War On Drugs To Be Revived

[sriracha john]

Memorandum

From: S John

To: S Sundaravej

CC: C Yoobamrung

Subj: Death Squad Staffing

1. As an adjunct to your stated initiative to restart the War on Drugs, might I suggest a method to meet your staffing needs. It is apparent that many foreigners share your view that non-judicial slayings are the best method of dealing with Thailand's drug problem.

2. I would encourage you to consider hiring them as I am aware that the present needs to fully staff the other Death Squads, in the Deep South for example, might result in you running short on shooters for this purpose.

3. I hope this helps and best of luck to you in your efforts to decimate the Thai population.

Cordially yours,

S John

[KireB]

Do drugs and die! Som Nam Na

This kind of thinking creates the problem. Drugs are a menace only because they are elicit and illegal, not because of the substance. Decriminalize drugs and accept that people are responsible for their own destiny, and your societal problem will vanish.

Posts like 'do drugs and die', are written by people who probably drink too much and have lost half their number of braincells.

Addiction,in general, is a disease and drugs are just a medium. Think before you write.

If Thailand and its politicians are claiming that they're gonna kill 4,000 people in a war on drugs, we have to take this very serious. It's world news and will damage the image of this country severely! Of what's left of that image of course.

[selftaopath]

Interesting article from the BBC web site, seems the ridiculously heavy-handed drugs crackdown will be sparked up again:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7260127.stm

Very worrying quote from Samak: "I will not set a target for how many people should die. We will pursue a suppression campaign rigorously. There will be consequences."

Let's hope it isn't as bad as the last time...

[Edit - spelling]

Just wondering if any official ever thought about "consequences" regarding another drug - very profitable for some - but legal i.e. alcohol? I repeatedly see motorcycle taxi riders drinking whiskey while providing transportation for some unsuspecting individual. And is it true that a drunk driver who gets in an accident, but has insurance, also suffers no consequences? Statistics show how this legal and sanctioned drug effects individuals, families, and society. But this is just me wondering, and I suspect the majority of society doesn’t.

[sriracha john]

Samak denies link in killings in new drug war

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej yesterday denied his government had encouraged police to carry out summary executions of suspects in a new war on drugs.

Speaking during the "Samak's Talk" show broadcast live on Channel 11, the premier said his government simply wanted to crack down on drug trafficking.

"I want people to understand that in order to fulfil the anti-drug objective, extra-judicial killings do occur, but police officers responsible for these acts will have to face legal consequences," he said.

Human rights activists have voiced concern that police would resort to summary executions in the new offensive on drug trafficking that was announced by Interior Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung.

Samak said police who commit extrajudicial killings would be tried in court.

He said so far 59 cases of such killings were being considered in court.

"It is impossible to avoid killings when implementing drug suppression. When the crackdown is underway, killings will take place," said Samak, adding the media never tried to understand the government's policy was meant to protect the new generation from drug abuse.

Samak said the Thaksin government did not order police to kill suspects, but drug bosses killed their own men to prevent police from obtaining information connecting them to the ring.

Samak said his government would continue the campaign against drugs.

A former member of the National Human Rights Commission yesterday expressed support for Chalerm's crackdown but emphasised it must be implemented in line with the law.

Jaran Ditapichai said no government should signal that summary executions could start.

"Please respect the Constitution and human rights," Jaran said at Thammasat University. "The government must also seek cooperation from other countries and international organisations." When asked about a report by an independent panel that the Thaksin government's war on drug caused the death of many people and a lot of property damage, Jaran said he heard that the panel was established for political reasons.

"The head of the panel wanted to take action against Thaksin and tried to publicise this issue," Jaran said.

- The Nation

==========================================================================

A crucial bit of information missing from this report is Jaran's background... he's "a former member of the National Human Rights Commission" for a reason. It's because he was shit-canned from the position... for uhmm.. remarkably enough, not respecting human rights.

Meanwhile, anti-coup activists Jaran Ditapichai and Somyos Prueksakasemsuk protested in front of the EC headquarters, asking the commission to overturn its ban on the 111 executives.

Perhaps if Jaran hadn't been fired from the National Human Rights Commission for helping to instigate a urban riot that resulted in numerous injuries, he might be in a position to appeal to the National Human Rights Commission regarding this "rights" issue:

Borrowed from the thread about the TRT/PTV/UDDT group that trampled on human rights:

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...p;#entry1560191

Detained nine anti-coup leaders to be taken to court at 4pm

Security has been tightened at Samsen police station and the Criminal Court on Friday as police make their ways through a thick crowd to get to the nine anti-coup leaders to transfer them from the station to the court.

