Intern'l Day of Action in Solidarity w/ Thailand's drug users: Tomorow! Thurs Jun 12

[mibrane]

Many bluelighters may be aware of the significant escalation of the drug war in Thailand during the last six months. I outline some of the atrocities taking place in the flier below and the article of mine, published by Green Left Weekly in March (so the stats are a little out of date, but things have only gotten worse) - suffice to say nearly 3000 opiate and methamphetamine users, - and their family members and children -, are dead; tens of thousands have been sent to "detoxification" (Read - concentration) camps - at one such the detox process involves keeping users chained by hands and feet, 24-hours a day for a month.
This year's International Harm Reduction Conference was held in Chang Mai in April.
International drug user activists debated whether to boycott the conference altogether in protest, or to attend and protest there.
Many activists did boycott, but those her stayed away made sure the Thai user activist reps knew it was in support of them. Those activists who did attend protested with the newly formed Thai Drug Users Network (TDUN) - given the circumstances some of the bravest users on the planet -, and met with them to discuss how best international user activists could show our solidarity. TDUN called for an international day of solidarity action, which has been set for Thursday June 12th.
Our fliers and statements are being OKed by TDUN prior to distribution, so the flier text below at this stage is DRAFT ONLY.
This is because the Thai media, and many Thais living abroad (like here) are trying to portray our actions as those of "meddling westerners" who simply do not understand the issues. TDUN approval enables us to say - "no, we're supporting the work of drug users in Thailand".
Actions are being organised around Australia and the planet. Details of the Sydney action below; natioanlly things are being coordinated by AIVL - go to http://www.aivl.org.au/forum/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=13&TopicID=59&PagePosition=1 for details of what is happening in your neck of the woods.

Get involved! Help with flier distribution etc in Sydney greatly appreciated - message me.
But particularly get amongst the events on June 12.

***********DRAFT ONLY********************
Blockade Against Bloodshed

International Day of Action in Support of the Human Rights of Thailand’s Drug Users

Thursday June 12th, 12:30pm

Outside the Royal Thai Consulate-General, 131 Macquarie Street SYDNEY

In February the Prime Minister of Thailand announced his intention to “rid the country of drugs.” Since then more than 2000 Thais have been murdered – many directly by agents of the police, the rest as a result of the devaluing of drug users’ lives that has been a direct outcome of the War on Drugs policy. Several children have been caught up in execution attempts upon their parents.
40000 Thais have been placed on lists for police monitoring, and tens of thousands have been imprisoned without trial to undergo “detoxification and rehabilitation.” Without adequate medical resources users in these camps are subjected to torturous withdrawal regimes – in one camp users are kept chained by their hands and feet, 24-hours a day for up to one month.
The Thai Drug Users’ Network is a group of Thailand’s opiate and methamphetamine users fighting for the human rights of their community. They have called for an International Day of Solidarity Action on June 12th.
Australian drug users have answered their call, and actions will be taking place around the country.
In NSW we will be picketing the Royal Thai Consulate at 131 Macquarie Street Sydney.

Organised by the Front for the Liberation of Users of Illicit Drugs (FLUID)
For more details call Michael on 0421 678 665, or email [email protected]

****************************************************

THAILAND: Death squads target drug users

BY MICHAEL ARNOLD

On February 1, Thailand's Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra significantly upped the stakes in the war on drug users, resolving to make Thailand “drug free” within three months.

Given the level of drug use and distribution in Thailand, this will be a massive undertaking. Of the 62 million people living in Thailand, 5.9% aged 15 or over are reported to be users of amphetamines. Between 500 million and 700 million amphetamine pills are imported annually from drug laboratories located in Burma.

Thailand has long been known as the centre of the “Golden Triangle”, the focus of South-East Asian heroin production. While many of the illicit networks involved in heroin production have now shifted to the production of methamphetamine, heroin remains a big part of the Thai drug market.

Grand government promises to create “drug-free” cities, provinces or countries are common. What makes the Thai campaign appallingly unique is the methods being employed by the Thai police force under the government's orders.

The official strategy calls for the systematic round-up and imprisonment of all drug users and dealers. The campaign is being coordinated from the district level, with the prime minister threatening demotions and disciplinary action against ranking police officers who do not meet its targets.

