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Synopsis :

At the Opening Ceremony of the 6th Meeting of  ASEAN Drug Experts at the Hyatt Hotel, an official notes that this meeting, held annually by rotation in ASEAN countries has resulted in frank exchanges among ASEAN drug experts on enforcement, legislation, treatment, rehabilitation, preventive education and research and training. At the 6th Meeting, the experts will discuss measures to curb the problems of drug abuse and trafficking. Close cooperation in ASEAN  is necessary especially since opium in the Golden Triangle is expected to yield a bumper crop. In his opening address, Minister for Home Affairs Chua Sian Chin notes that significant progress has been made in tackling the drug menace in ASEAN in the last five years. Two ASEAN projects have been launched. They include the ASEAN Training Centre for Drug Enforcement Officers in Thailand and the  ASEAN Training Centre for Education in Drug Prevention in the Philippines. The ASEAN Secretariat plans to establish a Narcotics Desk which can collect drug data for distribution among member countries. Mr. Chua adds that Singapore launched Operation Ferret to apprehend abusers, traffickers and drug pushers and set up drug rehabilitation centres. Intensive drug education prevention programmes for schoolchildren were introduced and traffickers and addicts were denied travel documents to prevent them from crossing international boundaries. He urges ASEAN countries to consider implementing agreements like the one between Malaysia and Singapore that denies passports to nationals of their respective countries who have been convicted of drug offences. He then opens the 6th Meeting of ASEAN Drug Experts.