“The Office of Narcotics Control Board yesterday disclosed that some 1,400 people were killed and labelled as drug suspects though they had no link to drugs.
“The government’s drug policy was unclear. Operation staff hence did everything to achieve the goal of reducing the number of drug traffickers,” the representative said.
“The death toll was highest in February when the policy was first implemented. The number of deaths came down in the next two months.
“The fact-finding panel worked under the government-appointed committee, which was tasked with analysing the Thaksin Shinawatra-led government’s drug policy and its implementation that destroyed some people’s lives, property and reputation.” (Nation)
In 2003, Prime Minister Thaksin launched the “war on drugs”.
In a few months, 2 500 people (minimum) were killed !
At that time, the police said that drugs dealers were killing each other.
Almost five years after, and one coup after, the government is telling us that 1 400 killed were innocent, with no link whatsoever with drugs.
So ? Nobody seems to care about this news. And you know why ? Because, it’s coming from a totally discredited regime : the Junta.
They could use this scandal as political tool to nail Thaksin.
If they were serious :
-this inquiry should have been launched the day after the Coup. This amazing scandal should have been the top priority of the new government.
-it shows that the police lied. The 1 400 victims were killed by who ? Can we believe that suddendly thai people started to shoot each other, just like that ?
-If the police has lied, then why ?
At this point, no one has been charged…
That’s the drama. We have had a mass murder case, five years ago in this country which is not located in Africa, and even when the authorities aknowledge eventually and officially that something looks strange at the least… nobody is listening anymore.
Because the Junta is totally illegitimate and has lost the little credibility they had after the Coup.
It could be 2 000 innocents. Or maybe less. Maybe Thaksin has nothing to do with it. Or maybe he’s responsible.
We do not know. And won’t know.
That’s the drama.
The only thing we do know : 2 500 people were murdered in a few months. In 2003. In Thailand.
I have said it before and I now say it again. The ‘Royal’ Thai Police Force is responsible by omission or by commission for 80% of the problems Thailand faces. If there was a single priority for that idiot Surayud, it was to reform the police. Yet, what do we have? he shrugs his shoulders and cries like a big girl “what can I do?” quoth he, “the police don’t want to be reformed so we can’t do anything”. I kid you not.
Seripshut is a good man but they will kill him if he tries to reform the police on his own, and there are way too many politicians on the take from police-sponsored or police-tolerated crime for him to do anything meaningful. It must come from the government and Surayud sits his incompetent ass on his incompetent right thumb and does fuck all.
It is a disgrace, no wonder the whole world take the piss out of Thailand.
This finding is serious. Charges should be press and head should roll, whether it’s Thaksin or police.
But now, with coming election and political upheaval. I doubt the junta can afford to alienate the police (well, the same reason also apply right after coup). On Thaksin watch, the king speech give kind of impromtu immunity (open to interpretation, but who would dare). Even after this December election, no politician would dare touch on this either.
So, sadly, it would be just another death forgotten by time and paperwork.
What sort of investigation would there be if Thaksin was still in power?
None of course… But that’s not really the point I believe…
The point is the Junta is “toying” with this scandal, in order to gain political advantages over Thaksin (they have fire at their arses now that the PPP seems to be ahead for the next elections).
But they are not sincere. If they were, again the investigation should be quicker, larger… and probably many police officers and high ranking officials should give their testimony…
And this is precisely why… it won’t happen.
Yes, lets hope PPP wins, then the investigation will be expedited, I’m sure.