SOMSAK KICKS OFF NORTHERN DRUGS DRIVE

Just Another Populist Push, Govt Critics Say

CHIANG MAI : Justice Minister Somsak Kiatsuranond yesterday kicked
off a drugs suppression drive in the North amid concerns that the
revived campaign was just another populist scheme to strengthen the
People Power party's political grip on the region.

Concerns were rife at yesterday's meeting which was attended by 500
people to learn about the government's 90-day drugs suppression
operation scheduled to run from this month through to January next year.

Sources said that under the operation plan, the Office of the
Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) will allocate money to fund the
campaign nationwide. Budgets will be managed by provincial governors.

As for the northern campaign, the ONCB Region 5 would set aside 300
million baht to fund the campaign in the region.

According to the sources, the revived campaign will focus on training
and prevention measures. District authorities are required to draft
proposals for the provincial governors to consider.

"The scheme is not about making arrests of traffickers or users. If
arrests are to be made, they must be people who have joined training
or rehabilitation programmes," said one source.

Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat has stressed previously that the
campaign is about prevention rather than suppression, and warned
officials against using a heavy-handed approach.

The campaign was to be carried out within the bounds of the law.

The amount of 300 million baht was just a start-up fund. Local
administrative organisations were instructed to contribute about 5%
of their annual budgets to support the scheme, said the source.

The local bodies were not required to explain the disbursement of the
drug-fighting money.

The sources said that certain officials suspected the drug scheme was
part of a government ploy to boost its popularity before the next
general election.

It was widely speculated among participants at the meeting that the
government would dissolve the House in mid-December.

According to the sources, the anti-drug plan was drafted in Hong Kong
before deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra's phone-in to the
Rajamangala Stadium rally last Saturday.

A former classmate of Thaksin at the Armed Forces Academies
Preparatory School was appointed to advise Mr Somchai on the drugs
campaign, the sources said.

The participants at yesterday's meeting included governors of 17
northern provinces, heads of regional police bureaus, representatives
from local administrative organisations and social activists.

Mr Somsak spent 15 minutes summarising the drug campaign which was
among the government's top priorities in its first year in office.