DRUG SUPPRESSION MEETING

Crop substitution schemes get push

Trade in precursor chemicals top worry

Controls on chemicals used to produce illicit drugs and the promotion of
crop substitution schemes will top the agenda of a three-day regional
meeting on drug suppression this week in Pattaya.

Senior drug officials from Burma, China, India, Laos and Thailand will
attend the meeting that begins on Wednesday. The talks are a follow-up to
the first meeting held in Chiang Rai last July.

Rassamee Wisthawes, deputy secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics
Control Board, said she will propose discussions on how best to control the
smuggling of precursor chemicals from one country to another.

She said at present some chemicals such as caffeine and codeine are still
being smuggled from producing countries to drug refineries along the
northern Thai-Burmese border.

The smuggling of the chemicals, which are illegal in large quantities in
Thailand, has thrived because they are legal in some other countries.

''I will try my best to make other delegates understand the danger of the
precursor chemicals and to come up with effective measures to control
them,'' she said.

Ms Rassamee expressed deep concern over China and India, which are
reportedly still producing precursor chemicals, even though they have
limited use within the countries themselves. She said that Thailand will
also use the meeting to promote the benefits of alternative development
programmes, such as crop substitution. She believes such programmes are
effective in eradicating the drug trade and improving the standard of living
of the local people. She cited the Yong Kha crop substitution project in
Shan State of Burma as an example.