Pubdate: Sat, 08 Nov 2008
Source: Bangkok Post (Thailand)
Copyright: The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 2008
Contact:  http://www.bangkokpost.co.th/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/39
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/topic/extrajudicial+killings

SOMSAK KICKS OFF NORTHERN DRUGS DRIVE

Just Another Populist Push, Govt Critics Say

CHIANG MAI : Justice Minister Somsak Kiatsuranond yesterday kicked 
off a drugs suppression drive in the North amid concerns that the 
revived campaign was just another populist scheme to strengthen the 
People Power party's political grip on the region.

Concerns were rife at yesterday's meeting which was attended by 500 
people to learn about the government's 90-day drugs suppression 
operation scheduled to run from this month through to January next year.

Sources said that under the operation plan, the Office of the 
Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) will allocate money to fund the 
campaign nationwide. Budgets will be managed by provincial governors.

As for the northern campaign, the ONCB Region 5 would set aside 300 
million baht to fund the campaign in the region.

According to the sources, the revived campaign will focus on training 
and prevention measures. District authorities are required to draft 
proposals for the provincial governors to consider.

"The scheme is not about making arrests of traffickers or users. If 
arrests are to be made, they must be people who have joined training 
or rehabilitation programmes," said one source.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat has stressed previously that the 
campaign is about prevention rather than suppression, and warned 
officials against using a heavy-handed approach.

The campaign was to be carried out within the bounds of the law.

The amount of 300 million baht was just a start-up fund. Local 
administrative organisations were instructed to contribute about 5% 
of their annual budgets to support the scheme, said the source.

The local bodies were not required to explain the disbursement of the 
drug-fighting money.

The sources said that certain officials suspected the drug scheme was 
part of a government ploy to boost its popularity before the next 
general election.

It was widely speculated among participants at the meeting that the 
government would dissolve the House in mid-December.

According to the sources, the anti-drug plan was drafted in Hong Kong 
before deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's phone-in to the 
Rajamangala Stadium rally last Saturday.

A former classmate of Thaksin at the Armed Forces Academies 
Preparatory School was appointed to advise Mr Somchai on the drugs 
campaign, the sources said.

The participants at yesterday's meeting included governors of 17 
northern provinces, heads of regional police bureaus, representatives 
from local administrative organisations and social activists.

Mr Somsak spent 15 minutes summarising the drug campaign which was 
among the government's top priorities in its first year in office.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom