Roundup: Myanmar reiterates commitment to combating drugs as national duty

Myanmar has reiterated its commitment to combating drugs as national duty in line with international drug conventions.

The country has implemented three drug enforcement operations since 2010 in Ho Pone, Pin Lon and Loilin Townships of the Shan State in cooperation with the UN Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC) to reduce drug abuse among youth, create alternative income for opium poppy farmers and contribute to their development.

The government integrated rural development and improving livelihood of indigenous people into national poverty alleviation program in the opium cultivation areas where people had to rely on illicit activities and opium cultivation to meet their basic needs.

Myanmar has extended its drug elimination plan to another five years from 2014-2015 to 2018-2019 to maintain the momentum of fighting against drug.

Furthermore, the Ministry of Health has established 26 major drug treatment centers and 47 minor drug treatment centers throughout the country to rehabilitate drug users.

On the ceremony to mark the 28th International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Myanmar authorities burned 244.65 million U.S. dollars worth of narcotic drugs in three main cities - - Yangon, Mandalay and Taunggyi on Friday.

Myanmar's drug elimination interventions rest on the two pillars of supply elimination and demand elimination.

Myanmar is also cooperating with the National Narcotic Commission of China, Office on Narcotic Control Board of Thailand, U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency and the Australian Federal Police in the areas of law enforcement and alternative development.

Moreover, Myanmar also signed bilateral agreements with India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Russia, Laos, the Philippines, China, Thailand and the United States to fight against drug in the region and the rest of the world.

Myanmar is known as the Southeast Asia's largest and the world' s second largest poppy growing country following Afghanistan. Endi