DRUG-RELATED KILLINGS : VERIFY THE TOLL, SAY DIPLOMATS

Bangkok-based diplomats yesterday asked Thailand to verify the number of
deaths caused by the government's crackdown on narcotics, since they found
the 1,000-odd killings in one month alarming, diplomatic sources said.

"We were told previously that the number of drug-related killings was on
average 5,000 per annum, but we are surprised that more than 1,000 people
were killed in just one month," said an Asian diplomat on condition of
anonymity.

The verification of the killings was sought at a briefing on the
government's war on drugs at the Foreign Ministry yesterday.

The briefing of 70 officials from 52 countries was called to foster better
understanding of the government's stance following harsh local and
international criticism and concern over the murders of drug suspects. The
diplomats, however, voiced concern that the campaign could hurt Thailand's
human-rights reputation.

Australian Ambassador Miles Kupa told the meeting that the current spate of
killings could damage Thailand's human-rights standing, which had been
good, according to the Asian diplomat, who also attended the briefing.

Diplomatic representatives from New Zealand, Spain, Germany, the United
Kingdom, South Africa and Japan - countries that are major contributors to
many anti-drug programmes in the Kingdom - also voiced concern over the
violation of human rights, the diplomat said.

The ministry's deputy permanent secretary, Veerasak Futrakul, and officials
from the Interior Ministry, national police and the Narcotics Control Board
told the diplomats that the authorities would investigate all unnatural
deaths to verify if the killings were linked to the drug trade.

Veerasak told the diplomats that the anti-drug campaign was being conducted
within a legal framework, Foreign Ministry spokesman Sihasak Phuangketkeow
said.

Some 50 police officers are now accused of involvement in extrajudicial
executions, and they will be punished if found guilty, he quoted Veerasak
as telling the diplomats.

A Japanese official asked if the Thai government could release an official
death toll since the diplomats were confused by the various figures given
by different agencies and in the local media, the Asian diplomat said.

But a representative of the National Police Office rejected this request,
saying the authorities had not yet classified the dead and some murders had
probably been motivated by personal conflicts or even disputes between
lovers, he said.

Many diplomats at the meeting told Thai officials that they wanted to see
the so-called "blacklist" of drug dealers in order to check if those listed
had visited or would try to visit their countries, the source said, adding
that this request had also been refused.

"The Thai officials explained there are two lists, made by the Interior
Ministry and the police, but they said neither were blacklists as was
widely understood," he said, adding that this explanation had caused
further confusion among the diplomats.

Ministry spokesman Sihasak later told reporters that the lists were being
used as a guide to estimate how serious the problem was.

Veerasak told the diplomats that Thailand had invited a representative of
the UN Commission on Human Rights to see the situation in the Kingdom but
the visit had been delayed since many senior Thai officials were busy.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was yesterday dismissive of reports that
the UN commission would dispatch a special envoy to gather information
about the government's policies on extrajudicial and drug-related killings.

"The United Nations is not my father. I am not worried about any UN visit
to Thailand on this issue. A UN envoy can come any time to make
observations," Thaksin said.

An observer said Thailand needed to handle the anti-drug campaign properly
since it could influence the renewal of Thailand's membership of the UN
Commission on Human Rights, due in April or May.