Senior police claim that dealers will be given the chance “to be converted” and addicts will “weaned off their habits”. According to reports, at least 50,000 drug users have turned themselves in to the police. How the Thai regime will deal with such a demand on detox services is unclear; it is very likely users will be crammed into prisons, probably renamed as “hospitals”, and subjected to mandatory withdrawal with little or no medical assistance or supervision.

The reason for the surrender by so many users becomes clear when the “unofficial” elements of the campaign are examined. “Drug dealers” are being murdered across Thailand; a BBC report on February 14 stated the death toll was 350 in two weeks — more than 25 murders a day.

The police have taken responsibility for a small number of the deaths, claiming that they occurred when the police acted in “self-defence”. The police claim the majority of killings result from inter- and intra-gang attacks, supposedly sparked by fears that those murdered were about to inform on drug gang activities to the police.

However, a number of prominent human rights groups have described the murders as extra-judicial executions. Somchai Homlaor, secretary general of the Asia Forum human rights group, stated: “The only sensible conclusion is that the police are sending out death squads.”

Amnesty International has also protested against the killings. Director of Amnesty International's Thailand office Srirak Plipat said: “The government has implied through its policy in the anti-drug campaign that the authorities can use extrajudicial means to go after drug traffickers... The government is taking the campaign very seriously, and [has conveyed that it] will use violence to pursue it."

Unfortunately, Amnesty is only protesting against the “excesses” of the government's policy. The organisation has stated that it does not oppose the drug-war policies of the Thai government, which has also resulted in the arrest of more than 6900 suspected drug dealers.

“This goes for the public, too. The people support the drug-control campaign but they are not endorsing the extrajudicial killings”, Srirak Plipat has stated in defence of Amnesty's position.

The systematic removal of liberty for around 60,000 largely disenfranchised Thais is surely a clear abuse of human rights, but Amnesty sees drug users only as “criminals” — not bad enough to be shot willy-nilly, but certainly not worthy of the support due to political prisoners. If it was any other social minority being rounded-up and dragged off, human rights groups would undoubtedly be describing the “live-fire” phase of the Thai government's “war on drugs” by its true description: human rights atrocities.

Drug-user activists and advocates of harm reduction strategies from around the world will converge on Chiang Mai, Thailand, on April 6-10 for the annual International Conference on Reducing Drug-Related Harm. The Thai government will no doubt be keen to show off its “successes” in supply reduction.

Activists have resolved not to sit quietly in plush motels while Thais are being murdered in the streets outside. Solidarity actions are also being discussed by those not attending the conference. To find out more email <[email protected]>.

 

[SteveElektro]

I heard about the murder going on a couple of weeks ago, a truly fucked up situation. Is there anything happeniong in Melbourne in relation to this?

 

[Runner]

Not to cut down anything above, but has anyone heard about the social drug problem, particularly in relation to meth in Thailand?

Its all good and well for us here in Australia to bitch how alcohol is a bigger drug problem than other drugs and how meth and other drugs are over-scheduled and over-vilified and do not actually present a social problem in Australia at the moment, but unfortunatelly this is not the case in Thailand.

Hundreds of people turn into junkies every day over there. The crime rate is surging fueled by the meth problem. The mental and rehab hospitals are overcrowded with skitz meth junkies. The society is in an outcry. Meth = dirt over there, not meth = weekend recreation like over here.

Let's hope Australia never gets to that stage, but if it does, I for one will have to reconsider a lot of my current beliefs.

 

[apollo]

As awful and unbearable as it is, you have a very good point Runner.

The government is damned if they do, and damned if they don't...

 

[surrealthoughts]

I don't think anything including high usuage of meth and crime rates in thailands excuses the thai governments behaviour on this issue.

nothing.

 

[speedygonzales]

Just making a point to runner comment I am living in thailand right now and it is quite obviouse that the cops control the drug trade as well as the sex trade and extortion and everything illegal now they also have a licences to kill giving them more power to exploit for personal gain. And finding a good cop who is now involved in illegal activities is like looking for a needel in a hay stack.

 

[plazma]

Well...

I have to say, I strongly disagree with what Runner had to say. While I might not know as much about the country's drug problem because I do not live there, I might equally disqualify myself from talking about the War on Iraq beacuse I do not live in either the USA or Iraq.

