War on drugs full of holes

EDITORIAL

The Pheu Thai government came to power as a populist movement, and seems determined to prove it at every opportunity. The slowly developing plans to manage water and prevent floods include the provision to pay farmers for irrigation and fish ponds. The rising price of food has resulted in orders for the Blue Flag lorries to begin selling lower-priced items. And there is that one reliable issue certain to please the population, yet another campaign in the war against illegal drugs. It's too bad, then, that the government is lapping up public support instead of attending to the business of a true and effective campaign against drugs.

There are few political actions by any government so reliably supported as a war on illegal drugs. As a whole, the country remains strongly in favour of harsh drug laws, and has little if any sympathy for drug peddlers. The Thaksin Shinawatra government of 2003 urged and supported what turned into a virtual massacre of 2,500 petty drug dealers and completely innocent bystanders. Yet, because it targeted drug peddlers, that government-supported action has never been properly investigated or made accountable.

The visceral dislike of illegal drugs and dealers probably explains the almost automatic support for any government campaign against them. That includes, certainly, the current "anti-drug war" under the responsibility of Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung. The public ratings of the government, of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and of Mr Chalerm have all risen on the back of the campaign.

The sad truth is that this campaign by the government is mislabelled at best. At worst, and more seriously, it is doomed to failure, like so many campaigns of the past. It ignores basic truths of the drug trade. Mr Chalerm has won praise for a series of high-profile, major seizures of drugs, chiefly methamphetamines. Last week, in a 24-hour period, agents seized more than 4.5 million ya ba tablets and arrested half a dozen couriers. This is an achievement. But in the actual, necessary war on drugs it is a minor accomplishment which within weeks or days will not be noticed.

To the untouched, unhunted and even unnamed drug lords, the seizure of millions of methamphetamine tablets is a business setback. They still have their drug factories, their illicit raw materials and precursors, their smuggling supply lines and their reliable if pathetic small-time drug "mules", couriers and street peddlers.

Until the "Mr Big" controllers of the drug trafficking gangs are named, pinpointed and arrested, there is no chance of a victory in the war against illegal drugs. Even then, there must be strong and unrelenting efforts to reduce the demand for illegal drugs.

Seizing millions of ya ba tablets is a necessary and worthy goal. Taking drugs out of the hands of traffickers helps to reinforce the view that the government is doing its duty, and enforcing the law. But there cannot be victory or even significant advances unless major drug traffickers are neutralised. When the government starts to distribute "wanted" posters of the men behind the drug peddling, there will be greater reason to support its high-profile efforts. Until then, it is reasonable to question how serious it is.

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War on drugs full of holes