Thailand moves toward abolishing death penalty

[webfact]

Thailand moves toward abolishing death penalty

By PIYANUCH THAMNUKASETCHAI 
THE NATION 

 

File photo

 

AS MANY as 447 convicts are now on death row in Thailand, which is reviewing the use of death penalty.

“We have started with the move to allow judges to exercise their judgement to decide whether a convict should be sentenced to death or life imprisonment – instead of prescribing death sentence as the only penalty for certain offences,” the Rights and Liberties Protection Department’s director-general, Pitikan Sithidej, said yesterday.

 

She added that, in the next phase, the country might consider abolishing the death penalty for crimes that do not affect the lives of others. 

 

Pitikan was speaking at an event held to mark the World Day against the Death Penalty, which is observed on October 10.

 

Thai laws now prescribe the death sentence for those convicted in 63 offences, including drug offences. 

 

Of the 447 convicts on death row, 157 have already been condemned through final court rulings. Of these 157, 68 were found guilty of drug-related crimes. 

 

A foreign speaker at the same event said there was no international consensus that drug offences were crimes against human lives. 

 

“It should also be noted that there is a difference between serious legal enforcement and the use of harsh punishments,” he explained.

 

Both Pitikan and Colin Josef Steinbach, the first counsellor (political, press and information) of the European Union delegation to Thailand, said at the same forum that there was no clear evidence that the death sentence could reduce crimes. 

 

“The end of death penalty is not about encouraging crimes; it’s about cancelling unreasonable types of punishment,” Pitikan said.

 

Of 198 countries, 141 have already abandoned the use of death sentences.

 

According to Pitikan, Thailand started implementing the death penalty in 1935. From that year until 2009, 325 convicts were executed. Initially, death-row convicts faced firing squads, but lethal injections have been used in recent times. 

 

However, in line with international trends, Thailand has not carried out any execution since August 2009. 

 

The country is expected to eventually abandon the death penalty altogether. 

 

One foreign speaker at yesterday’s event believed better technologies and greater budgets would be better able to deter crimes than the death penalty or life imprisonment. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30329533

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-10-18

[khwaibah]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

One foreign speaker at yesterday’s event believed better technologies and greater budgets would be better able to deter crimes than the death penalty or life imprisonment. 

 

Bull shyt.

[Samui Bodoh]

I can't cite any evidence for Thailand as I don't even know where to look.

 

However, as a keen reader of news, I have seen several recent cases in the US where people were convicted of a capital offence and then later exonerated, usually by DNA evidence.

 

If one believes that the death penalty is a reasonable sentence (I don't), then there has to be 100% confidence in the legal system.

 

Does anyone here have 100% confidence in the Thai legal system?

 

I didn't think so...

 

[yellowboat]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

A foreign speaker at the same event said there was no international consensus that drug offences were crimes against human lives. 

That is why some drugs are becoming legal. 

[Cadbury]

For what it is worth Thailand is well and truly surrounded by countries that have the death penalty. Cambodia is one exception while Laos is in transition. Interesting the Philipinnes has no death penalty in the legal judicial system but President Duterte's and his cronies seemingly can execute at will without trial. He is also attempting to re-introduce the death penalty. 

This is comment on fact only and nothing to do with my opinion. So no flamers please!

[RichardinHuaHin]

They may as well abolish it since they never seem to carry anything out.

[RichardColeman]

Sorry, but I believe the death sentence should be used in certain areas. Somethings in this life are unforgivable. Street murder of Lee Rigby for instance.  Attempted mass murder. Child rape and mutilation, etc. If that upsets the lefty PC brigade on here I really do not give a damn.

[Golgota]

10 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

Sorry, but I believe the death sentence should be used in certain areas. Somethings in this life are unforgivable. Street murder of Lee Rigby for instance.  Attempted mass murder. Child rape and mutilation, etc. If that upsets the lefty PC brigade on here I really do not give a damn.

Why add the last sentence?

 

The death penalty in US costs more to the tax payers than the people in jail for life, the "righty conservative brigade" should take that into consideration too, right?

[John Richards]

3 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I can't cite any evidence for Thailand as I don't even know where to look.

 

However, as a keen reader of news, I have seen several recent cases in the US where people were convicted of a capital offence and then later exonerated, usually by DNA evidence.

 

If one believes that the death penalty is a reasonable sentence (I don't), then there has to be 100% confidence in the legal system.

 

Does anyone here have 100% confidence in the Thai legal system?

 

I didn't think so...

 

Nor in ANY nation on the planet - in the U.K. DOZENS of people who would have been executed were later found to be not guilty. People who want the death penalty tend to be low intelligence specimens who believe the state sponsored murder of innocents is an acceptable price until of course it's their family member!

[anon789561]

just die in jail under suspicious circumstances instead

[Sapporillo]

40 minutes ago, John Richards said:

People who want the death penalty tend to be low intelligence specimens

I'm against the death penalty too, but why insult those who have a different opinion? Just because someone doesn't agree with me, doesn't mean he's dumb. 

[Cancerian]

1 hour ago, RichardColeman said:

Sorry, but I believe the death sentence should be used in certain areas. Somethings in this life are unforgivable. Street murder of Lee Rigby for instance.  Attempted mass murder. Child rape and mutilation, etc. If that upsets the lefty PC brigade on here I really do not give a damn.

Yes I agree as for going forward I think not. Abolishing the death penalty is a step backward. In Australia these criminals cost the country about $110000 ( 2,800,000 baht ) per year to keep in jail. They get a nice room no bills. They get ice-cream pizzas. Why are they rewarded for there crime execution is a o centre off payment and the problem is gone

[oxo1947]

The article is about Thailand Cancerian...... & I dont think they get Ice cream & Pizzas in Bang Kwang Central Prison .....

[brling]

3 hours ago, RichardColeman said:

Sorry, but I believe the death sentence should be used in certain areas. Somethings in this life are unforgivable. Street murder of Lee Rigby for instance.  Attempted mass murder. Child rape and mutilation, etc. If that upsets the lefty PC brigade on here I really do not give a damn.

Agree with every word except "Sorry". Why are you sorry ?

[4MyEgo]

On 18/10/2017 at 9:06 AM, webfact said:

One foreign speaker at yesterday’s event believed better technologies and greater budgets would be better able to deter crimes than the death penalty or life imprisonment. 

LMAO....

[4MyEgo]

On 18/10/2017 at 2:28 PM, Golgota said:

The death penalty in US costs more to the tax payers than the people in jail for life

Perhaps they should can the lethal injection, and bring back the firing squad, one week after sentencing.

 

Harsh, sure, but if 110% absolutely sure, then 7 days fully blown, bang, bang, bang, that should reduce the overall cost to the tax payer 555

[Hong Bong Dynasty]

On ‎10‎/‎17‎/‎2017 at 6:36 PM, Cadbury said:

For what it is worth Thailand is well and truly surrounded by countries that have the death penalty. Cambodia is one exception while Laos is in transition. Interesting the Philipinnes has no death penalty in the legal judicial system but President Duterte's and his cronies seemingly can execute at will without trial. He is also attempting to re-introduce the death penalty. 

This is comment on fact only and nothing to do with my opinion. So no flamers please!

Viet Nam has the death penalty and is not shy about using it. Any crime involving drug trafficking to white color crime ( corruption and embezzlement) . And if you are guilty of murder, say good bye to you family and friends immediately, there is no death row bull shit like the USA.

[tomta]

Humans are fallible. We make mistakes. There have been cases where innocent people have been executed when everyone was certain of their guilt. In the US, people who have been in prison for years have been pardoned and released because DNA evidence, which was not available at the time, proved they could not have committed the crime. We have to lock people away who we believe on all the available evidence have committed serious crimes. But if we kill them and later find out that they did not do it, what can we do? Apologize to the corpse? If we have sentenced someone to life in prison for murder and later find out that we were wrong, we can do something. Release them, apologize, try to make restitution as best we can. Unsatisfactory and insufficient but we are fallible and that's the best we can do. BUt we cannot raise an innocent man or woman from the dead. 

[Jonah Tenner]

 

25 minutes ago, tomta said:

But if we kill them and later find out that they did not do it, what can we do? Apologize to the corpse?

As they cremate them in Thailand, they would have to apologise to the clouds.

 

Dying is easy. Living is hard. Let them live, preferably in Bang Kwang or similar.

