10 August
President U Win Myint held a meeting with the Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC) headed by its Chairman Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe, the Union Minister for Home Affairs, at the Presidential Palace yesterday.
Progress report on nationwide control of illegal drugs
Firstly, Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe presented a number of progress reports on drug control activities. The reports include an update on the work performed by the central committee, its ten working groups, and the Drug Activity Special Complaint Department.
The reports also covered issues of drug abuse and confiscation of illegal drugs and their precursors, and sometimes containing ammunition, and the drug trafficking routes on land and sea, including the recent changes in their routes.
The Union Minister also talked on amendments to the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Law and its related bylaw, and handover of youths to the juvenile rehabilitation centers run by the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.
This was followed by CCDAC’s Joint Secretary, Police Brig-Gen Win Naing, explaining the progress of controlling drug abuse and the difficulties it presented.
President provides necessary guidance
The President then delivered an address, in which he said controlling the spread of illegal drug usage was a national duty that they are undertaking in line with UN conventions.
He said there must be cooperation with international organizations, NGOs, relevant authority organizations and ministries.
He said the ministries incorporated in the CCDAC need to effectively carry out their assigned tasks.
He told them to ensure that the current momentum of tasks did not slow down, and in fact, to increase the pace in carrying out their duties. He instructed them to carefully carry out awareness raising campaigns on the dangers of narcotic drugs and providing rehabilitation and treatment to people abusing drugs.
As the Union Government is tirelessly combating drug abuse and disseminating news on the matter to the public regularly, all concerned officials must increase the pace of handling drug abuse cases by considering it a national-level duty, said the President.
The President said officials must adhere to existing laws, bylaws, regulations and police ethics when handling drug issues and confiscating evidence and ensure swift management in line with court orders.
He said those who have contributed to drug control measures will be rewarded and there was a need for plans to provide alternative farming and livestock rearing options to control drug abuse.
The President said CCDAC must form its own working groups as necessary and assign tasks and provide coordination as well. He said they must have regular reviews on their accomplishments and administer guidance as needed. He urged everyone concerned with controlling drug abuse to increase their momentum more than they ever have.
Present at the meeting were CCDAC Vice-Chairman & Union Minister for Border Affairs Lt-Gen Ye Aung, CCDAC members Deputy Home Affairs Minister Maj-Gen Aung Thu, Deputy Border Affairs Minister Maj-Gen Than Htut, Deputy Information Minister U Aung Hla Tun, Deputy Minister for Office of the Union Government U Tin Myint, Deputy Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Minister U Hla Kyaw, Deputy Education Minister U Win Maw Tun, Deputy Health and Sports Minister Dr Mya Lay Sein, Deputy Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement Minister U Soe Aung, Director-General U Naing Swe Oo of the Political and Security Department under the Ministry of the President’s Office, Director-General U Chan Aye of the International Organizations and Economic Department attending on behalf of Union Minister for International Cooperation U Kyaw Tin, CCDAC Secretary Police Lt-Gen Aung Win Oo, and Lt-Col Min Hein from the Office of the Chief of Military Security. — MNA (Translated by Zaw Htet Oo)
