U.S., BRITAIN SLAMMED FOR BOYCOTTING YANGON MEETING

BANGKOK, Feb. 11 (Kyodo) -- Myanmar expressed regret Thursday that the
United States and Britain decided to boycott an international conference on
narcotics trafficking set to be held in Yangon later this month.

In a statement issued by the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok, Yangon also urged
the two countries to ''put politics aside'' and revert their decisions
''for the sake of the millions of people around the world whose lives are
threatened by the drug trade.''

It said the two nations are the world's largest markets for heroin and they
should bear a ''special responsibility'' to work with the international
community in every possible way to resolve the illicit drug trafficking
problems.

''Their huge markets fuel a global narcotics trade that threatens to infect
many countries in the developing world, including Myanmar,'' the statement
said.

The U.S. and Britain decided to boycott the fourth International Conference
on Heroin to be held Feb. 23 to 26 due to dissatisfaction with Myanmar's
antinarcotics measures.

Myanmar is said to be the largest heroin producer in Southeast Asia.