Yangon, 18th July 1994
Participants:
Secretary-1 of the State Law and Order Restoration Council and members, Resident Representatives of UN agencies, Diplomats and Military Attaches, Representatives of the UN Drug Control Programme and PRC Drug Control Division, Foreign Media Personnel, Local Media Personnel, Department Heads and Invited Guest.
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REPORT PRESENTED BY POLICE COLONEL NGWE SOE TUN, JOINT SECRETARY OF CENTRAL COMMITTEE FOR DRUG ABUSE CONTROL AT THE EIGHTH DESTRUCTION OF NARCOTIC DRUGS SEIZED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES
Esteemed Secretary-1 and Members of the State Law and Order Restoration Council, Chairman and Members of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control, Heads Departments, Resident Representatives of United Nations Agencies, Members of the Crops of Diplomats, media personnel and invited guests,
To introduce myself, I am Police Colonel Ngwe Soe Tun, Director of the Narcotics Division, People's Police Force, and also Joint Secretary of the Central Committee Drug Abuse Control.
Let me first convey our thanks, on behalf of the CCDAC, to all of your for giving some of your valuable time to attend today's significant occasion, at which narcotic drugs seized within the Union of Myanmar will be publicly destroyed for the eighth time will now commence my report, wishing you health of body and peace of mind.
Esteemed guests,
Today's report will be presented in three parts, the first of which will be by me, the second part, that is the Law Enforcement Portion, will be presented by Police Colonel Maung Maung Than, Director of the Criminal Investigation Department and member of the Law Enforcement Sector. Thirdly, you will be watching a ten-minute video documentary on the latest situations in our country regarding drug abuse control.
Esteemed guests,
I will now present part one of the report. As some of you may well know, is the eighth occasion at which seized narcotics were publicly destroyed. In addition his, poppy fields and opium refineries in the
border regions were destroyed for twelves, making a total of twenty. In connection with these efforts, the following points been highlighted.
- The Drug Abuse Control policy and objectives of the Union of Myanmar.
- The setting up of the Central Committee and other Working Committees as well as their situation report on the implementation of the Drug Abuse Control policy.
- The endeavours of the Ministry for Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs with a view to totally eradicate poppy cultivation and to raise the standard of living of the national races.
- The situation of our joint efforts with the UNDCP and other UN agencies.
- Cooperation with the Laos, Thailand and China in line with UN resolutions.
- The situation of joint drug enforcement activities with India along the common border.
- Law enforcement activities in the Union of Myanmar according to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance Law.
- The situation of supply reduction and demand reduction measures undertaken within the country.
Esteemed guests,
In the first part of the report, emphasis will be laid upon two salient points, the first being annihilation of drug traffickers, and the second, the international relations in the sphere of drug abuse control. As regards efforts to annihilate drug trafficking armed groups, let us make comparisons between the pre-1988 Operation Moe Hein which crushed opium refineries along the borders and the operation launched very recently in Monkyawt area. Phase One of Operation Moe Hein was Launched on 26 April 1976, and was carried on annually for twelve successive years up to 1988. Statistics show that within these twelve years, the toll was:
- 205 drug traffickers killed (by body count)
- 18 drug traffickers captured
- 249 small arms
- 70607 rounds of assorted ammunition
- 2364 land mines
- 19 communication sets
- 15 opium refineries
- 159.61 kg of Heroin
- 344.68 kg of morphine
- 5453.93 k of raw opium, 20.33 kg of liquid opium and it large amount of chemicals and utensils used in the manufacture of Heroin.
In the recent 45-day operation that lasted from 11 May through 24 June this year in the vicinity of Monkyawt in Mongton Region, Khun Sa's drug trafficking terrorists suffered a heavy loss.
- 50 terrorists were killed (by body count) and
- 163 small arms
- 1 1350 rounds of ammunition
- 560 assorted land mines
- 340 rocket propelled grenades (RPG)
- 3 kg of heroin, and about 2 viss of marijuana were seized.
Esteemed guests,
In Operation Moe Hein, 109 valiant Tatmadaw (Armed Forces) members made supreme sacrifice and 572 were wounded. In the recent Operation in Monkyawt area, we sacrificed 196 lives including 7 officers, and 357 were wounded. This Remounts to a total loss of 305 killed in action and 929 wounded. It will be seen that many men of valor made supreme sacrifice in both the 12-year-long and 45-day operation. Today, at this auspicious event we pay tribute to those who answered the call of duty with their lives. Nowhere else in the world have such selfless and altruistic sacrifice been made in combating the urge of drugs. Therefore, I hereby honestly and factually venture to say that the Union of Myanmar had, and has, been crushing drug pushing insurgents tooth and nail. The dignitaries present here today, I am sure, will be able to discern who have been involved who have been supporting those drug pushers.
