Saudis Behead Two Thais

[taxexile]

Two Thai nationals beheaded in Saudi for drug smuggling

Riyadh - Two Thai nationals convicted of drug trafficking were beheaded with a sword in Saudi Arabia on Monday, the interior ministry said in a stateฌment carried by the official SPA news agency.

The ministry said the two men were executed in the eastern city of Dammam for smuggling a "large quantity of hashish" into the kingฌdom hidden inside sporting equipฌment.

The latest beheadings brings to 55 the number of executions announced by the Saudi governฌment so far this year.

For the whole of 2006, at least 37 people were executed, while 83 were put to death in 2005 and 35 the year before, according to AFP tallies based on official statements.

Executions are usually carried out in public in Saudi Arabia, which applies a strict form of sharia, or Islamic law. Rape, murder, apostaฌsy, armed robbery and drug trafฌficking can all carry the death penalty.

Agence France Presse

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Saudis behead two Thais

By BangkokPost.com, Agencies

Saudi Arabia publicly beheaded two Thai men after they were caught smuggling hashish into the country, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday,

SPA said the two Thais were executed in the eastern city of al-Dammam.

They were caught smuggling hashish into Saudi Arabia, the report said. It gave no dates of arrest, or other details about the men.

An Interior Ministry statement said the pair tried to smuggle in the drugs hidden inside a shipement of sportswear.

Saudi Arabia generally bars Thai nationals from visiting or working in Saudi Arabia except for religious purposes such as the annual haj pilgrimmage, but they can transit, and visas are given on a case by case basis.

The English service of SPA said the names of the executed men were Shalirm Yonha Koy and Smnoq Mintcho Keet - obviously an Arabic transliteration of the Thai names.

"The culprits were convicted by the court and the verdict was approved by the cassation court and the supreme judicial council," said the news agency's brief account.

Under the Saudi interpretation of Islam, those convicted of murder, drug trafficking, rape and armed robbery are executed in public with a sword.

Monday's executions brought to 55 the number of people beheaded in the kingdom this year. The kingdom beheaded 38 people last year and 83 people in 2005.

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[mosquitoman]

I found myself asking the question - Would they would have executed two westerners for the same offence?

MM

[taxexile]

from amnesty international

Saudi Arabia has one of the highest rates of capital punishment in the world. Of the 766 executions recorded by Amnesty International between 1990 and 1999, over half were of migrant workers and other foreign nationals. While a high proportion of those were Asian migrant workers mainly from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Nepal -- who comprise between 60 and 80 per cent of Saudi Arabia's workforce -- at least 72 were Nigerians, mostly convicted for drug smuggling or armed robbery. By mid-June 2000 Saudi Arabia had executed 53 people, 25 of them in May: 19 were Saudi Arabian nationals and 30 were foreign nationals, including from Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Egypt and Iraq. Migrant workers and other foreign nationals have faced discriminatory treatment under the criminal justice system in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has expanded the scope of the death penalty to cover a wide range of offences, including offences without lethal consequences such as apostasy, drug dealing, sodomy and ''witchcraft''. The scores of people who are executed every year, many for non-violent crimes, are put to death after summary trials that offer them no opportunity to defend themselves and almost no protection against miscarriages of justice.

[mosquitoman]

from amnesty international

Saudi Arabia has one of the highest rates of capital punishment in the world. Of the 766 executions recorded by Amnesty International between 1990 and 1999, over half were of migrant workers and other foreign nationals. While a high proportion of those were Asian migrant workers mainly from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Nepal -- who comprise between 60 and 80 per cent of Saudi Arabia's workforce -- at least 72 were Nigerians, mostly convicted for drug smuggling or armed robbery. By mid-June 2000 Saudi Arabia had executed 53 people, 25 of them in May: 19 were Saudi Arabian nationals and 30 were foreign nationals, including from Nigeria, India, Pakistan, Sudan, Eritrea, Yemen, the Philippines, Ethiopia, Egypt and Iraq. Migrant workers and other foreign nationals have faced discriminatory treatment under the criminal justice system in Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has expanded the scope of the death penalty to cover a wide range of offences, including offences without lethal consequences such as apostasy, drug dealing, sodomy and ''witchcraft''. The scores of people who are executed every year, many for non-violent crimes, are put to death after summary trials that offer them no opportunity to defend themselves and almost no protection against miscarriages of justice.

