Thailand's Police Death Squads Run Riot by Phairath Khampha 31 July 2001 Police-backed death squads are executing suspected drug traffickers in Thailand's lower Northeast and intend to kill as many as 1,000 people in 2001, the region's police chief announced on July 24, 2001. And at the same time, a court in Thailand sentenced 19 to death for drug dealing, a record number for verdict in single day as the drug problem takes a massive toll in Thailand's society as Burma uses drugs to seek to undermine Thailand's social and economic stability. The Criminal Court then sentenced another 14 convicted drug traffickers to death less than a week afterwards. "Our target is to send 1,000 traffickers to hell this year, to join some 350 before them," said Region 4 police chief Lt-General Pichai Sunthornsajjabul. The shocking disclosure about a campaign dubbed "Shortcut to Hell" came as the government was planning to establish a team of assassins to eliminate narcotics racketeers. The reports said the "Killing Team" idea had been proposed by the Army's operations centre, in response to the administration's "get-tough" policy on drug trafficking and because all other methods seemed to be ineffectual as more and more of Thailand's young were becoming addicted to narcotics. In some parts of Thailand as many as 35% of the youth are addicted and have become incapable of being useful members of society and have created huge problems for ordinary citizens. However, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said "a lot of ideas have come up" as far as the illicit drug trade was concerned, but his government would not necessarily breach humanitarian principles, but such principles had to be looked at from the other isde whereby the drug racketeers' activities also breached such principles in that they created great damage to people, their families and society as a whole. "We have to consider human rights and rights under the Constitution," Thaksin said. "We are also part of this world and we can't do things without taking all these into account." Defence Minister Chavalit Yongchaiyudh, Supreme Commander General Sampao Chusri, and Army spokesman Colonel Somkuan Sangpataranet said they knew nothing direct about the matter, although Gen Chavalit was well known for having used similar methods, with U.S. support and assistance, to eliminate communist suspects during the Cold War. But Pichai was adamant that the extrajudicial killings had already occurred in police Region 4, his jurisdiction, and that they were necessary because the judicial system was corrupt and judges were in thepay of the racketeers. The threat to Thai society had become as huge as in time of war with as many people permanently succumbing to the drugs as casualties of war. Most of the drugs were coming from Burma in a corrdinate effort by the Burmese authorities to destroy Thai society. The two countries have a historical enmity for each other and parts of Thailand were at one time occupied by Burmese forces. Burma is using drugs as a weapon to destroy the Thai youth, much as the Americans did in Europe during the Second World War and in Vietnam with aerial bombing campaigns. Pichai said an anti-drug "alliance" comprising police, soldiers, government officials, civilians and members of private organisations had been working as an intelligence-gathering arm of the regional police. Once the alliance's tips were verified, police would consider whether there was enough evidence to prosecute. "If there's not enough evidence to take legal action [but we are completely sure they are involved in the drug trade], drastic measures will be taken by members of the alliance," he said. "We have applied legal means, political science and even Buddhism, but the [drug] problem only seems to be getting worse because this is like in a conventional war where no holds are barred. Now it's time to rely on [the] Death Angel. Of course, it's a legally delicate means, but it's the path we have to take to bring peace back to society," Pichai said. He did not elaborate about how executions in the "Shortcut to Hell" campaign were carried out, but suggested it was not only police involved - other members of the alliance, including civilians, had also participated. "Alliance members are solving the problems by themselves," he said. "Some of them have killed relatives who were big-name drug traders. This year we expect at least 1,000 traffickers to travel to hell. There are 20 million people living in areas under my jurisdiction. If 1,000 social troublemakers go missing, I don't think it will cause anyone any problem," he said. "If their relatives can accept this, I guess outsiders should accept it too." Meanwhile, the Internal Security Operation Command (ISOC) deputy director General Panlop Pinmanee yesterday denied news reports he planned to establish a "killing team" to hunt down drug traffickers, but only because they did not need to be established as they already were operational. "I suspect that reporters studied my combat history fighting communism and then concocted a story that I want to relive some of my experiences," he said. Panlop said he had had no intention of reverting to Cold War tactics in this country, which had in the past resulted in a number of extrajudicial executions of communist leaders, but war is war. The previous administration, under prime minister Chuan Leekpai, amended autopsy laws to try to counter the problem of extrajudicial killings, which in Thailand normally total between 50 and 100 per year. In