Torture And Abuse Widespread In Thai Prisons

[churchill]

on the letters page -

Regarding a recent article in The Nation about the Thai authorities' denial of torture in Thailand, this is an out and out lie.

I have witnessed this in progress at the following places while held illegally for a case that was dreamed up by the police and which was subsequently thrown out by the court: the Immigration Department detention centre, police cells and the Bangkok "Special" Prison.

Of course, it is very difficult to actually prove to others what goes on behind closed doors, as those in charge will never permit investigations, will never answer with the truth, and will ridicule anyone who tells what they have seen. There is also great danger for anyone who is known to have information or evidence.

Torture is common in the following forms and there are undoubtedly more: Beating of Burmese prisoners; the rape and sale of the young women; occasional acts against individuals that are far worse than "waterboarding" - a plastic bag over the head, handcuffs very tight on wrists and ankles, in which about six officers, supervised by a senior, beat the cuffs with their batons; beatings for prolonged periods with batons, repeated after intervals and the next day; guns stuck in the mouth with a threat to kill; no medical treatment.

In other cases the beatings are carried out by the officers' "sub-contractors" so that they have less chance of any action being taken against them. In police stations, Burmese are kept in dark rooms with no ventilation or light and very little, if anything, to eat. I could go on forever with what I have seen but no one would believe me

-- The Nation 29/07/09

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/topstory/3...in-Thai-prisons

Edited July 29, 2009 by george

[sylviex]

Keep this post prominent.

[Yoshitaka]

Thai prison is 5 stars. That's way they call it the Hilton.

[BSJ]

I am sure there are some abuses, maybe many. And something should be done. But without the support of powerful people on your side your making yourself a target of those very people your accusing. Be careful how you proceed.

[iko]

As far as I know (ex thai jail guests) there's no torture at all in thai prisons. They can ocassionally torture you in order to speed the confession, but just with guilty guys.

[brahmburgers]

As far as I know (ex thai jail guests) there's no torture at all in thai prisons. They can ocassionally torture you in order to speed the confession, but just with guilty guys.

....and who decides they're guilty?

[toptuan]

I have extensive dealings with Thai prisons and prisoners. The only abuse that I know of is BETWEEN the arrest and getting thrown into the prison. And you know who supervises THAT little segment of the process...

Yes, there are the crowded conditions and meager food, but relationally, most Thai wardens and guards take on a kind of fatherly/mother role, treating their charges as errant children. They tend to get a lot more cooperation out of the prisoners with that type of approach. Wouldn't fly in western prisons.

[sotsira]

As far as I know (ex thai jail guests) there's no torture at all in thai prisons. They can ocassionally torture you in order to speed the confession, but just with guilty guys.

....and who decides they're guilty?

Well i've read the book "The Damage Done" a true story about an Australian drug smuggler that spent 12 years in Bangkok's notorious prisons, and if there's just an ounce of truth in that book then i would certainly expect torture and abuse within those walls, hidden away from the public and media.

[Gary A]

As far as I know (ex thai jail guests) there's no torture at all in thai prisons. They can ocassionally torture you in order to speed the confession, but just with guilty guys.

....and who decides they're guilty?

That's an easy question. If they get arrested they are guilty. TIT!

[Phatcharanan]

on the letters page -

Regarding a recent article in The Nation about the Thai authorities' denial of torture in Thailand, this is an out and out lie.

I have witnessed this in progress at the following places while held illegally for a case that was dreamed up by the police and which was subsequently thrown out by the court: the Immigration Department detention centre, police cells and the Bangkok "Special" Prison.

Of course, it is very difficult to actually prove to others what goes on behind closed doors, as those in charge will never permit investigations, will never answer with the truth, and will ridicule anyone who tells what they have seen. There is also great danger for anyone who is known to have information or evidence.

Torture is common in the following forms and there are undoubtedly more: Beating of Burmese prisoners; the rape and sale of the young women; occasional acts against individuals that are far worse than "waterboarding" - a plastic bag over the head, handcuffs very tight on wrists and ankles, in which about six officers, supervised by a senior, beat the cuffs with their batons; beatings for prolonged periods with batons, repeated after intervals and the next day; guns stuck in the mouth with a threat to kill; no medical treatment.

In other cases the beatings are carried out by the officers' "sub-contractors" so that they have less chance of any action being taken against them. In police stations, Burmese are kept in dark rooms with no ventilation or light and very little, if anything, to eat. I could go on forever with what I have seen but no one would believe me

-- The Nation 29/07/09

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/topstory/3...in-Thai-prisons

Load of rubbish. The Thai prison guards were immaculate towards me and this despite the 25kgs of coke that were accidentally placed in my bag.

[dale8]

Hello, I would like to see some proof of any torture before I can believe it. It is very dangerous to accuse the powerful people that can make the rules, or make things happen. Cheers.

[borovik]

I have extensive dealings with Thai prisons and prisoners. The only abuse that I know of is BETWEEN the arrest and getting thrown into the prison. And you know who supervises THAT little segment of the process...

Yes, there are the crowded conditions and meager food, but relationally, most Thai wardens and guards take on a kind of fatherly/mother role, treating their charges as errant children. They tend to get a lot more cooperation out of the prisoners with that type of approach. Wouldn't fly in western prisons.

What about CHAINS??Its medieval torture.You have not seen chains?even on picture?

[borovik]

Hello, I would like to see some proof of any torture before I can believe it. It is very dangerous to accuse the powerful people that can make the rules, or make things happen. Cheers.

go there and watch CHAINS!if you need any proof.

[DMasut]

on the letters page -

Regarding a recent article in The Nation about the Thai authorities' denial of torture in Thailand, this is an out and out lie.

I have witnessed this in progress at the following places while held illegally for a case that was dreamed up by the police and which was subsequently thrown out by the court: the Immigration Department detention centre, police cells and the Bangkok "Special" Prison.

Of course, it is very difficult to actually prove to others what goes on behind closed doors, as those in charge will never permit investigations, will never answer with the truth, and will ridicule anyone who tells what they have seen. There is also great danger for anyone who is known to have information or evidence.

Torture is common in the following forms and there are undoubtedly more: Beating of Burmese prisoners; the rape and sale of the young women; occasional acts against individuals that are far worse than "waterboarding" - a plastic bag over the head, handcuffs very tight on wrists and ankles, in which about six officers, supervised by a senior, beat the cuffs with their batons; beatings for prolonged periods with batons, repeated after intervals and the next day; guns stuck in the mouth with a threat to kill; no medical treatment.

In other cases the beatings are carried out by the officers' "sub-contractors" so that they have less chance of any action being taken against them. In police stations, Burmese are kept in dark rooms with no ventilation or light and very little, if anything, to eat. I could go on forever with what I have seen but no one would believe me

-- The Nation 29/07/09

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/topstory/3...in-Thai-prisons

SORRY!!! I SAW THE WORD TORTURE AND THOUGHT IT WAS A FORUM ON MARRIAGE!!! MY BAD!!!

Yes they have Torture in Thai prisons too!!!

But who will save the 'FREE MAN' from torture?!

Edited July 30, 2009 by DMasut

[DMasut]

Hello, I would like to see some proof of any torture before I can believe it. It is very dangerous to accuse the powerful people that can make the rules, or make things happen. Cheers.

go there and watch CHAINS!if you need any proof.

You only need to watch any American TV show or movie to see they also use shackled around the waste, wrists and ankles of prisoners

[bojo]

In 'welcome to hel_l', an Irishman's story of his 7 years or so in a Thai prison describes how guards/commandos I think they're called, would in some cases only hand over parcels to inmates from their wives/girlfriends, if their women would sleep with the guards first at a nearby hotel. Sounds pretty to torturous to me for all parties. How true again we'll never know.

Regards bojo

[hansnl]

Hello, I would like to see some proof of any torture before I can believe it. It is very dangerous to accuse the powerful people that can make the rules, or make things happen. Cheers.

To answer your first remark, read the post very well.

Anywhere in the world, if there is torture, by all means it is difficult to prove.

And torture can be in many forms, even without touching the tortured.

The proof is nearly impossible to bring into the light, all applying the torture tend to torture more or less secretly, and go to great lengths to keep it secret.

And of course, because it is very difficult to prove, the accuser runs in the high risk retribution,

Retribution in legal form and extra-legal form.

[zakk9]

I would be surprised if there weren't violent abuse in Thai prisons, and it starts before that. This is what happened to a Thai friend of mine a few days ago:

He was stopped by "Police Volunteers" in a "traffic control" in a small soi in Samut Prakan, where he lives and works. They claimed that he had made some minor traffic offense, which he hadn't, so he denied. To convince him that he was guilty as charged, the ten of them beat him up until they gave up and let him go. He went to the local police station, where he was ridiculed and asked why they should believe him. The Police Volunteers were ten and he was only one, so the others were obviously right.

I've seen photos that support his case, but I can't show any of it, since a formal complaint has been filed and it's an ongoing case. What the case does show, is that there is no respect for humans in parts of the Thai legal system, and that the Police Volunteers is yet another unit that will claim their part of the pie.

[brahmburgers]

As far as I know (ex thai jail guests) there's no torture at all in thai prisons. They can ocassionally torture you in order to speed the confession, but just with guilty guys.

....and who decides they're guilty?

That's an easy question. If they get arrested they are guilty. TIT!

That's a scary dynamic, and it's happened all too often in human history.

You're accused, therefore you're guilty

You're arrested, therefore you're guilty

Anything you say can be twisted around to bolster the accusers' claim of guilt.

The Spanish Inquisition was but one despicable chapter in the thick annals of sicko mentality.

I'm not saying that parts of the Thai injustice system is as bad as the Inquisition, but I'd venture that similarities exist. Even the King Power set-ups at the airport involved coercion and threats and detainment, which could be termed mild forms of torture.

[iko]

Thai legal system (and thai prisons) can be considered very tough etc. But I'm not sure I'd prefer a u.s.a. jail to a thai one. For sure in thai jail there's no forced sex (by inmates, wardens or guards) and the yard is not a hel_l like in many other civilized countries. The life conditions are scary (50 inmates in a 6 x7 meters cell) and the food is sh**t, but, as I said, I'm not sure U.s.a. jail are better and FOR SURE southamerican and african jails are long way worse than the thai one. The books mentioned above (which I read) do not talk about torture or harassment; also the irish guy talk about torture 'before' to force him to confess. As a matter of fact he was guilty of murder and he spent, if I'm not mistake, some 8 years in Jail. In the U.s. you get life or death penalty very esily if convicted for murder (any kind of).

[borovik]

Hello, I would like to see some proof of any torture before I can believe it. It is very dangerous to accuse the powerful people that can make the rules, or make things happen. Cheers.

go there and watch CHAINS!if you need any proof.

You only need to watch any American TV show or movie to see they also use shackled around the waste, wrists and ankles of prisoners

Go there and look!or take any book about Thai jail experience - you will see pictures of local jail chains.Chains! not shackles!MR Dmasut!

These chains are hammered around your ankles with one pound hammer and somebody's "sure" hand.There is no lock to open,its weight is many kilos.

When you are on death raw that number is more then 10(ten) kilos!and in this case - they are welded to your ankles.

Its truly medieval age device,used in uchanged form since centuries.

Anyway - everybody in LOS knows about it,why you do not know?Watching only American TV shows?

[somchai69]

Since we are mentioning TV images.

Is it really any better in your own country?

Prisons like Quantanamo Bay and Abou Ghraib come to mind??

[borovik]

Since we are mentioning TV images.

Is it really any better in your own country?

Prisons like Quantanamo Bay and Abou Ghraib come to mind??

I am persistent about this subject.Chains in Thai jails are famous(infamous - exactly).

They became icon or symbol and they should be changed.

If you look on pictures from US TV - you will see shackles which are made of stainless steel,very shiny

and clean.Thai jail chains are rusty,dirty and they create infections.They were good in XIX century.

In every country in Asia they have better shackles,then in LOS.

Now we have XXI century,another Millenium.

These rusty irons are disgrace for Thailand and they should be changed!Everybody knows it,everybody agrees with it,there is only inertia and lack of funds to do it.There is no question about it.

You argue - because you think,that that you are above the law and you will never go to jail here?

It can happen to anybody here,if you are unlucky;even some Thai police generals ended up there,

your feeling of security is false - times are changing.