MYANMAR DISSIDENTS URGE ASEAN TO SKIP DRUG MEET

BANGKOK, Feb 12 (Reuters) - Myanmar dissidents in exile urged members of
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Friday to boycott an
Interpol drug conference to be held in Yangon later this month.

The leader of about 50 dissidents shouting slogans outside the Myanmar
embassy in Bangkok accused Yangon's military government of involvement in
drug trafficking and praised the United States, Britain and other European
countries for refusing to attend the meeting.

"I would also request that ASEAN members and other countries boycott the
conference," said Zaw Wint of the Overseas Mon National Students
Organisation, a dissident group comprising one of Myanmar's numerous ethnic
minorities.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines,
Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Myanmar is one of the world's leading producers of heroin and many
diplomats have been shocked by Interpol's choice of venue for the February
23 to 26 conference.

The embassy protest was held on the 52nd anniversary of Myanmar's Union
Day, marking a well-intentioned but short-lived agreement between Myanmar's
majority Burmans and some of its ethnic minorities.

The demonstrators also called on ethnic minorities still fighting the
Yangon government to unite in their struggle.

Many ethnic groups have signed peace agreements with Yangon in recent years
and those few still fighting have since been pushed close to collapse.