Duterte could learn plenty from Thaksin
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte could learn plenty about how to solve the drug menace in his country by studying how Thailand dealt with its own problem in 2003 under the leadership of Thaksin Shinawatra.
During Thaksin’s “war on drugs”, roughly 2,800 people were killed in extrajudicial shootings. The victims included elderly people as well as youths.
It was found that roughly half of those killed had never been involved with drugs. Others were rumoured killed on the orders of corrupt officials – themselves big-time drug dealers – who wanted to silence their low-level peddlers.
The Thai authorities lost that “war”, and the drugs menace returned stronger than ever within a few years. Nowadays methamphetamine pills can be found even in Buddhist temples and public schools.
One lesson: a country’s drug problem is not easy to solve.
Vint Chavala
