Group campaigns against death penalty in Thailand

[webfact]

Group campaigns against death penalty

By THE NATION

 

File photo

 

10,000 signatures needed to take bill to national assembly.
 

ORGANISATIONS campaigning to abolish the death penalty in Thailand have now drawn up a bill that aims to replace the ultimate punishment with life imprisonment. 

 

“We are now in the process of gathering the opinions of stakeholders on our draft law,” Gothom Arya, president of the Peace and Culture Foundation, said yesterday.

 

Gothom said the foundation and its allies had started drafting the “Life Imprisonment in Place of Death Penalty Bill” three months ago. 

 

“We are now gathering the signatures of supporters. If at least 10,000 people sign the petition, we will propose it as a draft law to the National Legislative Assembly,” he explained.

 

If the bill does not attract a huge number of supporters, then the network will consider handing it over to an agency interested in pushing it forward, he said. 

 

He was speaking after attending a meeting yesterday on the draft bill at the Office of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

 

Gothom told the meeting that international criminology studies had found that capital punishment was not an effective deterrent.

“It should also be noted that the United Nations at its general assembly resolved to suspend capital punishment,” he said. 

 

Ensuring justice

 

Also, there was no way to restore justice in case a wrongly convicted person is executed. 

 

Gothom also views the death penalty as an infringement on people’s most fundamental right – to live. 

 

“I think the death penalty should be replaced by life imprisonment. We can move toward that step by step,” he said. 

 

Assoc Professor Srisobat Chokprajakcatt, a lecturer at Mahidol University, noted that some convicts on death row have said they preferred death to spending the rest of their lives in jail.

 

Gothom called on the Justice Ministry and relevant agencies to start a national discussion about capital punishment and its alternatives. 

 

They could start by releasing the findings of studies on life imprisonment, the death penalty, crime prevention and remedial actions for the wrongly accused or convicted. 

 

“With effective communication, the public will understand why we should make the change,” he said. 

 

Jiraporn Tamchu, a specialist at the Rights and Liberties Protection Department, told the same meeting that there had been several positive signs for change. 

 

“Convicts on death row can petition for a royal pardon,” he said. 

 

“Another [good sign] is that we have already cancelled the use of the death penalty against convicts aged under 18, pregnant convicts and those with mental disorders.” 

 

Chuleeporn Dejkham, a senior official at the NHRC, said opponents might need to wait for the appropriate time to push to abolish capital punishment if they wanted to succeed.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30353820

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-09-06

[Samui Bodoh]

I understand, and often share, the desire to see justice done in the hardest fashion. Who could possibly see the murder of a child and argue that the murderer should live? Not me.

 

However,

 

"...there was no way to restore justice in case a wrongly convicted person is executed. .."

 

Here is the problem; there are many, many stories of people being convicted of a crime, only to learn later that they were innocent. This phenomenon is not limited to proverbial 'third-world' countries, this phenomenon exists within most/all justices systems globally.

 

And, is there anyone out there who will argue that Thailand's justice system is effective, credible and error-free?

 

Anyone?

 

Anyone?

 

As soon as someone can show me a justice system that doesn't make mistakes, then I'll (happily) vote in favour of the Death Penalty. However, until that day; life imprisonment, just in case...

 

 

Edited September 5, 2018 by Samui Bodoh
Lack of coffee

[ezzra]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

Gothom also views the death penalty as an infringement on people’s most fundamental right – to live. 

What a tired arguments, the right to live!! pity that the criminals didn't extend that kind of consideration to the poor person whom his/her life they took,

these bleeding hearts prefer the convict to rote in jail for the rest of their lives, and Thai jails are no picnic, that to do away with such miserable existence of being a life long prisioner...

Edited September 5, 2018 by ezzra

[BigBadGeordie]

The death penalty should be reserved for only the most serious crimes, such as "sharing a Facebook post" for example.

[rodney earl]

I for one will not be signing this petition.!!

[NightSky]

No one has the right to end the life of another human.

[jesimps]

8 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I understand, and often share, the desire to see justice done in the hardest fashion. Who could possibly see the murder of a child and argue that the murderer should live? Not me.

 

However,

 

"...there was no way to restore justice in case a wrongly convicted person is executed. .."

 

Here is the problem; there are many, many stories of people being convicted of a crime, only to learn later that they were innocent. This phenomenon is not limited to proverbial 'third-world' countries, this phenomenon exists within most/all justices systems globally.

 

And, is there anyone out there who will argue that Thailand's justice system is effective, credible and error-free?

 

Anyone?

 

Anyone?

 

As soon as someone can show me a justice system that doesn't make mistakes, then I'll (happily) vote in favour of the Death Penalty. However, until that day; life imprisonment, just in case...

 

 

Problem is that it never normally is a full life sentence. How do you feel about convicted murderers who killed again after release, sometimes more than once? The poor victims would still be walking around if the killers hadn't been released.

I must say that a full life term in Thailand is probably worse than death. In UK, it's like life in Butlins.

[yellowboat]

11 hours ago, webfact said:

Also, there was no way to restore justice in case a wrongly convicted person is executed. 

The death penalty is not well suited to a country prone to big misunderstandings and has a poorly paid, badly trained police force.  Best err on the side of safety then take revenge. 