Because the country does have such a gigantic (or that's what they are saying) methamphetamine use problem, you can take that two ways, to the extreme of the War on Drugs line, which is what they have done. Or you can legalise it, legislate to ensure that its production is controlled and that it is available in a clean form to users, that there are advertising campaigns to inform people of the dangers associated with it etc. All of this would move to stem the rising wave of criminality associated currently with methamphetamine in Thailand.

I mean Jesus, just because there there is a huge meth problem over there doesn't mean that a war on drug users is justified. That's like using a fucking chainsaw to perform brain surgery.

-plaz out-

 

[Runner]

I'd use a chainsaw to perform brain surgery on a meth junkie that will sell his own mother for a hit...

 

[BigTrancer]

^ Maybe if they were locked in a room where they couldn't get any meth at all for a year or two, the dependence on the drug would go away, the undefeatable cravings would cease, and normal thought processes would return -- and they could rehabilitate themselves back into society...

BigTrancer

 

[Runner]

^ or that... one or the other - unfortunatelly, the country's rehab centres are beyond overcrowded and spending millions on building more will not stop the problem. In my PERSONAL opinion, the problem is with availability, poor education and low standard of living in a lot of parts of the country. But cap the availability and less people will be exposed to the drug from the beginning meaning less people will turn into junkies. In Perth, for example, a lot more people smoke pot on some kind of basis (every day, week, month, etc.) than do meth than do heroin than do coke. That is because pot is so commonly grown here, meth is so commonly imported and if imports are dry, its cooked up to lesser quality product but by infinitelly less people that would grow pot, heroin can only be imported and often imports are dry, and coke can only be imported but much less than heroin again because it tends to be a lot less demanded due to the availability of a much more lasting meth.

Another example is acid which does not belong with the above sequence of drugs because it is not considered addictive, so I guess it does not particularly relate to the current topic but still deserves a mention. Perth is almost dry of acid and has been like this for a few years now. And so noone is doing it. About 10 years ago, acid was almost like pot and every school kid was on it.

Now of course many will argue the generally accepted stance of "where there is demand, there will be supply" and this still stands true, but if the supply is cut, less demand will be generated in a longer term due to less people discovering/getting addicted to drugs.

In relation to acid, many will argue with my point of view due to something like "the culture has changed, and kids much prefer to experiment with MDMA, this is why demand shrunk", and to that I say, I totall agree with you there also

 

[speedygonzales]

just commenting on runner I'm in Thailand I know the drug scean well. The situation is that the price of meth has increased to 7 times in value as compared to before the crack down but the price of E, K, Coke and Smack especaly smack has decreased. and there are now glue sniffers who were ex meth addicts in every street corner of the contry they are every where. They can't use cops to stop the drug problem because the cops are the ones that are selling it well the big dealers anyway and the ones that arn't selling it take bribes from small time dealer. My dealer is paying of the cops with money and pills

 

[LiquidMethod]

.

I find out today i'm moving to Thailand and then I stumble across this. I can't believe what i'm reading, maybe i'll get my head around it when i see it with my own eyes.

I don't think I'll be brave enough to try and score tho 8(

 

[mibrane]

It's tomorrow!
Actions are planned for Melbourne, Darwin, Sydney, Canberra Adelaide. Message me if you'd like details of events outside Sydney.
We're media-blitzing as well, so watch and listen out for us in the papers, on the telly, and over the radio.
Internationally there's heaps happening as well - London has a huge demo planned.
Get amongst it!

 

[mibrane]

