The Information Committee of the State Peace and Development Council held a press Conference (7/2005) at the Ministry of Information Sunday on matters relating to instigation and allegations with conceived political tricks portraying Myanmar as in worst shape from unconstructive point of view calling for the United Nations Security Council for action in Myanmar and the incident of Case 496 in which 992 heroine blocks weighing 496 kilos were seized by Myanmar Police Force and National Narcotic Control Commission (NNCC) of the People’s Republic of China.

First, Director-General of Myanmar Police Force Brig-Gen Khin Yi explained about the case 496 in which 992 heroin blocks weighing 496 kilos were seized with the cooperation of Myanmar Police Force and National Narcotic Control Commission (NNCC) of the People's Republic of China.

He said at the press briefing, he would like to explain about case 496 in which 992 heroin blocks weighing 496 kilos were seized in September 2005. The incident is a great success of friendly cooperation between CCDAC of Myanmar Police Force and NNCC of the People's Republic of China.

Exchange of information on prevention of crimes were carried out by holding bilateral meetings on basic level, high-ranking officials level and Ministerial level between Myanmar and China. According to discussions, they got the information that Chinese citizen fugitive Han Yu Won will be trafficking heroin blocks from Myanmar-China Border to Thailand via Tachileik.

Thus, Joint investigation team checked heroin trafficking from China-Myanmar Border to Tachileik between MongPyin and Naung Cho Township on 9^th September. The investigation led to the seizure of 992 blocks of heroin weighing 496 kilos, 0.5 kilo of raw opium, 7-motor vehicles, 2 walkie-talkies, over 4.1million Bahts and 156,000 kyats. According to the information and investigation, the owner of heroin blocks is Han Yu Won (a) Ah Yone (a) Khine Soe who is holding faked Identity card of Myanmar Citizen.

Han Yu Won had acquaintance with Tan Shao Lin who was then a Drug Kingpin at casinos in Muse. At that time, Tan Shao Lin involved in casinos and drug cases under protection of MonSaLa armed-groups in MongKoe region and he was also known as Drug Lord. In July 2000, Han Yu Won, accepting cash, conveyed heroin blocks owned by Tan Shao Lin to Guang Zhou, the People's Republic of China. In that case, Han Yu Won put the heroin blocks into a secret case in the water-tank of a truck, which carried other commodities, and he asked his subordinate Lauk Yan who is also Chinese citizen to supervise. While the heroin was carried along ShweLi-Kunming-Guang Xi route, Chinese Police Force arrested them in Paing Set, Guang Xi Province, the People's Republic of China. Lauk Yan was sentenced to death and Chinese Police Force issued a warrant for Han Yu Won.

Since then, the fugitive Han Yu Won absconded along the border of Laos and Myanmar.

After the Government of Myanmar arrested MonSala in MongKoe under Anti-drug and Psychotropic Substances Law, Drug Kingpin Tan Shao Lin was not in protection anymore. Therefore, Muse Anti-drug squad arrested Tan Shao Lin in April, 2001 and extradited to the People's Republic of China.

When Tan Shao Lin was arrested, Han Yu Won carried out drug trafficking in accord with the strategies, of Tan Shao Lin because Han Yu Won made acquaintance with Tan Shao Lin’s connections in China-Myanmar border.

Once Han Yu Won knew the heroin blocks were seized, he went to Won Pon jetty from Tachileik via Myanmar-Thai border on 11th September. From there he absconded in Hwe Sai, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.

From Hwe Sai, he fled to LanPaLa Bun and Shin Khaung and hid in SunNae village near Vietnam. Then, he planned to go to Vietnam.

Myanmar-China Joint Investigation Team got the news of absconder HanYuWon in keeping up with the times. So, the team connected with Lao Police Force and Office of the Narcotic Control Board of Thailand and exchanged news and made coordination. As Myanmar, China, Laos and Thailand cooperated with the same objective, the Lao Police Force arrested Han Yu Won and his subordinate Lee Phu So (a) Ah So in Hsun Nae village, Shin Khaung in Laos on 22nd September before he could run away to Vietnam.

On 28th September, the Lao Police Force handed over Han Yu Won and Ah So to Senior Police Officers of Myanmar Police Force in Vientiane, Lao People’s Democratic Republic. Myanmar Police Officers brought Han Yu Won to Yangon from Vientiane.

The Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control of Myanmar Police Force made necessary investigations upon Han Yu Won, who was a fugitive wanted by Chinese Police Force, and Lee Phu So (a) Ah So and extradited them to China on 2^nd October on bilateral friendship.

Subsequently, the rest of the culprits who were involved in the drug case, have been taken serious action according to the law.

The amount of heroin seized in case-496 worths 39,680 million kyats or 62 million US dollars.

