February 22, 2008
BANGKOK - Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej pledged to revive a controversial anti-drugs campaign which human rights groups say led to the extra-judicial killings of some 2,500 people.
The drugs war was initially launched by ex-premier Thaksin Shinawatra to curb an alarming surge in the flow of narcotics through Thailand.
Human rights groups estimate at least 2,500 people died in extra-judicial killings in 2003 and 2004.
Thaksin has always denied any wrongdoing.
Samak hinted the new campaign may also be bloody.
"My government will decisively implement a policy against drug trafficking. Government officials must implement this policy 24 hours a day, but I will not set a target for how many people should die," he said.
He also strongly defended Thaksin's record on drugs.
"The drug traffickers were killing each other so that authorities would not be able to question them and track down their big bosses," he told reporters, referring to the earlier deaths.
"I have no doubt that 2,500 people were killed. It could even be 5,000, but what can the government do when they are killing each other?" he added.
After the 2006 coup in September, the government opened a new investigation into the drugs war.