Tackling the Thai terror
“End the Drug War Now”: say Needle-nymphs in New York, methed-up militants in Moscow, direct-action druggists in Darwin, cranked-out campaigners in Canberra and goodie-gobblers gathered globe-wide
On Thursday June 12th drug user activists and non-user supporters of drug law reform, and human rights campaigners came together in many cities around the globe to protest the policy of all-out drug war pursued by the government of Thailand over the last six months.
Over 2000 killings of users and “dealers” have taken place; in several execution attempts children and other family members of the targeted user have been caught in the line of fire and have died of suffered terrible injuries.
Police-monitoring and early-morning raids have touched the lives of around 40000 Thais; and the solution offered is enforced “detoxification & rehabilitation” without the right of trial. Thais forced into this “option” are subjected to torturous, generally unmedicated withdrawals – at one “camp” users were kept chained by their hands and feet, for 24 hours a day, for a month.
For some years now drug users have been gathering the confidence to utilise direct actions to achieve social justice for our communities, improved health services -and for our rights in health settings, and ultimately to achieve lasting law reform and an end to the 30 year war on drug users.
Drug users have now demonstrated that they are not focused solely on narrow or local issues: we identify with users around the world when they face atrocities and abuse, and we know that things can change very quickly, and the chances of similar atrocities being inflicted upon us are all to high.
We will offer solidarity to our brothers and sisters overseas, and we will have it returned for our struggles.
Direct action is increasingly a weapon in our arsenal. It is a risk to be out publicly as a drug user – or to be assumed to be one as a result of your support for user rights direct actions – but the greater risk would be to allow the chief war criminals – the US drug czars, the chief health bureaucrats in most nations, and the UN/ World Health Organisation Anti-Trafficking policy makers – think they can do whatever they choose to using communities without response. And of course the risk to most of user activists arising from protesting is miniscule compared to what our Thai comrades face everyday just existing.
The escalation of the war policies seen in Thailand are unprecedented in their terror, and in response we have seen unprecedented user organisation, coordination and activity.

“for what force on earth is weaker than the people, strength of one”
Solidarity Forever, IWW, 1917


Sydney
There were two focal points for actions in Sydney:
1. NSW Users & AIDS Association (NUAA) sponsored a briefing prepared and delivered by Stephen Wye, Editor of Users News. Stephen recently spent just under 3 months in Chang Mai collaborating with Thai drug users and doing volunteer work for the International Harm Reduction conference. The briefing attracted a reasonable turn-out, with about 25 user-activists, drug law reform campaigners and service providers.
Stephen addressed the following themes:
• using English-language reporting in the Thai media, I traced the genesis and course of the ‘war,’
• the practice of “blacklisting,’
• the actions of human rights advocates, and
• the effect of the “war” on minority populations, especially the ethnic Burmese.
He also stressed the likelihood that in addition to creating unnecessary misery and suffering, the likely effect of the current campaign would be a destabilised and disorganised market ripe for untouched big players to mould to their own satisfaction.
2. Drug user activists, gathered by a front-group under the mysterious heading of FLUID – Front for the Liberation of Users of Illicit Drugs – held a 1hr picket outside the Thai Consulate General. The action, entitled Blockade Against Bloodshed, was itself small and attendance was fairly poor – about 10 of us in total. A number of passers-by were interested in the issues and either spoke with protesters, took information away to read, or both.
The blockade, however, did provide a focal point for general awareness-raising and propaganda work:
 Leaflets addressing the issues (the text having been OKed by TDUN) were distributed at a number of methadone clinics, outside the Medically Supervised Injecting Clinic (MSIC), posted on poles throughout suburbs with high concentrations of IDU (Newtown, Kings Cross, Darlinghurst), and handed out at nightclubs. In total around 400 leaflets were distributed or posted up. Communications confusion during the attempt to have the flier text OKed by TDUN meant we didn’t have as long with the fliers as we would have liked, so that distribution figure is quite decent.