If the actions and procedures were reviewed, Myanmar does not ignore nor undutiful to the drug eradication measures as blamed groundlessly by pessimistic foreign countries and anti-organizations.

Myanmar has carried out as best as it can in drug elimination as the national duty seeking people’s strength in local, but actively cooperated with neighbouring countries and International Organizations in combating trans-nation crimes, and has effectively prevented and combated drug trafficking.

Afterwards, Chairman of Information Committee of the State Peace and Development Council Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan clarified matters relating to instigation and allegations made by some western countries and internal and external destructive elements with conceived political tricks portraying Myanmar as in worst shape from unconstructive point of view calling for the UN Security Council to act in Myanmar.

All might have known that Ex-president of Czech Republic Vaclav Havel and Bishop Desmond Tutu from South Africa issued a report titled “Threat to Peace : A Call for the UN Security Council to Act in Myanmar” on 20^th September 2005.

In addition, the report copied lopsided allegations and norms against Myanmar mentioned in an annual reports of a big nation with a view to conceiving international community to mistake Myanmar’s affairs.

Thus, it can be seen that Havel-Tutu report is not an authentic research paper with sincerity. Yet it is almost absolutely the same as “The Crisis in Burma” An Agenda for the UN Security Council?” submitted to the UNSC on 4^th October 2003 by fugitive terrorist Sein Win’s NCGUB (so-called National Coalition Government of Union of Burma) and the Burma Fund.

While allegations and demands were made by external destructive elements, rumours and fabricated news were spread by internal destructive elements in order to frighten the public and hike commodity prices.

We have learnt that Than Myint Aung (a) Ye Thway of expatriate student group left Daungkhwin camp of ABSDF headquarters on 11^th October for KNU brigade-7 area in Thaton and Bilin; 3 terrorists led by Maung Win (a) Kyaukkhe of VBSW left for KNU brigade-6 area via Wayla village south of Maesok; that two teams were to blast bombs at the National Convention at Hmawbi NyaungHnaPin and other important places in Yangon; and those plots were schemed by Maung Maung Gyi of NDD and Myo Win of ABSDF. With public participation, the security unit members concerned took preventive measures. The terrorists could not launch their terrorist acts according to their scheme. A bomb was blasted near a billboard of Traders Hotel at about 6:45 pm on 21st October 2005, in Yangon.

These events show that some western countries and internal and external destructive elements made conspiracies to grab the State power by short-cut means after destabilizing the country. So, I would like to urge the entire people to be aware of the plots of western masters and their minions at home and abroad.

In the Tutu-Havel report, lopsided allegations were made under the title “Overthrow of democratically-elected Government”. These allegations are absolutely contrary to Myanmar’s historical events and incidents.

In the time of 60s, the ideology that capitalism and parliamentary democracy could not serve the interests of the people was spread. Hence, the Myanma Socialist Programme Party was established and centralized socialist economy was adopted. After passing over 20 years, the system did not meet success and there occurred 1988 incident. The true aspiration of the people at that 1988 incident was prevalence of peace and stability and national development.

The assuming of State responsibilities by the Tatmadaw was to fulfill the genuine aspiration of the people. Thus, the Tatmadaw annulled the centralized economic system and one-party system and introduced market-oriented economic system and multi-party democracy system.

Thus, today’s Tatmadaw Government is not a dictatorial junta but a national Government building up the nation relentlessly into a new peaceful modern, developed and discipline-flourishing democratic nation in the safest and peaceful way as desired by the people.

In the Tutu-Havel report, lopsided allegations were made under the title “Conflict between central Government and ethnic factions”. The allegations stated that there were serious and protracted fighting between the Government and various ethnic groups seeking autonomy and freedom from oppression had been consistent and on-going even in areas where non-binding ceasefire agreements have been made.

After the Tatmadaw Government assumed the State responsibilities in 1988, altogether 17 armed groups which have been launching armed insurrection against the Governments of consecutive eras and 11 smaller groups had come to realize the genuine goodwill of the Tatmadaw which has been sincerely forging and strengthening national solidarity. The armed groups thus returned to the legal fold.

The neo-colonialists and their lackeys cannot bear to see such achievements and they are attempting to sow discord among the national brethren through instigations and fabrications.

Hence, the allegations of conflicts between central Government and ethnic factions are totally untrue. The allegations are in fact aimed at making hindrances by internal and external destructive elements as the national brethren in Myanmar are achieving almost cent per cent unity among themselves.

In the same report, allegations were made with evidence that over 2,700 villages were destroyed or relocated since 1996; that soldiers raped ethnic minorities; that there were widespread forced labour in Myanmar; and that child soldiers were recruited by the Tatmadaw.

