DEATH SQUADS TARGET DRUG USERS

On February 1, Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra significantly
upped the stakes in the war on drug users, resolving to make Thailand "drug
free" within three months.

Given the level of drug use and distribution in Thailand, this will be a
massive undertaking. Of the 62 million people living in Thailand, 5.9% aged
15 or over are reported to be users of amphetamines. Between 500 million
and 700 million amphetamine pills are imported annually from drug
laboratories located in Burma.

Thailand has long been known as the centre of the "Golden Triangle", the
focus of South-East Asian heroin production. While many of the illicit
networks involved in heroin production have now shifted to the production
of methamphetamine, heroin remains a big part of the Thai drug market.

Grand government promises to create "drug-free" cities, provinces or
countries are common. What makes the Thai campaign appallingly unique is
the methods being employed by the Thai police force under the government's
orders.

The official strategy calls for the systematic round-up and imprisonment of
all drug users and dealers. The campaign is being coordinated from the
district level, with the prime minister threatening demotions and
disciplinary action against ranking police officers who do not meet its
targets.

Senior police claim that dealers will be given the chance "to be converted"
and addicts will "weaned off their habits". According to reports, at least
50,000 drug users have turned themselves in to the police. How the Thai
regime will deal with such a demand on detox services is unclear; it is
very likely users will be crammed into prisons, probably renamed as
"hospitals", and subjected to mandatory withdrawal with little or no
medical assistance or supervision.

The reason for the surrender by so many users becomes clear when the
"unofficial" elements of the campaign are examined. "Drug dealers" are
being murdered across Thailand; a BBC report on February 14 stated the
death toll was 350 in two weeks -- more than 25 murders a day.

The police have taken responsibility for a small number of the deaths,
claiming that they occurred when the police acted in "self-defence". The
police claim the majority of killings result from inter- and intra-gang
attacks, supposedly sparked by fears that those murdered were about to
inform on drug gang activities to the police.

However, a number of prominent human rights groups have described the
murders as extra-judicial executions. Somchai Homlaor, secretary general of
the Asia Forum human rights group, stated: "The only sensible conclusion is
that the police are sending out death squads."

Amnesty International has also protested against the killings. Director of
Amnesty International's Thailand office Srirak Plipat said: "The government
has implied through its policy in the anti-drug campaign that the
authorities can use extrajudicial means to go after drug traffickers... The
government is taking the campaign very seriously, and [has conveyed that
it] will use violence to pursue it."

Unfortunately, Amnesty is only protesting against the "excesses" of the
government's policy. The organisation has stated that it does not oppose
the drug-war policies of the Thai government, which has also resulted in
the arrest of more than 6900 suspected drug dealers.

"This goes for the public, too. The people support the drug-control
campaign but they are not endorsing the extrajudicial killings", Srirak
Plipat has stated in defence of Amnesty's position.

The systematic removal of liberty for around 60,000 largely disenfranchised
Thais is surely a clear abuse of human rights, but Amnesty sees drug users
only as "criminals" -- not bad enough to be shot willy-nilly, but certainly
not worthy of the support due to political prisoners. If it was any other
social minority being rounded-up and dragged off, human rights groups would
undoubtedly be describing the "live-fire" phase of the Thai government's
"war on drugs" by its true description: human rights atrocities.

Drug-user activists and advocates of harm reduction strategies from around
the world will converge on Chiang Mai, Thailand, on April 6-10 for the
annual International Conference on Reducing Drug-Related Harm. The Thai
government will no doubt be keen to show off its "successes" in supply
reduction.

Activists have resolved not to sit quietly in plush motels while Thais are
being murdered in the streets outside. Solidarity actions are also being
discussed by those not attending the conference.