Delegations from India, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, the Union of Myanmar, the People’s Republic of China, and the Kingdom of Thailand are gathering in Chiang Rai, Thailand’s northernmost province, from 22 to 25 July 2003 for the Senior Officials and Ministerial Meetings of the Pentalateral Cooperation on Drug Control.

The meeting, the first of its kind, takes place at Dusit Island Resort Hotel. Senior officials meet on July 22 and 23 and ministers on July 24, when the Chiang Rai Declaration will be issued on the efforts of the five countries in the fight against drugs. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra presides over the opening of the ministerial meeting on July 24. On July 25, the delegations will visit the Hall of Opium, the Golden Triangle area, and the Doi Tung Development Project. Minister of Justice Phongthep Thepkanjana represents Thailand at the ministers meeting, while Secretary-General of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board Police Lieutenant General Chidchai Vanasatidya heads the Thai senior officials delegation.

The five-party meeting is intended to establish the effective control of precursor chemicals used in drug production and develop alternatives in solving drug problems. Opium, heroin, and methamphetamine are cited as major narcotic drugs causing the problem in the Golden Triangle area, which connects Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. Methamphetamine produced in neighboring countries has been smuggled into Thailand, while the neighboring countries that are the producing sources have also faced the smuggling of substances and precursor chemicals for methamphetamine production from China and India.

The five countries share the view that apart from drug suppression in the Golden Triangle area, the solving of drug problems there should emphasize the control of substances and precursor chemicals used in drug production. They also believe that alternative development to enhance the livelihood of the people living in border areas and neighboring countries will encourage them to give up drug production.

In fact, the five countries have already held consultations on anti-drug efforts at both bilateral and multilateral levels, but there are still some weaknesses that should be tackled jointly. So the first Senior Officials and Ministerial Meetings of the Pentalateral Cooperation on Drug Control, hosted by Thailand, is meant to step up the joint anti-drug cooperation and ease obstacles through the existing mechanisms of the five countries.

Thailand has been successful in carrying out alternative development to reduce opium cultivation for more than 30 years. The experience has been transferred to neighboring countries and it now serves as a model for other nations as well. Poverty is cited as one of the main causes of drug problems. Because of poverty, many people want to earn more income, so they turn to drug trade or opium poppy cultivation.

Alternative development includes the introduction of new crops to replace opium poppy, the seeking of markets for the crops, the development of trade and investment, and the promotion of tourism. Thailand is willing to transfer its knowledge and experience in alternative development to neighboring countries. It also supports China’s operations in alternative development in Myanmar and Laos. Thailand calls for joint efforts by the five countries to seek markets for products from the alternative development program.

According to the report of the International Narcotics Control Board for 2002, opium production in Southeast Asia dropped by 30 percent from 1,237 tons in 2001 to 944 tons in 2002. Opium output in Myanmar fell from 1,097 to 828 tons and in Laos from 134 to 112 tons. Both Laos and Myanmar have worked out plans to eliminate opium cultivation. Myanmar has set a target to eradicate opium cultivation by 2004 and Laos by 2005. Thailand welcomes the anti-drug plans by both Myanmar and Laos, taking into consideration that illicit drug production, abuse, and trafficking are harmful to the security of the people and the countries in the region. Cooperation in drug control by the five countries will help in the fight against the scourge of drugs.