The nine leaders were placed under police custody on Thursday night. They had led a mass anti-coup protest that turned violent, leaving more than 200 injured, mostly authorities, in front of Privy Councillor President Gen Prem Tinsulanond on July 22.

The nine in custody were Veera Musi-gapong, Jatuporn Phromphan, Jakrapob Penkair, Natthawut Saikua, Weng Tojirakarn, Wiputalaeng Patanapumithai, Manit Jitchanklab, Apiwan Wiriyachai and Jaran Ditaapichai.

Police have charged them with instigating violence and the assembling of more than 10 people with intent to disturb the peace.

UPDATE.... Jaran has been fired from his day job

NLA votes to expel Jaran from NHRC

The National Legislative Assembly (NLA) yesterday expelled Jaran Ditapichai from the National Human Rights Commission for his role in the July 22 anti-government protest. The fate of Jaran was decided in a closed-door meeting of the NLA. There were 156 votes to oust him from the human rights body. Only one legislator opposed and three abstained. Wallop Tangkhananurak said the decision took effect immediately. The panel earlier conducted a fact-finding investigation into Jaran's leadership in the UDDT and produced two reports based on its findings. He was accused of improper conduct and lacking neutrality after he and other UDDT leaders were charged with instigating unrest in an anti-government demonstration they led on July 22 in the Si Sao Thewes area.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/27Sep2007_news10.php

Edited February 25, 2008 by sriracha john

[fsuthai]

"When we implement a policy that may bring 3,000 to 4,000 bodies, we will do it," said Mr Chalerm, himself a former police captain.

Scary isn't it?

And in the same time protecting his own part of the business by getting rid of other drug lords.......

"Scary"---absolutely! But, what are the lives of 2,600 (or was it 26,000) killed in the last drug war rampage when the profits for the police & politicians are so high? And, if the 'ruling elite' only eradicate the disenfranchised (drug dealers, 'users', beggers, stoned backpackers, political dissidents, "terrorists"), who cares, right? WRONG! We'd better ALL start caring for its becoming a worldwide phenomenom.

This is just the Thai version of the new world of "faux Democracy" ushered in & made so hugely profitable by the Bush administration in the United States of Amerika! The stupid "Wars on Drugs" are just tools by the government to increase their 'legitimized' police powers, further enrich the 'already haves', and keep the sheeple (the electorates) in line and off balance.

Fascism is alive & well (and expanding rapidly) in this 21st century and you can bet your bottom dollar (while it still has any value at all) that the Western countries & allies (including Thailand, of course) will keep the "War on Terror" active because a fearful population willingly goes along with increased police powers, suspension of human rights, due process, habeas corpus, and other attacks on Constitutional safeguards. It's the blatant quest for POWER & greedy drive for excessive WEALTH that are the driving forces in our world today...and that will likely result in the demise of our existence on this already polluted planet. Shame...it looks so pretty from outer space!

[girlx]

The vast majority of the westerners there were totally off their heads and openly consuming and selling drugs. In our countries, everybody knows the dealers but nobody does anything about it as the burden of proof is so high and nobody has the time to stake them out properly.

These naive kids that have found their way here without meeting any real thias should be rounded up and have the crap scared out of them. They are as bad as the Asian package tourists we all laugh at.. Here we go, Khoa San Road, (tick box) Surat Thani, (tick box) Full Moon Party (tick Box), Chaing Mai see elephant and tribesperson (tick box). Stoned all the way, only mingling with other dead head backpackers and then considering themselves well travelled.

Do drugs and die! Som Nam Na

I agree that (parts of) Koh Phangan attract the worst element of travellers, and a lot of them use drugs. However there is no "crackdown" here as it is a big business for the locals. I don't think anyone was shot here in the last drug war. Doubt they will be this time either. Authorities more or less look the other way. It's actually too bad they don't do anything here beyond busting someone for a joint occasionally... because hard drugs are a scourge on this island. I wouldn't want my dealer neighbors to be summarily executed though. Instead they need to be tried and imprisoned and taken out of the local economy. On the other hand, almost every local bar or restaurant sells drugs and I doubt locking up some of them would stop anything, it would just make the prisons more crowded. Drugs will always be available here and backpackers will always take them. Instead of killing and imprisoning, it would be better to have emergency help available, EMTs and police who actually do their jobs in case of fights or overdoses, and education/ rehab programs. The local children are just going to grow up and fill their predecessors shoes.

[fsuthai]

The last "Drug War" in LOS got some REALLY GREAT publicity. Recently watched a special on National Geographic on Meth (Yaba) and they had plenty of footage of "heroic" soldiers and police standing over dead bodies whilst under the Thaksin regime.

They can do what the Chinese did and are still rumored of doing. Summary execution of all drug dealers, drug addicts, and their entire families, even if they weren't drug addicts themselves and it won't slow down the drug trade one bit. Scary watching footage of scores of people from construction workers to taxi drivers smoking Yaba. It is well known that foremen give it to the workers at the beginning of their shift to increase productivity in LOS.

Yes illicit drugs are a scourge and should be treated as such. But as long as you give someone the opportunity to make in 1 day day more than he makes in a year there will always be drugs available. All harsh drug policies have done is fill the prisons in the US, and SEA not to mention fill the fields with dead bodies. Until the "War on Drugs" is treated as a social and health problem there will be no dent made in the sale or use of narcotics.

GunnyD

Number One: We were hesitant to walk the streets at night prior to Dr. Thaksin's war-on-drugs because of the almost ubiquitous presence of methamphetemine (=ya baa) addicts walking around here. That problem disappeared quickly-- I mean, REAL QUICKLY-- with the remedies employed. Thank God.

Number Two: China is not Thailand and Thailand is not China.

Can't help but notice that you politely refer to "Toxin" as Dr. (did he buy a degree along with a British soccer team?) and you 'thank god' for licensed murder! What kind of a nutcase are you? I'm not really defending drug dealers (most of them are corrupt and unfeeling...Pfizer, Eli Lily, Bristol-Myers Squibb, etc.)

but killing everyone that 'makes you feel uneasy walking around at night' is certainly not a civilized form of behavior. Who's next...gays, people of 'color' (lots of those over here), religious fanatics (lots of those everywhere), anyone with a noticeable birth defect or speech impediment. You're one sick puppy...and, who knows, sick puppies might go on a "black list" if they run out of the dreaded and ever dangerous 'drug dealers'!!!

[Ricardo]

Jaran Ditapichai said no government should signal that summary executions could start.

... perhaps because it makes it so much harder to deny, later on ?

"Please respect the Constitution and human rights," Jaran said at Thammasat University. "The government must also seek cooperation from other countries and international organisations." When asked about a report by an independent panel that the Thaksin government's war on drug caused the death of many people and a lot of property damage, Jaran said he heard that the panel was established for political reasons.

"The head of the panel wanted to take action against Thaksin and tried to publicise this issue," Jaran said.

Shock Horror - head of a panel, set up (for whatever reason) to investigate drugs deaths, tries to publicise the issue, rather than sweeping it under-the-carpet ! How unsporting of him.

- The Nation

and as he might also have added, the sooner the media are constrained from publishing anything embarrassing, the better ! But that seems to be PPP government-policy already, also in defence of human-rights & the Constitution, no doubt.

[freitag1]

This thread is great and it shows how many simple people are around who defend this way of bringing "justice". If some unjustified killing happens to your child one day you might think different, if you think at all.

Edited February 25, 2008 by freitag1

[sriracha john]

The last "Drug War" in LOS got some REALLY GREAT publicity. Recently watched a special on National Geographic on Meth (Yaba) and they had plenty of footage of "heroic" soldiers and police standing over dead bodies whilst under the Thaksin regime.

They can do what the Chinese did and are still rumored of doing. Summary execution of all drug dealers, drug addicts, and their entire families, even if they weren't drug addicts themselves and it won't slow down the drug trade one bit. Scary watching footage of scores of people from construction workers to taxi drivers smoking Yaba. It is well known that foremen give it to the workers at the beginning of their shift to increase productivity in LOS.

Yes illicit drugs are a scourge and should be treated as such. But as long as you give someone the opportunity to make in 1 day day more than he makes in a year there will always be drugs available. All harsh drug policies have done is fill the prisons in the US, and SEA not to mention fill the fields with dead bodies. Until the "War on Drugs" is treated as a social and health problem there will be no dent made in the sale or use of narcotics.

