Myanmar makes achievements in drug control: minister

Myanmar Minister of Home Affairs Major-General Maung Oo recounted on Sunday the country's drug control efforts in the past five years, the first phase of a 15-year drug eradication plan launched in 1999-2000, saying that the phase has completed with much success.

Maung Oo, who is also chairman of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control, underlined some achievements made in three sectors in his message on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.

In the supply reduction efforts, Myanmar has brought about a significant cut in the illicit production of opium, validated through opium yield survey and illicit crop monitoring program conducted jointly by the Myanmar government and the United States and the United Nations Office for Drug Control and Crime Prevention (UNODC), he said.

He quoted US figures as saying that there was a 34 percent declination in poppy cultivation and 40 percent drop in opium production in 2004 compared with 2003, while the UNODC figures show 29 percent fall in poppy cultivation and 54 percent also in opium production.

In the demand reduction efforts, Myanmar has established 26 major drug treatment centers and 40 minor ones, six drug abuse rehabilitation centers and two comprehensive youth rehabilitation ones across the country, he said, adding that the government has undertaken preventive education on drug abuse among the students through incorporation of information of the danger of drug abuse in the school curricula.

In the law enforcement efforts, Myanmar destroyed 3,678 hectares of poppy plantations during 2004-05, an increase of 596 hectares compared with 2003-04, he said.

He attributed the increased seizures of heroin and opium in 2003-04 to the enhanced efforts in the cross-border cooperation with neighboring countries including the arrests of drug traffickers in other countries and their indictments in Myanmar.

He urged the youths in the country to respond to the UN call of this year's theme "Value yourself, Make health choices" to be free from drugs and join with the government in the fight against drugs.

Source: Xinhua