MYANMAR SAYS IT IS SERIOUS ABOUT FIGHTING DRUGS

YANGON -- Myanmar's military government on Wednesday torched a pile of
seized drugs and insisted it was committed to fighting illegal narcotics
despite international accusations that the ruling junta profits from the
drugs trade.

At a ceremony to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse, Myanmar set
ablaze a heap of illicit drugs that it said had a street value of some $1.1
billion. The haul included more than three tons of opium, 240kg of heroin
and nearly 35 million stimulant tablets, officials said.

"We wish for this burning to stand as a symbol to the world of our
commitment to eradicate illegal drugs within our country," government
spokesman Colonel Hla Min said in a statement, Reuters reported.

Burma's military rulers have been widely accused of at best turning a blind
eye to dug production, and at worst, of actively profiting from it.