GunnyD

Number One: We were hesitant to walk the streets at night prior to Dr. Thaksin's war-on-drugs because of the almost ubiquitous presence of methamphetemine (=ya baa) addicts walking around here. That problem disappeared quickly-- I mean, REAL QUICKLY-- with the remedies employed. Thank God.

Number Two: China is not Thailand and Thailand is not China.

Can't help but notice that you politely refer to "Toxin" as Dr. (did he buy a degree along with a British soccer team?) and you 'thank god' for licensed murder! What kind of a nutcase are you? I'm not really defending drug dealers (most of them are corrupt and unfeeling...Pfizer, Eli Lily, Bristol-Myers Squibb, etc.)

but killing everyone that 'makes you feel uneasy walking around at night' is certainly not a civilized form of behavior. Who's next...gays, people of 'color' (lots of those over here), religious fanatics (lots of those everywhere), anyone with a noticeable birth defect or speech impediment. You're one sick puppy...and, who knows, sick puppies might go on a "black list" if they run out of the dreaded and ever dangerous 'drug dealers'!!!

Let's Go Seminoles!!

[seri thai]

During the last blitz there were three yaa baa dealers in my wifes village who were warned twice by the local police to stop dealing, they didn't listen....they are not here anymore.

Unfortunately one of the guys wife was also killed in the execution by trying to block access to the husband from the gunman. Very sad for her family

Nothing was said, no protests lodged, the bodies were cremated by the familes. Although tragic in its own way my wife said the common opinion was that they were warned and should have listened.

Amphetamine usage is on the rise again in rural Thailand and they locals are paying the price with increasing theft and violent crime.

Off topic but one common act of theft is to steal temparary power lines from the farms...the village had a meeting and decided it was OK to shoot the thieves if caught in the act... rough justice can be swift in LOS.

During the last "action" a man visited my father-in-law and told him his name was on a police blacklist and that his name could be removed for a fee. He is a pious buddhist, a retired fish farmer and works at youth rehabilitation in the local temple in his spare time. He is well respected in the community. My wife and her sister went to BKK to try to find out about the blacklist. They were given a mobile number to contact. They met an undercover police/military man who went thru the list with them He had 10 "Daengs" on his local list but luckily my wifes father did not fit the associated descriptions - height/age/etc.

This suggests these people were working with innaccurate information and hearsay "intelligence" and had quoatas to fill. Luckily for us my father-in-law is still with us. -The man selling pardons is not...

My builders brother was shot when he tried to intervene in the shooting of his son. Apparently the son had been involved in selling Ya-Ba some years previously.

The point is, it's a redneck, clusterfuc_k, lottery spin to what effect? It shows that the powers that be have guns and will use them when they feel like it with immunity. With the exception of Burma, Thailand must be the only country in ASEAN throttling back to the middle ages.

[ray08]

This thread is great and it shows how many simple people are around who defend this way of bringing "justice". If some unjustified killing happens to your child one day you might think different, if you think at all.

The amount of death and hardships caused by drugs does not even belong in the same block as the death of a few thousand drug dealers , the indirect effect of Drugs are , but not limited to

Murder

Assualts

Robbery

Money laundering

Broken familes , destroyed youth , etc etc etc

Direct death includes , HIV , Overdose , accidental death or suicide whilst high or down ,

In the western world , USA ,Europe ,Pacific , what has been done by law enforecement has not worked at all , in fact the drug dealers even do business in jail ,

I know that a few thousand dead drug dealers is a lot , but maybe people might think twice about taking up this occupation if they know the consequences are fatal ,

I am not for a police hit Squad going out killing at Random ,but i think some more effective measures need to be taken , if a gun dealer tries to shoot back for example at police , well lets spare the trial , yes it sounds brutal but if you want to feel sorry for someone feel for the poor victims of drugs not the pushers

[realmadrid25]

its better to have one ruling party controlling the illegal stuff, in this case the Thai police, than it is to have multiple feuding drug lords and hierarchies. atleast the thai police are somewhat accountable. or would you rather have a bloods, crips and MS-12 gang sitatuation like the US has in California?

And for whats it worth, most of the people who get killed will not be innocent of wrong doing. They know the game.

[invalidusername]

And for whats it worth, most of the people who get killed will not be innocent of wrong doing. They know the game.

This is an uninformed statement to be put nicly and without flames.

More than 1/2 the people exexuted were part of a summary quota. they killed a lottery winner in issan because he had suddenly come into cash and the police didnt bother to check/care where that cash came from and jsut assumed he was dealing.

