NO QUICK FIXES

Anti-drug volunteers tell Pravit Rojanaphruk about the realities on the
ground in Bangkok's Klong Toei slum in the concluding article of The
Nation's series to mark the first anniversary of the launch of the war on drugs

Is the war on drugs, with all its draconian tactics that have been so
criticised by National Human Rights Commission, still being waged? Although
there are no official signs that it is, periodical reports of killings
still appear in the local newspapers, says commissioner Vasant Panich.

He said no complaints had been filed with his commission since the
three-month war on drugs had ended, though if any had, the agency would
most likely be too busy with existing cases to pursue new ones.

The Klong Toei slum in Bangkok, Thailand's largest, is arguably still a hub
for the methamphetamine trade. With a population of 90,000 and a reputation
- - or notoriety - for its drug trade, Klong Toei could serve as a key
indicator of whether both the drugs and the war on them will return.

During the three-month assault on drugs, at least 15 people were killed
there in either "silence" or extrajudicial killings. Hundreds of others
were sent to rehabilitation centres. During the war, more than 200 border
police were sent into the slum to make sure that connections between drug
dealers and local police did not stand in the way of the investigation.

However, Senator Prateep Ungsongtham Hata - founder of the Duang Prateep
Foundation in Klong Toei - has said that the drugs are already back, and
two alleged dealers were mysteriously gunned down last month.

However, at least 10 neighbourhoods in the area are now being patrolled
every night by members of a group of nearly 1,000 volunteers, who take
turns going out to interfere with drug sales.

Covering an area of 2,264 rai, with six police stations overseeing
different parts of the slum, there is plenty of room for error when it
comes to battling the illegal drug trade in Klong Toei, Prateep said. "It's
strange to think of how quickly [the dealers and drugs] are making a return
[in Klong Toei]," he said.

Conversations with four anti-drug community leaders from different areas of
Klong Toei gave an insight into the war on drugs and the likelihood of the
slum becoming a centre for drug-peddling once again. Their names have been
changed to protect their identity.

On Extrajudicial Killings:

Nongluck: "You can talk about letting justice take its due course, but do
bad people know what is right? Their way is an eye for an eye. The drug
dealers are not stupid, but the killings I saw were meted out against the
real bad guys. There was no mistaken identity. The police told us it's not
easy to arrest them as they seldom have evidence. Some hid their drugs
inside a plastic bag submerged in the polluted water under their stilt
houses using a fishing net. Others hid their drugs inside Buddha statues.
And if someone were to file a complaint, that person would be the first one
to be killed. People here say that as long as the two clans [names
withheld] are still around, drugs will also still be around. These people
have networks with the police and they are not foolish."

Somjit: "Silence killings may have disappeared for now, but many of those
on the blacklist who fled are now back. The difference is that now the
sales are not as blatant as before. The price has also gone up. It used to
be three pills for Bt100. Now it's Bt350 for one. The drugs still abound,
but many of the addicts have been sent to rehab."

Viphar: "Three were killed in my neighbourhood during the three-month war
on drugs and nearly 100 were arrested. The good thing about the post-war
period is that a number of sellers have moved on to conduct their trade
elsewhere and people here no longer queue up to buy drugs."

Is The War Won?

Nongluck: "When one dealer is shot dead, three or four spring up to take
his place."

Viphar: "It's like a hen with lots of chicks. These days, they [the
dealers] become even richer because the price has shot up. Some also mix
the Red Wah [drugs] with local substances."

Somjit: "It's [the drug trade] like a mushroom [the way it grows]. It has
started showing signs of growing back."

Nongluck: "And no one in the neighbourhood dares to speak out."

Viphar: "Actually, we have been branded by them [the drug dealers] as
friends of the police. They ask us about this openly, and then follow by
openly declaring themselves to be big dealers."

Nongluck: "These people lack any conscience whatsoever."

Viphar: "Some of the big shots may be gone, but new faces are replacing them."

Nongluck: "Well, at least the new [police] superintendent is a good guy,
and he knows who is who in the trade."

Viphar: "But I can only trust two cops at the police station. Meanwhile,
the dealers curse Thaksin for making their lives and professions difficult."

Nongluck: "I heard on Sunday that the two [influential drug-dealing] clans
are in the middle of a feud of some sort. Now one clan is cutting the price
per pill to Bt200."

Viphar: "Those who do not sell drugs really love his excellency Thaksin
[Shinawatra]. The situation is generally better."

Nongluck: "But good people are not safe, because the dealers are armed.
They can do whatever they like. If the government gets a little lax, they
will make a full comeback."

Viphar: "I'm afraid that it will be worse than before. The dealers said
they would not forgive those who killed their sons, brothers and sisters."

Maethi: "But we must admit that out of 1,000 or so drug sellers, there are
now probably no more than 500 left."

Somjit: "Drug addicts are also on the decline, but new faces from the
outside have become the new buyers."

Nongluck: "The problem is that with less methamphetamines around, [young
people] are now turning to sniffing glue instead."

Viphar: "Yeah, it can be easily bought at mega-stores like Lotus."

Nongluck: "But community mom-and-pop shops don't sell it [glue] anymore,
they know it's bad."

Persistent Problems

Maethi: "Both methamphetamines and glue still abound. The authorities claim
that 95 per cent [of the drugs] have been removed, but I think 70 per cent
is a more likely figure. In the long run, I think community strength and
unity will be a key factor. Yes, the police have the duty to track them
[drug dealers] down, but that alone is impossible without a strong
community. The chance for a comeback is 99 per cent, however.

"It won't do for the government to just declare victory and think it's
over. The media must keep vigilant. The government must declare a
continuous war for five consecutive years to reduce the chance of drugs
making a return to 50 per cent."

Nongluck: "But I wonder how we can strengthen the communities. As we all
know, many communities are weak. They live under the shadow of influential
figures and are afraid of drug dealers . . . This situation is common for
most communities. I must admit that I felt safer when the patrol police
were sent in . . . Thaksin must also stay in power, otherwise we will be
killed."

Somjit: "But I haven't yet heard the name of the police general that the
media has reported is the mastermind of the drug trade. Months ago the
government vowed to unmask the person, but I haven't heard any names
mentioned."

Maethi: "There are nearly 1,000 volunteers like us, but we can't compete
with the money [of the drug trade]. Once a large sum of cash is thrown into
a community, all the talk about strength and unity evaporates."

Helping Themselves

The 20,000-strong community of Tambon Khik Noi in Phetchabun's Khao Khor
district was one of the areas branded by the government as being
drug-infested. The reason for this designation is mainly that a large
portion of the population there is ethnic Hmong.

Since the official three-month war on drugs ended, three people have been
gunned down and many locals are saying that the deaths were the work of men
in government uniform.

"I'm not sure if the war is truly over. But ever since His Majesty the King
spoke [on the subject], the war has become unusually quiet, though I'm not
sure if the government will use the same tactics if drug activities
resurface," said Forng Ritnatikul, coordinator of the Hmong Community
Network in Phetchabun.

Forng said the Thai media has the tendency to automatically brand Hmong
people as drug dealers. Though he admitted that many Hmong were active in
the trade, he said they did not deserve to be killed extrajudicially.

Forng said he hoped any future attempt to eradicate drugs would recognise
local initiatives and participation.

"We believe that we can overcome the problem by ourselves, and we want the
government's support on the matter. Killing [to solve a problem] is not our
way.

Some people may be bad. But they also have their good sides. Killing is
never an appropriate solution," he said.