[tomta]

Just now, Jonah Tenner said:

As they cremate them in Thailand, they would have to apologise to the clouds.

 

Dying is easy. Living is hard. Let them live, preferably in Bang Kwang or similar.

Why presume that I am talking about Thailand only. My comments were about the death penalty anywhere. But, OK, my point remains, can we apologize sufficiently to the ashes, if the person was wrongly convicted

 

[Jonah Tenner]

31 minutes ago, tomta said:

Why presume that I am talking about Thailand only. My comments were about the death penalty anywhere. But, OK, my point remains, can we apologize sufficiently to the ashes, if the person was wrongly convicted

 

Thread Headline:  Thailand moves toward abolishing death penalty

[tomta]

2 minutes ago, Jonah Tenner said:

Thread Headline:  Thailand moves toward abolishing death penalty

well done, Jonah. You get a point for that bit of pedantry.  I happen to think that death and the death penalty is a matter of common human interest. Thailand has 65 million humans living in it and they're very similar to the 6  or 7 million other humans living on earth. Or is there an argument like this: The Death penalty is good in Uzbhekistan but not in Thailand?

[Cancerian]

On 18/10/2017 at 10:28 AM, Golgota said:

Why add the last sentence?

 

The death penalty in US costs more to the tax payers than the people in jail for life, the "righty conservative brigade" should take that into consideration too, right?

Where do you get your facts from. I am pretty sure costs of keeping someone in jail is similar in Australia to the USA. How much is a injection? It costs $110,000 ( 2,800,000 baht) per year for each prisoner in jail in Australia.

[Golgota]

3 hours ago, Cancerian said:

Where do you get your facts from. I am pretty sure costs of keeping someone in jail is similar in Australia to the USA. How much is a injection? It costs $110,000 ( 2,800,000 baht) per year for each prisoner in jail in Australia.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2014/05/01/considering-the-death-penalty-your-tax-dollars-at-work/

[Cancerian]

22 minutes ago, Golgota said:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2014/05/01/considering-the-death-penalty-your-tax-dollars-at-work/

The costs are for the appeals not the actual execution once convicted and sentenced to death there should not be any appeals. And the cost would be under $1000. But one again this brings us to the lefties 

[Cancerian]

I am more in favour of years of torture for murderer's and pedophiles anyway. Give them to the family of tbe victims. Its amazing what can be achieved with something as simple as a blow torch. 

[Golgota]

4 hours ago, Cancerian said:

The costs are for the appeals not the actual execution once convicted and sentenced to death there should not be any appeals. And the cost would be under $1000. But one again this brings us to the lefties 

let me rephrase this for you :
The total cost of a man sentenced to life in prison is less expensive than someone who is on the death row

[Golgota]

43 minutes ago, Cancerian said:

I am more in favour of years of torture for murderer's and pedophiles anyway. Give them to the family of tbe victims. Its amazing what can be achieved with something as simple as a blow torch. 

Countless studies have proven torture is useless as innocent or not you will end up signing anything for it to stop.

Also this raise the question which you elude : what about judicial mistakes..who cares, right? it is not like this happen a lot...right? oh wait....

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/28/death-penalty-study-4-percent-defendants-innocent

Edited October 20, 2017 by Golgota

[Cancerian]

56 minutes ago, Golgota said:

Countless studies have proven torture is useless as innocent or not you will end up signing anything for it to stop.

Also this raise the question which you elude : what about judicial mistakes..who cares, right? it is not like this happen a lot...right? oh wait....

 

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/28/death-penalty-study-4-percent-defendants-innocent

I am talking clear cut cases ivan mi later martin Bryant  there is lots of these cases without a doubt. And I am not talking torture to get a confession. I am talking as punishment. I guarantee if anyone molested my children once I finished with the blowtorch on there genitals the problem will be solved they will with they where dead. It's civil libertarians like you that are the biggest problem in any country

[Cancerian]

1 hour ago, Golgota said:

let me rephrase this for you :
The total cost of a man sentenced to life in prison is less expensive than someone who is on the death row

Once again because civil libertarians like you give  convicted murderers and pedophiles rights if proven clear cut cases and sentenced to death should be end of story why let them appeal. The judges decision is final. Why am I paying for these pieces of sh.t to eat ice cream and pizza have you any consideration for there victims rights.