Bangkok, public prosecutors, pathologists and local administrators were now required to examine on-site bodies of victims who die in what are obviously extrajudicial killings or in police custody. But the latest reports cast doubt as to whether in such a corrupt and somewhat barbaric country such regulations are adhered to outside the capital. The Bangkok Post said in its editorial on July 25: "Methamphetamines . . . are the No 1 threat to the whole nation. The problem is now so widespread that not a single community is spared. "This is hugely worrying, especially as it becomes increasingly obvious that the state is losing this battle, and on several fronts - among them the lack of co-operation from Burma, where most of the methamphetamine pills are produced before being smuggled across the border, and the corruption among law enforcement officers and politicians who would rather sell their families to the drug trade only to enrich themselves." Court sentences 19 to death for drug dealing In a clear message to drug traffickers, Thailand's Criminal Court on July 25 sentenced 19 suspects, three of them women, to death and two others to life in five different cases involving over two million methamphetamine pills and 9kg of heroin. The death sentences-a record number for one day-were read by Wichit Leethammachayo, a senior judge. Some relatives broke down in tears when the sentences were read out. In the first case, Wan or Ek Intaeng, Amnuay Meesri, Chenlong sae Wang, Chamnong or Suthisak Reeja, and Sue sae Lee were found guilty of having 1,057,800 speed pills in their possession with intent to sell. They were arrested in Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan on January 25. All five got the death sentence. In the second case, the five defendants-Kanyos Rujisuchon, Boonchuay Pengphit, Karoon Premkitpornpattana, Kongdej Paninthorn and Arom Onlamai-were found guilty of having 836,000 methamphetamine tablets with intent to sell and sentenced to death. They were arrested at a petrol station in Sai Noy district of Suphan Buri in January. The third case involved six suspects and 87,000 speed pills. They were arrested early in 2001 in Suphan Buri. The court handed down the death sentence on five-Kittisak Thongnoom, Sommat Raweksom, Kachorn sae Mee, Khemthat Artyaemsuan and Taweep Plaokrathok. The other suspect, Sangwian Sunthorn, was sentenced to 26 years in jail, commuted to 17 years and four months after he confessed. All four suspects in the fourth case were given the death sentence. They were Singthong Pimmawong, Chan Siprasert, Kampha Phatthawong, and Thongdee (last name not known). They were arrested on February 23 with 20 bars of heroin weighing 7.19kg in Muang district of Nong Khai while handing over the drugs to a police decoy for 3.5 million baht. The heroin was smuggled from Laos via the Thai-Lao Friendship bridge. In the fifth case, two women-Dusadee Sothon and Thitima Chanla-were sentenced to life for having 80,000 methamphetamine pills with intent to sell. They were arrested with the drugs in tambon Nong Pling of Nakhon Sawan's Muang district on March 30. The court handed down a death sentence, commuted to life after they confessed. Mr Wichit, the judge, said in some cases where suspects confessed, the court did not reduce the death sentence because of the quantity of drugs involved. They would have caused great danger to people and undermined social and economic stability. He told weeping relatives that convicted people could appeal against the sentence to the Appeals Court and Supreme Court. Gen Thammarak Issarangkura na Ayutthaya, the Prime Minister's Office minister in charge of drugs suppression, praised the verdicts, which he said indicated that confession would not always help wrongdoers get a lighter punishment. He said the death sentence, along with other measures, would be effective against the spread of drugs. "I used to chair the execution of many drug convicts. I would be glad to do the same with these 19," he said. Meanwhile, Sombat Diew-issares, the Criminal Court chief justice, said on July 25 that in the first six months of 2000 7,119 drug cases were brought before the court. They included 5,021 methamphetamine cases, 444 heroin cases, 302 marijuana cases, and 87 cases involving ecstasy. Thailand obviously has a serious problem. Another 14 drug traffickers get death sentence Thailand's Criminal Court on July 31 sentenced another 14 convicted drug traffickers to death less than a week after handing down capital punishment on 19 other people found guilty of the same charge. Bangkok Criminal Court judge Vichit Leethamachayo refused to commute the death penalty even though the 14 defendants had pleaded guilty. All but two suspects in the four cases, which involved more than 446,000 methamphetamine pills and 5,600 grams of heroin, were sentenced to death. Vichit said that because of the large amount of drugs involved and their danger to mankind and the young people of Thailand, to reduce the penalty would not benefit Thailand's efforts to ease the drug problem. One of the two acquitted was Jirawat Charoenvanich, 47, a senior official at the Prime Minister's Secretariat. Public prosecutors would appeal against the decision to allow the two to live. The judge ruled that the two would remain in court custody during the appeal proceedings. The other acquitted suspect is Vilawan Kayekaew, 25, who pleaded innocent. The court believed her claim that she had been unaware that her boyfriend, who was among the 14 condemned to death, was