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SCMP-Drug war declared on local kin



Reply-To: "TIN KYI" <tinkyi@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: SCMP-Drug war declared on local kingpins 

Drug war declared on local kingpins
Posted on 9/29/99, 08:58 AM CST. Email this story to a friend.
Source: SCMP.
Posted by: ShweInc NEWs

THAILAND by WILLIAM BARNES in Bangkok

The Government is to follow its crackdown on drug trafficking along its
borders with a tough new policy to weed out domestic drug lords and corrupt
officials.

"Big-time" dealers who channel millions of amphetamines into schools,
universities, nightclubs, factories and building sites will be sought out
and dealt with, according to a scheme unveiled by the Office of the
Narcotics Control Board.

The aim is to make half of all schools and a quarter of all villages drug
free within two years.

"Isn't it amazing that this is our two-year target? When I tell you it is an
ambitious one, you will understand the size of the problem," said Jurin
Laksanavisit, who chairs the board.

Thai army chief General Surayud Chulanond has tried to seal off most of the
northern border to stop the inflow of amphetamines and heroin produced by
notorious and powerful ethnic Wa drug producers working in Burma's Shan
state.

Thai officials are also now more prepared than ever to publicly question the
privileged position Burma's military regime accords Shan state's wealthy
drug kingpins.

But they also recognise that with the spread of production centres into Laos
and the traffickers' continual search for new routes, the drug fight will
not be won until Thai dealers and corrupt official accomplices are smashed.

Police drug busters have highlighted the scale of the problem by telling the
local Thai media that 800 officials are suspected of helping traffickers in
seven provinces west of Bangkok alone.

These sources believe the 800 includes 433 police officers, local
councillors, civilian district chiefs, village and community leaders and
teachers.

"This is not surprising," said a senior member of the board.

"This evil thing has been able to get its claws deep in our society because
so many people are making money out of it."

A 52-year-old mother in the northern city of Chiang Rai is being held for
killing her drug-addicted son, who had repeatedly threatened her and the
rest of the family when he wanted money for drugs.

Khamphaeng Khammuang has become a national symbol of the unbearable
pressures that the rampant use of drugs is placing on Thai society.

The spread of relatively cheap amphetamines, which is pulling apart many
communities, has energised the Thai authorities in a way that heroin
trafficking - mostly to overseas markets - never did.