92003E0812

WRITTEN QUESTION E-0812/03

by Maurizio Turco (NI), Marco Cappato (NI),Emma Bonino (NI), Marco Pannella (NI)and Gianfranco Dell'Alba (NI) to the Council

(17 March 2003)

Subject: War on drugs in Thailand

Taking into account the fact that according to information on UN Wire of 4 March 2003:

- the Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra affirmed that Thailand's month-old drugs crackdown will be stepped up, despite expressions of concern by the UN rapporteur on extrajudicial killings, Asma Jahangir, and others over reports that summary executions have been committed in the context of the campaign; he notably declared: The crackdown will become more intense, I guarantee Don't worry. (The) UN isn't my father. If they want to come, come. If they want to inspect, go ahead;

- the Thai Prime Minister also affirmed that more than 1 140 have been killed in the crackdown, which began on 1 February and is to last three months; police also said that as of Friday, 29 501 suspects were arrested in the crackdown; they said officers acting in self-defence killed 31 people and that drug gangs killed the others; a Ministry spokesman furthermore affirmed that Nothing is above the law in this campaign;

Did the Council express EU concern to the Thai authorities about the government-sponsored massacres in the war on drugs? Did it ask the government to stop these widespread killings that are contrary to all internationally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms?

What progressive measures will be enacted by the Council if the Thai government continues the massacre and ignores international requests to stop?

Is the Council aware of the fact that, like Thailand, China, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Kuwait, Iran, Philippines and Indonesia also apply the death penalty for drugs-related crimes, and does it agree that a way forward would be to amend the international conventions on drugs to expressly prohibit the death penalty, notably in view of the April 2003 UN meeting on drugs?

Reply

(21 July 2003)

1. The Council shares the Honourable Members concerns over the dramatic increase in drugs-related deaths during the Thai Government's recent campaign against drugs.

2. The Council has conveyed its serious preoccupations over the situation in a confidential demarche to the Thai government in late March 2003. The Council will keep the further evolution of this problem under close scrutiny, and will, if necessary, decide on appropriate reactions should the situation not improve.

3. The European Union has systematically conveyed its principled opposition to the death penalty, including for drugs-related crimes, to other countries in the region and will continue to do so.