U.S. TROUBLED BY INTERPOL'S MYANMAR DRUG MEETING

BANGKOK, - The United States said on Thursday it had
decided not to attend an Interpol anti-narcotics meeting in Myanmar as
it believes Yangon may use the event to give a false picture of its
drug suppression efforts.

It said Interpol's decision to hold the conference in Yangon was
"troubling" and Washington wanted to avoid misunderstanding of its
policy towards Myanmar.

"The United States believes the Burmese regime could use the
conference to create the false impression that it demonstrates
international approval...for its counter-narcotics and anti-crime
efforts," a U.S. embassy spokesman quoted a State Department
statement as saying.

"Interpol's decision to hold this year's conference in Rangoon and to
structure an agenda that largely overlooks key U.S. counter-narcotics
concerns in the region, and in particular with Burma, is troubling,"
it said.

"The U.S. government will not send anyone to the meeting. and would
prefer that it be held in another location."

Myanmar is one of the world's leading producers of heroin and overseas
officials working to stem a flood of narcotics from its refineries
have expressed doubts about the military government's commitment to
eradicating the menace.

The U.S. statement said Yangon's counter-narcotics efforts, "while
improving, are far from what is necessary". In addition, Myanmar
"persists in its disregard for political and human rights", it said.

Had Interpol sought U.S. views, Washington would have advocated both a
different venue and agenda for the conference, concentrating more on
narcotics issues specific to Myanmar, "including money laundering,
corruption, smuggling and crop destruction and substitution", the
statement said.

Several European countries have said they will not attend the
meeting.

On Wednesday, Myanmar said it greatly regretted decisions by the
United States and Britain to boycott the conference. It said that as
two of the largest markets for heroin in the world, they had a
"special responsibility" to take part.

The Australia Burma Council, a Sydney-based non-governmental
organisation, has criticised Australia's planned participation, saying
it would merely serve the propaganda interests of a "brutal,
incompetent and corrupt" government.