[NightSky]

I'll extend my view..

 

No one has the right to end the life of another human or to torture another human being.

 

Its simply barbaric.

 

I'm sure there are smarter (humane) ways to apply restrictions, controls and identify any possibility of reform/treatment required.

 

[rodney earl]

The government does not kill people. It enforces justice. Look at the case of the man who killed his mother with an axe. He deserves no less and I as a tax payer begrudge having to pay to keep these people locked up in jail.!!!

[NightSky]

On 9/7/2018 at 7:37 AM, rodney earl said:

The government does not kill people. It enforces justice. Look at the case of the man who killed his mother with an axe. He deserves no less and I as a tax payer begrudge having to pay to keep these people locked up in jail.!!!

 

 

Your tax paying money will be spent regardless weather it be on long term rehabilitation and control or services supporting the death penalty. Both cost money.

 

Besides..

 

Money is simply a tool invented by humans to make trading easier,

 

..human rights always trumps money.

[rodney earl]

Tax money always gets spent. It should get spent on things that are beneficial to society. NOT on criminals who have committed crimes that prove they do not belong in society!!!

[NightSky]

On 9/9/2018 at 7:47 AM, rodney earl said:

Tax money always gets spent. It should get spent on things that are beneficial to society. NOT on criminals who have committed crimes that prove they do not belong in society!!!

 

Identifying, controlling and where possible rehabilitating criminals is necessary although without having to resort to killing and barbaric methods.

 

Tax money can be saved or used more efficiency in other areas quite easily I would have thought before resorting to killing people to save pennies.

[rodney earl]

It is not just about saving pennies (as you put it) it is about enforcing justice and protecting the community. I have also read that about 60% of all crime is commited by repeat offenders so if the government did its job and enforced justice instead of trying to please certain groups the world would be a far far better place and if you save money as well that is an added bonus.!!!

[NightSky]

8 hours ago, rodney earl said:

It is not just about saving pennies (as you put it) it is about enforcing justice and protecting the community. I have also read that about 60% of all crime is commited by repeat offenders so if the government did its job and enforced justice instead of trying to please certain groups the world would be a far far better place and if you save money as well that is an added bonus.!!!

 

You seem to be missing my point entirely when I say 'I'm sure there are smarter (humane) ways to apply restrictions, controls and identify any possibility of reform/treatment required.'

 

Its not about the money or not obliging to protect the community., these are most important. But to kill other humans willingly is not the answer.

 

 

 

[Chris Lawrence]

What does Budda say on this.

 

The State takes control of legal murder? That's one way to look at it.

 

The other is that the people remaining get satisfaction from the death of a person, but do they?

 

What would you rather have death penalty or life in prison. Remember a person who is a lifer can still rehabilitate. They can teach others who come into the prison system.

 

This a very subjective topic; knowing that some TV members have lost loved ones thru violent crime. My view is just my view. I don't believe in taking a life.

[rodney earl]

It is not just about saving pennies (as you put it) it is about enforcing justice and protecting the community. I have also read that about 60% of all crime is commited by repeat offenders so if the government did its job and enforced justice instead of trying to please certain groups the world would be a far far better place and if you save money as well that is an added bonus.!!!   You seem to have missed my point. The government does not kill people. It enforces justice and if that is the death penalty so be it. Many of these criminals have committed some horendous crimes and if you think that they still deserve a place on this place you are sadly mistaken. Many of these criminals re offend when and if they are let out on parole. When governments do enforce justice (the death penalty) they certainly do not get the chance to re offend.!!!

[NightSky]

Its inhumane and simply wrong.  

[rodney earl]

NO it is not. Anyone who is sentenced to death has done an horrific crime and deserves it. I think more about the poor victim than I do the person who committed the crime.!!!

[NightSky]

On 9/16/2018 at 1:41 AM, rodney earl said:

NO it is not. Anyone who is sentenced to death has done an horrific crime and deserves it. I think more about the poor victim than I do the person who committed the crime.!!!

 

NO one has the right to take another human life.

Edited September 21, 2018 by NightSky

[rodney earl]

Maybe you are right in that no one has the right to take another human life. But that is what people do every day, they commit murder and they should be punished and that is up to the police force and the government and once someone has committed murder he has no rights and should be put down like the mongrel dog that he is.!! Governments do not kill people, they enforce Justice and justice should not only be done it should be seen to be done.!!!

[kannot]

On 9/15/2018 at 3:29 PM, NightSky said:

Its inhumane and simply wrong.  

There is no right or wrong, all are  human inventions

[brewsterbudgen]

I can't see any reason why the previous moratorium was abandoned.  The death penalty doesn't belong in any civilised nation, in my opinion, but certainly not in one that has no democracy.

[Vacuum]

On 9/6/2018 at 8:11 AM, NightSky said:

I'm sure there are smarter (humane) ways to apply restrictions, controls and identify any possibility of reform/treatment required.

Sterilisation is one of them.

[Bezdomny]

Death penalty remains only in Neanderthal countries.

 

[rodney earl]

I am not sure where you get that idea from. The death penalty for horendous crimes is a valid punishment for the perpetrators of such crimes. And I as a tax payer do not like the idea that these people get to spend a long time (generally but not always) at my expense. Governments do not kill people, they endorce justice.!!!