BURMA URGED TO EXCHANGE DRUG OFFICIALS

Thammarak's Bid To Boost Co-Operation

Burma will be urged to exchange its drug officials with Thailand's in
a move to strengthen co-operation on drug suppression along the common
border, Gen Thammarak Issarangkura na Ayuthaya said.

The PM's Office minister, who supervises the government's drug
suppression campaign, said the proposal was aimed at boosting
co-operation against drugs, as agreed at the Regional Border Committee
meeting in Kengtung, Burma, early this month.

Gen Thammarak, who oversees the Office of the Narcotics Control Board,
said he would raise the issue for informal discussion in Burma early
next month with a senior Burmese official in charge of drug
suppression.

Gen Thammarak, a former armed forces security chief, was hopeful the
Burmese side would respond positively to the idea.

China had already agreed in principle to post drug officials in
Thailand to strengthen co-operation against drugs, he said.

Gen Thammarak said it was unlikely for Thailand to root out drug
trafficking problems unless "we got help from our neighbour since the
flow of illicit drugs came from that direction."

The minister said he was much confident his idea would help strengthen
understanding and co-operation on the narcotics issue, especially at a
time of Thai-Burmese border tension which had stalled collaboration
between the two sides.

"This channel will always be kept open so that both sides can keep
working on border drug problems even when there is a border dispute."