16 September 2005
Burma Failed To Make Sufficient Effort in Drug War, U.S. Says
China, Vietnam dropped from U.S. major drug-producing, drug-transit list
By Judy Aita
Washington File Staff Writer
New York -- The United States has cited Burma as having "failed demonstrably to make sufficient effort" to adhere to its obligations under international anti-narcotics agreements during the last 12 months.
On September 15 President Bush authorized the secretary of state to send to Congress the administration's annual narcotics certification report for Fiscal Year 2006, known as the "Majors List," which designates major illicit drug-producing or drug-transit countries, said Acting Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Nancy Powell.
Powell briefed reporters at the Foreign Press Center in New York September 15. She appeared with Nicholas Burns, under secretary of state for political affairs, and John Walters, director of White House Office of National Drug Control Policy.
This year's "Majors List" included 20 countries: Afghanistan, Bahamas, Bolivia, Brazil, Burma, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Laos, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela.
Burma and Venezuela were the only countries out of the 20 to be singled out for their failures.
According to U.S. law, countries found to have "failed demonstrably" are ineligible for many types of U.S. foreign assistance.
"Despite continued reductions in poppy cultivation, Burma remains the world's second largest producer of illicit opium and among the world's largest producers and traffickers of amphetamine-type stimulants," Powell said at the press conference.
"Production and trafficking of methamphetamine from Burma continues to be one of the most serious problems facing Southeast Asia," she said. "Drug gangs operating freely along Burma's borders with China and Thailand produce several hundred million methamphetamine tablets using precursors imported from countries in the region."
Burma has failed to restrict the trafficking and production of narcotics by the United Wa State Army (UWSA), the military arm of the ethnic United Wa State Party, the assistant secretary said.
"UWSA continues to operate with apparent impunity in Burma and their involvement in methamphetamine production and trafficking remains a serious concern," Powell said.
The report said that although Burma has banned the import, sale and use of 25 precursor chemicals used in methamphetamine production, the country's efforts have been unsatisfactory and seizures are disappointing. The Burmese government destroyed only one methamphetamine lab in 2004.
Walters said the narcotics certification report is actually a "summary of continued progress" in other countries and two Asian countries appearing on last year's list have been dropped -- China and Vietnam.
In a memorandum for the secretary of state, President Bush said China was removed from the list because "there is insufficient evidence to suggest that China is a major source zone or transit country for illicit narcotics that significantly affect the United States."
Bush found "insufficient evidence to refute claims by the government of Vietnam that they have virtually eliminated opium poppy cultivation." In addition, the president reported, "[A]lthough cooperation with United States law enforcement is limited, there are no indications of a significant Vietnamese-based drug threat to the United States."
Powell said the president expressed concern about other countries that are not included on the Majors List.
One of those is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea, or DPRK).
"We remain concerned over continued involvement by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea…in criminal activity, including drug production and drug trafficking," Powell said.
"Given the relationship between Japanese and Chinese criminal elements and the DPRK drug traffickers in past incidents," the assistant secretary said, "there is a real possibility of continuing DPRK involvement in drug trafficking, even when a given incident seems to involve ethnic Chinese or other organized Asian criminal groups."
The president is required by Congress to submit the annual narcotics certifications. The White House memorandum said a country's presence on the Majors List is "not necessarily an adverse reflection of its government's counternarcotics efforts or level of cooperation with the United States."
Countries may be placed on the list for failure to take counternarcotics measures set forth in Section 49(a)(1) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act. Powell said international obligations include the goals and objectives of the United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
"They can include things such as taking action against illicit cultivation, production, distribution, sales, transport and financing of the drug trade, as well as money laundering, asset seizure, extradition, mutual legal assistance, law enforcement, transit cooperation, precursor chemical control and demand reduction," she said. The counternarcotics agreements include both bilateral and multilateral agreements involving the United States.
A transcript of the press briefing is available on the State Department’s Foreign Press Center Web site.
For information on U.S. efforts to counter trade in illicit drugs, see Narcotics.
(The Washington File is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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