Tomorrow marks United Nations International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, when people and governments celebrate the dream of a drug-free world. In Burma, the ruling military regime, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC) uses this day to appeal for more aid in their fight against narcotics, staging drug-destruction ceremonies in Rangoon, where everything from opium bulbs to No-4 heroin and cough syrup are torched or crushed for the benefit of the international community. SPDC officials and diplomats congratulate each other and talk about progress, drug-free deadlines and development.

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