Saturday, June 19, 2004
Busted
Drug offenses in SE Asia
21-year old A. was having a cigarette with his friend outside his house in Penang. Around midnight, a police patrol drove by and quickly returned, seeing a chance to make some money. They accused the two of being marijuana-users, particularly because of A.’s dreadlocks. The options: bribe the cops or go to jail. A. didn’t have any money on him and though he said he could get it to them the next day, they carted him off to jail instead. He took a urine test and was told he’d be freed if the result were negative.
For two weeks he shared a small cell with three other men, with no beds, blankets or windows. There was only a bucket in the back to use as a toilet and he wasn’t allowed to shower during that whole time. Stripped down and left with only his boxers for the duration, he has mosquito bites all over his body. A female officer chopped his dreads off. Breakfast was a small biscuit and some tea; lunch was rice and vegetables; dinner, a small fish and rice. He was released on 2000 RM (about $500 US) bail and told to report to court several days later.
I happened to be in Penang during his court date. After having lunch at his house, his brother-in-law picked us up to take him to the magistrate. A. had said the appointment was for 2pm and his brother-in-law didn’t even come until a few minutes past. I didn’t think that boded well, but fortunately we made it to the court before the proceedings began.
If positive, he would face up to two years in prison (for a first offense and that’s not being caught with marijuana on him, just in his urine…mistakes happen in labs and if someone is bribed, I’m sure labels could be switched) or he could get off with just two years of monthly urine tests. I kept thinking, this may be the last time in a long time that he does X, Y, Z. I was feeling really nervous and actually prayed for the first time in a long time. His mother (an adorable woman) had been crying for the past two weeks and couldn’t bring herself to come to court.
We waited in the hall while others were being judged. Then a woman mopping the floors started to talk to A. and told him he could get his result downstairs in a certain office, so A. rushed downstairs to see. Why the police officers didn’t tell him that, I have no idea. His result was negative, so he got the bail money back and has no record. True be told, he did smoke pot occasionally and said that the last time had been only one week before he was arrested. That worried me because I had been told that it can stay in your system for 3-4 weeks. I hope he’s learned his lesson…
The whole situation points out a few problems with the justice system here: being picked up merely for having dreadlocks, corruption, conditions in prison.
I suppose it’s good that we’re not in Thailand though. Prime Minister Thaksin launched a massive crackdown on drugs in the spring of 2003 that raised concern about human rights abuses.
According to one article:
As of February 22 [that’s less than a month into the campaign, which began on the 1st], the following estimates of the toll of the new drug war were available in various news services:
· Between 800 and 1000 violent deaths
· Over 9000 arrests
· 8.5 million methamphetamine pills have been seized
· $350 million in drug-related cash and assets confiscated
· And an astonishing 70,000 people have walked into police stations and turned
themselves in
CNN reported that 2,274 people died by the end of the 3 months. The government claims that the police only killed 35 and that was out of self-defense. The rest were blamed on drug lords having suspected snitches killed. Amnesty International accused the Thai government of authorizing "a de-facto shoot-to-kill policy" against anyone even suspected of involvement in the drugs trade.
Drug offenses in SE Asia
21-year old A. was having a cigarette with his friend outside his house in Penang. Around midnight, a police patrol drove by and quickly returned, seeing a chance to make some money. They accused the two of being marijuana-users, particularly because of A.’s dreadlocks. The options: bribe the cops or go to jail. A. didn’t have any money on him and though he said he could get it to them the next day, they carted him off to jail instead. He took a urine test and was told he’d be freed if the result were negative.
For two weeks he shared a small cell with three other men, with no beds, blankets or windows. There was only a bucket in the back to use as a toilet and he wasn’t allowed to shower during that whole time. Stripped down and left with only his boxers for the duration, he has mosquito bites all over his body. A female officer chopped his dreads off. Breakfast was a small biscuit and some tea; lunch was rice and vegetables; dinner, a small fish and rice. He was released on 2000 RM (about $500 US) bail and told to report to court several days later.
I happened to be in Penang during his court date. After having lunch at his house, his brother-in-law picked us up to take him to the magistrate. A. had said the appointment was for 2pm and his brother-in-law didn’t even come until a few minutes past. I didn’t think that boded well, but fortunately we made it to the court before the proceedings began.
If positive, he would face up to two years in prison (for a first offense and that’s not being caught with marijuana on him, just in his urine…mistakes happen in labs and if someone is bribed, I’m sure labels could be switched) or he could get off with just two years of monthly urine tests. I kept thinking, this may be the last time in a long time that he does X, Y, Z. I was feeling really nervous and actually prayed for the first time in a long time. His mother (an adorable woman) had been crying for the past two weeks and couldn’t bring herself to come to court.
We waited in the hall while others were being judged. Then a woman mopping the floors started to talk to A. and told him he could get his result downstairs in a certain office, so A. rushed downstairs to see. Why the police officers didn’t tell him that, I have no idea. His result was negative, so he got the bail money back and has no record. True be told, he did smoke pot occasionally and said that the last time had been only one week before he was arrested. That worried me because I had been told that it can stay in your system for 3-4 weeks. I hope he’s learned his lesson…
The whole situation points out a few problems with the justice system here: being picked up merely for having dreadlocks, corruption, conditions in prison.
I suppose it’s good that we’re not in Thailand though. Prime Minister Thaksin launched a massive crackdown on drugs in the spring of 2003 that raised concern about human rights abuses.
According to one article:
As of February 22 [that’s less than a month into the campaign, which began on the 1st], the following estimates of the toll of the new drug war were available in various news services:
· Between 800 and 1000 violent deaths
· Over 9000 arrests
· 8.5 million methamphetamine pills have been seized
· $350 million in drug-related cash and assets confiscated
· And an astonishing 70,000 people have walked into police stations and turned
themselves in
CNN reported that 2,274 people died by the end of the 3 months. The government claims that the police only killed 35 and that was out of self-defense. The rest were blamed on drug lords having suspected snitches killed. Amnesty International accused the Thai government of authorizing "a de-facto shoot-to-kill policy" against anyone even suspected of involvement in the drugs trade.
