Pubdate: Sat, 01 Feb 2003 Source: Bangkok Post (Thailand) Copyright: The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 2003 Contact: http://www.bangkokpost.co.th/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/39 Author: Wirawat Watanakul KEEP WITH THE TASK IF NOT THE DEADLINE Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of Khun Thaksin, but drugs dealers are definitely not in my phone book. So what if Khun Thaksin set an impossible deadline to get rid of all drugs in Thailand? If the deadline is not met, he will probably come up with some lame excuse. However, I welcome whatever extra effort the police are using to achieve this target. Khun Thaksin should make sure that these efforts continue even after the three months are up. I for one will be standing up and applauding Khun Thaksin if he has the courage to admit that there was not enough time and extends the deadline, rather than just let the whole thing drop just like his promise to solve Bangkok's traffic jam. Do keep in mind that no country in the world is drug-free. Our country is no exception. Therefore, a deadline to get rid of all illegal drugs is probably never going to be achieved. Drug trafficking is rampant in Thailand, but Khun Thaksin has a chance to make a difference. Whatever the deadline is, I will not criticise him if he can show us he is truly committed to a long-term solution to the drug problem, and that this is not just an empty promise to gain popularity which ends with no results to gauge. Wirawat Watanakul - --- MAP posted-by: Alex