Shan Herald Agency for News |
| Record year for Myanmar stimulant seizures Posted: 09 Feb 2017 08:11 AM PST  YANGON: Myanmar police made record seizures of synthetic drug tablets last year, data obtained by AFP showed Wednesday (Feb 1), underscoring the country's ongoing and pivotal role as a major global narcotics producer. Police confiscated a record 98 million tablets, nearly double the 50 million seized in 2015, according to police data. Myanmar is one of the world's top drug-producing nations, churning out huge quantities of methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs as well as heroin, opium and cannabis - much of it bound for consumers in Asia and beyond. Most production takes place in remote border territories controlled by ethnic minority militias or rival armed groups allied to the powerful military. While low-level smugglers are often arrested, few cartel leaders have ever been brought to justice over the last three decades. Given the powerful vested interests involved, tackling the trade remains a major hurdle for the newly installed civilian administration of Aung San Suu Kyi. In addition to the tablets, documents show some 759 kilogrammes of heroin, 945 kilogrammes of opium and 2,464 kilogrammes of pure methamphetamine - or "ice" - were seized last year. Drug prosecutions jumped from some 8,800 in 2015 to 13,500. Narcotics officers say the latest figures show policing is making inroads into the problem. "But still trafficking is increasing," one senior officer told AFP, asking not to be named. The officer said key hurdles include a lack of manpower and of high-quality detection technology, plus the difficulties of working in areas controlled by armed ethnic minority groups. Neighbouring Thailand on Wednesday announced two major drug seizures made during raids last week. In the southern province of Hat Yai police found 87 kilogrammes of methamphetamine and 25 kilogrammes of cannabis. They also confiscated 720,000 amphetamine tablets and arrested three local suspects in a raid in the northeastern province of Udon Thani. Officers said the three men were part of a network run by Xaysana Keopimpha, a Laos national detained at Bangkok's main airport last month and described by Thai police as a regional drug kingpin. Thailand, Myanmar and Laos share a porous, remote and largely mountainous zone dubbed "The Golden Triangle" which has long been a major drugs-producing region. While seizures are fairly common, analysts say the overall battle is hampered by endemic official corruption and drug syndicates' ability to bounce back from raids with ramped-up production. - AFP Link story : http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/record-year-for-myanmar-stimulant-seizures/3483652.html |
| Myanmar Community in Indianapolis to Commemorate Union Day of Burma Posted: 09 Feb 2017 01:18 AM PST  Ambassador Hau Do Suan, Permanent Representative of the Union of Myanmar to the United Nations, will speak at the event designed to promote cultural understanding between Myanmar ethnic groups and community members in Central Indiana. Prior to his appointment in July 2016, Suan served as Myanmar's ambassador to Canada beginning in 2013. The meeting of Myanmar ethnic groups led by Bogyoke Aung San in the town of Panglong after World War II led to independence from the British colony and the creation of the Union of Burma. Union Day is widely viewed by major ethnic groups of Myanmar as a day of unity based on the principles of federalist democracy and equality. The Indianapolis event provides an opportunity for the Myanmar diaspora in the United States and their friends to show support for the new 21st Century Panglong Conference that was held in Myanmar in August 2016. Set to meet again later this month, the conference is aimed at reaching a nationwide ceasefire agreement between the military and ethnic armed organizations, initiating a framework for political dialogue and beginning national reconciliation for a country that has been ravaged by civil war and poverty for more than half a century. "At this historic moment, we call upon all stakeholders in the country to honor and implement the democratic principles and spirits expressed in the Panglong Agreement by demonstrating their sincere political will and commitment to peace through equal and inclusive process led by Myanmar State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi," said Elaisa Vahnie, Director of the Burmese American Community Institute. The event will feature ethnic dances, fashion, music and food representing eight main ethnic groups of Myanmar. Myanmar: Burman, Chin, Kachin, Kayah (Karenni), Karen, Mon, Rakhaine and Shan. Performances and activities will take place in the university's Esch Hall and Ransburg Auditorium, 1400 E. Hanna Ave. in Indianapolis. The celebration is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Burmese American Community Institute at 317.731.5537 or info@baci-indy.org. Media Contact: |
| You are subscribed to email updates from Shan Herald Agency for News. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, United States | |
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.