Governments in Southeast Asia Detain Thousands in Abusive Drug Detention Centers

Governments in Southeast Asia Detain Thousands in Abusive Drug Detention Centers

www.soros.org

PHNOM PENH—A new report released today documents the arbitrary detention of thousands of drug users, mostly young people, in controversial detention centers in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. While the detention is supposedly for treatment, children and adults are held in boot camp-like centers where they do not receive appropriate medical care and are subjected to routine physical and sexual abuse.

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The report, released by the Nossal Institute for Global Health and the Open Society Institute, examines practices in Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, which today have eight, 14, and 84 detention centers, respectively. The number of these centers has more than tripled in the past decade.

And I thought the war on drugs in the US was harsh... I always knew that Asia did not tolerate drugs too well (unless the government had involvement in the deals) but these detention camps sound pretty damn scary and it's for drug users NOT for drug dealers. So while the dealers are out on the streets selling the drugs the government probably pushes to them, they lock up the citizens abroad (from what I've read) and abuse them instead of help them.

I used to be an addict myself so I understand how hard it is to quit. I was lucky I had insurance at the time and got to go to a private detox facility of my choosing - unfortunately for these people they are being forced to go to these detention centers, which are run like boot camps, and get sexually abused. I feel terrible for them! Going through withdrawal alone is horrendous, so being put through such atrocities at the same time is just unimaginable for me to fathom.

Now usually I say "Okay, the US needs to stop butting into other nations problems and then trying to take over and steal their oil!" - however, this time I'm going to proclaim that the US should be trying to help these poor people out and get them proper medical care/treatment (disease is much more widespread in these countries as well, remember that) as well as try to put an end to these camps. They must be stopped at any cost; that's the way I am looking at it.

And this is really sad...

Throughout the region, compulsory detention is a common response to the growth of methamphetamine use, which has been increasingly reported in Southeast Asia over the past decade. From 2001 to 2008, Laos received more than one million dollars from the United States, Japan, and other countries to build centers to detain and “treat” methamphetamine users.

The US is basically a part of this, directly or indirectly I don't care. Either way they helped support these detention centers and it's public knowledge about what is going on in them, so why is the US government allowing their investment into helping drug abusers actually be used to torture them?

www.soros.org
(visit the link for the full news article)

"People who use drugs may be SICK, but they are not criminals...and I don't think jails going to heal anybody. If I went to prison for taking drugs I would not come out wanting to take less drugs, I would want to be mainlining heroin into my ******* eyeballs." --Bill Hicks.

While only half-accurate, I think the above quote is somewhat relevant. South east Asia is perhaps THE most terrible place to be caught using or dealing drugs. The penalties are beyond harsh, and accomplish almost nothing whatsoever. I really feel for these folks. Nothing will be solved here and I would be very suprised to see:
A) How many are actually released in a timely manner
and
B) How many manage to stay off drugs after enduring deprivation and sexual assault on the wonderous path to sobriety.

This kind of rubbish has to stop. Period.

reply to post by Milleresque


The drug penalties are very bad. For small amounts of marijuana you can be put away for 10 to life. If any of you have ever seen the show "Locked up abroad" it tells some of the tails of people who were confined to prisons for, yes trafficking drugs, but they got no fair trial and were put away for very long periods of time (they usually end up escaping).

These people however have no means of escaping from what I know, other than their will power, and I have no idea what sort of security they have.

In the utmost honesty, if I were asked to come help free those people I would do it in a heartbeat.

No surprise the US is backing this operation as they are the ones starting the "war on drugs" madness. It's like starting a "war on home accidents" or "war on auto accidents", just hopeless.

However I have been to Laos, Cambodia and Thailand and can tell you that meth is like a disease there, in Thai it's not to obvious as the police there are quite vigilant to drug use, but if you go for a walk in downtown Phnom Penh you will see kids 10-15 yrs sitting on the sidewalk sniffing glue, smoking meth or opium.

All these countries (Thai, Laos and Cambodia) are under heavy influence from US policy since the Vietnam war and therefor adopt these hopeless methods of dealing with their drug problems unforunatly.

With the meth there are two different standards the red yabaa pill (methamphetamine) wich is imported from Myanmar(Burma) and ice (crystal meth) imported from Europe, India, U.S.A and Africa.
The Yabaa is dirt cheap (around 1$ pr pill) and the Ice is expensive (around 30$ for 1/4 gram)

Keep in mind that these are poor countries that do not have the money to start up professional public detox and rehab centers like the ones found in many european countries (maybe american also?).
And the function of these centers have traditionally been filled by local Buddhist monesteries who relies on traditional ways of ridding yourself from opium and alcohol addiction, and herein lies the biggest problem imo, these "new drugs" in s.e. asia have side effects that the traditional rehab centers can not cope with.
And the only solution from the government is sadly these detention centers.

reply to post by highlyoriginal


For up to 10 grams of marihuana or hashis in Thailand you will be facing a fine/bribe of around 50.000 th.b and be thrown out of the country. After that it's prison ranging from 2 months to ten years.
To get a ten year sentence, you should be packing minimum a kilo of heroin.

Three of my uncles are Thai cops

reply to post by SkurkNilsen


Well I can attest to there being some good places for drug rehab/detox in the US. Some of the private rehabs, such as ones in Florida (you've may have seen them on the show "Intervention") cost upwards of $15,000 for treatment.

I went to detox for opiates myself, only stayed 8 days, and it cost over $5,000 but it was covered by insurance (I only had to pay like $200).

What they need to do is have suboxone/methadone clinics put up. I take suboxone, and there is a drug within the pill called naloxone which blocks the opiate receptors in the body so you cannot get high on any opiates. For example I could take an oxy or some heroin and it would not effect me whatsoever.

Methadone on the other hand is more like a legal substitute for other opiates (usually heroin). As much as I would rather everyone use suboxone, some just can't and wont, so methadone is used (it's also used for pain management since it's so strong). The problem with methadone though is that people end up selling it and use the money to go buy more heroin, it occurs a lot around my area all around the city and the surrounding suburbs.

It's unfortunate that those trying to get clean in the US don't realize how lucky they have it. If it wasn't for the detox clinic I went to, I would most likely be dead right now. So I'm thankful I live in a place where I can get the medication I need to help me stay clean. We also have top notch doctors here who are specialized in addictions - my psychiatrist is actually an addiction specialist as well but it costs money out of pocket to see him regardless of insurance which is expensive.

Originally posted by SkurkNilsen
reply to post by highlyoriginal

 

For up to 10 grams of marihuana or hashis in Thailand you will be facing a fine/bribe of around 50.000 th.b and be thrown out of the country. After that it's prison ranging from 2 months to ten years.
To get a ten year sentence, you should be packing minimum a kilo of heroin.

Three of my uncles are Thai cops

Their jobs must be interesting to say the least. I've heard parts of Thailand are decent, but everyone whose been there and tells me to visit says to keep away from any sort of drug involvement, don't even associate or you'll be looking at spending a lot of cash to bribe your way out.

I don't know how a bribe would work... I mean if you offer too little, you are screwed, you offer too much you screw yourself (but then again you get to get away). If I were living there or visiting and trying to do something with drugs, I'd just involve some cops to help me out.

Your uncles up for some business? //joking//

reply to post by highlyoriginal


What gets me is like i worked at bbc, and you can bet loads working at the bbc where on drugs, but you see these hypocrites labeling others. Puke story and its not what you know in this society its who you know.

If your not interested in females in society and on drugs, you will more likely be punished for what a majority have done in there lifes. Amazing the system is based on as long you do certain things in society you can do what you want. But if you do not you will end up having others telling you how to live.

Sickness all over this world.

reply to post by highlyoriginal


Most detox centers in Europe are under national healthcare and are free, but that is another discussion for later.
In s.e asia as I mentioned before this is not an option, other than comunity based volunatry work.

As for involving a cop in Thai, that is not a good idea unless it's family. However, the best solution is to get in with the nah kleng(Thai mob, easyli recognized by dreads and tattoos) who is allready paying the cops to sell their merchandise, making you protected by proxy.
But as in all countries the mob is a dangerous bunch, even more so than rogue cops.

If you are getting robbed in Thai, try screaming nah kleng at them, worked for me


Note to mods: I am in no way suggesting anyone do this, I am merely discussing the system of how things work.

Originally posted by SkurkNilsen
reply to post by highlyoriginal

 

For up to 10 grams of marihuana or hashis in Thailand you will be facing a fine/bribe of around 50.000 th.b and be thrown out of the country. After that it's prison ranging from 2 months to ten years.
To get a ten year sentence, you should be packing minimum a kilo of heroin.

Three of my uncles are Thai cops

spent 6 years in Thailand... Love the place, but the drug rules are very strict for good reason. But that said a friend i knew was looking at a 9 year stretch in the womens Bangkok Hilton for getting caught with 80 E's.... ( Got given them by a BKK copper who then had her arrested while he got a nice fat bonus for his service). Luckily for her she escaped the country on a fake passport while on release for case prep and i havnt seen her since.

That said i know most Thai officials are ok but the bad apples out there are reeaaly rotten. Had many a BKK cop at the infamous bus station in BKK try to pull me over and bribe me..... lucky for me my ex wife's uncle worked high up for the King and once she spouted out in her upper class way at the cops they soon backed down

Edit for poor spelling.........

[edit on 10-5-2010 by Master Shen long]

reply to post by Master Shen long


For sure, it's kinda wild-east. Having hig-rankers in your family is allways a major plus.
Had a cop trying to search my motorbike once, and after dropping a few names, reaching for my telephone and very politly telling him to sod off, he bowed three times and apollogized asking if I could put in a good word for him

However corruption is not the topic and the OP deserves to get back on track.

Your friend getting caught with exctacy is a good example of bad judgement when you know the rules as you should when you visit a foreign country.

Never trust a stranger when it can put you in jail for years....