Thailand brushed off United Nations criticism of its...

Thailand brushed off United Nations criticism of its bloody war on drugs, saying dealers and traffickers ran the risk of violent death. A top U.N. rights investigator had expressed concern at the hundreds of killings since the anti drugs campaign began, citing allegations of "excessive use of force resulting in extrajudicial executions". The U.N. special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Asma Jahingir, had issued a statement calling on the Thai government to investigate alleged abuses and ensure security officials acted in "strict compliance with national and international human rights standards". But Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra defended the crackdown, saying Thailand would not back down from its tough treatment of suspected drugs offenders.