Pubdate: Tue, 29 Jan 2002
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2002 The Age Company Ltd
Contact:  http://www.theage.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5
Author: Ron Corben

UN DRUG CONTROL OFFICIALS CALL FOR MORE FUNDS TO BURMA

Bangkok - The international policy of isolating Burma should be reversed to 
allow more humanitarian funds to areas undergoing opium crop reduction 
programs, UN officials say.

European states, as well as human rights groups, have led the call for 
severe limits on aid to the military government in Rangoon until 
improvements are made in its human rights record.

But UN officials are arguing against the isolationist policy, saying funds 
are needed to assist ongoing efforts to reduce the output of opium from 
Burma's northern regions.

Burma, together with Laos and Thailand, form the "Golden Triangle" region 
of opium production, the second-largest in output behind Afghanistan.

In 1996 Burma's opium production reached a peak of 2,500 tonnes. But since 
then the crop has fallen by at least 40 per cent, with US figures putting 
the output at just 860 tonnes in 2001.

UN International Drug Control Program representative in Burma, Jean Luc 
Lemahieu, said there are fears the reduction will not be sustained without 
additional resources from the international community.

"There is one thing in reducing (output) fast, there is another in giving a 
livelihood, a sustainable livelihood to the farmers who are dealing 
traditionally with opium, and that is not coming forward," Mr Lemahieu said.

"The political situation is one thing, but we have arguments which say 
regardless as to what is happening politically in Myanmar (Burma), we need 
to act now," he told AAP.

In the northern regions of Burma, under the control of the Wa people, the 
United States and Japan are providing up to $US12 million ($A23.2 million) 
for an opium crop reduction program.

But Mr Lemahieu says for the United Nations to have a "real drastic impact 
on opium reduction" it needs at least a "three to four-fold increase" in 
assistance.

Australia is contributing $US400,000 ($A773,400) to assistance in Burma as 
part of drug control and monitoring efforts. Some 70 per cent of 
Australia's imported heroin is sourced from the Golden Triangle.

Australian Federal Police officers have been stationed in Rangoon to 
monitor trends in heroin trafficking from the region.

UN Drugs Control Program representative for East Asia and the Pacific, 
Sandro Cavani, said Burma should not be abandoned.

"We should focus on those (opium producing) countries and listen to them 
... find ways to help them to get out of this economy of risk and this 
economy of violence," Mr Cavani told AAP.

"Isolation only produces Osama bin Ladens. Integration, facilitate dialogue 
gets solutions to problems," he said.

By Ron Corben
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom