New Justice Minister Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana shied away from recommendations by his predecessor Gen Paiboon Koomchaya to de-criminalise amphetamines, marijuana and krathom. (File photo by Thanarak Khunton) Thailand should adopt an integrated approach to tackle the problems of drug abuse and addiction, Justice Minister Suwaphan Tanyuvardhana says. Strategies to solve the problems need to be adjusted, Mr Suwaphan said, adding legal measures alone would not solve the drug scourge. He was speaking at a meeting in Bangkok Thursday which he chaired to discuss social measures to help curb the impacts of drug abuse and addiction on communities. [continues 239 words]
Narcotics suppression police question Francis Mukwamba, a Zambian passport holder whose real nationality is uncertain, at a hotel room in Sukhumvit area of Bangkok on Dec 26. (Photo taken from the Narcotics Suppression Bureau Facebook page) Two foreign nationals were arrested after 4kg of cocaine were found in their bags when they arrived at Suvarnabhumi airport from Africa and a third, their alleged contact, was later apprehended at a city hotel. Pol Maj Gen Sommai Kongwisaisuk, acting commissioner of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau, said Johnny Halop Sajulga, a Filipino, and a Vietnamese woman, Chao Thi Thuong, 37, arrived from Ethiopia on Flight ET 628 on Dec 26. [continues 159 words]
Thailand is on the wrong track in its efforts to address drug problems and it is time to treat drug abuse as a health issue rather than a crime, says Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya. Speaking at the "Thailand's Drug Policy Revisited" forum held by the Thailand Institute of Justice, Gen Paiboon said the high number of drug offenders and widespread drug abuse in communities shows the drug policy is failing. "It has been wrong all these years. If not, why do 70% of drug offenders remain in prison? Why does the problem persist despite thousands of deaths? And why do people still complain about drugs in their community? They're telling us there's something wrong," he said. [continues 240 words]
The Dark Side of Duterte's Deadly but Popular War. When the image of Jennelyn Olaires weeping as she cradled the body of her slain husband went viral in the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte called it melodramatic. There's not much Duterte hasn't said when it comes to his war on drugs, his only real election platform and his big promise to the 16 million Filipinos who swept him to power in May by a massive margin. And "The Punisher", as he is known, has been true to his word. [continues 427 words]
MANILA - Human rights are not a concern in Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs, he said, as he vowed to ignore due process and compared himself to Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. In the latest of a series of tirades, the country's newly elected leader doubled down on a promised campaign of widespread killings and said he wouldn't listen to "bleeding hearts". "I will retire with the reputation of Idi Amin," he said in a speech yesterday, referring to the late African ruler whose 1971-1979 regime was characterised by large-scale rights abuses that killed tens if not hundreds of thousands of Ugandans. [continues 263 words]
Thai experts have rightly commented on the value of treatment and health-centred approaches. While it may always be best to be prudent when commenting on the domestic affairs of another country, there are times when issues become far too important to stand silently by and politely observe such custom - the current debate on laws governing methamphetamine use in Thailand is one of those occasions. Drug policy is a dynamic and complex arena and for too long countries have overly focused on investments in law enforcement agencies to address drug use. Whilst no one denies the importance and legitimacy of law enforcement agencies, its lead role in the drug area is an approach that does little to help everyday people and families. Instead, it increases the likelihood of families becoming collateral damage in an ever harmful war on drugs. Nearly all countries agree that arresting and imprisoning people who use drugs has terrible consequences yet when discussion turns to evidence based reform there is little progress and movement towards a health based response and leadership on the issue. [continues 690 words]
Has Thailand's tough policy on narcotic drugs created a monster out of methamphetamines resulting in the poor being punished with the heaviest sentences, and prison overcrowding? An article published on the online outlet Thai Publica in July last year by Mutita Chuachang about the need to rethink the country's policy on ya ba has resurfaced recently. The content is relevant to the Justice Ministry's controversial proposal to remove crystal meth from the illicit dangerous drug list and shift the drug policy away from heavy suppression. [continues 794 words]
The Proposal Would Not Decriminalise or Legalise Meth. Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya caused a major uproar with a statement out of the blue about the country's leading drug problem. The statement in question featured a proposal he presented at the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on drugs, known as UNGASS, in New York to demote methamphetamines from Category 1, the official designation of the most harmful and banned drugs, to the far more tolerant category. Like other controversial proposals in this country, this one on amphetamine-type stimulants (ATS) has drawn mixed reactions. Some believe it will make the drug situation far worse, but others think the opposite. [continues 475 words]
The Justice Ministry's proposal to remove methamphetamines, or ya ba, from the illicit dangerous drug list is a bold attempt to tackle chronic drug problems in society. The move, as revealed last week by Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya, involves proposing an amended version of the narcotics law which would in effect destigmatise both drug users and small-time sellers to allow them reclaim their lives. It has attracted a mixed response. The bill, however, states punishments remains unchanged for drug dealers and those in possession of 15 methamphetamine pills or more. [continues 877 words]
Caregivers Fear a Legalised Drug May Arrive Too Late for Their Sick Family Members. Jai Whitelaw was 10 when he first took medical cannabis, given to him by his mother in a bid to treat the debilitating epilepsy that saw him endure up to 500 seizures a day. Faced with the stark choice of breaking the law in the hope of soothing his chronic pain, or denying him possible relief, Michelle Whitelaw reached breaking point. "I literally sat on the couch for two days, thinking 'Do I end his life and mine? Or do I risk helping him'," she said. [continues 736 words]
In less than two weeks a rare United Nations General Assembly Special Session (UNGASS) on global drug policy takes place in New York. Among the issues to be debated and discussed many resonate in Southeast Asia, including the impact of drug production, trafficking and use on vulnerable countries, communities and people. Importantly, preparatory negotiations over the past year have created space for countries and policy leaders to reflect on the traditional "war on drugs" approach, but also prominently featured a debate on the need for justice reform and improved access to health services. [continues 606 words]
The United Nations is aiming to set a new macro policy on recreational drugs worldwide, starting today. It has taken almost a generation even to get to this point, which is the token beginning of a UN General Assembly Special Session on drugs. There are strong feelings emerging that the UN itself might even take a stand leaning towards legalisation of such drugs. A kickoff meeting this evening in New York will hear testimony, mostly from the pro-enforcement side. This is, essentially, Thailand's time to stand up for this country's policies on illegal drugs - or to call for changes. It is certain that after today's "interactive panel discussions" on the subject that a handful of Latin American countries and most of the 279 NGOs registered to attend will be lobbying hard on the legalisation side. Thailand and Thais are not prepared to go that far. Yet changes must be made. [continues 429 words]
Writing as a retired police detective, I heartily concur with your analysis of the drug war/drug prohibition. The smugglers ship a little extra toward their markets, knowing the authorities will confiscate maybe 20%. They also know when their mules are caught, they are easily replaced by men and women desperate for money. You must know that criminals love drug prohibition, since it guarantees them millions and billions in profits. If Thailand and other Asian countries want to strike fear and dread in the hearts of drug smugglers, join the growing number of voices across the planet that call to legalise/ regulate all drugs. The Mexican drug cartels are already vocal about how cannabis legalisation in Colorado is hurting their profits. HOWARD [end]
A couple of major developments have taken place against the backdrop of the battle against drugs. The two cases seem to illustrate the two extremes of this long fight. In Thailand, suit-clad officials from four countries agreed politely to set up an information-sharing headquarters. No one is in charge. The specific goals are not just unstated, but appear not to exist. In Indonesia, at the other end of the pendulum, prison authorities yesterday brought six convicted drug dealers - five of them foreigners - to the killing stakes for execution by firing squad. [continues 487 words]
In response to your editorial entitled "Drug war is flagging", on Jan 19, the Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in Bangkok wishes to state the following: 1. Indonesia is now confronted by drugs and precursor abuse, an emergency that requires extraordinary measures. The Indonesian government in exercising its constitutional duty to impose stern actions within the framework of Indonesian laws against drugs-related offences which are regarded as one of the most serious crimes. 2. The execution has been imposed on anybody regardless of nationality based on strong legal evidence and through a judicial process. It is carried out as a last resort and only after all legal options have been exhausted, including appeals and requests for presidential pardons. The law stipulates that the death penalty is exercised in accordance with the level of the offence, such as that distributors, producers, and drug lords. [continues 120 words]
Three Bang Chan policemen who shot at a female university student's car during a drug bust have been transferred pending an investigation, said deputy national police chief Pongsapat Pongcharoen. Speaking to the media about the incident, Pol Gen Pongsapat said the officers have been re-assigned to administrative positions. Pol Sub-Lt Supot Toket, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Rassami Theptha and Pol Snr Sgt Maj Chamnian Khandaeng have been assigned to work at police stations under the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Police Division 4. [continues 323 words]
LCT backs attempted murder charge Three Bang Chan policemen who mistook a female law student from Chulalongkorn University for a drug dealer and opened fire at her car should be charged with attempted murder, said the Lawyers Council of Thailand (LCT). Sunthorn Payak, deputy chairman of the LCT, said the three policemen shot at the car even though they knew someone was driving it. The people responsible for that had intent to harm or to kill, said the lawyer, who is in charge of providing legal aid for the council. [continues 515 words]
Two drug couriers were killed and 100,000 methamphetamine pills seized in two clashes between soldiers of the Pha Muang Force and a band of drug traffickers near the Thai-Myanmar border in Chiang Mai's Mae Ai district on Sunday morning, according to force commander Maj Banjerd Changpoonthong. Maj Gen Banjerd said the clashes followed the deployment of combined teams of regular soldiers and rangers to border areas on suspicion that drugs would be smuggled across the border during the Songkran festival. [continues 167 words]
Australian drug trafficker Schapelle Corby is expected to learn Friday whether Indonesian authorities have agreed to grant her parole after more than nine years behind bars on the resort island of Bali. Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Corby is pictured on April 22, 2008 inside Kerobokan prison in Denpasar on the Indonesian resort island of Bali Corby, whose case attracted huge media attention and public sympathy in Australia, is due to find out her fate in the afternoon when Indonesian Justice Minister Amir Syamsuddin announces his decision in Jakarta. [continues 410 words]
3 get death penalty for 'war on drugs' murder Three police officers were sentenced to death yesterday for the 2004 murder of a 17-year-old during the Thaksin Shinawatra government's war on drugs. Kiattisak Thitboonkrong, of Kalasin province, was arrested in July 2004 for alleged motorcycle theft, but he was found hanged from the ceiling of a hut in Roi Et's Chang Han district days after being released from Muang Kalasin police station. His relatives suspected the teenager was a victim of extra-judicial killing, which was widespread during the war on drugs campaign between 2003 and 2005. [continues 627 words]
The United Nations Development Programme has just issued a report on the problem of Aids. A distinguished, 14-member panel spent two years compiling a 145-page report. It concludes that the major block in addressing the HIV and Aids epidemic is "punitive laws". It recommends wiping off the books all current and important laws on prostitution, and many that seek to control illegal trafficking and abuse of drugs. In short, it is a muddle-headed and poorly constructed recommendation which actually fails to address a hugely serious, deadly problem. Instead of treating HIV and Aids as a grave problem for families and communities, the two-year UNDP Global Commission on HIV and the Law considers the disease and its victims as problems in isolation. Its recommended help to actual and potential HIV/Aids victims is minimal, but many of its claimed solutions would cause serious harm to society at large. [continues 382 words]
KRABI : More than 200 drug addicts undergoing rehabilitation at a pondok school in Krabi's Muang district yesterday fled after learning their teachers and caregivers had allegedly beaten three rehab patients to death. The addicts escaped from the Klong Kam pondok school about 1.30pm. They converged on a mosque in the Ban Koh Klang community, located about 2km away from the school, to protest against the harsh conditions and the alleged murders of three men in rehab. Wasan Rodnual, 24, one of the escapees, said three addicts aged between 20 and 27 were beaten to death by the school's teachers and counsellors on July 23 after they tried to escape. The three were Muslims from the deep South, he said. [continues 208 words]
Police Think Attack Was to Avenge Key Arrests YALA : Five policemen were killed by a car bomb in Raman district Wednesday, in an attack which authorities believe was in retaliation for recent drug suspect arrests. The bomb exploded Wednesday afternoon as a pickup truck, carrying six drug suppression officers led by Pol Lt Sutham Onthong, was approaching a canal by the Wang Phaya-U Po road in Ban Buke Yaera, police said. The blast killed Pol Lt Sutham and four of his subordinates _ Pol Snr Sgt Maj Waeuseng Waedeng, Pol Snr Sgt Maj Chakkrit Chaisali, Pol Sgt Natthaphong Bunkomon and Pol Sgt Wichanon Namphakdi. [continues 482 words]
More than 37,000 students across the nation face an invasion of drugs, with many pupils and education officials trafficking addictive substances, it was revealed in talks at a high school yesterday. The information was unveiled during a visit from Deputy Education Minister Sakda Khongpetch and officials from the Office of the Narcotics Control Board and police at Satriwittaya School. The officials searched for drugs and randomly tested students and education authorities for substance use. It was part of the ministry's "White (clean) School" anti-drug campaign. [continues 288 words]
Re: "Jail the drug dealers, free the users" by Jon Ungphakorn (BP, May 4). Perhaps the best example of drug war failure is the United States' experience with marijuana. Despite zero tolerance, the US has higher rates of marijuana use than the Netherlands, where marijuana is legally available. If health outcomes determined drug laws instead of cultural norms, marijuana would be legal. The drug war is a cultural inquisition, not a public health campaign. Children of drug war inmates are at risk of educational failure, joblessness, addiction and delinquency. Not only do the children lose out, but society as a whole does, too. Incarcerating non-violent drug offenders alongside hardened criminals is the equivalent of providing them with a taxpayer-funded education in anti-social behaviour. [continues 87 words]
The war on drugs hasn't worked in Thailand and it hasn't worked at the global level. After 50 years of harsh drug prohibition enforcement policies throughout the world following the 1961 UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the only people smiling are the drug dealers and the officials in their pay. The UK drug policy coalition "Count the Costs" (countthecosts.org) states that: "The war on drugs creates massive costs, resulting from the enforcement-led approach that puts organised crime in control of the trade." These costs are listed by the coalition as: [continues 892 words]
When the government recently announced its intention to embark on a new "war on drugs", it was answered by a loud chorus from many corners of society that there must not be a repeat of the 2003 campaign launched by Thaksin Shinawatra. That war on drugs has become notorious internationally for the more than 2,500 extrajudicial killings of suspected drug dealers and a total disregard for the rule of law. The present government has taken pains to assure the public that there will be no replay of that dark chapter in Thailand's history. Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban pledged: "This government will follow the law strictly in drug suppression operations." [continues 658 words]
RATCHABURI : Inmates at Khao Bin prison will find it harder to run the drugs trade from behind bars after authorities installed mobile phone signal jammers there, as part of Corrections Department efforts to keep jails clean. Justice Minister Pirapan Salirathavibhaga said eight jammers have been installed at the maximum security jail, which authorities hope will help stamp out the drugs trade flourishing behind bars. They were not powerful enough to disrupt phones in use outside the prison. The 50 million baht cost of installing the jammers at Khao Bin prison, in Chom Bung district, was funded by the Office of the Narcotics Control Board. [continues 174 words]
Few would argue that the country would be better off without the drug dealers, big-time and street corner variety alike. It is crucial, then, that the government proceed carefully on a promised new crackdown against the men and women corrupting the nation by selling illicit, harmful drugs. Ridding the neighbourhoods of drug peddlers is a goal that unites everyone. But the 2003 travesty of a "war on drugs" still haunts. Authorities cannot afford another human rights disaster and effectively combat the odious and harmful drug trade. [continues 477 words]
A government plan to launch a fresh crackdown on drugs is raising concerns among human rights advocates who fear a repeat of the mistakes which characterised the Thaksin Shinawatra administration's war on drugs. It is believed up to 2,600 people were killed, many in suspicious circumstances, during the 2003 campaign launched by Thaksin. Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban yesterday called a meeting of the National Narcotics Board to discuss the operational details of a new campaign aimed at curbing drug use and drug-related crime. Mr Suthep chairs the board. [continues 556 words]
Faced with an increase in the amount of drugs being smuggled into the country, officials are seeking closer co-operation with foreign agencies Thailand is in the middle of a growing drug war, and is not only confronting the problem on the home front but is also battling it as far away as the Middle East and West Africa. But the man at the centre of the fight against the illicit drug trade, Police General Krisna Polananta, secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB), concedes that despite the best efforts of government agencies and their foreign counterparts, the lucrative business is increasing. [continues 2616 words]
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will set up a committee to reinvestigate the extra-judicial killings of drug suspects during the Thaksin Shinawatra administration's war on drugs. Mr Abhisit announced the formation of the panel yesterday after being questioned in parliament by Chalerm Yubamrung, chief of the Puea Thai Party MPs. Mr Chalerm said that when Mr Abhisit was the leader of the opposition bloc, he accused Thaksin of committing crimes against humanity by ordering the extra-judicial killings of more than 2,500 people suspected of involvement in drug trafficking, during the war on drugs in 2003. [continues 200 words]
Concerns Raised Over Human Rights Violations Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat yesterday revived the controversial war on drugs, kicking off a 90-day campaign and stirring concerns about a new wave of human rights violations. He played down the deaths of thousands of people in the previous war on drugs by the Thaksin Shinawatra administration, which drew condemnation from around the world - deaths Thai authorities blamed on drug dealers. Delivering an anti-drugs policy to a gathering of about 500 officials at the Army Club, Mr Somchai called on the authorities to exploit all the resources at their disposal to fight drugs. [continues 434 words]
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. [continues 345 words]
In recent years, the number of governments aiding terrorists and subversives has dwindled, and support by the few recalcitrant regimes has become far more secretive. That has come largely because such governments are internationally reviled, subject to high-profile United Nations sanctions and shame. As the utter horror of terrorism has become better known, no government and few groups can be seen to lend their backing. Unfortunately, the terrorists and agents of repression have not followed the road to respectability. Because even terrorism and rebellion cost money, violent gangs have turned to another source of funding. Around the world, drug and terrorist gangs have formed links or joined up. [continues 470 words]
On Dec 10 this year, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCR) will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human rights. On that day in 1948, all member countries convened in Paris to endorse the fundamental rights of all human beings regardless of gender, race, colour or religion. Thailand ratified the declaration right from the start. We are now party to five major international human-rights instruments: the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. [continues 646 words]
Thai And Lao Officials Agree To Crack Down On Drug Trafficking PATTAYA : Thai and Lao officials have agreed to step up border patrols and increase law enforcement to crack down on drug traffickers, who are now using new routes into Thailand from Burma and Laos. The agreement signed by Justice Minister Sompong Amornwiwat and Lao Minister to the President's Office Soubanh Srithirath was reached at the end of a four-day meeting on cross-border drug cooperation and control in Pattaya on Thursday. [continues 194 words]
15 Tonnes Of Illegal Drugs Worth B10bn Destroyed AYUTTHAYA : Armed police commandos were deployed to secure the destruction of 15 tonnes of drugs worth over 10 billion baht yesterday. The drugs were incinerated to mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, in Bang Pa-in Industrial Estate. They served as evidence in 2,915 cases which had been decided by the courts, and were kept at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warehouses in the province. Among the illicit drugs were 32 million methamphetamine pills, weighing around three tonnes. [continues 117 words]
To mark the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, which falls on June 26, Perspective today begins a series of articles related to drug problems in Thailand and the region. In the following article, JAMES EMERY looks at the situation in Afghanistan, where the Taleban are, and have always been, drug traffickers. Afghanistan's 2008 opium crop is expected to produce similar yields as last year's record of 8,243 metric tonnes, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). [continues 842 words]
Corrections Department Cutting Off Contact Between Drug Dealers On The Outside And Inside To Stem Flow Of Narcotics Devices to block mobile phone signals have been installed at three maximum security prisons to cut off contact between prisoners and drug dealers on the outside, Corrections Department chief Wanchai Rujanawong said yesterday. Mr Wanchai said the devices were installed after a series of attempts to contact dealers and bring drugs into the prisons. Last week some crystal metham-phetamine, or Ya Ice, was discovered hidden inside the cover of a pocket book sent to Lueng Pak Lun, a Korean convicted of drug offences, in zone 10 of the Khlong Prem Central Prison. [continues 354 words]
The Thaksin Shinawatra government will never fully recover from the crushing assault to its name for waging a war on drugs, and this government must think carefully before launching a new drugs offensive. At the cost of 2,500-plus lives, the 2003 campaign was trumpeted by supporters who said it had pulled down the floodgates on the torrents of drugs flowing into, through and throughout the country. In the process, it splatteed blood on the country's human rights record, as some human rights advocates have phrased it. [continues 653 words]
Jon Says Future's Bleak For Human Rights Here Human rights in Thailand will not improve with an elected government back in power as there are structural flaws embedded with authoritarianism, a rights advocate said yesterday. Jon Ungphakorn, a well-known rights activist and former senator, said bureaucracy as well as police and army officers were at the core of human rights problems in Thailand. The Thaksin administration gave the nod to extrajudicial killings in its notorious war on drugs, there were forced disappearances and extensive use of force, while the Council of National Security also curbed conventional and alternative media, Mr Jon said. [continues 265 words]
