Main parties united on fighting drugs
Democrats and Pheu Thai agree to avoid violence in crackdowns.
Published: 9/06/2011 at 12:00 AM
Bangkok Post: Newspaper section: News
The two main political parties have pledged not to resort to violence against drugs users and dealers if they win the July 3 election and form a government.
The Democrat Party and its rival Pheu Thai yesterday came out with similar anti-drugs policies where their parties paid equal attention to both prevention of drug use and suppression.
Speaking at the Bangkok Post Forum entitled "Crime and Drugs Control Policy", they also said drug problems have been a major source of violent crimes and no matter which party wins the poll and forms the next government, drugs will be at the top of the national agenda.
But serious doubts remain over the effectiveness of the policy and a possible recurrence of extra-judicial killings. About 2,500 people were allegedly killed during former premier Thaksin Shinawatra's war on drugs between 2003 and 2004.
Apirak Kosayodhin, the director of the Democrat Party's Bangkok election campaign, who oversees the Democrats' crime and drugs control policy, said his party would stick to justice and the rule of law and not use any form of violence against those involved in drugs.
Mr Apirak said the Democrats would focus on both drug prevention and suppression. Among prevention activities, reducing the demand for illicit drugs would be emphasised.
Sports fields and facilities would be built in every community to keep children and youngsters away from drugs and many more closed-circuit TV cameras would also be installed in narcotics-plagued areas to prevent the spread of drugs and other forms of crime, he said.
"If there is no demand for drugs, there will be no drug trafficking problem and the spread of drugs won't happen," he said.
Mr Apirak said the party would also provide rehabilitation for drug users and treat them as patients.
He said all arrested drug users willing to undergo treatment and rehabilitation would be sent to government-sponsored rehabilitation centres including Wiwat Pollamuang rehabilitation schools at military camps.
As for suppression, he said if the party was given a chance to administer the country for four more years, a 2,500-strong drug task force would be set up to work with the military, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board and the police.
He said his party had floated the idea of setting up the drugs task force because the country was facing a shortage of anti-drugs personnel.
However, Pheu Thai questioned the effectiveness of the proposed anti-narcotics task force, saying the way to permanently suppress the drugs problem was to seek cooperation from all stakeholders in society.
Chalong Somjai, a former commissioner of Provincial Police Region 1 and Pheu Thai's legal adviser on crime and drugs control policy, said his party would also not resort to any violence against those involved in drugs.
Pol Lt Gen Chalong said when he was police commissioner during Thaksin's war on drugs he had never received any order to silence drug suspects. Those allegedly involved in drug trafficking-related deaths had already been investigated.
Only a few people were found to have been involved, he said.
He added that if Pheu Thai can take the helm of government, drug traffickers and dealers would be brought to justice while narcotics prevention would also be promoted.
More permanent checkpoints in Bangkok's neighbouring provinces would urgently be set up to detect drug trafficking because these provinces - Samut Prakan, Pathum Thani and Nonthaburi - were used as drug storage points, he said.
He said his party would discuss the drug problem with neighbouring countries, asking them to help suppress narcotics production and arrest Thailand's most wanted drugs fugitives such as Surachai, alias Bang Ron Ngernthongfu.
He said his party would set up a centre to locate about 20,000 criminals, especially drugs offenders who had jumped bail, whom the the party believed might still be involved in the drugs trade.
All laws related to the seizure of drug assets would be implemented strictly, he said.
As for prevention, he said his party would promote alternative development projects in risky remote areas, and drug-free areas in schools, night entertainment places, communities and dormitories.
"The drugs problem will disappear within one year if we run the government," Pol Lt Gen Chalong said.
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