Esteemed guests,
Allow me to continue with the report on international relations. The Union Myanmar became a signatory to the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drug on March 1961. The signing was ratified by the Revolutionary Council Government on July 1963. State parties to this convention promulgated laws and statutes on drug control, cooperated with their counterparts and limited the use of drug strictly to medical and scientific purposes.
The Union of Myanmar sent a delegation to the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances in Vienna, Austria, from 11 Jan to 19 Feb 1971. Due to non prevalence of abuse of psychotropic substances in the country then, Myanmar did not became a signatory. Nevertheless, reports, returns, statements and data were occasionally submitted. Now that abuse of psychotropic substances have invaded our country, and as have become a state party to the 1988 Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic drugs and Psychotropic Substances on 9 September 1991, we have already signed the 1971 Convention on 7 June 1994 and have also informed the Secretary-General of the United Nations of this move.
Esteemed guests,
I will now go into our joint efforts with our neighbours. At the United Nations Headquarters, New York, on 26 Oct 1993 the Union of Myanmar signed a Memorandum Understanding with Laos, Thailand, China and UNDCP. A high level meeting was I in Vientiane, Laos, from 30 June to 1 July 1994 as a prerequisite for the Ministerial Meeting as prescribed in the MoU. The Second Ministerial Meeting was convened from rough 11 Feb 1994 in Yangon, after which a joint declaration was issued. The fourth coordination meeting was held in Kunming, PRC on 24 May and in Bangkok, Thailand 28 June, 1994. The China/Myanmar/Thailand/UNDCP Sub-regional Drug Control Programme signed on 12 June 1992) was discussed at the meeting.
Esteemed guests,
Myanmar's firm stand regarding international Drug Control activities was clarified by the Secretary-1 of the State Law and Order Restoration council at the Second LPDR/Myanmar/Thailand Ministerial Meeting held in Yangon on 9 Feb this year. In opening address, the Secretary-1 said:
"The scourge of drug abuse has become and international concern, a global problem. Drug abuse knows no boundaries, No nation is immune to the threat of drug abuse. Only with the united efforts of all nations can this danger be averted. The Union of Myanmar is convinced that multilateral cooperation is urgently needed at the national, regional and international levels."
Esteemed Resident Representatives of UN Agencies, members of the Corps of Diplomats, journalists and guests,
Today, the scourge of HIV/AIDS has amplified the threat of drug abuse. To successfully combat these two, we firmly believe that it is now time to act according to the motto "Countries unite, to combat the scourge of narcotic drugs- mankind's enemy". Before winding up the first part of the report, I would proudly like to declare that the Union of Myanmar is always ready to act, and always welcomes sincere cooperation in solving mankind's most serious problem.
Thank you.
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REPORT PRESENTED BY POLICE COLONEL MAUNG MAUNG THAN, DIRECTOR OF THE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION DEPARTMENT AND MEMBER OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SECTOR, CCDAC
Esteemed guests,
Allow me to carry on with the second part of the report. I am Police Colonel Maung Maung Than, member of the Law Enforcement Sector of the CCDAC and Director the Criminal Investigation Department.
This part of the report is on the narcotic drugs already destroyed and those about to be destroyed today. These were confiscated by the Defence Services, the People's ice Force, the Customs Department and other law enforcement agencies, and after the trial of cases in court, were handed over to the CID.
Let me begin with the list of drugs that will soon be set ablaze and destroyed front of your very eyes.
Opium 1291.235 kg
Heroin 162.018 kg
Opium Oil 5.329 kg
Liquid Opium 1.934 kg
Marijuana 263.786 kg
Phesedyl
500 ml x 37 bottles, 18.500 litres
125 ml x 5747 bottles, 718.375 litres
60 ml x173 bottles, 10.380 litres
Total 5957 bottles, 747.255 litres
Teradyl 35.786 litres
Phencodine 0.375 litres
Now I will read out the list of drugs already destroyed in the seven previous occasions.
Opium 6929.119 kg
Heroin 1148.624 kg
Opium Oil 62.908 kg
Liquid Opium 114.217 kg
Morphine base 63.435 kg
Marijuana 3308.766 kg
Phensedyl 54.400 kg
19071.41 litres
Corex 39.78 litres
Glycodine 8.82 litres
Promedyl 10.00 litres
Teradyl 91.986 litres
Adding up the two lists, we have the up-to-date total, which is:
Opium 822.354 kg
Heroin 1310.642 kg
Opium Oil 68.237 kg
Liquid Opium 116.151 kg
Morphine base 63.435 kg
Marijuana 3572.552 kg
Phensedyl 19818.665 litres
Corex syrup 39.78 litres
Glycodine 8.820 litres
Promedyl 10.000 litres
Teradyl 127.772 litres
Phencodine 0.375 litres
You are sincerely invited to inspect the seized drugs displayed right before you before setting them ablaze yourself. I now conclude my report by letting you know that narcotic drugs seized in the future will be similarly dealt with.
Thank you very much.
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