The new “war on drugs” is a serious worry. While it is important not to make rash judgments about how this initiative will pan out, from the offset, it paints a grim picture. This from The Nation today:

“Should we do nothing because we are afraid that someone is going to criticise us for silence killings that may occur?” Samak said, when asked about the revival of the government’s “war on drugs” and the possibility of many more killings.

“Why are you worried about the fate of drug traffickers?” Samak said, insisting his government was going to launch a serious crackdown.

Speaking to Interior Mini-stry executives, provincial governors and district chiefs, Chalerm said it would be natural if more than 2,700 people were killed during the upcoming crackdown.

This sounds like a green flag for extrajudicial execution.

More:

Meanwhile, police yesterday reported two large hauls of methamphetamine tablets. In one case, 198,000 tablets were seized from four foreigners at a house in Chiang Rai. In the other, police confiscated 100,000 tablets after two drug traffickers were shot dead.

The dealers opened fire after they discovered they were delivering the illicit drugs to undercover policemen. The police shot back, killing the two men.

I expect to see a lot more reports like the above.

In a related development, Sompong said he was going to propose to Samak that the authorities should be able to investigate the assets of drug suspects’ extended families.

“Seven generations would be appropriate,” he said, “Such an investigation would allow us to see money circulating in the illicit drug trade.”

Monitoring the funds of drug suspects lead to a number of deaths during the last war on drugs. From The Telegraph:

Yet the government’s narcotics control board concluded that more than half the victims had no involvement in drugs. One couple from north-eastern Thailand were shot dead after coming into unexplained wealth and being added to a black list. They were, in fact, lottery winners.

Evidence that pawns are being moved into place comes from the Bangkok Post today:

The director of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), was ordered to clean out his office late Friday afternoon and take an immediate transfer.

The media noted that Sunai Manomai-udom, head of DSI since the Sept 19, 2006 military coup, had handled several significant cases involving ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra and his family following the 2006 military coup.

He will be moved to become head of the Office for the Prevention and Suppression of Corruption by Government Officials. It is a new agency set up to focus on corruption involving junior government officials - only up to civil service Level 8.

Samak just doesn’t give a damn — and why should he? He hasn’t even retracted his bizarre claim that only one person was killed in the uprising on October 6, 1976. Reporters apparently left him “pale” this week:

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej became pale when reporters showed him his picture which he took with Field Marshal Prapass Jarusathien following the massacre of student activists on October 6 1976.

“Is that me? I didn’t know I took this picture. I didn’t know when I pos[e] for this picture and why,” Samak exclaimed when seeing the picture. (Nation)

There has still been no public apology. Samak said previously, “One unlucky guy being beaten and burned in Sanam Luang.”

How long before we see another C-word?