Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Dear Prime Minister Sundravej,

We, as students in the United States, are appalled by the human rights abuses targeting injection drug users in Thailand. The recently escalated war on drugs, including the potential for extrajudicial killing of injection drug users has not gone unnoticed. When this policy was in existence in 2003, over 2,750 Thai citizens were murdered. We will not stand by and allow this to happen again.

While we understand that your government is newly elected and that you have verbally committed your government to protect human rights, the history of similar policies tells us otherwise. Therefore, until this policy is reversed and a public health approach to drug use is implemented in Thailand, we are standing on the side of protecting the lives of drug users and using our buying power to send this message.

Thailand has long been an international destination for students and young travelers. Thailand has also been a global leader in the fight for affordable AIDS treatment. However, until the crimes against injection drug users end, we pledge not to travel or study abroad in the country of Thailand.

Sincerely,