Thailand far from abolishing death penalty: Amnesty

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Thailand far from abolishing death penalty: Amnesty
By PRAVIT ROJANAPHRUK
The Nation 2011-03-31

Although there were no executions in Thailand last year, at least seven death sentences were imposed, bringing the number of people on death row to 708, Amnesty International stated in its 2010 annual glob?al report on death sentences and executions.

Currently 65 of the 708 people have had their sentences confirmed by the Supreme Court.
Although the London-based organisation said in its press release on Monday that "countries that continue to use the death penalty are being left increasingly isolated following a decade of progress towards abolition" and that 93 countries had abolished the death penalty for all crimes, Thailand, a self-described land of Buddhism, continued to resist the trend.

Senior human-rights activist Pairoj Polpetch from the Union of Civil Liberty said that although the government's human-rights development plan (2009 to 2013) stated the Kingdom should abolish the death penalty by the plan's end, the reality was much more complicated.

"We're trying to push for [the abolition] but in practice it depends on related agencies and this may lead to delay. The second issue is that of Thai people's attitudes; even monks support the death penalty. They think [people who killed others] ought to receive equal punishment."

However, nearly half of the 708 people sentenced to death have been convicted of drug-related offences, AI noted.

Elsewhere, China alone executed more people than the rest of the world put together. The penalty was used for a wide range of crimes including non-violent offences and "after pro?ceedings that did not meet international fair-trial standards". At least one thousand people are believed to have been executed by the Chinese regime last year, according to AI.

In Vietnam, information about death sentences remains a government secret. In North Korea, at least 60 were believed to have been executed last year, even though some of the alleged crimes were not subject to the death penalty under domestic law.

Death sentences continued to be mandatorily imposed in Singapore, mostly for drug-related offences, with at least eight sentences being handed down last year.

In Japan, 11 individuals have been sentenced to death as of December 2010.

South Korea came close to abolishing the death penalty when on February 2010, the Constitution Court resolved in a 5-4 ruling that capital punishment did not violate "human dignity and worth" as protect?ed by the Korean charter.

In Iran, one person was executed for a crime he committed when he was below 18 years of age.

The United States continues to be the only executioner in the Americas although the number of executions carried out decreased last year from 2009, when 52 were executed.

"The cruelty of the death penalty was demonstrated in the week leading up to the exe?cution of Brandon Rhode in Georgia on 27 September 2010," the report stated. Brandon attempted suicide prior to the execution by "making deep cuts in both arms and his neck with a razor blade" and was then rushed to hospital, having lost half his blood.

"He was revived, stitched up and brought back to prison. His lawyer saw him there on the afternoon of 21 September, held in a restraint chair... 'in severe pain and discomfort', his face 'haggard, pallid and jaundiced'. The execution was delayed a number of times during the six days between his attempted suicide and 27 September, but in the end the courts refused to stop it."

[Prakhonchai Nick]

Whilst there have been miscarriages of justice, I am basically in favour of the death sentence for certain crimes. I am sure the death sentence does act as a deterrent even though horrific crimes are still committed. Without the death sentence I believe crime would be far worse.

[nookiebear]

I'm in favour of the death sentence too especially where drugs & firearms are involved

[isanbirder]

I am against it in principle... even more so in Thailand because I don't trust the justice system.  But if they insist on having it, for drugs only (though 25 years in a Thai prison might be almost worse).

[Prakhonchai Nick]

Surely cold blooded murder with guns and/or knives is more serious than drugs. And if the victim is tortured or abused before being killed, then I see no reason why the murderer should not suffer the same fate!

I agree however with Mike's comment about Thai justice.

[isanbirder]

Drug trafficking is mass murder, Nick... though it may be slow motion.

[Prakhonchai Nick]

Prostitution can be viewed in the same vein!. Should all punters also receive death sentences, because they may give their conquest AIDS?

[Pee Nuu]

I'm in favour of the death sentence too especially where drugs & firearms are involved

WHY?