Pubdate: Sun, 02 Mar 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: Yuwadee Tunyasiri Achara Ashayagachat

DEATH TOLL IRRELEVANT, SAYS PM

Says Children Should Come Before Dealers

Defending his war against drugs, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra 
yesterday urged Thailand not to pay so much attention to the rising death 
toll that they lost sight of the ``big picture''.

``One of the flaws in our society is that we rarely look at the big 
picture. If we do, we'll be able to gauge what is right and what's wrong,'' 
he said during his weekly radio address.

Mr Thaksin said the big picture was that between 700,000 and one million 
children used drugs, and that in only one month, 220,000 drug pushers had 
surrendered, with more to come.

``You should ask yourselves if you're concerned about your children. You 
have been caring for them since they came into this world.

``Now they are innocent victims who are dying slowly because of drugs; yet 
you are talking about the statistics of those who are silenced by people of 
their own kind,'' he said.

Mr Thaksin recalled an incident two years ago when a Kasetsart University 
student was held hostage by a drug-crazed man.

She died hours later with her throat slashed 15 times and a stab wound to 
her back that pierced one of her lungs and her liver.

``Have we forgotten? These people are victims. Those are people who want to 
get rich quickly without caring how many people they hurt,'' he said.

Society should not focus on the rising death toll, he said.

Silencing each other was the way it went in the drug trade.

``We are doing just what we should. The thousand deaths are not prescribed 
by the government,'' he said.

Mr Thaksin said the latest count of drug-related killings was 1,100, while 
extra-judicial killings by police totalled 28.

``In war we cannot sympathise with our enemies. If we do, they will come 
back and do us in,'' he said.

Calling it an all-out war, Mr Thaksin said he was aware the campaign was 
prone to flaws.

But the government took action to ensure justice for all, he said.

Two panels had been set up _ one headed by Narcotics Control Board 
secretary general Pol Col Chidchai Wannasathit and the other by 
Attorney-General Wichian Wiriyaprasit.

The two panels would ensure police and state officials did not take the law 
in their own hands.

Mr Thaksin said the campaign in March would focus on about 700 state 
officials involved in the drug trade. Assets would be seized of people who 
had fled the country. He also brushed aside a report that the US would cut 
aid to Thailand if it failed to adequately explain the many drug-related 
deaths.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry would tomorrow explain the government's 
aggressive war to foreign diplomats.

And Thai diplomats attached to the United Nations had already explained the 
government's policy.

``If we don't do this, drugs won't only harm our children, but theirs 
[dealers'] too. If any country wants to cut aid because of what we are 
doing, frankly speaking, I don't really care.

``Thailand under my leadership is not a recipient country. The relationship 
between our country and other countries is not a recipient-donor 
relationship. We maintain the relationship as strategic partners.''

Thailand was self-reliant and any technical support to the country was 
provided on friendship terms.

Foreign Affairs Ministry's spokesman Sihasak Puangkatekaew yesterday denied 
the US-aid report.

The ministry had checked with US authorities in Washington who had denied 
the claim.

Mr Sihasak said the ministry was tracing the report's origin. It could have 
come from the UN's expression of concern over the rising death toll.
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart