On the occasion of June 26, 2013; the "International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking" and the "International Day in Support of Victims of Torture", the Middle East and North Africa Harm Reduction Association (MENAHRA) commends the countries of the region that have moved towards the adoption and implementation of harm reduction strategies.

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert.

Drug use: A public health and human rights problem

Drug trafficking in the so-called Golden Triangle region of Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand is an evolving threat. A China-led anti-drug campaign in the three countries has helped stem the surging drug activity, with more than 1,000 arrests and 3 tonnes of drugs seized since April. But for Thailand, the war against narcotics appears to be far from won.

Thailand war on drugs failure

Last week, the Deputy PM Chalerm Yoobumrung visited the Northeast of Thailand, where he pressured provincial officers to make their province a “white province” (drug-free province) within 90 days. The Deputy PM has called on all officers to urgently address their weaknesses in drug control, in terms of suppressing the supply of drugs and reducing the numbers of people who use drugs. The Deputy PM also stated that he is preparing to propose amendments to the Narcotics Act to change the period of execution for drug-related offences after the Supreme Court hands down its verdict imposing the death penalty from within 60 days to 7 days. Last year, he had proposed to shorten the period within which execution would take place to 15 days.

This is a summary of a news article in The DPM entitled “Chalerm tightens drug suppression in Korat (Nakorn Ratchasima) province”, published on 11 June 2013. (in Thai only)

Thailand to shorten time to execute drug dealers

The following advertisement, paraphrased for brevity, is currently running in the US state of Colorado, and in slightly edited form across the entire United States: "Needed urgently, 64 tonnes of marijuana, FOB payment $84.48 million, completely legal, opportunity to build business 50-fold."

The question is whether Thailand should answer the advert, and further, should Thailand sue the United States at the World Trade Organisation when Washington gets all huffy that another country's farmers.

Comparisons with the serious drug trade are difficult, because criminals have a lot more expenses (and stress) than government-licensed drug traffickers. But in 1988, the "Super Star gang" from Bangkok was caught while trying to smuggle 72 tonnes of marijuana into the United States, which supposedly would gross the gang $280 million _ "supposedly" being an important word.


A Thai outlet in cannabis drug law reforms in USA

A police working group led by Royal Thai Police adviser Wuthi Liptapallop has found that 292 Thai women have been charged with drug smuggling offences in 35 countries since 2010.

Police have launched a campaign to prevent Thai women from being lured into working for foreign drug networks.

Keep up-to-date with drug policy developments by subscribing to the IDPC Monthly Alert

Hundreds of Thai women jailed abroad with drug trafficking charges

"เฉลิม" ลงพื้นที่ จ.นครราชสีมา มอบนโยบายยาเสพติด หวังทำจังหวัดสีขาว ขู่ 90 วัน แก้ปัญหาไม่เป็นผล เชือดผู้ว่าฯ-ผู้การ โวเตรียมเสนอแก้กฎหมายยาเสพติดประหารชีวิตหลังพิพากษาใน 7 วัน...

วันนี้ (11 มิ.ย. 56) ที่อาคารสุรพัฒน์ 2 ภายในมหาวิทยาลัยเทคโนโลยีสุรนารี อ.เมือง จ.นครราชสีมา ร.ต.อ.เฉลิม อยู่บำรุง รองนายกรัฐมนตรี ในฐานะผู้อำนวยการศูนย์อำนวยการพลังแผ่นดินเอาชนะยาเสพติดแห่งชาติ (ศพส.) เป็นประธานมอบนโยบาย และเร่งรัดการดำเนินงานตามปฏิบัติการพลังแผ่นดินเอาชนะยาเสพติดอย่างยั่งยืน ปี 2556 พร้อมด้วย พล.ต.อ.อดุลย์ แสงสิงแก้ว ผบ.ตร. พล.ต.อ.พงศพัศ พงษ์เจริญ เลขาธิการ ป.ป.ส. พล.ต.อ.วุฒิ ลิปตพัลลภ รอง ผบ.ตร. (ที่ปรึกษา สบ10) รวมทั้ง ส.ส.พรรคเพื่อไทย อาทิ นายวิรัช รัตนเศรษฐ นายศิรสิทธิ์ เลิศด้วยลาภ และ ส.ส.พรรคภูมิใจไทย นายประนอม โพธิ์คำ ให้กับผู้ว่าราชการจังหวัดนครราชสีมา ผู้บังคับการตำรวจภูธรจังหวัด ผู้กำกับการสถานีตำรวจภูธร และเจ้าหน้าที่ฝ่ายปกครอง ในพื้นที่ทั้ง 32 อำเภอของ จ.นครราชสีมา รวม 4,800 คน

อ่านบทความเต็มรูปแบบที่นี่

สมัครสมาชิก แจ้งเตือนทุกเดือน IDPC จะได้รับข้อมูลเกี่ยวกับประเด็นที่เกี่ยวข้องกับนโยบายยาเสพติด

รองนายกฯ ขันนอตปราบยาเสพติดโคราชชูจังหวัดสีขาว

On June 4, 5, and 6, the Organization of American States (OAS) held a meeting of its General Assembly in Antigua, Guatemala. The meeting concluded with agreement that an extraordinary session of the General Assembly would be convened in 2014 to discuss drug policy. Although drug policy was clearly the focus of the session, Latin American opposition to U.S. policy toward Cuba was also on display, with Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela and Haiti leading the call for change. The foreign minister of Panama (which will host the Summit of the Americas in 2015) called for the formation of an ad hoc commission to address the issue of Cuba’s inclusion. These statements came at the same time that several Caribbean countries issued a joint statement opposing Cuba’s inclusion on the U.S. State Department’s list of State Sponsors of Terrorism.

In a podcast recorded on June 11, WOLA senior associates Adam Isacson and John Walsh, together with WOLA program director Geoff Thale, discussed the complex political dynamics at play in the OAS and the state of the drug policy debate. Thale, who coordinates WOLA’s Cuba program, highlighted the ways that the United States’ rigid approach to Cuba policy undercuts its other foreign policy goals in the region.

New WOLA podcast on drug policy, Cuba at OAS General Assembly

The Drugreporter video advocacy team attended the international harm reduction conference in Vilnius - we filmed key sessions and interviewed several people about how they see state of the harm reduction movement in 2013. Learn how harm reduction programs are fighting for survival in a time of financial austerity, what does the former president of Poland and Switzerland think about the war on drugs and why harm reduction should move beyond public health.

Harm Reduction 2013 - HCLU Conference Video

Youth RISE Nepal's short documentary film 'Journey of Change' was selected as the winner of the 9th International Harm Reduction Film Festival. The Film Festival took place last week in Vilnius, Lithuania in conjunction with the International Harm Reduction Conference.


'Journey of Change' was filmed in 5 cities in Nepal and uncovers the difficult realities faced by young people who use drugs in Nepal and the challenges they face in accessing services. It provides a unique insight into Nepal's young drug using communities, and was filmed whilst exploring these issues for a Youth RISE research project. The research report will also be published soon.


Youth RISE Nepal documentary 'Journey of Change'

For the past few years, civil society in the American region has attached great importance to ensuring a fruitful and efficient collaboration in order to impact our governments, the International Drug System, and … the OAS. And we did win a very serious battle! After obtaining such as a burning issue as the War on Drugs to figure on the General Assembly’s agenda, we went even further.

We obtained a special mention of our position in the OAS report and in the Declaration, we were there at the Event (this participation actually happens to be the biggest participation of civil society in the OAS in the history, with more than 300 representatives). And, last but not least, our collective letter was mentioned by President Perez Molina himself.

We can really say we have reached a significant step ahead and can be proud of ourselves. However, it is needless to say that, as big as this battle is, it is still just a battle, and that war is not yet to be over, particularly in México, Colombia and Central America. We need to put in practice, soon any particular experience of change and reform. Ecuadorian and Bolivian high officials have recently declared to be in favor of discussing alternative approaches.

Letter from the Investigation Center on Drugs and Human Rights’ Team on drug policy reform in the Americas

I am a policeman in second generation, and I served in police forces more than 38 years with faith & fidelity. We were taught and we are taught that the drug user is an enemy. The enemy of state, family, enemy of himself. And therefore, as more of them will be sent behind the bar, the better for the country and more comfortable for the society and families. And we followed exactly these rules for many decades.

