THE PRIME MINISTER SHOULD MAKE AMENDS FOR HIS WAR ON DRUGS

Thailand's leadership in the fight against Aids and its reputation as one
of Asia's leading rights-respecting democracies have been tarnished by its
approach to drugs and injecting-drug use ["PM heckled at opening", News,
July 12].

The government's "war on drugs" has cost thousands of lives -- Human Rights
Watch has estimated that in the last year over 2,000 people have died in
state-sponsored extrajudicial killings.

Thousands more have been subjected to violence, arbitrary arrest and other
breaches of due process by Thai police. This approach is driving drug users
underground, making it more difficult for them to access the services and
support they need in order to minimise the risk of contracting HIV from
injecting.

In contrast to the declining rates among other parts of the population, HIV
prevalence among the country's heroin users has stood at 40 per cent or
more since the late 1980s and only looks set to rise.

The government's approach to injecting drug use hasn't worked and the prime
minister's war on drugs is making matters worse. The government should use
the opportunity afforded by the Aids conference in Bangkok to announce a
reversal of its current drugs policy, commit to the creation of
needle-exchanges, the implementation of comprehensive treatment programmes
and to putting human rights, including the rights of Thailand's drug users,
at the heart of its response to HIV. In doing so Prime Minister Thaksin
Shinawatra could be assured of ending the conference on a better note than
the one on which it began.

Joseph O'Reilly, delegate

15th International Aids Conference

London