I cant see any westerners in amnety's report, leave that one to Singapore I guess

MM

[issanpaul]

my god..... i for one are anti drugs,but for christ sake it was only hashish/dope, god rest there souls

[dave111223]

apostasy, sodomy and ''witchcraft''.....<deleted>

Just another reason never to go to the middle east

[taxexile]

Beheading is effective and is probably as humane as any other modern method if carried out correctly. When a single blow is sufficient to decapitate the prisoner, they lose consciousness within a few seconds. They die from shock and anoxia due to haemorrhage and loss of blood pressure within less than 60 seconds. However, because the muscles and vertebrae of the neck are tough, decapitation may require more than one blow. Death occurs due to separation of the brain and spinal cord, after the transection (cutting through) of the surrounding tissues. Consciousness is probably lost within 2-3 seconds, due to a rapid fall of the “intracranial perfusion of blood" (blood supply to the brain).

It has often been reported that the eyes and mouths of people beheaded have shown signs of movement. It has been calculated that the human brain has enough oxygen stored for metabolism to persist about 7 seconds after the head is cut off.

[issanpaul]

Beheading is effective and is probably as humane as any other modern method if carried out correctly. When a single blow is sufficient to decapitate the prisoner, they lose consciousness within a few seconds. They die from shock and anoxia due to haemorrhage and loss of blood pressure within less than 60 seconds. However, because the muscles and vertebrae of the neck are tough, decapitation may require more than one blow. Death occurs due to separation of the brain and spinal cord, after the transection (cutting through) of the surrounding tissues. Consciousness is probably lost within 2-3 seconds, due to a rapid fall of the “intracranial perfusion of blood" (blood supply to the brain).

It has often been reported that the eyes and mouths of people beheaded have shown signs of movement. It has been calculated that the human brain has enough oxygen stored for metabolism to persist about 7 seconds after the head is cut off.

you are sick man

[taxexile]

i dont believe in closing my eyes to some of the harsher realities of what goes on in the world these days.

[Luckydog]

Very good at killing, these muslim guys

They cut off your hands for theft too.

Ought to do that here.......It would stop nicking overnight!

Edited May 7, 2007 by Luckydog

[mosquitoman]

i dont believe in closing my eyes to some of the harsher realities of what goes on in the world these days.

Dose that mean that if you were in Saudi Arabia you would attend a public execution?

MM

[lannarebirth]

I found myself asking the question - Would they would have executed two westerners for the same offence?

MM

Yes they would have. I was in Dhahran once when an English doctor under contract to a hospital there was involved in a fender bender. He was not at fault in any way, but was still the victim of an impromptu beheading in the intersection. They must carry swords in the tool kit. Barbaric.

[Heng]

And perhaps cutting off feet for visa running? Easier to filter out repeat offenders too.

[mackayae]

Two Thai nationals beheaded in Saudi for drug smuggling

Riyadh - Two Thai nationals convicted of drug trafficking were beheaded with a sword in Saudi Arabia on Monday, the interior ministry said in a stateฌment carried by the official SPA news agency.

The ministry said the two men were executed in the eastern city of Dammam for smuggling a "large quantity of hashish" into the kingฌdom hidden inside sporting equipฌment.

The latest beheadings brings to 55 the number of executions announced by the Saudi governฌment so far this year.

For the whole of 2006, at least 37 people were executed, while 83 were put to death in 2005 and 35 the year before, according to AFP tallies based on official statements.

Executions are usually carried out in public in Saudi Arabia, which applies a strict form of sharia, or Islamic law. Rape, murder, apostaฌsy, armed robbery and drug trafฌficking can all carry the death penalty.

Agence France Presse

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Saudis behead two Thais

By BangkokPost.com, Agencies

Saudi Arabia publicly beheaded two Thai men after they were caught smuggling hashish into the country, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Monday,

SPA said the two Thais were executed in the eastern city of al-Dammam.

They were caught smuggling hashish into Saudi Arabia, the report said. It gave no dates of arrest, or other details about the men.

An Interior Ministry statement said the pair tried to smuggle in the drugs hidden inside a shipement of sportswear.

Saudi Arabia generally bars Thai nationals from visiting or working in Saudi Arabia except for religious purposes such as the annual haj pilgrimmage, but they can transit, and visas are given on a case by case basis.

The English service of SPA said the names of the executed men were Shalirm Yonha Koy and Smnoq Mintcho Keet - obviously an Arabic transliteration of the Thai names.

"The culprits were convicted by the court and the verdict was approved by the cassation court and the supreme judicial council," said the news agency's brief account.

Under the Saudi interpretation of Islam, those convicted of murder, drug trafficking, rape and armed robbery are executed in public with a sword.

Monday's executions brought to 55 the number of people beheaded in the kingdom this year. The kingdom beheaded 38 people last year and 83 people in 2005.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Saudi Arabia has a 100% success rate in solving crimes. All of them obtained thru the help of confessions by the accused. Unfortunately, the majority of the accused are from the third world. Their respective countries do not press the point because of their large labor force in Saudi, which brings hard currency into their economy. They do not want to rock the boat. This has been occurring for decades. The world turns a blind eye. The executions usually occur on Fridays after the last prayer at the main mosque in the corresponding city in public with thousands of unfortunate laborers pushing and shoving to get a view of the little entertainment in their life in Saudi.

[mackayae]

I found myself asking the question - Would they would have executed two westerners for the same offence?

MM

Yes they would have. I was in Dhahran once when an English doctor under contract to a hospital there was involved in a fender bender. He was not at fault in any way, but was still the victim of an impromptu beheading in the intersection. They must carry swords in the tool kit. Barbaric.

I doubt they would execute two westerners.

As for the English doctor, that is hard to believe. However, I have no idea whether it happened or not. I lived in Dhahran for 18 years and I never heard of anything as atrocious as that with the exception of some of the terrorist acts in Al Khobar and Damman. But, on the other hand, they don't have a free press, so I am sure even the most skeptical would be surprised with the truth.

[taxexile]

Dose that mean that if you were in Saudi Arabia you would attend a public execution?

that is a question i have asked myself , blood and gore dont disturb me , i dissected a human body at university and part of that involved removing the head from the torso with a buzz saw.

i do feel that i would be able to take the life of someone who killed one of my family , but i dont know if i could stand and watch the taking of the life of someone that i had no connection to.

we all watch violence and death on tv or at the cinema , but we know its faked.

i saw someone kicked and beaten to death in bangkok a couple of years ago and had nightmares for days after.

i think there is a curiosity associated with death that exists in all of us. public executions have always attracted huge crowds. my curiosity got the better of me when the hostage beheadings were all over the net , and the thing that horrified me was not the beheading itself , but the behaviour of the murderers before and after. their callousness and glorification in what they were doing.

the moment in time when life becomes death is something that we will all have to face one day and shouldnt be feared or treated as ghoulish.

but as to your question , i cant give you an answer.

[lannarebirth]

I found myself asking the question - Would they would have executed two westerners for the same offence?

MM

Yes they would have. I was in Dhahran once when an English doctor under contract to a hospital there was involved in a fender bender. He was not at fault in any way, but was still the victim of an impromptu beheading in the intersection. They must carry swords in the tool kit. Barbaric.

I doubt they would execute two westerners.

As for the English doctor, that is hard to believe. However, I have no idea whether it happened or not. I lived in Dhahran for 18 years and I never heard of anything as atrocious as that with the exception of some of the terrorist acts in Al Khobar and Damman. But, on the other hand, they don't have a free press, so I am sure even the most skeptical would be surprised with the truth.

It was 1992 and I was in a van halted by the traffic jam it created. It was nearer Ad Dammam.

