Information Committee of State Peace and Development Council holds Press Conference No 4/2006

YANGON, 27 April — The Information Committee of the State Peace and Development Council held the Press Conference No 4/2006 on achievements of Myanmar in narcotic drug eradication, and matters relating to terrorist acts including drug trafficking, ethnic cleansing and rapes under guises of political ground committed by internal and external destructionists, at the city hall in Kengtung, Shan State (East), yesterday morning.

It was attended by Chairman of the Information Committee of the State Peace and Development Council Minister for Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan, Vice-Chairman of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control Minister for Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs Col Thein Nyunt, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Brig-Gen Phone Swe, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs U Kyaw Thu, Deputy Minister for Health Dr Mya Oo, Deputy Minister for Education U Myo Nyunt, Deputy Minister for Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Brig-Gen Kyaw Myint, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Philippines Ambassador Madame Phoebe A Gomez and Ambassadors of the foreign missions, Charges d’Affaires ai and diplomats of the embassies, officials of UN agencies, Foreign Anti-Narcotics and representatives from Crime Community (FANC) members the United States, France, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and Belgium, representatives from Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and the People’s Republic of China that had signed the MoU with the Union of Myanmar for narcotic drug eradication, senior military officers, Director-General of Myanmar Police Force Brig-Gen Khin Yi, members of CCDAC, departmental heads, leaders and members of Shan State (East) Special Region-2 and Special Region-4, members of the Union Solidarity and Development Association, Women’s Affairs Organization, Maternal and Child Welfare Association, War Veterans Organization and social organizations, representatives of local national races, media persons, the president of Myanmar Foreign Correspondents Club and members, editorial staff of local periodicals, reporters of newspapers and TV stations of Thailand, guests and those from SSA-S Ywet Sit Group who had returned to the legal fold.

Member of the Information Committee Secretary of CCDAC Secretary Director-General of MPF Brig-Gen Khin Yi clarified achievements of the Union of Myanmar in narcotic drug eradication.

(The full text of clarification of MPF Director-General Brig-Gen Khin Yi is reported separately.)

Next, Chairman of the Information Committee Minister for Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan clarified matters relating to terrorist acts including drug trafficking, ethnic cleansing and rapes under guises of political ground committed by internal and external destructionists.

(The full text of clarification of Minister for Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan is reported separately.)

Afterwards, Minister for Information Brig-Gen Kyaw Hsan, Vice-Chairman of CCDAC Minister for PBANRDA Col Thein Nyunt, Deputy Minister for Education U Myo Nyunt, Deputy Minister for Health Dr Mya Oo, Deputy Minister for Home Affairs Brig-Gen Phone Swe and Deputy Minister for SWRR Brig-Gen Kyaw Myint, Aik In who had returned to the legal fold after being forcibly recruited by SSA-S Ywet Sit Group, Pa-O national U Kyaw from Htitakhu Village of Mawmon Village-tract that was set on fire by SSA-S Ywet Sit Group, Chairman U Kyaw of Naungtay Village-tract, Lahu national Ko Shay La who returned to legal fold from SSA-S Ywet Sit Group, and Lahu national Ko Mar Ku who was forcibly recruited by SSA-S Ywet Sit Group answered the queries raised by local and foreign journalists and corre-spondents.

After the press conference, diplomats from foreign countries, guests and journalists viewed documentary photos on collusion and formation of NCUB, DAB, NDF, NLD-LA and ABSDF, acts of NCUB, FTUB, NDD and NLD-LA in an attempt to incite unrest in the State, destruction of villages by fire set by SSA-S led by Ywat Sit, recruiting of child soldiers by SSA-S, atrocities of expatriate groups NCUB, FTUB, ABSDF, NLD-LA and NDD and May-7 triple bomb blasts in Yangon. They also viewed documentary photos on endeavours for elimination of narcotic drug, 15-year plan for drug elimination, joint efforts of Myanmar and US to measure poppy plantation and destruction of narcotic drug and lists of seized narcotic drug in Myanmar. At the press conference, 196 different sorts of arms and ammunition seized in drug cases from 26 December 2005 to 19 April 2006 were shown.

Before the burning of seized narcotic drugs, Brig-Gen Khin Yi delivered an address and diplomats tested authenticity of drugs.

Afterwards, Minister Col Thein Nyunt, Head of the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control of Lao PDR Minister at the President Office Lao PDR Mr Soubanh Srithirath and Dean of Diplomatic Corps Madame Phoebe A Gomez pressed the button to incinerate the drugs.

The seized narcotic drugs includin over 73 kilos of opium, over 53 kilos of heroin, 1 litre of opium oil, over 3 kilos of low grade opium, 1000 kilos of morphine, over 1523 kilos of stimulant tablets, 0.355 kilo of marijuana, 0.0151 kilo of ice and precursors worth over US $ 1411 million were incinerated at the ceremony.