 One of the disappointing aspects of today’s actions has been the absence of media interest – a national media release prepared by AIVL attracted no response. 2SER FM announcers – particularly the electronic music DJs - did read the flier out on a couple of occasions; Green Left Weekly carried details of the picket within their Activist Calendar; and an announcer with radio station 2RDJ FM attended the Blockade, spoke with myself and other user-activists, collected a list of website addresses, promised to prepare a radio article dealing with the issue and said that she would contact me and any other appropriate speakers to record interviews
 A thread was created on bluelight (http://www.bluelight.ru/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=83504&r=12) sparking considerable interest and debate. Comments by a self-hating psychostimulant user defending the Thai terror, which made me a little demoralised and disturbed by the sort of discriminatory bullshit that finds a home in the minds of all too-many ravers, were quickly shot down by a number of other users – it was inspiring to just be able to sit back and have others not directly involved in the campaign put the arguments passionately and articulately
 While in this instance we weren’t very successful at attracting IDU to the action, the response from users I spoke with and gave the flier to were incredibly supportive of the idea of users taking direct action to address our issues. Direct action has not been a feature of Sydney drug user activism for sometime; as IDU become more accustomed to users speaking out and protesting publicly they will become more and more likely to participate in actions and hopefully in drug-user activism on a deeper level. While many of those who contributed to the organisation of today to have experience organising direct actions around other issues – in some cases huge and extremely diverse amounts of experience – a lot of our skills are rusty, and the particular challenges involved in attracting a particularly marginalised group like IDU into protest are new to us, we will be able to analyse what we did right and what we fucked up on, and build bigger and better blockades around Thai solidarity and issues and human rights abuses affecting our local using communities. Practice makes perfect, (or better, at any rate)!
4. The Deputy-Consul General invited picketers to meet with him in his office, saying that there willingness to listen meant “there is no need for protest.” A sizeable delegation was selected and participated in this meeting, we explained that while we welcomed the invitation we were also determined to raise the issue on the street and engage members of the public.
Consular staff had prepared a statement (probably because they were apprised of the action by the police). That statement reiterated the Government line, especially with respect to the “extra-judicial” killings. The Deputy Consular General spoke about committees that have been established to investigate actions by the authorities, but these committees, from what I know of them, are no more than rubber stamps for Government views and, in my view, are unlikely to provide a serious examination of the actions of the government. We stressed that our overall recommendation to the Thai Government is that they listen to Thai drug users and give them a place at the table where these matters of Government policy are being discussed.
We have the opportunity to prepare and submit a more formal submission to the consulate, which, presumably, would be forwarded through diplomatic channels to Bangkok.
The Thai consular staff were far more diplomatic and willing to listen than the Australian Protective Services cops (federal police with the limited brief of protecting staff and property of embassies, consuls and diplomatic missions, property belonging to the Commonwealth government and federal public service employees).
Fat cop and thin cop demanded that we show them our permit (the city police had actually been quite helpful and polite during the processing of the permit application). They asked if we intended violence or were planning to take over and occupy the building (there were about six of us at this stage – “of course where going to take over the building, I’m Neo and that’s Trinity – superheroic anti-matrix freedom-fighters – and sitting on the ledge over there we have Spiderman, Gandalf and the untransformed figure of the Incredible Hulk: don’t make him mad!” -And people say users are out of touch with reality) Unsatisfied they went upstairs to the consul (where it is likely that they were told to stop making mountains out of molehills) and then plonked themselves on the front step and gave us a serious glaring.
Michael A & Stephen W

