Bangkok Post (Thailand)
26 February 2010
PM Probes Drug War Killings
Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva will set up a committee to reinvestigate the extra-judicial killings of drug suspects during the Thaksin Shinawatra administration's war on drugs.
Mr Abhisit announced the formation of the panel yesterday after being questioned in parliament by Chalerm Yubamrung, chief of the Puea Thai Party MPs.
Mr Chalerm said that when Mr Abhisit was the leader of the opposition bloc, he accused Thaksin of committing crimes against humanity by ordering the extra-judicial killings of more than 2,500 people suspected of involvement in drug trafficking, during the war on drugs in 2003.
Mr Abhisit had wanted to bring the issue to the attention of international human rights organisations, Mr Chalerm told the House.
Since coming to government, however, Mr Abhisit had made no serious attempt to pursue the matter.
Mr Chalerm said he wanted to know how much progress a government inquiry into the allegations was making.
An independent committee investigating the extra-judicial killings had concluded the Thaksin administration had not ordered them. The panel was appointed by former prime minister Surayud Chulanont.
Thaksin deserved an apology, Mr Chalerm said.
Mr Abhisit said he was willing to take up the matter. He would set up a panel to reinvestigate the suspected extra-judicial killings.
However, Puea Thai MPs and Thaksin supporters should not see the move as a bid to bully Thaksin, Mr Abhisit said.
The Justice Ministry had looked into the extra-judicial killing allegations and found that many claims were true.
The panel appointed by the Surayud government did not reach any recommandations on who was responsible for the killings.
The panel's tenure expired before it could complete its findings and the People Power Party-led coalition government did not take it up.
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Drugs & Democracy Programme
Transnational Institute (TNI)
De Wittenstraat 25 | 1052 AK Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
Tel +31-20-6626608 | Fax +31-20-6757176
Email drugs@tni.org
http://www.tni.org/drugs/
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