MISERY FOR SALE -
1 BILLION BAHT A TRUCK LOAD

Amongst the many ways to measure misery caused by drugs is the almost incredible number of prisoners held in Chiangmai jails for drug and drug-related offences. On January 19th, a total of 3,639 men were held in the new prison in Mae Rim and the governor said that drug related offences accounted for "between 75 and 80%" of them. In the old city centre prison, now used for women only, a staggering 90% of the 2,113 convicts had been caught selling, transporting, or using drugs.

Drugs account for most Chiangmai jail sentences

The national press is increasingly full of reports of drug arrests - and drug related violence - in Chiangmai, Chiangrai and Mae Hong Son provinces as the greedy traders head south and east from the Burma border. A pick up load of methamphetamine ('speed') pills is worth a billion baht retail, authorities estimate!

Drug factories run by the ethnic Wa people, located just inside the Burma border, are reported to produce millions of speed pills every day for sale to an estimated one million users in Thailand. Thai analysts say that western allies cannot be relied on to help as they focus only on stamping out heroin which finds it's way to the west. The pills are directed mainly at young Thai users and this is seen to be a purely domestic problem.

Drug addiction not only causes misery, it depletes the national workforce and reduces the confidence of foreign investors, as already seen in Colombia and Peru, reports a Bangkok economist.

Only 45 minutes drive north of Chiangmai at it's Chang Dao camp, the Army's Supreme Command has formed a rehabilitation centre for teenage addicts from hilltribes. Over 40 addicts, mostly Lahu and some aged only 13, have volunteered for treatment and all come from villages in which drug trading is rampant.

But it is not only the 'mules', the less important delivery people, who are being arrested now. An important link between the Wa producers and Lahu traders, a Thai national named Lao Tar, also known as Yang Wan Hsuan, is now in jail awaiting extradition to the USA. Arrested in Mae Sai last month, Lao Tar is said to be second only to the "retired" kingpin Khun Sa on America's "most wanted" list of traffickers - and will be the 14th suspect to be extradited. The USA had posted a reward of US$2 million for information leading to his arrest and conviction.

Westerners who met Lao Tar - before he was fired as a village headman by the Governor of Chiangmai - described him to 'Good Morning Chiangmai News' as intelligent, sophisticated and a clever manipulator of people.

"Bong" pipes for smoking illegal substances in Thailand are openly displayed for sale in Tachilek, Burma

A POLICEMAN'S LOT IS NOT A HAPPY ONE

Senior Sgt Sermsak Raksat, 39, married with 2 children, is a patrolman based at Mae Ping police station. His salary is 9,760 Baht per month, a third of his counterparts in Malaysia and a pittance by western standards.

It gets worse! Thai policemen below Sermsak's rank must buy their own guns (around 20,000B each); many must buy their own motorcycles (only 50 are provided for all the police in Chiangmai city); radios cost officers another 7,000B each and all must buy their own uniforms (over 1,000B for low quality material which may last only a year).

"The material of the standard uniform is too thick and far too hot for the summer months, yet it doesn't last long enough" says Chiangmai Pol.Col Wut Withitanon, who takes a close interest in the conditions facing his men.

"I would like to see police pay doubled. I would also like to see twice as many men in the force, yet recruitment has been stopped for 4 years" he adds sadly. "I have travelled widely and seen the vastly better conditions of police around the world. Look at the smartness and quality of the uniforms in the USA and Britain! In particular we should look to our neighbour, Malaysia, where uniforms, housing, even furniture is all supplied to officers by the government."

One aspect in which Thailand compares well with other Asian forces is that medical expenses and compensation is paid to officers injured in the line of duty. And Colonel Wut ended on a note of optimism about the new government:

"I like Thai Rak Thai. Khun Thaksin was a police officer himself some years ago. I think he will support us."

"ANYONE CAN HIT AN ELEPHANT!"

It was just before New Year's Eve when a Chiangmai-based Japanese journalist noticed a particularly small elephant being led towards the Night Bazaar to perform tricks for tourists while it's 'mahout' collected their cash. Her mild interest turned to shock and outrage when she noticed a huge, bleeding gash down the side of the animal's head. Rumours spread that a group of tourists had witnessed the knifing - by the 'mahout' - and taken photos, but left Chiangmai without contacting police or the press. In tears, the Japanese journalist alerted a Thai animal welfare activist and a vet.

Over half a dozen "beggar elephants" roamed Chiangmai until one baby was stabbed

Outspoken activist Khun Sangduan 'Lek' Chailert takes up the story:

"I know the places where elephants are kept near the city centre for night time begging, and after a short search the next day the vet, some animal lovers from Denmark and I found the baby on land near the Westin Hotel. This was a male, only 2 years old, with a big, untreated wound to it's head and neck which we cleaned and disinfected. It had a broken tusk from performing 'handstand' tricks and we think it was blind in one eye."

A man with the elephant said that the owner had lost his temper when the animal, named Plai Deaw, refused to walk to work. "It's lazy, it only wants to sleep" he said. But quickly after the discovery of the injured animal, it had been removed from the site and Khun Lek received the first of several very unpleasant phone calls.

"Anyone can hit an elephant!" stormed the Thai man on the end of the line. Incredibly, Thai law has no sanctions against people who mistreat their own animals. He also threatened the Thai vet with legal action for treating the animal without the owner's consent!

The elephant had been returned to an elephant camp outside Chiangmai, it's temporary base. But Thai journalists found that the 35 year old culprit had been briefly interviewed by an animal rights worker before he disappeared.

"I came from Surin to beg in Chiangmai, he said. "After a day's work at the camp, my elephant and I had to find food for ourselves so I came to town."

Bringing elephants into cities without official permission is illegal, but 'Good Morning Chiangmai News' has been told that police are reluctant to arrest mahouts with "beggar elephants." It then becomes the responsibility of the police to return the animals to their home base, and with no suitable transport and minimal funding (see accompanying story) they simply do not have the resources to cope.

Due to the reduction of illegal logging over recent years there are now too many of Thailand's remaining elephants competing for tourism business - leading to overcrowding in many camps as well as excessive 'freelancers' on the streets. Paradoxically, this has not led to a reduction in prices, and some owners refuse offers as high as 350,000B for animals, even if they are elderly or in poor health.

Khun Lek has paid even higher amounts to rescue elephants from abusive owners, and animals at her Elephant Nature Park are so contented that new babies arrive regularly. Her answer to excess animals: release them back into the wild, provided they are healthy and can forage for their own food.

"My ideal is to establish a very large area of unspoilt jungle where they can live in herds and have minimal disturbance from humans" says Lek. "This is a project I call 'Elephant Heaven'!"

Please Prime Minister Stop the drugs! Pay the police! End animal abuse!

David Hardy, Suphat Mahawan, Wiyada Kantarod

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