Thailand's Prime Minister Declares All-out War on Drugs Traffickers by Phairath Khampha 20 January 2003 Prime Minister sets three-month deadline, 'or else...' Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra gave authorities until April 30, 2003 to rid "every square inch" of the country of drugs. Operations in all provinces would be rated for their success when the clock strikes 9pm on April 30. Provincial governors and police chiefs who performed poorly would lose their jobs. But given that the main drugs lords in extremely corrupt Thailand are senior military and police officers, senior government officials and some members of parliaments, it is unlikely that the prime minister's wishes could ever be met--particularly in a society increasingly becoming criminal in its attitudes. Although Thaksin probably wants to stop the tearing of Thai society's moral fibre as soon as possible. However, a former police chief said the prime minister's ultimatum that illegal drugs be purged from "every square inch" of the country within a few months was totally unrealistic and that it was an impossible target as long as senior state officials and politicians remained in cahoots with drug traffickers. "I want to see every square inch getting X-rayed and authorities making a clean sweep of drugs in every area within three months from now," Mr Thaksin said. The prime minister told January 14 briefing of national strategies against drugs for more than 1,000 governors, police and military personnel and state officials, that he would no longer tolerate drug problems. He also vowed to match cruelty with cruelty. "Drug traders are unkind towards our children so we will be unkind towards them," he said. Mr Thaksin said buying drugs on Thai streets was as easy as buying chewing gum and it was also common for drugs to be ordered via telephone and delivered to customers like pizzas. "It is more difficult to buy [chewing] gum in Singapore than buying drugs in Thailand," he said. Mr Thaksin called for closer cooperation between provincial administrations and police in their anti-drug campaigns, adding it was impossible that provincial governors, police chiefs and district chiefs were unaware of drug traffickers or users in their respective areas, particularly as many of them were involved in the drugs trade, or at least received kickbacks for looking the other way. He warned authorities against sitting back and doing nothing to stop the spread of drugs. "Do not let anything come between you. Work together without each carrying a knife [waiting to stab one another in the back--which is what most Thais these days are wont to do]," Mr Thaksin said. He said that as a former police officer, he trusted his "brothers" would do a good job in cracking down on drugs. "I'd like to quote here a statement of our former police director-general Pao Sriyanond [a powerful police chief in the 1950s whose police force had a tank unit at its disposal] who said there is nothing under the sun that the Thai police cannot do," the prime minister said. The nationwide drug campaign started at 9am on February 1 and would continue until 9pm on April 30. Mr Thaksin said all governors must be the central force in the fight and have clear strategies on drug suppression, prevention and rehabilitation. Local police, meanwhile, could not deny knowledge about drug businesses in their own provinces. Officers turning a blind eye would be penalised. "Don't make the interior minister act as a police inspector himself. You are finished if you do not do your job," he warned them, pledging them his full protection against dark influences. Pie-in-sky stuff, says ex-top cop - Influential people too deeply involved A former police chief said the prime minister's ultimatum that illegal drugs be purged from "every square inch" of the country within a few months was totally unrealistic. Pol Gen Sawat Amornwiwat said it was an impossible target as long as senior state officials and politicians remained in cahoots with drug traffickers. Pol Gen Sawat is chairman of a senate committee following up on implementation of anti-drugs policy. He was responding to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's announcement of a new national policy to rid the country of drugs by April 30. "When Field Marshall Sarit (Thanarat) launched a crackdown on opium the traffickers adapted and then came heroin," Pol Gen Sawat said. "And now we've heard the drug 'ice' is coming from the South. "The main obstacle is that influential people provide support for the drug traffickers and make fantastic amounts of money," he said short of mentioning that some members of Thaksin's extended family, who come from the Golden Triangle, were also involved in Thailand's and the international drugs trade. The former national police chief said he had seen a list of drug trafficking rings which was prepared by the Drug Enforcement Agency in 1992. At least one of the names in that list was a senior Thai politician. Pol Gen Sawat said his panel would submit a proposal to the government aimed at effective suppression of drug trafficking. "The government should make it as a policy that the origins of the drugs be traced and the money seized. It's not effective to focus solely on the amount of drugs seized," he said. He also welcomed the appointment of Pol Lt-Gen Chidchai Wansathit, former assistant police director-general, as secretary-general of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board. He expected this would result in closer cooperation between ONCB staff and police. Interior Minister Wan Muhamad Nor Matha said provincial governors and provincial police chiefs could no longer deny responsibility if drugs were found in their provinces. Representatives from all sectors in all provinces were required to swear an oath on January 31 that they would not be involved in the drugs trade. Mr Thaksin would lead the ceremony in Bangkok, where it would be televised live. However, promises made in Thailand by Thais are as empty as can be. Pol Gen Sant Sarutanont, the national police chief, said a new drug suppression plan would be ready by January 24.