Drugs in Thailand:
HOW MANY MORE MUST DIE?
More than 1,000 killed in Thailand's anti-drugs campaign so far; are they all victims of fellow gang members?
The illegal drug trade has long caused a major problem in Thai society. The growing and harvesting of opium have been a feature of the lifestyle of various nomadic tribes. However, a far more important problem has been the manufacture and distribution of drugs, mostly amphetamines, by organised disenfranchised Burmese groups such as the United Wa Army. These have sought funds for their independence struggle and this has dramatically accelerated drug use among the young and other vulnerable groups and for some years represented a significant problem.
A the beginning of February, the government of populist prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra began an anti-drugs campaign that aimed at vigorously targeting known and suspected members of the illegal drugs industry. As a result, there have been more than 1,000 deaths in a little over a month. The police forces claim that all but a handful of the deaths were the result of armed gang leaders killing other members of their gangs to prevent them from giving evidence. Others disagree. Concern among human rights groups is growing that at least some of these deaths have been extra-judicial killings unrelated to the drugs trade.
It is certainly the case that, away from media scrutiny, the police in Thailand have been accused of abusing their position to take advantage of ethnic minorities, migrant workers and others whose semi-official status does not provide them with adequate protection. The Akha people of northern Thailand, for example have suffered many instances of abuse.
The Prime Minister has, characteristically, reacted angrily to questioning of his policy. There are suggestions that the continuing focus of the campaign will switch to reclaiming illegally obtained assets.
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