Pubdate: Wed, 12 Mar 2003
Source: Nation, The (Thailand)
Copyright: 2003 Nation Multimedia Group
Contact:  http://www.nationmultimedia.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1963

DRUG WAR 'ON RIGHT TRACK'

After five weeks of the government's campaign against illegal drugs, Prime 
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday insisted his administration would not 
change its strategy.

"Reports from two committees appointed to monitor the government's 
anti-drug operations have shown that the operations have been 
satisfactory," he said.

Thaksin also said methamphetamine was becoming increasingly harmful, noting 
that the Public Health Ministry had found pills cut with pesticide because 
of the shortage of methamphetamine.

"Abusers could be fatally poisoned," he said.

Sermsak Pongpanit, permanent secretary to the Interior Ministry, said the 
government would continue to focus its anti-drug efforts on supply 
reduction from February to April, before shifting to drug users' 
rehabilitation and community empowerment later.Sermsak said authorities 
have been compiling lists of problems and obstacles in their anti-drugs 
effort. Operating strategies will be adjusted based on the information they 
supply, he said.

Sermsak said that from February 1 until yesterday, authorities in more than 
40 per cent of the country's 75 provinces had arrested about 50 per cent of 
the suspects on lists they had compiled.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Stevens