Speeches

Speech by Ambassador Patricia M. Haslach on Opening for ATS Center in Savannkhet Province

Introduction

H.E. Minister Soubanh Sritirath, Minister to the President’s Office and Chairman of the Lao National Committee for Drug Control and Supervision.

H.E. Mr. Vilayvanh Phomkhe, Governor of Savannakhet Province.

Mr. Leik Boonwaat, Representative, UNODC.

Other Honored and Distinguished Guests:

On behalf of the Government of the United States, it is a distinct honor for me as the U.S. Ambassador to the Lao PDR, to handover to H.E. Minister Soubanh and Savannakhet Province, this new ATS Treatment and Rehabilitation Center In the past years, the Government and the people of Laos have made remarkable progress in the elimination of illegal opium cultivation in the northern part of the country. But now a new type of dangerous drug, ATS or Amphetamine Type Stimulants, has quickly become a new major problem for the country, the region and the world community. The Government of the United States has a long standing program of assistance to the Lao Government in its efforts to reduce the demand for illegal drugs and other chemical precursors, in accordance with the various international treaties signed by most countries in the world under the auspices of the United Nations and other international organizations. 

The Savannakhet ATS Center, a joint effort of the Lao National Commission for Drug Control and Supervision (LCDC) and the Narcotics Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy, was constructed over a period of 11 months at a cost of about USD 650,000. These funds were provided by the US State Department. LCDC provided valuable oversight for the planning, construction and operational arrangements for the Center. The 47-hectare site of the ATS Center was provided by the Province of Savannakhet, valued at approximately US$95,000.

We are also very pleased that the Savannakhet Province and the Savannakhet Health Department have agreed to provide the administrative, medical, and rehabilitation staff for the Center and its annual operational budget. These joint efforts of the several agencies of the Lao Government and the U. S. Government are an excellent model of bilateral cooperation.

We also highly value the collaborative efforts of UNODC in all our joint efforts at drug demand reduction.

However, beyond government-to-government cooperation, the scourge of ATS (“yaa baa”) illegal drugs also has tragic human consequences for the Lao people who become addicted to ATS, their families and communities. “Yaa Baa” is easy to produce, light to transport, and fast to sell. It’s use has spread like wildfire across the whole country. The young are most attracted to yaa baa and therefore, suffer from the ills of yaa baa disproportionately, as they are most easily enticed by its false promises of enhanced energy, tireless study, and effortless labor.

Drug pushers know that once ATS addicts are hooked, the addicts’ cravings will never decrease, and as the need grows, so will the dealer’s income. For drug traffickers, there is no better commodity.

Today, at this new ATS Center we are pleased that an initial group of 21 ATS addicts, with an average age of only 25 years, are now undergoing ATS detox and rehabilitation. I am also pleased that this Center has accommodations for women.

This Center will treat about 200 ATS addicts per year and, although there are an estimated number of 2,000 ATS addicts in this province, this ATS Center provides a good opportunity for these addicts to stop using illegal drugs, reform their lives, learn new job skills, and have new lives free of drugs, and full of promise for a bright future for them, their families, and their communities.

I close by wishing the Government of Savannakhet Province and its people all success in the effective use of this Center. I look forward to visiting the Center again in the future to witness the progress to come. I also congratulate the Province of Savannakhet and the LCDC for their dedicated efforts to reduce drug demand and reform people’s lives. |Aug. 17-18, 2006|

Thank you.