Melbourne
On the evening of the 12th of June, 2003, the recently-formed Victorian Harm Reduction Alliance raised $100 (would have been more had the mixer been slightly cheaper) for the newly-formed Thai Drug User Network. Held at the Builder's Arms Hotel in Fitzroy (who gave us the space for free and had been doing so for a good couple of months prior so that we could hold organising meetings!), the evening, named 'The Horse's Mouth', brought together people who use illicit and licit drugs from all walks of life. People nodded, smiled, laughed, drank, smoked, slurred their speech, shook their heads to the music, felt restless, talked incessantly, and more, all within the confines of a safe space.
Pier Moro and Joseph Kim spoke on behalf the Alliance and reminded folk about the Thai situation. Din of Inequity, Plastic Shake-Up Snow, and the funky female DJ SNEELOCK – who rocked our arses off!
Turnout was around 35 - 40 people which was great all things considering.
Joe K

Darwin
In the lead-up to the day of action, several people wrote letters to the editor of the N.T News (none of which have yet been published).
On Wednesday night (11 June), the Network Against Prohibition held a public forum, which attracted about 12 people. Gary Meyerhoff gave a short informal presentation to summarize his recent experiences in Thailand and his efforts to develop solidarity with Thai drug users. This forum proved invaluable in highlighting the lack of public awareness surrounding the atrocities indicative of the Thai Govts war on drug users. Utter disbelief, shock and outrage were the standard responses amongst people who were confronted with details of the situation for the first time.
On the day of action itself N.A.P members held an information stall in the busy Smith Street Mall. This stall proved extremely popular amongst curious workers on their lunch breaks, backpackers and police (of which there were between 5 and 15 at various times). An official N.A.P delegation attempted to pay Liberal Federal Member David Tollner a visit to raise our concerns at Australia's lack of commitment in ensuring the human rights of drug users are recognized. Upon arriving at his (secured to the point of barricade) office, N.A.P members were greeted by a nervous security guard who informed the delegation they would have to make an appointment and were only allowed in the office one at a time! (No doubt Darwin authorities shared global concern that offices would be stormed/ occupied.) N.A.P's official appointment with David Tollner is on July 4. We hope to present him with a petition to be tabled in Federal Parliament calling on the Australian Government to take action in helping to end the Thai drug war. N.A.P initially had plans to do a banner drop from a predominant place early in the day, to alert commuters to the significance of the day. Keeping in the great Australian unemployment-benefit recipient tradition of refusing to rise before midday, our plans were thwarted due to our inablity to rise early enough in the morning; thus the banner drop took place on the afternoon of Friday 13th from a pedestrian overpass. Thousands of commuters craned their necks to read our handiwork, which took on the appearance of psychedelic sails, gently flapping in the relentless whooshes of pre-dusk traffic. Foot-high day-glo letters proclaimed "June 12- international day of action to end the thai drug war, In solidarity with the Thai drug user network". Photos were taken and will be made available through www.napnt.org once developed. People here were really excited to be involved in something so international; sometimes in the N.T we feel so isolated from the rest of the country and the world, it's a real buzz for people to know there is a movement out there working tirelessly toward the same aims.
Nicolette

Canberra
Our protest went really well and left us feeling empowered and energised.
There were about 30 of us holding banners with a variety of slogans on them. We were joined by two local politicians who spoke brilliantly on the issues in Thailand and also touched on more local issues for users here in the ACT and across Australia. Nicole from Canberra Alliance for Harm Minimisation & Advocacy (CAHMA) made a brilliant speech and read out the letter that the TDUN are handing over today to the Thai Government. We placed flowers and had a one minute's silence. Sadly we did not achieve any media coverage.
We were also joined by about 25 police much to our amusement - two of which were senior detectives equipped with ear pieces etc... They were concerned that we were going to storm the embassy!!!
We are left with an amazing feeling of solidarity and power and hope that we can continue to come together as an international community to make our voices heard. We too have shown ourselves here in Australia that we can arrange peaceful and meaningful demonstrations and get our voices heard. Audio & video tape records were made of the event, as well as a photographic one.
On a final note, our actions and coming together today has further demonstrated to Canberra user-activists the need for an international drug user rights organisation.
The situation in Thailand is just awful, but, we all have our own issues in each of our countries. They may not be so openly brutal, however, here in Australia and the rest of the world atrocities occur on a daily basis: drug users die needlessly, blood borne viruses are on the increase, we have a prime minister that continues to block heroin trials and we have prisons that will not allow NSP provision... the list is endless. International drug user's day (November 1st) is ours: maybe it is a day that we can come together once again - to hold protests, as we have done today, against the many and varied violations of our most basic rights, and to struggle for just treatment of our communities.
Cenberran campaigners hope that some success comes from our joined actions today. At the least, each of us now knows that we are an international force to be reckoned with - alone we may indeed be disempowered but together we truly are powerful.
I hope that the Thai Government listens today and that the TUN demands are met. Maybe we need to all write to the Prime Minister, our accounts of our actions and to say that we will not go away. If needs be, we can do this again and again...
Nicky Bath

London
Just over 20 people attended the London contribution to the IDOA. Many British comrades were traveling to Cardiff for UK Harm Reduction Association conference, one factor which contributed to a slightly lower than expected turnout. About as many police as appeared at the Canberra picket were unwelcome visitors; demonstrators were made to
stand across the street behind barriers. Police wouldn't allow activists to lay flowers on the steps of the embassy, so we wove them into the chain link barriers.
Actions in Birmingham were fantastic, attracting BBC
Coverage.
We printed out Paisan's letter, and our representatives presented it to
officials at the Thai Embassy. The three reps were the only
protesters allowed to go across the street, with another comrade taking snaps from about halfway. Our delegates spoke with embassy staff for some time, and we were given copies of the "Fact sheet on the Royal Thai Government's anti-narcotic drug policy'" Fascinating reading! I think it might be summed up by that old spaghetti western catch phrase 'shoot 'em first & ask questions later.'
Ultimately, it was a rare sunny day in London, as reported by activists in other cities, we came away with a great sense of solidarity.
Sandra

