Burma's SLORC says battling hard against drugs

By Adrian Edwards

RANGOON, April 27 (Reuter) Burma, the world's biggest opium producer, has
hit back at international criticism of its efforts to tackle a massive
narcotics trade with a propaganda offensive highlighting its efforts to deal
with the problem.

Diplomats and foreign journalists were invited on a threeday tour last week
of eastern Shan state to be shown evidence of government efforts to stamp out
the drugs trade.

As helicopters carrying the entourage descended on towns throughout the
province long controlled by drug barons, they were greeted by former
insurgents and villagers in traditional dress saluting the military
government's powerful Secretary One and intelligence chief, Khin Nyunt.

``The guys with the guns are our guys,'' said government spokesman
LieutenantColonel Hla Min as a convoy carrying the official party entered
Mongla township, on the border with China's Yunnan province.

``But the insurgents have been allowed to keep their own uniforms,'' he said.

According to U.S. estimates, Burma produced more than 2,500 tonnes of opium
which is refined into heroin last year, most in this hilly eastern
region which forms a part of Asia's Golden Triangle region where Burma, Laos
and Thailand meet.

The region has long been controlled by ethnic rebels who financed decadesold
armed struggles for autonomy from Rangoon by producing opium. Most of them
have since made peace deals with the ruling State Law and Order Restoration
Council (SLORC).

A member of one, the United Wa State Army, told the visitors last week his
Hotong district considered a major blackspot produced less than a tenth
of the U.S. estimate for the region.

In another town, former warlord U Sai Lin was presented a certificate and
silver plate to mark what officials said was the complete eradication of
opium production around Mongla.

``These armed groups upon clearly appreciating the sincerity and goodwill
extended by the state...exchanged arms for peace,'' Khin Nyunt said in a
speech. ``As community peace and tranquility prevails in the region...the
rays of hope for the eradication of poppy cultivation have become brighter.''

Dissatisfaction with Burma's efforts to stop the drugs trade was cited along
with the country's poor human rights record as reasons for the U.S. decision
last week to ban all new American investment in Burma.

The SLORC officials say Burma has been unfairly accused of not doing enough
to stamp out a complex problem that it says is linked to its efforts to win
peace deals with the ethnic groups.

But Thai and U.S. antinarcotics sources say the trade is flourishing and
have indicated it is the Wa who have taken over key drugproducing activities
in the region since the surrender of Burma's most notorious warlord, Khun Sa,
in early 1996.

The United States was outraged by the deal struck between Rangoon and Khun
Sa, who is wanted in a U.S. court to face heroin trafficking charges.

SLORC has refused to extradite Khun Sa, saying it would deal with him in its
own way and that the deal, details of which remain secret, was a necessary
evil to end the fighting.

``Well we believe Khun Sa's living in Rangoon now,'' said a U.S. official on
the trip. ``They're not agreeing to extradite him, but it'd be nice if they'd
at least put him in jail.''

Burma's eastern Shan state remains crippled by poverty in many areas. United
Nations Drugs Control Programme (UNDCP) officials say this makes it hard to
persuade farmers to switch to alternative crops, but they declined to comment
on the level of the SLORC's success in tackling the root problem.

``UNDCP has not done a production survey,'' said the group's Matti
Teravainen. ``Only one thing I know is that this is a major production area.
And that's why we have a problem here.''