Pubdate: Sat, 24 Nov 2001
Source: Bangkok Post (Thailand)
Copyright: The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 2001
Contact:  http://www.bangkokpost.co.th/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/39
Author: Sermsuk Kasitipradit

SPEED FLOWING THROUGH LAOS

Illicit drugs from Thailand and Burma are crossing Lao borders instead, 
said the man running Laos' anti-drugs effort.

``Our territory is being used to send illicit drugs to our neighbouring 
countries,'' Soubanh Srithirath told the 4th Lao-Thai meeting on drugs held 
in Luang Prabang.

The minister attached to the Lao President's Office, who chairs the Lao 
National Commission for Drug Control and Supervision, said trafficking of 
methamphetamines had increased rapidly as a result of crackdowns in 
Thailand and Burma.

``Thousands of our students and workers are now addicted and several 
thousands are in rehabilitation,'' Mr Suobanh said.

Millions of methamphetamine pills had been sent across the Lao border with 
Thailand and the Mekong river in the last year.

The minister dismissed reports in Thai papers that the United Wa State 
Army, regarded as the biggest source of illicit drugs in the Golden 
Triangle, had moved its drug plants to Bo Kaeo province in Laos.

Gen Thammarak Issarangkura na Ayuthaya, who supervises Thailand's 
anti-drugs efforts, said co-operation between countries in the Golden 
Triangle had made life more difficult for drugs traffickers. ``They are 
much in disarray and cannot move drugs as freely as they once did,'' he said.

Further co-operation was needed, however, to clamp down on recent drug 
movements, he said.

The government would look at Laos' request that Thailand set up 
detoxification and rehabilitation centres in Laos, he said.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart