THAILAND: Anutin Declares War on Drugs, Mafia

Posted by Asia Views | May 25, 2026 | 0 |

BangkokPost-May 22

Prime Minister and Interior Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has declared war on drugs and mafia influence, stressing that no one is above the law. Speaking during a workshop about the government’s security policies, Mr Anutin said the Interior Ministry and the Royal Thai Police must work together as “provincial teams” to improve public safety and national security.The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Songsak Thongsri, national police chief Pol Gen Kittharath Punpetch, senior interior ministers, provincial governors and police commanders. Mr Anutin said security issues were complex and required closer coordination between the Interior Ministry, police, Justice Ministry and other security agencies to tackle. He outlined several primary objectives for officials: “Relieve suffering, promote happiness, protect public peace, eliminate drugs and defeat gangsters.” He then instructed governors and provincial police commanders to proactively share intelligence and coordinate with local administrative bodies, village heads and community leaders to monitor threats from narcotics, cybercrime and criminal networks. He said the authorities must adopt long-term strategies rather than reacting only when major incidents attract public attention.

He also ordered stricter enforcement against technology-related crimes, including call-center scams and online gambling operations, with authorities directed to expand investigations into financiers and criminal networks. On firearms, Mr Anutin reiterated the Interior Ministry’s order prohibiting ordinary citizens from carrying guns in public, saying anyone found carrying firearms illegally — including influential figures — must be arrested. “There is no reason for people to carry firearms for self-defense. We are the ones responsible for protecting the people,” he said. “If anyone carries a gun, they tend to feel overly confident and become more aggressive. This is not a lawless country.” Read more at:

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/3258828/anutin-declares-war-on-drugs-mafia?tbref=hp.

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EXTRICATING NDONESIAN CHILDREN FROM ISIS INFLUENCE ABROAD

Indonesia urgently needs to revisit the possibility of repatriating the neediest of its young citizens stranded abroad, whose families had earlier joined ISIS. Most of these children are in camps in northern Syria but there are also small numbers in the Philippines, Afghanistan and Iraq. “Extricating Indonesian Children from ISIS Influence Abroad”, the latest report from the Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) argues that the government could begin by bringing back small groups of unaccompanied children under ten years of age, who pose minimal security risk and are most vulnerable to deteriorating conditions in the camps.“The problem is that health and security conditions are worsening by the day in the Syrian camps, and the children are growing older,” says Dyah Kartika, IPAC analyst. “They need access to schools, a nurturing environment, and medical attention. If the government waits too long, the children will be further exposed to ISIS ideology.” The new report examines a 2019 list of Indonesians in camps and prisons run by the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The Indonesian government has been trying to verify their citizenship, but with pseudonyms, misspellings and bad transliterations, it is a daunting task. At the time the data was collected, between March and June 2019, there were 555 Indonesians in SDF camps and prisons, including 367 children. Among the children, approximately 277 were under the age of ten and 34 were unaccompanied. In June 2021, there are fewer than ten children who are both unaccompanied and under the age of ten that could be prioritized for return. Bringing back children of ISIS families is no easy task. The report analyses the main challenges faced by the Indonesian government. These include definitional issues, bureaucratic competition, the difficulty of verifying nationality, evaluating the toll of exposure to conflict, assessing security risk, and finding relatives or others willing to provide care once the children are returned. In addition, COVID has meant stringent restrictions on travel, placing further obstacles in the way of repatriation. There are several models for rehabilitation of children exposed to violent extremism in Indonesia that could be modified to accommodate the needs of children repatriated from abroad. The report examines these models and argues that the government does not need to have every detail of rehabilitation programs in place before it starts extricating children from ISIS influence. It can start by bringing back the most vulnerable children and then modify programs as needed.

“It’s important that the government see these children as victims” says Dyah. “They deserve a chance to be children again.”

THAILAND: Anutin Declares War on Drugs, Mafia

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