Thailand‟s „war on drugs‟
International Harm Reduction Association and Human Rights Watch briefing paper
“Countering the world drug problem...requires an integrated and balanced approach and must be carried out in full conformity with the
purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and other provisions of international law and in particular, with full respect
for…all human rights and fundamental freedoms.” United Nations General Assembly, 2007
“Due respect for universal human rights…and the rule of law is important for effective implementation of the international drug control
conventions. Non-respect for them…can lead to discriminatory disproportionate responses to drug offending and can undermine the
conventions.” International Narcotics Control Board, 2008
The international community must act to ensure that Given the events of 2003 and the impunity for perpetrators since
Thailand does not reinstate arbitrary killings in the name then, the Thai government‘s plans raise immediate and urgent
of a “war on drugs.” concerns.
In February 2003, the Thai government, under then Prime Minister Drug law enforcement must accord with international human rights
Thaksin Shinawatra, launched a ―war on drugs‖, purportedly aimed at law, as stated repeatedly by the General Assembly and this year by
the suppression of drug trafficking and the prevention of drug use. In the International Narcotics Control Board. However, numerous drugs
fact, a major outcome of this policy was arbitrary killings. In the first squads of the Royal Thai Police and the Royal Thai Army have
three months of the campaign there were some 2,800 extrajudicial operated with heavy-handed and illegal tactics—such as arbitrary
killings. In 2007, an official investigation found that more than half of arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings—in order to create an
those killed had no connection whatsoever to drugs.1 Apart from the impression of having successful operations. Such practices are
thousands who lost their lives, thousands more were forced into clearly in violation of Thailand‘s human rights obligations—including
coercive ―treatment‖ for drug addiction.2 those under the UN Convention Against Torture, to which Thailand
became a party in October 2007.
HIV prevention and treatment efforts were also seriously
compromised with fear of arrest and mistreatment driving people who On Human Rights Day 2007, to commemorate the 60th anniversary
inject drugs away from essential harm reduction services. 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Thailand reaffirmed at
the UN Human Rights Council its “unwavering commitment to the
In 2005, the UN Human Rights Committee raised serious concerns cause of human rights.”8 There can be no exceptions to this
about the ―extraordinarily large number of killings‖ that took place commitment.
during the ‗war‘ and recommended that thorough and independent
investigations be undertaken.4 Then UN Special Rapporteur on The Thai government must be held to its human rights
Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, Asma Jahangir, sent obligations and in particular its duty to prevent
an urgent communication to the Thai government in 2003. 5 In its extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions.
response, Thailand said that every unnatural death would be
thoroughly investigated in accordance with the law. 6 To date, none of The U.S. must unambiguously denounce any resumption of
the perpetrators of arbitrary killings have been brought to justice. policies in Thailand that violate human rights.
On April 2, 2008, the Thai government officially launched a new ―war The Thai government must announce publicly that it will not
on drugs.‖ In February 2008, when discussing plans for this, Prime proceed with a renewal of killings and other human rights
Minister Samak Sundaravej said ―It is impossible to avoid killings violations in the name of a ―war on drugs.‖
when implementing drug suppression. When the crackdown is
underway, killings will take place.‖7 The Thai government must immediately and fully investigate the
killings and other human rights abuses that took place in the
On 20 February, Interior Minister, Chalerm Yubamrung, told context of the 2003 ―war on drugs‖ and bring the perpetrators of
parliament that human rights violations to justice.
―… For drug dealers if they do not want to die, they had better The Thai government must immediately make public the
quit staying on that road... drugs suppression in my time as preliminary report of its investigations into the 2003 ―war on
Interior Minister will follow the approach of [former Prime Minister] drugs‖.
Thaksin. If that will lead to 3,000-4,000 deaths of those who break
the law, then so be it. That has to be done ... For those of you The Thai government must adopt integrated and comprehensive
from the opposition party, I will say you care more about human drug strategies that comply fully with all human rights and
rights than drug problems in Thailand.” fundamental freedoms.
Since this statement by the Interior Minister, Human Rights Watch is The U.S. and all countries with close ties to Thailand—particularly
aware of at least four killings of alleged drug traffickers across those assisting drugs suppression efforts—should ensure that
Thailand — two in Chiang Mai, one in Kalasin, and one in Krabi. drug control measures adopted in Thailand are in full conformity
with the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United
Nations, including full respect for all human rights.
1 ‗Most of those killed in war on drug not involved in drug (sic),‘ The Nation, November 27, 2007 (online at
http://nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/read.php?newsid=30057578). In August 2007, the military-installed government of General Surayud
Chalanont appointed a special committee to investigate the extrajudicial killings during the 2003 war on drugs. The committee‘s report – which has
never been made public – said that of 2,819 people killed between February and April 2003, more than 1400 were unrelated to drug dealing or had
no apparent reason for their killings. Human Rights Watch, ‗Thailand: Prosecute Anti-Drugs Police Identified in Abuses,‘ February 7, 2008 (online at
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2008/02/07/thaila17993.htm).
2 Human Rights Watch, Not Enough Graves: The War on drugs, HIV/AIDS, and Violations of Human Rights, vol. 16, no. 8(c), June 2004,
http://hrw.org/reports/2004/thailand0704/thailand0704.pdf, pp. 32-33; Tassanai Vongchak et al., ―The influence of Thailand‘s 2003 ‗war on drugs‘
policy on self-reported drug use among injection drug users in Chiang Mai, Thailand,‖ International Journal of Drug Policy, vol. 16, 2005, p. 2.
3 ‗Not Enough Graves‘, pp. 36-40
4 Concluding Observations of the Human Rights Committee: Thailand, UN Doc. No. CCPR/CO/84/THA, 8 July 2005, paras 10 & 11.
5 Report of the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions: Summary of cases transmitted to governments and replies
received UN Doc. No. E/CN.4/2004/7/Add.1, 24 March 2004, paras 557-558.
6 ibid., para 558.
7―Bloodbath feared in fresh anti-narcotics drive,‖ Inter Press Service News Agency, February 27, 2008 (online at:
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41370).
8 Webcast available online at http://www.un.org/webcast/humanrightsday/archive.html (Accessed 5 March 2008).
With support from: