Pubdate: Tue, 04 Mar 2003
Source: Age, The (Australia)
Copyright: 2003 The Age Company Ltd
Contact:  http://www.theage.com.au/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/5

THAIS SOOTHE DIPLOMATS ON DEATHS

Bangkok

Foreign diplomats have been assured that Thailand's war on drugs, in which
more than 1000 people have been killed, is being conducted lawfully.

Thailand's Foreign Ministry gave a special briefing to diplomats on Sunday
to head off growing alarm over the campaign's rising death toll.

Police say 1035 people have been killed in the past month but, with the
number of drug dealers gunned down rising rapidly, there are concerns among
human rights groups and the United Nations that officers have been carrying
out extra-judicial killings.

Police say 31 suspects have been shot by officers, but that most of the
victims have been killed by drug gangs trying to silence potential
informants.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Sihasak Phuangketkeow said the diplomatic
briefing was aimed at clarifying the war-on-drugs campaign and highlighted
the severity of the narcotics problem in Thailand.

He said the campaign was being conducted according to the law. "The point we
would like to emphasise is that whatever the circumstance of the deaths or
murders everything will be done according to the law," he said.

Up to 5 per cent of the population - or three million Thais - are reported
to be addicted to drugs, mostly amphetamines and heroin.

Each year between 800 million and one billion amphetamine tablets flood into
Thailand from illegal factories inside Burma, the production overseen by
Burmese ethnic minorities in league with the Thai underworld.

While human rights campaigners and Thai opposition politicians have raised
fears over the climate of fear the campaign is generating, Thai Prime
Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said the campaign would continue. He has
ridiculed critics of the tough policy.

He said the public should worry less about drug-related killings and assist
the government in overcoming the drugs problem. Criticism over the deaths
has stopped the government publicising toll details.
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