more than 600,000 child drug =

      addicts.=20
      <P>Researchers from Chulalongkorn University's Education Centre =
for the=20
      Underprivileged recently found that children made up more than 50 =
per cent=20
      of total drug arrests and up to 80 per cent of cases in the =
juvenile court=20
      related to amphetamines.=20
      <P>In Bangkok, amphetamine use is rampant in the slums. In Klong =
Toey port=20
      slum -- home to 100,000 taxi drivers, stall holders, dockers and =
the=20
      unemployed -- amphetamines known as Ya Baa are widely consumed by =
users=20
      who need to stay awake for long working shifts. -- AFP <!-- tail =
starts here =
--></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

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