The Phillipines
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Siam" data-cid="604326" data-time="1470732066">
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<p>When you hear any action from any leader in the South East (Singapore excepted), picture Tony Soprano - nice and friendly and upstanding to those who don't know, but a ruthless profiteer who earned his stripes getting to where he is. It is normal</p>
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<p>They'd all be in jail in our countries, no question</p>
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<p>I was spending quite a lot of time working in Thailand when the Duangchalerm incident occurred.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote"><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">Chalerm was born at </span><a class="" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bang_Bon" title="Bang Bon">Bang Bon</a><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">, </span><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangkok' title="Bangkok">Bangkok</a><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">. He is married to Lamnao Yubamrung (</span><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_language' title="Thai language">Thai</a><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">: </span><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">ลำเà¸
า à¸à¸¢à¸¹à¹ˆà¸šà¸³à¸£à¸¸à¸‡</span><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;">), an auxiliary judge of Thailand's juvenile court. They have three sons: Artharn, Wanchalerm and Duangchalerm.</span><sup><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chalerm_Yubamrung#cite_note-1'>[1]</a></sup><span style="color:rgb(37,37,37);font-family:sans-serif;"> All three of Chalerm's sons have reputations for violent mafia-like behavior. In 2001, his youngest son, Duangchalerm, was arraigned for the murder of a police officer in a nightclub. Right after the incident, Duangchalerm received shelter from a Thai general. The son then deserted from the Army and fled to Cambodia, followed by Malaysia. After a few months of staying in touch with his father, he was assured it was safe to return to Thailand and not face the consequences. Chalerm met his son in Singapore and escorted him to Thailand. He was released from jail on bail terms in 2003, and finally acquitted as the court ruled the evidence was insufficient, even though there were many eyewitnesses to the crime.</span>
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<p>The policeman who was shot at point blank range had a Thai "Policeman of the Year" award. Immediately after the murder his father, Chalerm, a very senior politician came out and said, "It couldn't have been my son. My sons are good boys. My other sons tell me it was a man named Dong".</p>
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<p>Chalerm goes on to become Deputy Prime Minister.</p>
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<p>Duangchalerm gets off - he's left the army now and guess what job he now has. Shooting instructor with the police!</p>
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Is it possible that Philippines could actually become drug free?
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No, but along with plenty of drug addicts and drug dealers lots of innocent people will be killed, and nothing will happen as there will be a sign on their body that says "drug dealer" so everyone will turn a blind eye. What a fucked up country.
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That Thai bunch prove the principle is the same - just a different scale, right?
Here, someone rich king hits a bloke and gets off because "damage to career" or some rubbish. Over there, he's someone powerful for different reasons, shoots a cop and no-one can touch them.
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How come? Yes, innocents will be killed, I get that, but this is a pretty tough line they are taking, surely it will have some effect?
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@Hooroo because the only people being slaughtered are the dealers at the bottom of the rung and the addicts The guys that actually control these operations are basically untouchable. In fact in a place like the Phillipines I'd say those guys have a fair bit of control over the government/government officials.
It's like in Bali where they catch the guys smuggling drugs and execute them, as if that is going to make a blind bit of difference. They are just the pawns in the game, they have no control over anything.
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@No-Quarter said in The Phillipines:
@Hooroo because the only people being slaughtered are the dealers at the bottom of the rung and the addicts The guys that actually control these operations are basically untouchable. In fact in a place like the Phillipines I'd say those guys have a fair bit of control over the government/government officials.
It's like in Bali where they catch the guys smuggling drugs and execute them, as if that is going to make a blind bit of difference. They are just the pawns in the game, they have no control over anything.
Fair point
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In saying that, it would have to be a pretty strong deterrent to anyone wanting to join the bottom of the rung and deal for some easy $$... but in a poor country like that there will always be takers I guess.
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@No-Quarter said in The Phillipines:
@Hooroo because the only people being slaughtered are the dealers at the bottom of the rung and the addicts The guys that actually control these operations are basically untouchable. In fact in a place like the Phillipines I'd say those guys have a fair bit of control over the government/government officials.
It's like in Bali where they catch the guys smuggling drugs and execute them, as if that is going to make a blind bit of difference. They are just the pawns in the game, they have no control over anything.
Sounds like some movie I saw about Mexican drug lords(? Might be making this up...), either side trying to use the cops to wipe each other out
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When that much money is involved, and cops make what they do, you're always going to find someone to support you in authority.
There have been a number of Mexican politicians who promised to stand up to the local cartels, who are dead.
Its another argument for decriminalising drugs: if there is no market, there is no profit.
