THAILAND DECLARES WAR ON DRUGS A MAJOR SUCCESS

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) - Thailand's three-month war against drugs ended
Wednesday with the prime minister declaring it a major success - despite
international concern about nearly 2,000 unexplained killings during the
crackdown.

Describing the drug trade and growing addiction as public enemy No. 1, Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had launched an all-out war against drug pushers
starting Feb. 1, giving security forces three months to control the scourge.

"We've eradicated about 90 percent (of the problem),'' Thaksin told
reporters Wednesday. He didn't elaborate.

Thaksin said the government would be able to "eradicate all drugs in
Thailand'' by Dec. 2. He didn't comment on the high death toll.

About 1,900 people have been killed nationwide since Feb. 1, the government
says. Police acknowledge shooting 42 suspects.

The United Nations and human rights groups say they fear many of the
killings may have been summary executions.

The government has not specified how many of the remaining deaths were
directly related to the drug crackdown, but says most died in gang wars or
were suspected informants killed by dealers.

However, police recorded about 460 homicide reports every month in 2000 and
2001 - and about 1,500 in the first month of the anti-drug campaign.

In February, the special rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on
Human Rights, Asma Jahangir, expressed "deep concern'' about "allegations of
excessive use of force resulting in extra-judicial executions'' in the
crackdown.

Thaksin shrugged off the criticism at the time.

"Never mind that the U.N. issued a statement of concern,'' he told
reporters. "They are not condemning us, just showing concern. Actually there
are few cases of police killing suspects out of self-defense.''

Police say they have arrested more than 42,000 suspected traffickers and
users, and seized 12 million amphetamine pills, along with assets worth over
518 million baht (US$12 million) since Feb. 1.

Drug agencies estimate that more than 1 billion amphetamine pills are
smuggled into Thailand each year, and that more than 3 million Thais are
addicted to the drug. Large amounts of heroin are also believed to be
smuggled in.

Most of the drugs come from neighboring Myanmar's border districts, where
drug lords operate in autonomous zones, free of interference from the
central government.

Also Wednesday, Cambodia's visiting Prime Minister Hun Sen praised the
crackdown.

"If Thailand could break down drugs, I could benefit from it. The
neighboring countries could benefit from it. So I'm very grateful to Mr.
Thaksin,'' he said.