More Victims Of BPP Gang Come Forward Five more people yesterday said they were innocent victims of a gang of Border Patrol Police (BPP) officers led by Nat Chonnithiwanit, claiming the gang forced them to make false confessions to drug charges and extorted money from them. The gang is facing prosecution for allegedly extorting money from their victims and torturing them into confessing to drug trafficking charges. Chaiwiwat Bunkua, a 33-year-old from Phuket, lodged a complaint with Crime Suppression police yesterday, saying Pol Capt Nat's gang had physically assaulted and detained him and his two friends in September 2006. [continues 257 words]
Focus / Narcotics Suppression The new government's plan to launch its own "war on drugs" may please supporters of coalition leader People Power, a party believed to be the reincarnation of ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra's disbanded Thai Rak Thai. But those opposed to the move - human rights defenders, community leaders and anti-drugs officials - are far from thrilled. The first war on drugs declared by the government of Mr Thaksin from Feb 1 to April 30, 2003 resulted in the deaths of over 2,500 so-called drug suspects. It caused an uproar among human rights activists, who viewed the crusade as giving law enforcement authorities a licence to kill, without allowing suspects recourse to due process of the law. [continues 892 words]
Investigators' Final Report Blames No One Nakhon Ratchasima - The inquiry into the extra-judicial killings during the war on drugs by those serving under the Thaksin Shinawatra government has found no evidence which would enable the punishment of those involved, Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont said yesterday. More than 2,500 people are believed to have been killed. Gen Surayud said he had just received a final report from panel chairman Khanit na Nakhon stating that no one could be held to blame for the killings. [continues 253 words]
As Thais rejoice over the 4x100 SEA Games gold medal in the women's relay event, police are fretting over the 4x100 formula, a drugs cocktail popular in the deep South. The illegal mixture is made by brewing kratom leaves (mitragyna speciosa) in hot water and then mixing the dark green juice with a soft drink, cough syrup and tranquilisers. The popular cocktail has been named "4 times 100". The origin of the name is unclear, but it likely came from its four ingredients. [continues 405 words]
Veteran politician Chalerm Yubamrung recently joined the People Power Party (PPP) and is seen as its number two. Over the past month, he has expressed his ambition to become interior minister and revive the Thaksin Shinawatra government's controversial war on drugs, which led to the deaths of more than 2,500 people in alleged extra-judicial killings by police. Surasak Glahan asked him how he plans to revive the policy. Below are excerpts from the interview. Do you intend to use the same heavy-handed approach applied by the Thaksin administration? [continues 666 words]
The twin revelations last week that opium growing has increased again, not only in Burma but in Thailand, must provide new impetus to government plans to fight this scourge. New Deputy Prime Minister Sonthi Boonyaratkalin grabbed the issue instantly, claiming that it is necessary to have martial law to fight the drug problem. As questionable as that is, it is clear that authorities have to step up and address this serious security problem. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, poppy cultivation in the Golden Triangle has grown nearly 50% in just a year. The lion's share is in the Shan State of Burma, but far too much -- 1,400 rai -- is in Thailand, mostly in Chiang Mai, where opium acreage has doubled in just two years. Authorities blame this on teenage entrepreneurs, attracted by the obscene profit possibilities. [continues 539 words]
Thaksin's Drugs War Policy Under Scrutiny An independent committee looking into alleged extra-judicial killings during the 2003 war on drugs has agreed to examine Thaksin Shinawatra's cabinet meetings to find out more about the drugs war policy blamed for more than 2,500 deaths. A source close to the committee said the members deemed it necessary to study and analyse what was discussed during the cabinet meetings at the time. According to the source, the minutes of the meetings might offer clues as to how the policy laid down by deposed prime minister Thaksin turned violent. [continues 268 words]
Chiang Rai - The amount of drugs being smuggled across the northern border has increased because of weak cooperation between the various drug suppression agencies, Wattanachai Chaimuanwong, security adviser to the prime minister, said yesterday. He had received complaints from parents that drugs, especially speed pills, had begun turning up again in big cities, including Bangkok. They were also given to teenagers in the far South to lure them into joining the insurgency. Gen Wattanachai believed the resurgence in drug trafficking was the result of a lack of systematic cooperation between police, soldiers and officials of drug suppression agencies. [continues 394 words]
