The Wire

The sequel to Thailand’s controversial 2003 “War on Drugs” campaign is expected to be announced tomorrow. The first campaign saw more than 2,800 deaths in only 3 months, all under the auspices of the drug crack down. A committee set up to investigate the anti-drug campaign found that one victim was only nine years old, and was one of 571 people killed for no apparent reason. But the panel’s lack of legal authority means that the perpetrators of the drug purge have gone largely unpunished. The new Prime Minister of Thailand defends his predecessor’s drug policy, with the interior minister claiming that the campaign would have to go ahead, even if it meant a death toll of thousands.