Thaksin issues stern warning to drug traffickers in Si Sa Ket

Massive crackdown coming after PAO elections, ex-PM tells voters during campaign rally

Former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who won both praise and criticism for his “War on Drug” campaign in 2003, warned drug traffickers in Si Sa Ket province to turn over a new leaf or face a purge soon.

Thaksin issued the warning while he was helping the ruling Pheu Thai Party campaign in the provincial administrative organisation (PAO) election in the northeastern province on Saturday.

While speaking at a rally, Thaksin asked Si Sa Ket voters to tell drug traffickers to stop the trade and go into hiding as the government led by his daughter, Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, would carry out a massive crackdown on drugs after the PAO elections nationwide on February 1.

“I’ll repeat again that a major crackdown will be launched after the PAO election. Please tell drug traffickers to go down the holes,” Thaksin said.

“I would like you, Si Sa Ket people, to tell drug sellers that I’ll take it seriously. I’ll not spare them.”

Thaksin was both praised and criticised for his zero-tolerance policy against drug trafficking, which he called “War on Drugs”, launched in February 2003 when he was the prime minister.

The campaign took a hardline stance, involving police, military and local authorities. Law enforcement agencies were incentivised to meet arrest and suppression quotas.Over 2,800 people were killed during the first three months of the campaign. While the government claimed many deaths were the result of turf wars between drug traffickers, human rights groups alleged widespread extrajudicial killings by law enforcement.

Apart from asking Si Sa Ket people to support Pheu Thai candidates in the PAO election, Thaksin also asked them to vote for the Pheu Thai in the general election expected in 2027, saying the Pheu Thai government would give them well-being after winning the election that year.

(2025/01/26-00:00)