[Rinrada]

Unless things have changed (and MK jai) the death penalty is only administered to individuals who admit to their crime ...murder rape sodomy..etc and "accept" the sentence under Islamic Law and are of that persuasion....but as said may have changed.

I spent a number of years over there...75 onwards (anyone remember princess Misha?..before and after )and on one occasion was "invited"...you come PLEASE. to the square ..nothing to do with the funny handshake brigade.. for an example of their justice.

On that day there was no beheadings but hands were flying everwhere and the crowd were cheering on every stroke like a bunch of screaming banshees..hen the confesseor "stump"was dipped in a bucket of hot pitch and "sealed" and in many cases he walked away...Smiling ....justice was done in the eyes of.....a

If anyone was involved in a road accident (foreigner) then it was your fault since (their logic) if you hadnt been in the (their holy country ) then it would never have happened.

Blood money was a common forgiveness factor and all foreign companies usually employed a Mr fixit to deal with any wee incidents.

Deportations of plumbers,brickies and chippies back to Heathrow on a saturday morning following a Friday night on the Beer was almost normal occurance ......and dont come back.... ..Yala Yala..and Mara Habba....

Someone earlier mentioned 100% crime reduction.... dont talk about the Billions in bribes for various building and we aeroplane defence supply contracts ...hey but thats business init.....and dont ever talk about some jewels that went missing from T.............

[buddhafly]

i dont like the idea of capitol punishment

but i dont like the idea of people sneaking drugs into someone elses country.

if my kids overdosed on some drugs and i found the pusher i'd be tempted to carry out a certain form of punishment

[meom]

The executions usually occur on Fridays after the last prayer at the main mosque in the corresponding city in public with thousands of unfortunate laborers pushing and shoving to get a view of the little entertainment in their life in Saudi.

I went to look one time, a couple of years ago also in Dammam. Not on a Friday but during the week. It was quite a spectacle , with the majority of on-lookers being indeed asians from pakistan, bangladesh etc.

The guy was led out of a prison van and made to kneel on the pavement. The judge or whatever gave a small speech explaining what the guy had done (murder in this case) after which the executioner with a big sword chopped his head off. The severed body bled for a while after which the remains were stuffed into some sort of bag.

It all went rather quick in between bites of my sandwhich or something that I was eating at the time.

Somebody told me that the "victim" is drugged beforehand and that it looks worse than it really is.

Edited May 7, 2007 by meom

[mr_hippo]

I spent a number of years over there...75 onwards (anyone remember princess Misha?..before and after )and on one occasion was "invited"...you come PLEASE. to the square ..nothing to do with the funny handshake brigade.. for an example of their justice.

We must have been there around the same time. I, too remember the Princess MIsha incident. Do you remember the storming of the Grand Mosque in late '79? The rebels who were not killed were taken to various towns and cities around the Kingdom for execution. I was working at King Khalid Military City at the time and we used to drive into Hafr-al-Batin most Fridays for shopping and a change of scene. We were always advised to leave Hafr before 11:30 or you may be forced to watch an execution. One particular Friday, our Suburban broke down and we were marched at gunpoint and forced to watch. Do you remember the Helen Smith Murder? Some of us do know what happened....... I believe that Helen has not been buried yet.

If anyone was involved in a road accident (foreigner) then it was your fault since (their logic) if you hadnt been in the (their holy country ) then it would never have happened.

I believe that the taxi rule has since been withdrawn - if you had not called that taxi at that time then the taxi would not have been there and there would have been no accident.

Deportations of plumbers,brickies and chippies back to Heathrow on a saturday morning following a Friday night on the Beer was almost normal occurance ......and dont come back.... ..Yala Yala..and Mara Habba....

Oh, yes, the famous flights from Dhahran - the Vomit Comet & the Animal Express! The fights between the Scots and the Arabs, the pilots used to come out and threaten to divert to Athens and throw them off and that lovely BCal stewardess who was terminated for telling Arabs that 'you are not drinking on my ferking aircraft!'

