ASEAN anti-drugs gains

ASEAN anti-drugs gains

There has been significant progress against drugs trafficking
in the past two months. Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) members have mapped out serious new steps to combat
narcotics peddlers. Their dialogue partners pledged anew to unify
in the war on drugs. That is the realistic end of the good news.
The bad news is that the drug producers, smugglers and sellers
also have chalked up successes.

If the two months of stronger cooperation is encouraging, it
is offset by new advances by the traffickers. These have come
because of the actions of two countries vital to the anti-
narcotics campaign. The most important breakthrough by drugs
merchants was the violence in Cambodia.

The second was the continuing cooperation by Burma (Myanmar)
with drug peddlers. The takeover of Cambodia by Hun Sen was a
windfall for the country's traffickers and their friends. UN
officials warned publicly it would leave the country prey to big-
time drug traffickers. Cambodian Pol. Gen. Skadavy Lyroun told a
meeting in Bangkok that the situation was serious.

Businessmen, government officials and generals already under
investigation had increased their use of Cambodia as a drug-
export base. In addition, powerful individuals have increased
marijuana production, established a traffic in methamphetamines
and ecstasy, and set up a black market in precursor chemicals
used in the production of heroin and amphetamines.

Burma's collusion with big-time narcotics traffickers and
money launderers is well documented. Since the renewed effort by
most ASEAN countries, Burma has officially joined the regional
group, and continued to pay lip service to combating narcotics.
Heroin shipments continue, and have increased across the Indian
border. Thai police in the North claim they are overwhelmed by
Burmese-made amphetamines. All of this makes it crucial that a
peaceful solution be found to the Cambodian conflict. Trafficking
and money laundering will flourish so long as a frontier-style
way of life continues. Burma must be pressured continually to
pick up its responsibilities as an ASEAN member. The single
largest problem in the anti-drugs struggle is the cooperation of
both these regimes with known drugs traffickers. This cannot
continue.

-- The Bangkok Post