Pubdate: Mon, 03 Feb 2003 Source: Bangkok Post (Thailand) Copyright: The Post Publishing Public Co., Ltd. 2003 Contact: http://www.bangkokpost.co.th/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/39 Author: Anucha Charoenpo Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03/n084/a02.html Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/area/Thailand Note: On Feb. 1, 2003, Thailand instituted a 3-month campaign to eradicate all drugs. Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/area/Thailand (Thailand) WARNING ON 'SECRET KILLINGS' Six Suspects Dead, Four Shot By Police The opposition has warned the government against condoning extra- judicial killings in the war on drugs, after a weekend in which six drug suspects were killed, four by police. The Democrats say a campaign of secret killings would create a climate of fear and possibly lead to international trade boycotts. Jaran Dithapichai, a human rights commissioner, said his panel fielded complaints every year about alleged police executions of drug suspects, masked as justified shootings. To sanction the use of deadly force would be to create a ''kingdom of fear''. Chuan Leekpai, the Democrat leader, warned on his website yesterday that recent comments by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and Interior Minister Wan Muhamad Nor Matha almost condoned summary execution of drug suspects. Though the wording was deliberately unclear the signal sent to police could not be mistaken. ''Only a court can order the execution of people. Shooting someone merely because they are suspected of selling drugs or associating with traffickers will create problems. We could be accused of human rights violations and the international community could boycott us,'' Mr Chuan said. Six drug suspects have been killed since Saturday, when the government launched its war to rid the country of drugs within three months. The first two men were killed on Saturday in Bangkok. Police claimed they were killed by drug mafia trying to eliminate evidence. Police spokesman Pol Maj-Gen Pongsapas Pongcharoen said another four people were killed in gunfights with arresting officers yesterday _ two in Tak's Mae Sot district, one in Bangkok and one in Chiang Rai. Police made 264 arrests and seized 727,742 methamphetamine pills at the weekend. The spokesman said 63 drug suspects were arrested in Bangkok, 42 in the upper central provinces, 38 in the lower central provinces and the rest in other areas. The pill haul includes 598,000 methamphetamine pills confiscated in the lower northern provinces, after information was provided to the police mailbox 1234 between Jan 21 and 30. ''The public sent us 1,850 messages about active drug traffickers, dealers, addicts and producers,'' he said. The public supports the government's war on drugs. An Assumption University Abac poll found that 84.2% of the 1,412 respondents backed the crusade while 4.3% disagreed and 11.5% did not voice an opinion. Mr Jaran, however, said innocent people in poor areas targeted by police, such as the congested community of Klong Toey, could be placed in danger if police took the law into their own hands. ''In addition to complaints of extra-judicial killings, the commission gets many complaints about police beatings and torture each year. ''Getting police to use violent methods to solve crime does not work. ''It has been tried in many countries but without any success,'' Mr Jaran added. In Ubon Ratchathani, Pol Maj-Gen Dechawat Ramsompob, the provincial commander, said 40 drug suspects were arrested at the weekend. Non-commissioned officers, teachers and village chiefs were allegedly behind the drugs trade. Twenty-two small-time drug dealers in Nakhon Si Thammarat surrendered to police for fear that they would be killed. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk