The fifth ceremony to incinerate narcotic drugs seized in Shan State (South) was held at Myoma Sports Ground in Laikha, Shan State (South), at 11 am on 16 July, attended by Secretary- 1 of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Thein Sein.

Also present on the occasion were member of the State Peace and Development Council Lt-Gen Kyaw Win of the Ministry of Defence, Chairman of Shan State Peace and Development Council Commander of Eastern Command Brig-Gen Thaung Aye, Chairman of Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control Minister for Home Affairs Maj-Gen Maung Oo, the ministers, the deputy ministers, senior military officers, Secretary of CCDAC the Director-General of Myanmar Police Force, departmental heads, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Philippine Ambassador Madame Phoebe A Gomez and ambassadors of foreign missions, Charges d’Affaires ai and diplomats, resident representatives of UN agencies, the Director (News) of News and Periodicals Enterprise and officials, the President, the Secretary and members of Myanmar Foreign Correspondents Club, CEC members of Myanmar Writers and Journalists Association, chief editors and editorial staff of local journals and magazines, members of Shan State Army (South) (SSA-S) (Ywet Sit Group) led by Brigade-758 commander U Mein Sin who returned to the legal fold, national race peace groups that had returned to the legal fold, members of social organizations, local people and guests. First, CCDAC Secretary MPF Director- General Brig-Gen Khin Yi clarified matters related to the destruction of the seized narcotic drugs.

Next, the ministers, diplomats and local and foreign journalists inspected the narcotic drugs to be torched.
CCDAC Chairman Minister for Home Affairs Maj-Gen Maung Oo, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Philippine Ambassador Madame Phoebe A Gomez and national race leader U Mein Sin who returned to the legal fold pressed the button to torch the narcotic drugs.
The narcotic drugs incinerated at today’s ceremony were 229.28964 kilos of raw opium, 0.0458 kilo of heroin, 345.398 kilos of morphine powder, 2.02764 kilos of solid opium oil, 1.1712 kilos of inferior opium, 0.18764 kilo of marijuana, 0.007 litre of cough syrup containing opium liquid, 670.45 litres of opium oil, 380 litres of ethyl ether, 232.5 litres of hydrochloric acid, 670.5 litres of ammonium chloride, 200 kilos of sodium carbonate, 758 litres of Lysol liquid, 47,286 stimulant tablets, 28,526.877 kilos of poppy seeds and 992.864 kilos of dry poppy seeds worth K 28,377.55 million and US$ 46.99 million at current price.

After the ceremony, the Information Committee of the State Peace and Development Council held the Press Conference 5/2006 at Thiri Hantha Hall in Laikha at 11 am.
Present on the occasion were Chairman of the Information Committee of the State Peace and Development Council Minister for Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan and members, the ministers, the deputy ministers, senior military officers, the Secretary of CCDAC, the MPF Director- General, departmental heads, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Philippines Ambassador Madame Phoebe A Gomez and ambassadors, Charges d’Affaires, diplomats, resident representatives of UN agencies, the Director (News) of NPE and officials, the president and members of Myanmar Correspondents Club, CEC members of MWJA, local journalists, members of SSA-S (Ywet Sit Group) led by Brigade-758 commander U Mein Sin with the rank of vice chief of staff who returned to the legal fold and guests.

Minister for Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan clarified the fifth ceremony of incinerating narcotic drugs seized from Shan State (South) and narcotic drug eradication in Myanmar and invited questions.

Afterwards, the local and foreign journalists asked questions:-

I am Sao Kai Hpa, a correspondent of Mainichi News Agency. I would like to ask U Mein Sin a question about the amount of narcotic drugs produced by Ywet Sit’s SSA-S group. And, the MPF Director-General has already made clarification. He said that the opium incinerated were seized from Shan State (South). I had heard opium cases occurred in Shan State (North) in the past. Please explain to me the changing trend of opium from Shan State (North) to Shan State (South).

MTA exchanged arms for peace on 27 February 1996. Then, we held a meeting on 28 March 1996. At the meeting, we all decided that narcotic drugs must not be connected with politics. If so death penalty will be given. Observance of discipline must not be infringed due to drugs. If one violates discipline, death penalty will be given. Ywet Sit himself put his signature to all these decisions but he did not honour them.
In July 1996, Ywet Sit himself fetched some rich Chinese and engaged in production of drugs at the foot of the mountain range west of Katphwee Village in Mongkai Township. Again in 1997, with the help of some rich Chinese, he produced drugs in Naungtaw Village. Moreover, Ywet Sit ordered that tax was to be collected on production of drugs in the area under the control of the brigade. As tax, opium had to be sent to him. Not only that, all the opium produced in the area had to be sold to him. As far as I know, from 5,000 to 6,000 viss of opium was collected as tax from Mongkai, Hsamha, Monglan, Mongyun, Kengtawng, Kenglon, Mongnai and Mongpan in 2006. Stimulant tablets and heroin were also sent via Mongshu to the border. As far as I know, U Saw Peta carried 80 rucksacks loaded with stimulant tablets and heroin from Mongshu to the border.

