Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has ordered prosecutions for alleged human rights violations and extra-judicial killings during the Thaksin Shinawatra administration.

Surayud has instructed the Justice Ministry to set up a "special committee to prosecute violations of human rights and extra judicial killings" in response to numerous allegations of violations and deaths between 2001 and 2006.

The prime minister signed an order for the prosecution on February 23.

In 2003 the government launch-ed a crackdown on drug manufacturing, trafficking and use during which many people were arrested and killed.

When Thaksin announced the "war on drugs" he famously said the "drug trade is ruthless on our children so being ruthless back is not a bad thing. It may be necessary to have casualties. If there are deaths among traders, it is normal."

At the same time, the political situation in Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani deteriorated rapidly following the raid on an Army post in January 2004. The violence has continued unabated.

The committee will scrutinise the Krue Se mosque and Tak Bai incidents.

Seventy-eight Muslims died at Tak Bai in October 2005 and the investigation will concentrate on this owing to the availability of evidence against national leaders of the time.

During Thaksin's leadership international human rights organisations, including United Nations agencies, expressed concern over alleged violations in Thailand.

In July 2005 Thailand was required - for the first time - to defend its rights record over extra-judicial killings at the UN Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

The committee will include both government and civilian experts. It will examine cases of missing persons, "disappearances" and killings during the two Thaksin governments.

The Department of Special Investigation has taken up the disappearance of lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit in 2004.

According to human rights lawyer Somchai Homla-oo, progress has been made following the ap-pointment of acting national police chief General Seripisut Temiyavej.

The anti-drugs campaign was divided into two phases. The first, which lasted well over three months from February 2003, resulted in the prosecution of several thousand drugs suspects.

As many as 2,500 were killed. The Thaksin administration trumpeted the results as evidence of its determination to stamp out the trade in illegal drugs.

There were widespread reports of arrests and killings both at home and abroad.

The second phase began at the end of November 2003 and ended in early 2004 without much media scrutiny.

Altogether several thousand people died.

According to a Nation investigation, as many as 5,000 could have been killed during the second phase but this was never made public because of concerns over recurring bad international press following phase one.

According to sources, the Thai delegation dispatched to Geneva in July 2005 was ready to answer UN questions based on the 7,500 figure.

But the UN focused its enquiries on the first phase of the drugs war only.

His Majesty the King raised the issue of extra-judicial killings in his birthday address in December of that year and urged the Thaksin government to account for the killings.

The justice committee is the latest government effort to improve Thailand's international image as a country respectful of human rights and international covenants.

Last week, the government supported the creation of a regional human rights mechanism to protect and promote rights in Southeast Asia.

The justice investigation is aimed at bringing the killers to justice under domestic law.

But since the coup, lawyers have suggested perpetrators could be tried in an international forum if the country ratifies its signing of the International Criminal Court treaty in 2000. The Thaksin administration put ratification on the backburner.

Last week, in a surprise move, the government permitted the Geneva-based International Commission of Jurists to set up a regional office in Bangkok. Under Thaksin, the request was frozen.

In the long term the presence of a high-profile international rights body such as the commission could deter future governments from abusing rights and international agreements, the administration claimed.

Kavi Chongkittavorn

The Nation