Pubdate: Thu, 06 Mar 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: Ploenpote Atthakor Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/area/Thailand Note: On Feb. 1, 2003, Thailand instituted a 3-month campaign to eradicate all drugs. PM 'RESPONSIBLE' FOR DEATHS Whether the drug killings are the work of gangsters or police, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and law enforcement authorities can not escape responsibility for failing to ensure public safety, a former deputy police chief said yesterday. The death spree had turned Thailand into a society of fear, Pol Gen Vasit Dejkunchorn said. ''Even worse, more women have become victims. The killings are not limited to men any more,'' he said in a speech on the lessons of extra-judicial killing at the Princess Sirindhorn Anthropology Centre. Although police had blamed drug gangs for most of the deaths, which he said was yet to be proved, they were obliged to deter such violence. ''Even if it was murder done by a drug dealer, the fact that police could not prevent it happening means the crime prevention mechanism is not working,'' he said. Since police were directed by the prime minister, Mr Thaksin must also be held responsible. Impartial organisations should step in to monitor police actions in each killing. Police should not be allowed to set things up. ''Killing is killing and police involved in the act should be held responsible, just like any other killer, unless it can be shown that the death was completely unavoidable,'' Pol Gen Vasit said. ''Police are not allowed to break the law.'' Pornchai Tarkulwaranont of Thammasat's Faculty of Anthropology said the string of deaths was a costly lesson, but it appeared Thai society tolerated violence and the abuse of human rights. ''Most opinion polls indicate that people find the brutal measures accepatable. Internet chat boards show the same trend,'' he said. He was concerned about the mix-up in state blacklists of alleged dealers, which put the lives of innocent people at risk. ''It turns out that many on the blacklists were not dealers but addicts who were to attend a rehabilitation programme,'' he said. - --- MAP posted-by: Doc-Hawk