Narcotics and illegal logging - the similarities

[Lite Beer]

EDITORIAL
Narcotics and illegal logging - the similarities
The Nation

 

BANGKOK: -- Will our enforcement officers ever have the courage and integrity to go after the big fish?

In a country where narcotics is a very serious problem, what happened to an innocent young girl recently was hard to believe. But then again, Thailand is a country where crackdown on crimes are often showcases rather than policies. It's not just narcotic drugs that have been subjected to on-and-off campaigns by the authorities. Illegal logging, gambling, forced prostitution and human trafficking all are treated more or less the same way.

The 21-year-old university student had her car surrounded by gun-waving plain-clothed officers. She drove her car into a nearby vehicle, hoping the "accident" would create a scene and thus lead to her "rescue". The officers fired shots, not at her, but the tyres in a bid to stop her. By the time it was clear that the tip-off was a bad one, she was extremely terrified and the police department had its face red in extreme embarrassment.

We can only wish our narcotics officers were as active where it really matters. Everyone knows that the narcotics trade involves influential people or even some politicians but "drug busts" so far have only put away peddlers or those manning factories. And we don't know how many innocent suspects have suffered in the process.

The incident involving the girl, while potentially tragic, could have been understandable but for the reputation of the Thai police. If Thailand's law enforcement and the justice system as a whole have left no stone unturned in their war on drugs, shooting at the tyres of an innocent person's car may not have been such a big embarrassment.

Instead, this kind of incident only confirms that our people in charge always get it all wrong. A few years ago, numerous extra-judicial killings were sanctioned by the political powers-that-be. Nobody knows how many involved wrong leads, but what happened to the university girl did not fill us with optimism.

Like deforestation, fighting the narcotics trade requires drastic measures. The problem is, those in charge in Thailand take "drastic" the wrong way. Much of the drastic action that is truly effective takes place behind the scenes. It involves uncompromising decisions to go all the way and get the big guys, no matter how wealthy or influential they are or how big the bribes they are ready to pay. "Drastic" means relentless investigation that makes the maximum use of human and financial resources.

We have full-moon parties and still stories like one involving a farang arrested in a sting operation for smoking weed in his apartment. On narcotics, Thailand has a death penalty, but the corrupt practices make it so unpredictable when the authorities would get serious, tempting potential criminals and confusing others.

Since the coup, seizure of illegal logs has increased dramatically. We wonder who will finally get punished and whether even the soldiers with near-summary power will crack under deep-rooted corruption. As importantly, it remains to be seen what happens once the soldiers leave the scene and the police and ordinary politicians resume full control.

Thailand is a few places on earth where people will start to question the police's motives when the officers get serious about certain crimes. Gambling, prostitution and drugs are often treated by the police as "seasonal" vices, despite the fact that they are always there, under their noses.

The girl will get a new car and speak at police gatherings to relate the "cautionary tale". It's all the police can do to save whatever is left of their image. But the nature of Thai crimes doesn't need yelling officers waving guns amid Bangkok traffic as much as it requires integrity and courage to get to the big fish and never let them off the hook.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Narcotics-and-illegal-logging--the-similarities-30240639.html

 

[thenation]2014-08-10[/thenation]

[ChrisY1]

Catch the big boys in crime here in Thailand....never!

They are obviously well known to the cops and military, their families know what they do, but still no big names ever come out......

Why is it that the big names very rarely get bought down?

 

[NongKhaiKid]

Just when is a Mr. Big not big enough to avoid arrest etc. ?   A question that has dogged LoS for generations and will well into the future.

 

The article headlines two crimes that may be more of a hot potato than usual given who is running the country and the dangerous question / suggestion of military involvement in both.

[Bender]

 

, what happened to an innocent young girl recently was hard to believe.

 

does the journalist live here, because nothing is hard to believe in thailand.  Everything from crazy rumor, news, hearsay,  always come to be in fact reality.