With the beginning of Afghan drug aggression the situation in the region has changed significantly. Seizures of opium, and heroin reached decades of kilograms. Organized criminal groups specializing in drug smuggling have appeared, and very soon turned into transnational criminal groups. Simultaneously, when we have got concerned who serves sentences for drug related crimes at the peak of drug expansion, it has turned out, that most of such inmates are “small fry” – drug users, who were captured with from one to 10 grams of drug. And number of “Big fish” or “sharks” of drug trade among the fifteen thousand prison population could be counted by fingers of one hand …

It was necessary to change the tactic. We decided to apply a harm reduction practice. Very soon it became quite clear that police can be the worst enemy or the best friend of harm reduction. The police did not accept it at once; we needed a long term process of “police education”. Though, by general opinion, Kyrgyzstan is in beneficial position if compared to its neighbors in the region with regard to drug policy and law enforcement attitude to the problems of drug dependent people, this process is far from completion.

We started with random talks with the policemen on this topic. Further we, jointly with the international organizations, and NGOs providing services to HIV positive and drug dependent people, have developed and introduced a system of police education. At different stages it included humanization of legislation; use of bilingual police newspaper for popularization of knowledge on HR; development of guidelines regulating relations of police with vulnerable groups, including drug users, HIV positive people and sex workers; publication of study guide and introduction of special educational course “Police and HR” in the Police Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic. Establishment of medal “For outstanding contribution to the HIV prevention” by the Non-Governmental sector became an apotheosis of this process. 14 policemen of Kyrgyzstan were awarded with this medal in the last year. This medal represents the major pride …

All this produced some results, but it is important that this process of police education did not interrupt. Newly established international “Law Enforcement and HIV” network, functioning under a motto “By police for police…” should play a big role in this process. I am sincerely proud that I am a coordinator of this network.

Today the Network unites almost five thousand participants from 30 countries of the world. Its task is to make law enforcement staff acquainted with the best practices of harm reduction, promotion of advanced experience of HIV prevention using forms and methods of work attributed to police, elimination of stigma and discrimination of drug dependent and HIV positive people.

Two internet sites are successfully functioning for these purposes in Russian and English languages. They are not duplicating each other, but filled with account of peculiarities of our countries, and mentality of our staff. In April 2013 the Network has successfully presented its organization in the UN. “Police and HIV” has established an international group of police advisors, who participate in the activities at the international level and sharing experience. They have addressed several meetings and conferences in Europe, Australia, South Korea, and in Kiev (Ukraine) they have held consultation with colleagues from the countries of Eastern Europe, Central Asia and Caucasus.

Such meetings allowed determining the role and the place of the Network in the system of international police cooperation, establish good work contacts in the region and use its opportunities in specific countries.

Thus, in Melbourne and Vienna the professionals started international discussion on importance of the harm reduction policy introduction. For many of them the participation in such discussion is progress already. After learning about the positive experience of Kyrgyzstan in the Kiev conference, the Police academy of Moldova has made decision on using it in their home country. The information of our websites is actively used at the local level to provide trainings, education, etc.

In addition to support by the colleagues, the work of the Network uses support of such authority international organizations, as United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), World Health Organization (WHO), European Union funded Central Asia Drug Action Programme (CADAP-5), Open Society Institute (OSI), AIDS Foundation East-West (AFEW), and others. Joint projects aimed at more active involvement of the law enforcement staff to the HIV prevention - are at the stage of development.

Former police officer Aleksandr Zelichenko presents law enforcement and harm reduction experience in Kyrgyzstan

The International Drug Policy Consortium has started a drug policy mapping project across 10 countries in Asia (India, Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Laos and Cambodia).

The goal of the project is to gain a better understanding of drug policy making in the region. We are particularly interested in identifying the key policy actors, especially organisations who are engaged in policy advocacy. In an attempt to avoid the trap of "intra-disiplanary capture," where one only frames the issue from their own perspective, I'm keen to define drug policy as widely as possible.

In order to understand the process of drug policy making, we have developed a data collection website. The website seeks to gather data on a range of topics relevant to the policy process. I would be extremely grateful if you could get the ball rolling by logging into the site and having your say.

If you are tweeting this info, please use: @drugpolicydata

Click here to access the Drug Policy Data website.

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