Remarks by Patricia M. Haslach, Ambassador to the U.S. Embassy in the Lao P.D.R., at the "Post Opium Scenario Roundtable," Don Chan Palace hotel, Vientiane, Laos, February 14, 2006

Our Colleagues from ACCORD and the Mini-Dublin Group

I would like to congratulate the people of Laos, who, thanks to their determination and perseverance, are now on the verge of achieving a final victory over the scourge of opium which has plagued this nation for many years. We are at the threshold of what may be a new era for Laos, a time when poppy cultivation and opium addiction become little more than an unpleasant memory.

But this victory is far from secure, and if this effort is not sustained, we may see these twin problems trouble this country yet again. Hence the importance of this morning's deliberations on the post opium scenario for Laos.

For the past seventeen years, the United states has been Laos' strategic partner in the battle against illicit drugs. During that time, the United States has directly contributed more than $41,000,000 dollars to support crop control, demand reduction, and law enforcement programs in Laos, and we have provided substantial additional support to UNODC projects that share our common goal, the elimination of commercial opium production in Laos. Our combined efforts have yielded great success; poppy cultivation has declined by more than 87% since the inception of U.S.-Lao counter narcotics cooperation, from more than 42,000 hectares in 1989, to under 5,600 today. Opium production has declined in parallel, from an estimated 380 tons to a potential today of only 28. We look forward to the day soon when poppy cultivation will fall below 1,000 hectares, and Laos will no longer be a major producer of opium.

Due credit must be given to the people of Laos, for it was by their hand that fields of poppy, which consumed Lao growers and addicts alike, have now been sown with legitimate crops that this country, other nations, and the world can heartily and healthfully consume. The trust and cooperation of the highland peoples of northern Laos has been essential, and we should remember that their decision to support the law and seek new sources of income was not without risk and sacrifice. The future of this effort remains in their hands.

Had it been the U.S. and Laos alone in this fight, it is unlikely that we would be here today commemorating our success. The sustained and unwavering assistance of the UNODC, and other international partners, especially the Mini-Dublin Group, has been critical to achieving the dramatic decrease in opium cultivation throughout Laos. Even as we fought opium in Houaphan, Phongsaly, and Luang Prahbang, UNODC has taken up the struggle elsewhere, reaching those places we could not. The victory that we mark today is truly the achievement of international cooperation in the battle against illicit drugs.

But even as our victory over opium appears nearly in hand, a new menace has arisen to threaten Lao society: methamphetamine. Unlike opium, this drug, known locally as yaa baa, threatens primarily the nations youth, and consequently its future. To help meet this challenge, the United States funded the construction of a new addiction treatment center in Savannakhet which will open later this month. More facilities like these will be needed if the explosive growth of methamphetamine abuse is to be brought under control.

Enhancing Laos' law enforcement capacity should be a critical component of our overall strategy to combat the flow illicit drugs in Southeast Asia. A combination of long, remote borders, and its central location leave Laos exposed to criminal organizations seeking transit routes for narcotics, amphetamines, and chemical precursors. No nation in this regional can solve this problem alone, or adequately protect itself from this threat so long as another nation remains vulnerable. The trend toward greater international cooperation and assistance in law enforcement must continue.

In winning its victory over opium, Laos has reached an important milestone. The people of this nation should take great pride in their historic achievement. Now we must look ahead, and I call upon all of you who have come here to celebrate this success, to assist Laos to find the way forward toward a drug free future.