FIVE COUNTRIES STRENGTHEN ALLIANCE AGAINST DRUGS

Thailand Hopes To Have Rooted Out The Cultivation Of Opium Within Four Years

In order to reach regional goals of eradicating the illegal drug trade, all nations in the region must cooperate with each other.

Senior officials from Thailand, China, India, Laos and Myanmar took another step towards reaching this goal when they met at the Dusit Resort Pattaya from April 21-23 to discuss regional cooperation in the fight against drugs.

Justice Minister Pongthep Thepkanjana said in an address at the opening ceremony, "There is a need to increase regional cooperation, as East Asia and Southeast Asia have faced the dangers of drug-related problems for a number of years.

"We expect Thailand to eliminate poppy growing by 2008," he said.

The three-day meeting was designed to review agreements reached at the Chiang Rai conference last year.  It also discussed ways to increase the efficiency of regional cooperation in the fight against drugs.

"We must make a sincere effort to reduce drug production and seize chemicals used in drug laboratories, hitting producers at the base level.  We must also monitor and enforce drug prevention.  The Thai government sees this as an important policy in reducing production despite efforts by those bringing the chemicals through unmanned border points.

"Our war on drugs has greatly reduced the problem but we must ensure better cooperation from our neighbors if we are to succeed," Pongthep said.

During the meeting, it was also revealed methamphetamines were among the top three drugs used in the world, particularly in Asia.