RI urges regional cooperation to combat drugs
RI urges regional cooperation to combat drugs
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia yesterday called for greater
cooperation among Asia-Pacific countries in fighting
international drug syndicates, saying that no country is safe
from drug problems as long as they exist in the region..
The different legal systems in the region should not preclude
law enforcement agencies from working together, Coordinating
Minister for Political Affairs and Security Soesilo Soedarman
said.
"I hope the success achieved by several countries does not
make us become negligent to the dangers or become complacent as
long as drug producing plants are still growing and the
development of chemical technology continues to expand," Soesilo
said during a meeting with heads of the region's drug enforcement
agencies.
The 20th meeting of the Heads of National Drug Law Enforcement
Agencies (HONLEA) for the Asia-Pacific region at Sahid Jaya Hotel
brings together representatives from 50 countries, 13
international and regional organizations, and five observer
countries -- Canada, Germany, Italy, Sweden and Switzerland.
Soesilo said cooperation among law enforcement agencies in the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Asia-Pacific region
as well as internationally have succeeded in curbing drug
trafficking.
The minister appealed to developed countries for financial
assistance to help developing countries combat the drug trade.
"The weakness of one country may very well influence another
even if the latter is a developed country," he said.
The five-day meeting will review heroin trafficking, the
establishment of intelligence gathering and dissemination systems
in the region, measures to bar illicit poppy cultivation and the
production of opium.
According to the provisional agenda, the meeting will also
discuss the prevention role of drug enforcement agencies and also
hear progress reports on the recommendations each country made at
the 19th conference.
Soesilo underlined that the number of drug addicts in
Indonesia, at 0.062 percent of its total population of 195
million, is relatively small compared to other countries in the
region.
However, he said the government never underestimates the
potential of drug abuse, despite the low rate of addiction.
The police say that Indonesia has become a popular transit
point for international drug syndicates trading in heroin, though
little heroin actually finds its way into the Indonesian market.
The majority of drug busts made by police were at airports in
Jakarta, Medan and Denpasar, and most of the drugs were destined
for other countries.
In the past, narcotics cases in Indonesia mostly involved
marijuana grown in Aceh. But in recent years, heavier drugs such
as Ecstasy are gaining popularity among young urbanites.
Jakarta police last week said that weak laws are hampering
their efforts to battle the drug trade. (01)