[clockman]

Very good and truthful article. Something not often seen, in Thailand

[chainarong]

There lies a fine line between truth and reality when it comes to Thailand,  the reality is that the higher you are the more protected you are and don't ever step on the toes of a retired four star General, these all seem to have immunity written all over their face, over time a few have tried to pin the tail on the donkey, only to find themselves disappeared or dead in the morning or in one case familiar to me, sent to coventry and never to work again, except in employment like taxi driving, dig beneath the slimy layers of Thailand, where tourists never tread, there is a sinister dark side that you don't want to know about.

[craigt3365]

The biggest problem is the police.  One way or another, they are involved in pretty much every criminal activity here.  Reform is desperately needed.

[h90]

Catch the big boys in crime here in Thailand....never!

They are obviously well known to the cops and military, their families know what they do, but still no big names ever come out......

Why is it that the big names very rarely get bought down?

 

 

Not only in Thailand....

[dahinni]

so long these attitude running the country, nothing will changed

[worgeordie]

Lets look on the positive side,more arrests of corrupt officials,illegal loggers,

big drug dealers,and even 4 judges have lost their jobs.now that the Army

have taken over power,than has never happen in, well years and years really,I

just hope they can keep up the momentum,more is needed as well as VERY

strict laws on corruption,stop this transfer system,if they are caught fire them, 

or better still convict and imprison.no more slap on the wrist,suspended sentences,

minuscule fines,and make everyone equal under the law,rich and poor. 

 

The whole of Thailand knows changes need to be made,this is an ideal opportunity,

it could not have been left for the politicians to do ,as they are a major cause of the

problems Thailand has.

regards Worgeordie

[gamini]

Catch the big boys in crime here in Thailand....never!

They are obviously well known to the cops and military, their families know what they do, but still no big names ever come out......

Why is it that the big names very rarely get bought down?

 

 

The 'Big guys" in crime leave Thailand if they are caught. They live in luxury abroad and then later they return protected by the  statute of limitation.

[iReason]

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Catch the big boys in crime here in Thailand....never!

They are obviously well known to the cops and military, their families know what they do, but still no big names ever come out......

Why is it that the big names very rarely get bought down?

 

 

Not only in Thailand....

 

[iReason]

"this kind of incident only confirms that our people in charge always get it all wrong".

 

"The problem is, those in charge in Thailand take "drastic" the wrong way." 

 

"it remains to be seen what happens once the soldiers leave the scene and the police and ordinary politicians resume full control."

 

"get the big guys, no matter how wealthy or influential they are or how big the bribes they are ready to pay."

 

Nice.

Are you reading this General?

 

[fab4]

The biggest problem is the police.  One way or another, they are involved in pretty much every criminal activity here.  Reform is desperately needed.

 

Just the police?

[robblok]

 

The biggest problem is the police.  One way or another, they are involved in pretty much every criminal activity here.  Reform is desperately needed.

 

Just the police?

 

The previous government too of course as is shown in all those recent reports. Thanks for reminding us of this.

[craigt3365]

A few posts have been removed from view.  Please stay on topic and be civil to other members.

[sprq]

Very good and truthful article. Something not often seen, in Thailand

 

Seconded. A good piece and a rare event.

[Redhawk]

...and since when, their was no corruption in their own lines ...it is just the times of the army nowas it has been for years of the police, interchangable...

[Alwyn]

There are no similarities at all. I tried building a house from cocaine and opium resin and it kept blowing away when a wind came and now there's just a goo left, in the end I had to use timber

[Emster23]

I'm waiting for the film "Too Big to Jail"

[aboctok]

There are no similarities at all. I tried building a house from cocaine and opium resin and it kept blowing away when a wind came and now there's just a goo left, in the end I had to use timber

I hope you use a reliable chemical test to verify that the timber is real.

[Alwyn]

 

There are no similarities at all. I tried building a house from cocaine and opium resin and it kept blowing away when a wind came and now there's just a goo left, in the end I had to use timber

I hope you use a reliable chemical test to verify that the timber is real.

 

Of course, picked one up at 7-11

[canuckamuck]

The coup was just one more measure to ensure the security of the Utopia that the elite have made for themselves. If the big fish are in club Utopia, there is no way they will be threatened.