You have to understand the evil empire headed by darth toxin created fear all the way down the ranks. each district had a quota for people to kill, if they didnt have enough drug dealers to kill, then they just killed whoever was convinent.

if a district did not meet its quota of murders, then the bosses would have to fill in the numbers with their familes.

you understand now, so please keep your uninformed comments to yourself.

[ray08]

And for whats it worth, most of the people who get killed will not be innocent of wrong doing. They know the game.

This is an uninformed statement to be put nicly and without flames.

More than 1/2 the people exexuted were part of a summary quota. they killed a lottery winner in issan because he had suddenly come into cash and the police didnt bother to check/care where that cash came from and jsut assumed he was dealing.

You have to understand the evil empire headed by darth toxin created fear all the way down the ranks. each district had a quota for people to kill, if they didnt have enough drug dealers to kill, then they just killed whoever was convinent.

if a district did not meet its quota of murders, then the bosses would have to fill in the numbers with their familes.

you understand now, so please keep your uninformed comments to yourself.

Ok , i heard something about a lottery winner , but in regards to a Quota to kill people and killing anyone , is this public record ?? if so where can i find it ?

[Abrak]

And for whats it worth, most of the people who get killed will not be innocent of wrong doing. They know the game.

This is an uninformed statement to be put nicly and without flames.

More than 1/2 the people exexuted were part of a summary quota. they killed a lottery winner in issan because he had suddenly come into cash and the police didnt bother to check/care where that cash came from and jsut assumed he was dealing.

You have to understand the evil empire headed by darth toxin created fear all the way down the ranks. each district had a quota for people to kill, if they didnt have enough drug dealers to kill, then they just killed whoever was convinent.

if a district did not meet its quota of murders, then the bosses would have to fill in the numbers with their familes.

you understand now, so please keep your uninformed comments to yourself.

I dont think realmadrid's comments are that unreasonable. The enquiry into the war on drugs found that about half the victims had no connections with drugs not that they were totally innocent of any crime (although given that they didnt receive a fair trial one can argue otherwise.) The lottery winner is an exception who clearly had no involvement in crime but it is not clear that there were many cases like this. (one of the problems is that there is so little investigative journalism in thailand that we remain generally uninformed.)

Still I remain much more concerned about the 'new war'. Putting extrajudicial killing powers in Chalerm's hands would seem a rash thing to do. He has shown little concern for justice of any sort during his career. The next time his sons kill a policeman in a nightclub we may well be told he is simply a drug dealer.

[invalidusername]

The lottery winner is an exception who clearly had no involvement in crime but it is not clear that there were many cases like this. (one of the problems is that there is so little investigative journalism in thailand that we remain generally uninformed.)

one exception that we hear about as verified by your follow up sentence. where there is smoke, there is fire.

[way2muchcoffee]

It's truly shocking to hear anyone raised in the west condone, let alone applaud, this kind of policy.

Shame on you. Shame, shame, shame. You are the kind of people who would have made excellent Nazis.

Edited February 25, 2008 by way2muchcoffee

[freitag1]

Drugs should be legal anyway. If people want to destroy themselves they will do it, this way or some other. If I can't make my mind numb smoking yaba all day I can still resort to alcohol from the 7/11 around the corner.

[Abrak]

It's truly shocking to hear anyone raised in the west condone, let alone applaud, this kind of policy.

Shame on you. Shame, shame, shame. You are the kind of people who would have made excellent Nazis.

Oh lets not get too patronizing - Bush and Blair's war on terror results in far more innocent lives dying almost on a daily basis than did Thaksin's war on drugs. We certainly dont need moral lectures.

[Wolfie]

each district had a quota for people to kill, if they didnt have enough drug dealers to kill, then they just killed whoever was convinent.

if a district did not meet its quota of murders, then the bosses would have to fill in the numbers with their familes.

you understand now, so please keep your uninformed comments to yourself.

And your source?

I guess your mates down the pub have full and unfettered access to the PM's closest advisers or are highly ranked/placed officers in the force.

some people are full of <deleted>

[way2muchcoffee]

Oh lets not get too patronizing - Bush and Blair's war on terror results in far more innocent lives dying almost on a daily basis than did Thaksin's war on drugs. We certainly dont need moral lectures.

LOL - Bush and Blair would have made excellent Nazis as well.

I'm happy to be an equal opportunity moralizer!

