Pubdate: Thu, 27 Feb 2003
Source: Japan Today (Japan)
Copyright: 2003, Japan Today
Contact:  http://www.japantoday.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2264
Note: On Feb. 1, 2003, Thailand instituted a 3-month campaign to eradicate
all drugs. Originally published in the Bangkok Post.

U.N. TELLS THAIS TO STOP DRUG WAR DEATHS

Thursday, February 27, 2003 at 09:20 JST BANGKOK -- The special rapporteur
on extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions of the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights, Asma Jahangir, has expressed deep concern at the
many deaths in Thailand's war on drugs.

Jahangir has urged Thai authorities to ensure law enforcement and security
officials carry out their duties in strict compliance with national and
international human rights, and in particular that "the strict limits on the
use of lethal force, as stipulated under the U.N. Basic Principles on the
Use of Force and Firearms by Law-enforcement Officials, are followed
rigorously and without exception."

She also called on authorities to carry out transparent and independent
investigations into each death.

Up to Monday, 977 people had lost their lives in drug-related "gangland
killings" and 16 drug suspects had been killed by police in self-defense,
according to the Interior Ministry's drug suppression center Wednesday.

The center said 8,745 drug suspects were arrested and 36,277 had reported to
authorities since Feb 1.

The government's target is for the number of drug suspects to be cut by 25%
by the end of this month, and none left by the end of the three-month war on
drugs on April 30. As of Feb 24, the number of drug traders and producers
had fallen by 21.09%, the ministry said.

Of 928 state officials blacklisted for involvement in drug trade, 48 had
been arrested. A total of 242,074 drug users had reported to authorities.

Senators and opposition MPs said the government's "number game" was to blame
for bodies piling up, including that of an innocent 9-year-old boy.

Senator Sak Korsaengruang said threats by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
and Interior Minister Wan Muhamad Nor Matha to penalize officials who failed
to arrest enough drug dealers had pressured them to use violence. "They are
sending out the wrong message. Their demand for high figures forces
authorities to do everything to meet the target," he said.

He believed that was why policemen allegedly shot at a car to catch a
suspect without caring that 9-year-old Chakkapan Srisa-ard was inside. "They
just formed a kangaroo court. They kill people though they don't know for
sure if they are on the blacklists."

Senate Speaker Manoonkrit Roopkachorn also voiced concern about the rising
number of deaths. The government would have to answer eight motions
concerning its tough drug policy in the Senate Thursday, he said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk