Pubdate: Thu, 04 Dec 2003
Source: Guardian, The (UK)
Copyright: 2003 Guardian Newspapers Limited
Contact:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/guardian/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/175
Author: John Aglionby

THE WAR ON YAA-BAA

Thailand claims to have struck its ruinous methamphetamine trade a severe 
blow but cannot explain the deaths of 2,500 people in the process, writes 
John Aglionby

It is hard not to applaud the Thai prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, for 
his sheer chutzpah. At an extremely carefully spun ceremony yesterday in 
front of 10,000 cheering people (most of whom were government officials), 
the telecoms tycoon-turned-politician declared victory in his 10-month war 
to rid the country of methamphetamine, the drug commonly known as speed, or 
in Thailand yaa-baa (crazy drug).

As a shower of confetti swirled around him and with a large portrait of the 
deeply revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej behind him, the ebullient premier 
praised the nation for its efforts in bringing the problem under control, 
if not quite eliminating the easily produced pills from society as he had 
initially promised.

"Today is a milestone," he said. "More than 90% of ordinary Thais can now 
lead an honest daily life free from narcotics in their communities. The 
threat of drugs will not endanger the young generation any more."

Similar ceremonies were held across the nation as provincial governors 
joined the bandwagon.

Mr Thaksin's government had plenty of statistics to substantiate the 
leader's claim. Some 90,000 drug suspects were arrested, including 756 
producers/importers and 2,750 big retailers; 40m methamphetamine pills were 
seized; 1.7bn baht (=a326m) of assets were confiscated and the number of 
drug cases that reached the courts fell from 14,000 in January-November 
last year to 6,920 this year.

There are 82,200 villages that are now reportedly drug-free, 327,000 drug 
addicts have undergone rehabilitation and more than 52,000 suspected drug 
dealers and producers have been arrested. The price of yaa-baa has also 
soared, in some places by more than seven times, as scarcity has made the 
pills harder to find. But such statistics tell only a fraction of the 
complete story.

The police said 25 officers were killed during the operation while security 
officials killed 192 drug suspects. But spokesmen had little to say on the 
more than 2,500 people who were killed in extremely mysterious 
circumstances. The government claims almost all were victims of inter-gang 
conflicts. Human rights activists, witnesses and victims' relatives believe 
many were gunned down by extra-judicial police hit squads as officials 
sought to meet targets.

Lending weight to the latter argument is the fact that not one person has 
been prosecuted for any of the deaths - something else the police find 
difficult to explain.

No data exists on the number of corrupt senior officials and politicians 
arrested - it is commonly accepted that the drug dealers would never be 
able to operate without their connivance and usually active assistance - 
but observers find it hard to come up with even one name.

The nation's human rights commission has received hundreds of complaints 
about police brutality during the campaign but commissioners say they have 
repeatedly come up against brick wall after brick wall whenever they have 
tried to investigate.

There is also virtually no evidence that the main source of supply - 
factories just over the extremely porous border with Burma, in an area that 
can reportedly produce 700m-800m pills a year - has been shut down with any 
permanence.

Sinsamut Prada, the head of a drug rehabilitation centre in Bangkok's 
notorious Klung Toey slum, says the picture in his area is indicative of 
the national scenario. Hundreds of dealers and users have been forced to 
find other markets or income sources while others have merely taken an 
"enforced holiday".

``The current situation seems calm, but it is like a sleeping person who is 
about to wake up," he said. "We believe police and officials will let up 
after the government's victory declaration."

The UN is equally sceptical. "It has been a success if you talk about less 
availability," said Yngve Danling of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime in 
Bangkok.

"On the other hand, I'm doubtful that Thailand has been able to reduce the 
demand. So the question is how sustainable will this be? It needs very 
strong follow up, not just action that lasts for a year."

Mr Thaksin insists the pressure on the dealers will remain but with so many 
other wars having been declared - poverty and dark influence are the 
current priorities - and resources limited, there is an air of 
inevitability that the victory will be short-lived.

But with Mr Thaksin riding high in the polls for his no-holds barred 
approach, most analysts believe that, save for a disaster, there will be 
sufficient momentum to carry him into the next election and beyond. 
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MAP posted-by: Perry Stripling