I can hear the men in jack-boots coming - gotta run....

Edited February 25, 2008 by way2muchcoffee

[Frotting]

It's truly shocking to hear anyone raised in the west condone, let alone applaud, this kind of policy.

Shame on you. Shame, shame, shame. You are the kind of people who would have made excellent Nazis.

Oh lets not get too patronizing - Bush and Blair's war on terror results in far more innocent lives dying almost on a daily basis than did Thaksin's war on drugs. We certainly dont need moral lectures.

Yes. And isn't it sad that people try and justify something disgraceful by citing something worse. Agreed, Bush and Blair have both in their own way committed crimes against humanity, but I don't think that's the subject of this thread.

If the new government of Thailand really is intending to repeat past mistakes, this heralds the end of Thailand as part of the international community. Hopefully someone will have some sense.

Regarding the validity of the 'quota' statements and number of innocent people executed without trial in the last purge, I refer you to countless other threads on this NG, most of which are validated as well as can be (given that the powers in Thailand make this difficult) by some very astute commentators in these threads.

It reminds me of the people who denied the Holocaust during (and even after) WW2. But at the end of the day, extra judicial killings are wrong whether the victims are guilty or not.

[endure]

This is a thread about the war on drugs in Thailand. It's not about Bush, Blair or the Nazis. Stick to the subject please.

[Kilgore Trout]

Can't feel sorry about dead drug dealers ,. if i found a dealer trying to push drugs to my kids , i would also shoot first and ask questions latter,.

Ha ha ha, I wondered how long it would be before this thread brought out one of these nutcases!!!

I,m with Ray08 on this one. They can drop dealers off the 24th floor of a condo unit for all I care.

You guys are so right on! I feel the same way about prostitution which leads to human trafficking, organized crime and abuse of the desperate including children. Anyone caught even soliciting a prostitute should be shot on sight. It is illegal in Thailand; just round up ANYONE even remotely associated with it including bar owners and workers and as you say "drop them off the 24th floor of a condo unit"! I like the way you think!

I truly want to live in a world with people like you guys runnin it!!

[invalidusername]

each district had a quota for people to kill, if they didnt have enough drug dealers to kill, then they just killed whoever was convinent.

if a district did not meet its quota of murders, then the bosses would have to fill in the numbers with their familes.

you understand now, so please keep your uninformed comments to yourself.

And your source?

I guess your mates down the pub have full and unfettered access to the PM's closest advisers or are highly ranked/placed officers in the force.

some people are full of <deleted>

how would you feel if your name was on the list?

you know that i am good friends with a police captin, we like to go to the karaoke bar together and i helped him get some teak wood to build his house. Last night when we were out drinkning, he asked me about people that sell drugs in our village and I mentioed your name because you were driving a new truck and jsut built a new house and the only way a stupid villager such as yourself could get such things was to sell drugs.

What he didnt know was that your daughter sells her body to falang and that is where you got all your money.

nevertheless, your name is now on the list and drunk police officers dressed up in black will come to your house at 3am and shoot you in front of your family and leave a stolen pistol and a package of pills.

one hour later they will take off their black masks and come back in uniform and come back and find the pills and your body and say that a rival drug gang did the killing.

that is how is works.

be grateful that it is not you.

Edited February 25, 2008 by invalidusername

[endure]

One more warning - Stop the personal bickering now and return to the subject of the thread. Holidays are available for those who don't.

[freitag1]

Yeah, good point. Funny to see people who probably frequent bars and put fuel in the fire of human trafficking also want to get rid of all dealers. A lot of dealers are scumbags but as mentioned before if they just go out killing it will hit a lot of the wrong people. I also understand some poor young people who want to escape poverty by either selling themselves or illegal substances.

[seonai]

I can vouch for invalidusername's comments in the above 2-3 posts. I was editor of a certain newspaper during the last 'war on drugs' and what IUN says is true. I saw the photos and heard reports from my team that back up this. Each area police governor was given a quota and had to kill x amount of people per month or face being relocated.

IUN's explaination of how the police complied these lists is correct. As is his description of how the people were shot. I saw the pictures every day.

I interviewed the Police Governor in my area before the 'war' started and he had a map on his desk in front of me showing what areas they were going to target and when...

[JetsetBkk]

If the new government of Thailand really is intending to repeat past mistakes, this heralds the end of Thailand as part of the international community.

Sad days ahead for a country run by a bunch of thugs.