The Thai government will establish a special task force led by the prime minister to tackle the serious issue of illegal drugs.
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra announced the initiative as he traveled with members of the ruling Pheu Thai Party to Hua Hin in Prachuap Khiri Khan for a party seminar by train.
Thaksin, the father of Prime Minister and Pheu Thai leader Paetongtarn Shinawatra, was set to deliver a special lecture at the event, aimed at enhancing the skills of party MPs and their political staff.
In response to inquiries about the new policies announced by Ms. Paetongtarn this week, Thaksin addressed challenges involving influential figures and illegal narcotics.
He mentioned that Ms. Paetongtarn would form and personally head a working group to address these issues.
Thaksin acknowledged that some current party policies were based on those from his own time in office, noting their ongoing importance, including the housing initiatives for low-income families.
Last month in Udon Thani, the former prime minister addressed the drug suppression policy while supporting Pheu Thai candidate Sarawut Pethpanomporn in his campaign for the provincial administrative organization (PAO) election.
At a gathering of party supporters on November 13, he emphasized the worsening drug situation compared to his tenure, famously claiming that drugs vanished under his governance and warning dealers of his return.
Thaksin outlined plans for Ms. Paetongtarn to collaborate with Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul to enhance police and local authority efforts to eradicate illegal drugs.
“It isn’t hard to make the drug problem disappear. I enlisted the police, district chiefs, and governors in the anti-drug drive. If they fail, they will all be removed [transferred] from the province together,” Thaksin was quoted as saying.
The Interior Ministry’s operations center reported that the anti-drug campaign during Thaksin’s administration lasted three months, beginning on February 1, 2003, and concluding in April.
Throughout this period, 43,012 individuals were arrested for drug-related crimes, and 37 were killed by authorities, with an additional 1,612 deaths suspected to be connected to the campaign.
Additionally, 736 government officials were dismissed for their roles in the drug trade, and around 850 more were killed in a subsequent crackdown in 2005.
Thirteen provinces, including Kamphaeng Phet, Khon Kaen, Chiang Mai, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Nakhon Si Thammarat, reported a 100% success rate in the drug war, while Nakhon Sawan had the lowest success rate of 79.20%.
On January 14, 2003, when announcing the drug suppression policy, Thaksin declared the government’s zero tolerance for the drug issue.
His aggressive approach, which involved force, was criticized by human rights groups, with state officials suspected of being responsible for the deaths of 2,500 people in both campaigns.
