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Col. Yord Serk of the Shan States Army speaks out about the Interpol conference from his jungle hideout. While national and international drug enforcement agencies sent their representatives to Rangoon to attend the fourth Interpol conference on heroin, Shan leader Col. Yord Serk warned world experts to be wary of their hosts. He also outlined his own views on the best way to eradicate the burgeoning drug trade in Burma. From an exclusive interview conducted in Shan State, the world's leading opium-producing region. What is your present policy on drugs? We would like the world to solve the ethnic problem, we would like the world to come and observe what is happening in the Shan State, to prohibit international drug leaders from coming and getting involved in the Shan State. Our people must have the rights and power to decide for themselves [the best way to deal with the drug problem]. Only they can solve these problems. Right now we can do very little, because of the State Peace and Development Council's oppression of our people. As for the trading, if there were no international dealers coming in, then people would not have any incentive to grow more poppies. When we talk about traders, it's not only the traders inside the Shan State, but also the traders outside the country too. If we can prevent them from coming in, we will have a better chance to solve the problems. When we talk about drug problems, there is always a connection or a relationship to the ethnic problems [from the drug problem], you will have no way to solve both these problems. At the beginning we were trying to set up a federal union. But later on, the Burmese turned it into a unitary state and became aggressive instead, and the drug problems worsened. If they had followed in the footsteps of General Aung San, there wouldn't have been any problems. But they deviated from his treaties, so the problems have become much more difficult to handle. The UN has helped the Burmese government for 30 or 40 years now. But the problems haven't improved. They have become worse. If the Burmese military is going to continue to cling to political power and the suppression continues, there will be no way to solve the problems. What would you like to say to Intepol and the countries attending the Interpol conference on heroin in Rangoon? From my point of view, they should not attend. Because if they attend it, they will not get insight and knowledge of what is really happening inside Burma. It will be tantamount to giving support to a group [the SPDC] that is opposed to democratization and solving the problems between the Burmans and the ethnic groups. It would be like helping them [SPDC] to suppress the people who are demanding democracy and freedom. And the aim to eliminate opium will not be successful. It will become even worse. Regarding involvement in the drug trade, I believe that our Thai cousins, who live across the border, may know much better than me. During Khun Sa's time there were few laboratories, but now it has increased. Our camp team has even managed to burn down between 20 and 30 refineries. If you are going to have an Interpol conference it would be better to have it in Thailand than in Burma, because in Thailand you have the right to express yourself. Maybe even people like us would be able to attend it too. If we were allowed to attend it, even if they don't want us to talk about the ethnic issue, that's okay. We can talk about the drug issue. Since it is being held in Rangoon, we will not be able to attend. Furthermore, the countries that are attending [the conference in Rangoon] would be hesitant to find fault with the host country. What the Burmese [SPDC] are doing is seizing a small amount [of drugs] at one time, but show in their propaganda that they have made three or four seizures. After the seizure, they will show it to the press and then they will either use it or sell it. Can you give specific examples of how the SPDC is involved the drug trade? One very obvious example is the laboratories along the border. After Khun Sa surrendered, there were few laboratories left along the border, but now they have many more under the protection of Burmese soldiers. They [the Burmese soldiers] are being paid 100,000 baht every seven days in protection fees. And also they [the drug laboratory operators and the Burmese army] work hand in hand together in Tachilek, and in parts of the Northeastern command. What are you criticisms of the SPDC drug policy? It is a political weapon for them [the SPDC] to suppress the people and Burmanize them, and also to suppress the revolutionary groups. Only after these are eliminated will they start to eradicate drugs, but not right now. What do you think of the approach of the UNDCP (United Nations Drug Control Program) in Burma? The UNDCP does not have any real insight.