Actually in Myanmar, those forcefully mobilizing children as new recruits are a handful of insurgent terrorists. In the previous press conferences, it has been elucidated that children of the national races were forcefully recruited by the SSA (South) of Ywet Sit group. There are many evidences about this case.

The fourth allegation was about outflow of refugees. It is falsely mentioned in the report that a large number of refugees have poured out of Myanmar in recent years as a result of grave conditions created by the Government. The report also falsely accused that the Government is responsible for a decline in the economic situation so alarming that Myanmar is now one of the poorest nations in the world providing its people little or no access to health care or education.

In the Human Development Report-2001 issued by the UN, the undernourished people percentage of total population in Myanmar was merely 7 per cent. It shows how the human right of longevity prevails well in Myanmar. According to Human Development Indicators (HDI) of United Nations, Myanmar’s HDI values is 0.5. It is above mediocrity. Myanmar’s HDI rank stands at position 132 showing the considerable place.

One of the successes of the health sector is the decrease in the crude death rate. In 1988, the rate was 9.9 per 1000 in rural areas and 8.9 per 1000 in urban areas. In 2003, it was 6.5 per 1000 in the rural, and 5.6 per 1000 in the urban, Myanmar has totally wiped out polio, small pox and leprosy. Outbreaks of other diseases were also decreased. As a result, life expectancy rate in Myanmar has risen.

The endeavours to supply adequate food for the people, open more learning opportunities, and to extend health care services to reach every corner of the nation in reality are creating eternal human rights for the nationalities.

Thus, the so-called refugees are not the persons living in the embrace of the nation. As mentioned above, they are remnant insurgents, forced recruits, those who fled from terrorist acts and atrocities and the persons who have connections with the remnant insurgents.

The Fifth accusation of the paper concerning the drugs is totally wrong. The Information Committee has already explained for many times that the Government has designated the drug elimination drive as a national task, and that has been implementing the long-term narcotic plan with three 5-year projects beginning 1999 to 2000.

They made a drama out of the drug-related case of Myanmar. The report exaggerates the number of Myanmar drug addicts to about 500,000.

In addition, it fabricates a false story that Myanmar is a nation that plays a major role in distributing HIV/AIDS in ASEAN region. Myanmar produces and distributes heroin in the region, so the HIV virus is spreading to neighbouring countries through the route used to smuggle heroin. In fact, it is just a carbon copy of a false statement presented in the publication “HIV and national security. Where are the Link” that came out in the early 2005. In this regard, the Ministry of Health, WHO and UN AIDS Programme have rejected it through a joint declaration. Likewise, head of UNODC office in Myanmar Ms Talar Manyu stated that the accusation to the effect that HIV/AIDS strain originated in Myanmar and spread to neighbouring countries was untrue. She also explained that Myanmar’s anti-drug endeavours are achieving remarkable progresses.

Despite the UN Principle that says UN Charter does not permit any UN interference in the affairs, which are within the local jurisdiction, they have submitted Myanmar’s internal affairs to the UN Security Council with a call on the UNSC to put one-sided pressure on the nation. So, the entire national people are now strongly protesting against such an unfair act.

Likewise, media persons in Myanmar are also responding the false accusations of Tutu-Havel report. They write rebuttals with sound evidence to show there are conceived political tricks behind the Tutu-Havel report. Similarly, a certain power is creating a situation that ASEAN will become its follower by means of calling on ASEAN members, which stand with the principle that says no interference in internal affairs of other members, equality and mutual interest, to isolate and put pressure on Myanmar. However, the ASEAN countries will never give up ASEAN spirit.

Myanmar is doing its utmost not just in cooperating actively with international and regional organizations but in further strengthening friendship and relations with world nations, neighbouring friendly nations and regional countries.

Nowadays, internal and external destructive elements under the pretext of human rights and democracy are entertaining rumours, manufacturing fabricated news stories, committing acts that harm security and peace of the people, and interfering internal affairs of the nation from abroad intentionally and systematically. Thus, the onus is on the Government, the people and the Tatmadaw to make combined efforts to brace and surmount such unjust acts.

Today, what is the most important for the nation is to uplift the dynamism of nationalist fervour, patriotism and Union Spirit in the interests of the nation and the people.

In conclusion, I would like to point out that as a saying goes “The strength of a nation lies within”, the combined force of the State, the people and the Tatmadaw will overcome all hardships and obstacles successfully.

Then, Minister for Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan, Minister for Home Affairs Maj-Gen Maung Oo and officials answered the queries raised by journalists.

After the press conference, journalists viewed the documentary photos on killing innocent villagers emancipated from being recruited by SSA Ywet Sit insurgent group, organizing activities of SSA Ywet Sit and their terrorist acts, seizure of 496 kilos of heroin as well as endeavours of the State for development of national races and human resources.