trafficking speed pills when they were arrested during a ride to Chiang Mai. As for Jirawat, the court believed accounts by her supervisors and neighbours that she did not lead a lavish life. The three cars registered in her name were found to belong to her younger brother, who was among the 14 condemned. Jirawat and her witnesses told the court the large amount of money in her bank account came from her accounting service done after work. Responding to Jirawat's acquittal, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said he would instruct police and public prosecutors to study the investigation report against her in detail to determine whether there was any flaw. The 14 condemned to death - nine men and five women - were Pichai Chomphu-ngam, 49; Tiew Chomphu-ngam, 47; Duangchan Chaiwasin, 30; Poonthawee Chomphu-ngam, 23; Yuphin Piangchanta, 48; Tham Piangchanta, 55; Somros Puangmatha, 43; Samchuen Tasang, 27; Boonrod Nanthawong, 26; Soy Tawong, 57; Wanlapha Sriwilai, 29; Jirawat Poompruek, 36, who was Vilawan's boyfriend; Bundit Charoenvanich, 44; and Somkuan Payakruang, 29. The court appears to have joined the government's stepped-up war on drugs, aimed at stopping the booming methamphetamine trade, which now has about 300,000 addicts and another 2.7 million casual users. The government has carried out eight executions during the first half of 2001, seven of convicted drug traffickers. Black magic invoked against traffickers as Suphan Buri fights an uphill battle Meanwhile, in a sign that Thailand is still rather backward and superstitious, Suphan Buri provincial authorities invoked black magic and the help of holy spirits in the war against drug traffickers. The curse was called down in a saab chaeng rite in front of the sacred Don Chedi Memorial, in Don Chedi district, on July 25 in the presence of about 20,000 local residents-officials, students and villagers. Organisers said the extra-judicial killings, the death penalty and other severe punishments were not proving to be adequate deterrents. Suphan Buri, in effect run by the country's most ocrrupt former prime ministers (Banharn Silapa-archa), locally referred to as the Godfather because of his criminal acitvities, has one of the most serious drug problems in the country. Banharn is ineffect Thailand's kingmaker and influences most of the governmental decisions in which he and his family can profit. One of the most publicised cases of extra-judical killing occurred in the province in 1996. Six suspected drug dealers were shot dead by police after they had surrendered in front of television cameramen and news photographers. Governor Vipat Kongmalai, who was behind the July 25 rite, said he hoped the ceremony would at least serve as a psychological deterrent to drug traffickers and those about to become involved. The ceremony started with the worship of the spirits of Phra Siam Devathiraj, the kingdom's guardian angel, King Naresuan the Great, his younger brother Prince Ekathosarot, his elder sister Princess Suphankalaya and the heroes who died on the battleground. The governor then delivered a curse on those who benefit from the drug trade, producers and traffickers. Dry chilis and salt were burned together, in the traditional belief that those cursed would suffer burning heat and pain. The acrid fumes stung the eyes and noses of those standing nearby. The governor was seen coughing while uttering the curse. Mr Vipat said he hoped the ceremony would deter greedy, corrupt officials and others who expected to benefit from drugs. The rite was just part of an ongoing campaign to raise awareness among families and communities to fight against drugs. "The cursing ceremony is a kind of psychological punishment, to convey a message to drug dealers that there are still a large number of people who dislike the things they are doing and will curse them for the rest of their lives," Mr Vipat said. Reports from village headmen and tambon administration organisations in Suphan Buri indicated there were at least 2,000 drug dealers in the single province alone. Villagers who turned up at the sacred rite said they hoped the holy spirits would help alleviate drug problems in the province. "In this region of 20 million people, two or three persons [have been] killed in drug-related incidents every day over the past three years. Some were killed in shootings with the police, others were cases of villagers killing each other," Lt-General Pichai Sunthornsajjabul said. "It's local people's way of solving their own problem," he said. "They have seen [the] failure of attempts to tackle the drug threat through legal, political or even religious means. Police do not support that kind of action and we are never involved in the hunt. And we will arrest anyone who breaks the law." Lt-General Pichai Sunthornsajjabul, however, maintained that many drug suspects were killed by vigilantes without police knowing. "People are willing to be nice and tolerate the problem while it more or less is on the fringe of society," he said. "But when it reaches some critical point where a significant part of society is seriously affected and starts to become effectively dysfunctional, then the reaction is to deal with it in the most expeditious way, particularly when a large part of the authorities whose responsibility is to deal with the problem ar ethemselves a part of the problem because the are corrupt, greedy and dishonest." Pichai did admit that 350 cases of extrajudicial killing had been carried by Provincial Police Region Four.