Economic liberalisation is forcing East Asians to drugs, says the United Nations Drug Control Programme (UNCDP). In Vienna on March 15, the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, UNCDP's executive, revealed that countries like Thailand, China and Hong Kong were emerging as narcotics markets. This region -- which produces 80 per cent of the world's opium -- is now about to overtake the US and Europe as addiction centre.

The UN human rights monitoring mission is appalled at the flagrant violation of human rights by the Guatemalan army. It has submitted a report following an in-depth survey conducted by a 211-member team. It indicts the security forces, alleging that army personnel patronise illegal paramilitary gangs, drug trafficking and other criminal rackets.