A red-shirt supporter, “Uan”, who had driven from Phetchaburi province to deliver his good wishes to the former premier in person, said he had full faith in Thaksin. He also praised Thaksin for his “war on drugs”, lamenting that youngsters in his province were now “doped up” with weed and kratom.
In 2003, Thaksin launched his “war on drugs”, calling for the suppression of drug trafficking through any means. “There’s nothing under the sun the Royal Thai Police cannot do,” Thaksin declared when announcing the policy, quoting Cold War era police chief Phao Sriyanon.
A junta ordered fact-finding panel later found that more than half of those killed in this so-called war were not involved in drugs at all.
The committee’s report – which has never been made public – said that of 2,819 people killed between February and April 2003, more than 1,400 were…