Moscow.
More than 20 people attended the event held here as part of international solidarity efforts supporting Thai drug users. In addition to individuals, the Radical Party participated together with us. We gave our press release to police who secured the embassy; combined with the fact that June 12 is also Independence Day in Russia, it meant the Thai Embassy was empty, but they will be sent our press release.
We maintained a picket, chanting and displaying our slogans for half an hour. The event was covered by TV journalists and reporters from some magazines. After half an hour the police asked us to leave because we hadn’t registered the action. We departed, but the police still wrote down the passport data of organizers. Our activists made a photographic record of the event. For me personally it was very important day. I remember during our action in Thailand I felt like I had gone to Church. Today didn't feel like Church: I felt a part of something important and positive! Photos can be viewed at http://www.radikaly.ru/news/?text=2703
Vitalik

New York City
The NYC action was organized by ACT UP (under the leadership of tireless Sharon-Ann Lynch!). About 30 people came to the Thai Mission to the United Nations where we displayed signs and chanted: “Clean Needles not bullets! AIDS treatment not bullets!”, “War on Drug is a lie!Thai cops kill,users die!” and, in Thai “Mai ka pu sep ya! (Stop murdering drug users)”
The demands of TDUN were read out to the crowd, and a letter was delivered to the head (of the Thai UN delegation. He said he would be happy to relay our concerns to his government (not surprisingly!)
Donald Grove

Thailand!
In the days leading up to and following June 12 press releases, letters to Thai PM Thaksin, photos, and other updates about your activities in solidarity with our Thai Drug Users' Network (TDN) flowed into our centres here in Thailand. We have received messages and updates from Japan to Manipur, Germany to Darwin, New York to Sydney, London to Cambodia!
TDUN says “Thank you!! We felt you with us. We thought of you often and your spirit fed our spirit.”
On the morning of June 12, over 60 TDN members and allies (primarily Thai Network of PLWHA and Thai NGO Coalition on AIDS folks) gathered in the Bangkok heat, already dripping with sweat in the shade under the preparation tent across from the Government House on Pitsanuloke Road, and crossed the road toward the military guards, carrying our body bags, funeral accoutrements, banners and signs. Signs included slogans like "The next corpse could be...your relative" and "Does forced rehabilitation really work, Mr. Prime Minister?" Infamous Bangkok traffic translated into a great audience for us, and news cameras and reporters trailed our parade. After demonstrating for about a half hour, in which time five inspiring and powerful speakers from our networks roused us through the megaphone, 10 of us from TDN, TNP+, and TNCA were invited in to present our letter to the Prime Minister (who was out of town). We met instead with four individuals from the national task force on drugs, including a representative from the office of narcotics control bureau and someone responsible for public health issues. We discussed our issues with them for nearly an hour. They agreed to set up a meeting for us with the Deputy Prime Minister as soon as possible, and to work with us to explore and organize opportunities for addressing our demands and recommendations at the national level. From the Government House we went to Parliament, where Senator Jon Ungphakorn led all of us inside to a room where six Senators and press were in attendance. Several of our Network members presented our letter to the Senator receiving it on behalf of the Parliament Chair who was not in town, and spent another hour discussing our demands, and answering questions and responding to comments from the Senators.
Disappointingly, no Thai press reported on our demo, though on June 10 The Nation, an English-language paper interviewed Paisan and described the upcoming international day of solidarity and the Network's demands. Paisan was also on Channel 11 earlier that week talking about the Network and issues and challenging stereotypes of drugs and drug users, and the government's approach. Some of us suspect the government clampdown on reporting on the drug war no doubt affected freedom of the press to report on this action. Not a single question from the Thai press at the press conf. in the Parliament on the day of the action...go figure. As for the government, there's a lot of educational work and advocacy to be done. They were rather incredulous that we used the name that we do (TDN), and to learn there are current drug users among us. They were very ignorant of harm reduction principles, and defensive of the government's actions concerning the killings. As for the Parliament meeting, the Senators who came were more interested and sympathetic to our issues, especially relating to government constitutional obligations and civil society participation issues, and the administration of justice.
Karyn