Thailand's war on drugs

Protests are held at the 2004 International AIDS conference in Bangkok against the government of Thaksin Shinawatra’s ‘war on drugs’, following reports of thousands of extra-judicial killings of people who inject drugs. This climate of fear is driving people who inject drugs underground and away from HIV and harm reduction services, fuelling new infections. Conference organisers are also strongly criticised for scheduling a former drug user living with HIV, Paisan Suwannawong, to speak last at the end of the three-hour opening ceremony. By the time he speaks, only around 100 out of 11,000 delegates remain.