Double-faced drugs policy

The government has become somewhat schizophrenic about its policies on banned drugs. It has sent mixed signals about the path to legalising medical marijuana. Providing a programme leading to the needed reform of law on illicit drugs is even less clear. In just the past few weeks, senior officials and ministers have indicated, rather, that they expect to renew and redoubled the "war on drugs" policies that have failed so badly.

The hard-line talk about the major problems at the moment -- methamphetamine and heroin trafficking -- has also, confusingly been interspersed with hopeful talk of changing tack. Army chief Apirat Kongsompong, for example, told top officers of the secretive Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) that he has strong suspicions some Isoc unit commanders are directly involved in drug trafficking. He warned them forthrightly he intends to dive into the problem.

His speech, shortly after taking command of the army and, thus, Isoc, was refreshingly blunt. Isoc is an opaque military unit, officially attached to the PM's Office. In fact, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has given Isoc more power to secretly act against the regime's enemies. But in the deep South, especially, Isoc has long been the subject of rumours that senior officers were involved in illegal activities -- specifically drug, arms and human trafficking.

One of those was proved true. In 2015, as the murderous trafficking of Rohingya refugees was uncovered, Isoc's top officer in charge of suppressing human trafficking was actually a top trafficker. Three-star general Manas Kongpan was arrested, tried and imprisoned for 27 years for his part in the deaths of dozens of Rohingya in a cruel blackmail syndicate.

But while Gen Apirat's promise is welcome to dig out drug traffickers suspected to be in Isoc's top ranks, most other top voices still appear to be in the 20th century on anti-drug policy. On taking office last month, the new head of the Prime Minister's Office of Narcotics Control Board immediately praised the "success" of drug raids. There have been "more busts of chemicals, speed pills [ya ba], crystal meth [ya ice] and marijuana", he enthused last week.

Increased seizures are no longer a measure of success. In the past year, many raids and roadside drug busts have seized one or more million meth tablets. And at the same time, the trafficking has increased. Thailand has once again become a major drug supplier to the world. Both the supply and the value of successfully smuggled drugs have increased. And Mr Niyom, like his recent predecessor, fails to mention that apart from cheaply hired drug mules, there has not been a single arrest of a major trafficker for a very long time.

Even efforts to bring medical marijuana into the mainstream appear conflicted. The cabinet has approved the growing, testing and eventual sale of the product. Gen Prayut has warned that under no circumstances will recreational use of cannabis ever be approved. And his spokesman, Buddhipongse Punnakanta, revealed last week that medical marijuana approval will run out in five years, to allow government to determine if the scheme has been successful.

International conferences continue to stress the importance of cross-border cooperation to fight trafficking. In reality this has brought no advances in ending big-time drug trafficking or in bringing the top makers and smugglers to justice. A recent six-nation conference in Myanmar sponsored by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime heard platitudes, especially from Myanmar, whose police and government effectively tolerate the drug lords and their factories.

The war on drugs has clearly failed. Trafficking is up, prices are down, and the vaunted seizures have no effect on drug making and smuggling. At a time when real reform is needed, the government is being found wanting.