US URGED TO INCLUDE SPEED ON TARGET LIST

Clinton Aide Stresses Role Of Rehabilitation

The United States should include methamphetamines in its international
drug-suppression effort, a special adviser to President Clinton was told in
Bangkok yesterday.

Jurin Laksanavisit, PM's Office minister supervising the Narcotics Control
Board, told Barry McCaffrey, director of the US Office of National Drug
Control Policy, that the stimulant was wreaking havoc on Thai youth.

Thailand wanted Washington to maintain its role in suppressing drug
trafficking in the region, Mr Jurin told Gen McCaffrey at Government House.

Gen McCaffrey, who was also urged to support the funding of preventive
measures to reduce drug abuse, was responsive to the issues raised, said Mr
Jurin.

The US official said smuggling in the Gulf of Thailand and Andaman Sea is a
major area of interest for Thai and US narcotics agencies. The priorities
were to nail the kingpins along with traffickers and underpin the
capability of Thai institutions. Gen McCaffrey also met Prime Minister
Chuan Leekpai as part of his eight-day swing, which has taken him to China,
Hong Kong and Vietnam.

"We have learnt more about challenges facing this strategically-located
nation," he said. Thailand remained a significant trans-shipment point for
drugs, "the presence of which continues to feed the nation's domestic drug
addiction problem". Pointing out that methamphetamines were an emerging
threat to the world, he said the United Wa State Army was the chief source
of the drugs in Thailand. "Virtually all of the synthetic drugs trafficked
in Thailand are produced by the Wa in Burma and enter the kingdom at
various points along the Thai-Burmese border," said the US official. He
called on Thailand, as a signatory to a 1993 regional counter-narcotics
agreement, to encourage Burma to participate in bilateral efforts to combat
Wa drug production. Though methamphetamines were less harmful than heroin,
he said, governments must fight that perception because it had low
production costs but high profit margins.

To combat drug problems, there was a need for effective rehabilitation
programmes.

"If there's no effective drug treatment, law enforcement can never achieve
the purpose," he said.