"Dark Influences" of the Black Economy

[dreamer]

I?ve cut and paste an article from today?s UK Financial Times newspaper below. It relates to a general clampdown on mafia figures in the Kingdom. I was surprised that it hadn?t been mentioned on the board given recent discussions on software piracy and bar closure times, this seems much more wide ranging and deeper.

 

I?d say the ?offensive? presents a positive message to the readers but it?s a fine line? wondering what will happen next?fyi

 

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ASIA-PACIFIC: Thai premier targets 'dark influences' of black economy

By Amy Kazmin in Bangkok

Financial Times; May 21, 2003

Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand's prime minister, yesterday declared a national offensive against the powerful underground mafias and political god-fathers who nurture a flourishing illegal economy.

The campaign - dubbed "the war on dark influences" - aims to eradicate brothels, underground casinos, smuggling rings, extortion rackets and other illegal businesses thriving under the patronage and protection of powerful members of Thailand's political and military elite.

But human rights groups - still probing the killings of 2,200 people during a recent anti-narcotics campaign - say the new drive is likely to target low-level employees rather than the figures who control illegal businesses.

"We agree that Thai society has suffered for a long time because of the mafia, but the mafia is mainly active because they are supported by the people in the government agencies," said Somchai Homla-Or, a civil rights lawyer.

Even with the campaign launched yesterday, Mr Somchai said he thought that authorities "dare not touch [these figures] because they have great influence. So in order to meet targets set by the government, the small fish become the victims."

Thai law enforcement agencies and senior government officials have long profited from turning a blind eye to illegal activities. The 1998 book Guns, Girls, and Ganja - written by three respected economists from Thailand's top university - estimated conservatively that the black economy accounted for between 8 and 13 per cent of Thailand's gross national product, and created work opportunities for hundreds of thousands of people at the bottom of the social heap.

Sungsidh Piriyarangsan, one of the authors, said many of Thailand's past elected politicians were directly involved in such activities - and even those who were not had little appetite for a crackdown. "Every illegal activity is backed up by policemen and the politicians did not want to touch this issue," he said.

Yet addressing 300 senior law enforcement officials yesterday, Mr Thaksin declared that his administration - which already claims to have eradicated 90 per cent of Thailand's drug trade - intends to quash such criminal enterprises.

As in the war on drugs, the government has already drawn up a list of potential targets, though this time only about 800 people have been identified as "dark influences" to be dealt with, and the premier has urged low-level Thai police to get tough with illegal businesses, even those operating under the protection of their own police superiors.

"I will be the shield to protect you," he said. "Don't let the casino or brothel operators look down on an idealistic sub-inspector just because they are friends of police colonels."

Yet the premier yesterday appeared to offer an olive branch to those already fat from the profits of criminal activities, suggesting he was willing to let bygones be bygones. Instead, he said, the government would focus its attention on punishing those who refuse immediately to cease and desist.

Additional reporting by Panvadee Uraisin

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