Pubdate: Tue, 02 Jul 2002 Source: Nation, The (Thailand) Copyright: 2002 Nation Multimedia Group Contact: 66-2-317-2071 Website: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1963 Author: Pavin Chachavalpongpun Note: Pavin Chachavalpongpun is a PhD candidate in the Department of Political Studies of the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London. THE ENEMY WITHIN: THE DRUG LORDS DESTROYING THAILAND Local Kingpins Hide Behind 'Nationalism' To Conceal Their Activities While Contributing To The Destruction Of The State Drugs are undermining Thai society, yet the core problem is not being seriously tackled: the use of methamphetamines, or ya ba, has become too prevalent among Thai youth. What we understand today is that drugs are the number-one enemy of the state. They are our most immediate threat. The notion of drugs as the enemy of the state signifies an important change in Thai nationalism. Historically Burma has represented the real menace to Thai sovereignty since the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767. Then came communism during the Cold War. Being "Thai" meant being anti-Burmese and anti-communist. But the psychological reason behind the construction of these images of enemies was the fact that Thai nationalism was employed to legitimise military elites who proclaimed themselves champions of "Thainess". Today the state says that being "Thai" means being anti-drugs. It claims the origin of drugs is foreign and thus they are alien to Thai nationhood. Basically drugs are not "Thai" in that in Buddhism drugs are sinful. Yet the religious factor fails to explain the sharp rise of narcotics use in Thailand. In fact four of the eight countries which produce most of the world's opium are Buddhist: Burma, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. The claim that drugs are "un-Thai" is a plot to externalise the drugs problem. Externalisation assigns culpability to foreign sources. These foreign sources are therefore enemies of the Thai nation. During the civil war in Burma ethnic warlords made profits from drugs to fight the central government. When Burma proposed cease-fires Thailand remained sceptical of its peaceful intentions. Burma, long accused of involvement in the drugs trade, declared that national peace was its ultimate objective. However, thriving drug production in the warlords' areas only confirms the fact that just as the war was financed by opium so is the current peace. Thailand thus blames both Burma and the ethnic drug barons for its worsening drugs problem. Khun Sa, also known as Chang Shi-fu, of the Mong Tai Army was primarily accused of flooding Thailand with drugs. But his role has faded since he surrendered to the Burmese government in 1996. Now the Wa and the Kokang are the prime culprits for the increasing domestic use of ya ba. Khachadpai Burusapatana, secretary-general of the National Security Council, asserts: "The most serious threat currently to the Thai nation is this massive flow of ya ba from the ethnic drug lords; it is more dire than the military or political threats Thailand has experienced in the past." Thai officials are attempting to deflect the drugs problem from the country. Condemning foreign drug traffickers from Europe, Africa and Asia also solidifies the image of drugs as "un-Thai": Thailand is being presented as having fallen prey to international drug syndicates. But the flip side of this Thai nationalism is dark and controversial. Nationalism is once again arbitrarily used to conceal the ugliness of the Thai narcotics situation. Thai drug traffickers exploit Thai nationalism to protect themselves and their illegal businesses. In fact ya ba production and distribution is innate in Thai society. Some high-ranking government officials, politicians and military men, self- proclaimed Thai nationalists, are actively involved in the local drug trade. These Thai traffickers project themselves as practitioners of nationalistic values; in reality they blur the picture of themselves as criminals and emerge as true nationalists who are opposed to drugs. But the list of Thai politicians allegedly involved in drugs as supplied by US authorities reminds us of the deep-rooted narcotics problem in Thailand. The Thai government is reluctant to prosecute members of Parliament involved in the drug trade since revealing their identities and punishing them would affect traditional political power structures. More importantly, it would also puncture the state-created image of Thai nationalism as "anti-drugs". The result is that the rule of law has never applied to high-status people. Not only does that situation encourage them in their drug activities; it also attests to the fact that Thai nationalism being "anti-drugs" is a false perception. There has been a lot of talk about Thai cooperation with Burma and international organisations on drug eradication: it is a part of the propaganda regarding Thai nationalism on the international stage. But connections between Thai drug dealers and ethnic drug lords in Burma remain strong, as witnessed by the vast amounts of ya ba flowing onto the Thai market each day. While claiming to enjoy the enthusiastic cooperation of Burma's Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control (CCDAC), Thailand is recreating the CCDAC in its own image: a symbol of national adherence to international norms and thus a shield that can be held up against attacks on that front while Thai nationalism is used as a defence on other fronts. The drugs situation is becoming more convoluted as Thailand continues to drift down the path of globalisation, presenting itself as a nation capable of living up to commitments. Meanwhile alienating drugs from Thai society only highlights the fact that those involved in the drugs trade seek to hide the reality under the cloak of Thai nationalism. Official promotion of nationalism within the country has effectively connected drugs with foreign sources. This nationalism allows the integration of influential drug traffickers and their illegal business into one imaginary entity that is above the law. Burma may partly be responsible for the flow of drugs into Thailand. But Thais are the most threatening source of drugs. These are indeed the worst enemies of our nation. - --- MAP posted-by: Beth