Edited May 7, 2007 by mr_hippo

[Rinrada]

Mr Hippo.....Yes yes Nam.......and A Sal-am a le-cum.....a sal....its..no use worry.ing NOW

1975-78..Wimpey/ARAMCo...Dharhan/Kobar/Abq/Damman /Shedgum...etc.....

Great fun even gave the future King a ride in my helicopter one day when I was doing surveys of the national Guards Places in the Rub al K...(he was the boss at the time )also did meet a certain princess but it wosnt M.

End of contract we all took the Parra Budgie from Bahrain....plumbers special...Concorde...

1979.......Local outfit Jeddah...Caravan Shopping Centre-New Airporty -Nova Hotel..

1980.......US company ...Jedda and Tabuk...Air force Jobby....in and out via Amman...

.....had enough and went to Iraq.....

1983........Riyadh... Sultans New House /gin palace .cost £50M at the time ...

...then Sierra Leone, Nigeria,Bahrain..Algeria .... and all fun places.......

[Tony Clifton]

Beheading is effective and is probably as humane as any other modern method if carried out correctly. When a single blow is sufficient to decapitate the prisoner, they lose consciousness within a few seconds. They die from shock and anoxia due to haemorrhage and loss of blood pressure within less than 60 seconds. However, because the muscles and vertebrae of the neck are tough, decapitation may require more than one blow. Death occurs due to separation of the brain and spinal cord, after the transection (cutting through) of the surrounding tissues. Consciousness is probably lost within 2-3 seconds, due to a rapid fall of the “intracranial perfusion of blood" (blood supply to the brain).

It has often been reported that the eyes and mouths of people beheaded have shown signs of movement. It has been calculated that the human brain has enough oxygen stored for metabolism to persist about 7 seconds after the head is cut off.

you are sick man

I thought it was instructive.

I also had a look at one of beheadings on video, not out of fascination but curiosity about how human beings can behave more savagely than some of the wildest animals. Shit like that really reminds you that this world ain't made of chocolate with cotton candy clouds floating up above.

Very good at killing, these muslim guys

They cut off your hands for theft too.

And afterwards, just how is a guy supposed to give up a life of crime and find himself an honest job.

[torrenova]

If guilty great. I wouldn't go there for a gold pig. I will, on occasion, fly through it but I will never set foot on their soil.

100 years ago they were running around the desert cutting people's heads off because they liked it. In 100 years time, they will be running around the desert cutting people's heads off because they like it. If they didn't have oil, they would never have stopped running around the desert cutting people's heads off because they like it.

[Naam]

If guilty great. I wouldn't go there for a gold pig. I will, on occasion, fly through it but I will never set foot on their soil.

100 years ago they were running around the desert cutting people's heads off because they liked it. In 100 years time, they will be running around the desert cutting people's heads off because they like it. If they didn't have oil, they would never have stopped running around the desert cutting people's heads off because they like it.

that must the reason of your extensive knowledge.

[Naam]

I spent a number of years over there...75 onwards (anyone remember princess Misha?..before and after )and on one occasion was "invited"...you come PLEASE. to the square ..nothing to do with the funny handshake brigade.. for an example of their justice.

ahlan wa sahlan to the club! july 1975 till october 1981. first Al Khobar, then Jeddah.

[endure]

I used to sail into Jeddah on container ships with their own gantry crane before they built shoreside cranes.

[retirednavyman]

I found myself asking the question - Would they would have executed two westerners for the same offence?

MM

Equal protection under the law (or not)

[Naam]

I used to sail into Jeddah on container ships with their own gantry crane before they built shoreside cranes.

i still remember the unloading of cement bags by helicopters 24 hours, 7 days a week. in 1977 there was a backlog of unloading ships of up to nine months. ships were moored off the port and only a maintenance crew was left to take care.

i also remember that we worked 7 days a week BUT WE MINTED MONEY then and had hardly any opportunity to spend it. the poor chaps who went to Saudi Arabia in 1982 (oil glut) could only dream of our salaries, profit share and perks.

[mr_hippo]

OFF TOPIC - if any old Saudi hands want to read about my cycling trip across Saudi, please see http://bangkokhippo.blogspot.com/