Dozens of demonstrators gather in New York City to protest Thailand's war
on drugs. The protesters are angry that Thailand's drug policy includes
execution for drug users instead of drug treatment.
 
NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA (JUNE 09, 2008) REUTERS -
Calling for an end to Thailand's war on drugs and for more AIDS
treatment and prevention programs, a few dozen protesters gathered outside of
the office of the Royal Thai Consulate General in New York City on Monday
(June 9).  
    AIDS and human rights activists joined admitted drug users to urge
Thailand to rethink its war on drugs.  Earlier this year, Thai Prime Minister
Samak Sundaravej promised to launch another war on drugs despite protests from
human rights groups which denounced the deaths of at least 2,500 people in an
earlier campaign.  Human rights groups have accused Thailand of 
'blacklisting' suspected drug users and dealers and having them killed by
police. Thailand's government has blamed most of the deaths on inter-gang
warfare. 
    The protesters in New York want Thailand to enact a more humane drug
policy that includes drug prevention and AIDS education programs.
    According to Human Rights Watch, in Thailand, about 40 percent of
intravenous drug users are living with HIV or AIDS.  Organizers of Monday's
protest also want the Thai government to distribute clean syringe needles to
drug users.  In a symbolic gesture, protesters in New York offered boxes of
clean syringe needles to the Royal Thai Consulate General.
    David Bryden of the Global AIDS Alliance said, "People are
protesting here today because the Thai government is about to launch a drug
war, one where they are actually going to be executing people who are using
drugs, rather than approaching it as a public health problem.  So what we are
saying is that they need to have sensible humane policies, ones that would
really work and be practical rather than ones that are simply repressive and
kill people and throw people in jail."
    Supatra Nacapew, the Thai Adviser to the Foundation For Aids Rights
said, "I think the Thai government should be more forward on compulsory
licensing also have a program to provide HIV education for the drug users in
Thailand more than in the past, and also provide clean needles to save lives,
save them from HIV, save them from hepatitis B and C and provide treatment.  

    Hiawatha Collins, a member of VOCAL-NY Drug Users Union said, "If
you look at statistics. Statistics state that most of the time the people that
are arrested for drugs aren't those selling drugs, but it's the user." 
He also said drug users should be afforded basic human rights such as health
care."