I think he asked about the shift in drug trade route from Shan State (North) to Shan State (South). With respect to anti-drug campaign, our nation has adopted the 15-year plan (1999 to 2014). Since then, the government has designated Shan (East), Shan (North) and Shan (South) as the three regions with high risk of drugs.
In the process, Shan State (North) was implementing the drug-elimination drive itself after issuing an announcement that it would be a drug free region by 2003. So, at that time we managed to raid many opium refineries in the region.

Similarly, “Wa” ethnic group declared that it would be a drug-free region by 2005 and carrying out the drug-elimination drive effectively in collaboration with administrative bodies. So, that was a contribution towards our anti-drug campaign.
In addition, armed insurgency was no more there, and so the Tatmadaw and security forces could shoulder defence and security duties anywhere in the region.
So, we could expose the opium refineries. Taking advantage of these two strong points, we constantly carried out opium survey under the Illicit Crop Monitoring Programme in cooperation with the UNODC. Due to these three points, we managed to expose many opium refineries in that region.
As you know, insurgents are active in parts of Shan State (South). So, that threw a roadblock to access to every part of the region. In consequence, we could not expose the opium refineries there in the past.

To make matters worse, the insurgents took complete control over local people by making them to live in fear. And they forced the people not to give information to the Tatmadaw. So, we could not expose the opium refineries in that region. Later especially in late 2004 and in 2005-2006, we managed to expose a number of drug-related cases. Then, 496 drug-related cases could be exposed in Shan State (East). After that, local people came to co-operate with us in the drive.

The case in Wan Yein, for example, was exposed according to the information that the public gave us. The region had been designated as a region of high risk of drugs. With the public information, the number of the drug seizure cases increased in the region. So, it cannot be said that there was a change in the trend of the drug trade.
For long, we have designated the three regions as high risk zones. So, the success in exposing the refineries is largely due to the public information, easy access to any places in the region, and co-operation of local organizations.
I would say, anyhow, we have to continue to pursue our goal with the cooperation of local people and the public until we achieve it in compliance with the guidance of the Head of State that our nation will be a drug free one by 2014.

The MPF director-general just said that in the seizure that took place in 13 May, who capitalized was the one from a foreign nation. Then, can you tell me from which country he is? And can you tell me that it is an organization or a person? And I would also like to know how you will make further investigation in that case.

This is an ongoing case, and it is under investigation. So, I cannot explain that case in detail and I would like you to understand me in this regard. The Drug Related Money Laundering Law has been promulgated. And an organization on investigation in drug-related money has been set up under the MPF. So, the organization is dealing with such cases.

How many townships in Shan State are there that produce poppy? I would like to know the names of these townships and their estimated output of opium. And is there an organization like UNODC, any other big nation? If it is, which country is cooperating with our nation in the drug-elimination campaign? Now, I would like to put a question to U Mein Sin. You have settled down in Shan State (South) for long. May I know if you have any plan to co-operate with the government in the drug-elimination drive in future?

Like UNODC, other organizations are co-operating with Myanmar in the anti-drug campaign. For example, CNC (Counter- Narcotic Crimes) in the US. That organization surveys through satellite the poppy fields and poppy cultivation and production in Myanmar. And it yearly states the data and figures of Myanmar in the International Narcotic Control Book.
It is known to the world according to the issues of the organization that the poppy cultivation and production is on the constant decrease in Myanmar. He said Myanmar and anti-narcotic organizations of five neighbouring countries have signed bilateral agreements. Issues on exchange of culprits and narcotic control are being carried out effectively under the bilateral agreement signed by Myanmar and National Narcotic Control Commission of China. Similarly, anti-narcotic measures and exchange of culprits are also undertaken effectively in cooperation with the Office of Narcotic Control Board and Police Narcotic Suppression Bureau of Thailand.
Moreover, he said, Myanmar and the Russian Federation have signed bilateral accord. The government cooperated with anti-drug organizations of South Pacific nations.
Regarding cooperation in anti-narcotic campaign, U Mein Sin said they would participate in the tasks for eradication of narcotic drugs and regional development and warding off destructive elements and danger of external elements under the agreement with the government.

U Ko Ko of Yomiuri Shimbun said destruction of seized narcotic drugs held in Yangon and Laikha showed that Myanmar’s anti-narcotic efforts are successful to some extent. Foreign broadcasting stations and some countries said that some peace groups were involved in drug issues. He asked the position of the government and how the government handled the drug case.

Brig-Gen Khin Yi replied that some countries made false accusations that there was involvement of peace groups in drug case. It is not the involvement of the whole peace group but it is only the involvement of some persons in such cases. In Wan Yein case, fugitive vice-chairman Maung Hla of SSNA breakaway group and others involved in purchase of opium and land lease. There is other persons’ involvement in money, smuggling of precursor chemicals and distribution and sale of drugs in international market. The SSNA breakaway group expelled them from the group as soon as they learnt about it.

He said in September 2005 in Namhsan region a person of an organization as involved in drug case. Later, the organization expelled him from the organization and action was taken against him according to law.

In connection with drug control, the government laid down 15-year project, two strategies and three tactics. Based on these facts, the government is making efforts for eradication of narcotic drugs by 2014. There is no particular law meant for peace groups or other organizations.