Ceremony marks end of firing squad

Needles to replace bullets for convicts

BANGKOK: After 68 years and 319 lives taken by the firing squad, a ceremony was held yesterday to mark the end of this execution style and the beginning of death row convicts getting lethal injections.

An amendment to article 19 of the Penal Code allowing execution by lethal injection took effect yesterday.

The ceremony, held at the Bang Khwang Central Prison, was attended by prison commander Pithaya Sangkhanakhin and Corrections Department officials.

The ceremony began with a prayer by four monks at the execution room.

Outgoing executioner Chaowaret Charuboon then handed his duty to a group of prison staff who will administer the injections.

``I'm happy to hand over my duty today so that I don't have to kill anybody anymore because it is a very stressful and difficult work,'' said Mr Chaowaret, 55.

``I've been in this job for over 30 years. I believe I have many chao kam nai wane (sins to pay for). I have a whole lot of merit making to do.''

Mr Chaowaret will retire in five years.

A German-made HKMP-5 sub-machinegun _ used in many of the 319 executions _ was then locked up in a crate.

A total of 319 balloons, representing the souls of the executed convicts, which included three women, were released into the sky.

Mr Pithaya said a new execution room being built was expected to be completed in three months.

After that the old execution area with its firing range and equipment would become a museum.

There are now 31 convicts on death row.

It is not known who will be the first to die by lethal injection, expected in December this year.

Mr Pithaya said lethal injections were a less cruel form of capital punishment. He hoped Thailand would eventually scrap the death sentence in favour of life imprisonment.

Before turning to the firing squad, Thailand executed convicts by beheading them.

--Bangkok Post 2003-10-20

Bangkok-Post / 11.01.2002

Corrections Department chief Siwa Saengmanee yesterday

said preparations were under way to introduce the new method of execution which would replace death by shooting.

A mixture of three drugs is usually used overseas: sodium

thiopental, commercially known as sodium pentothal, which

induces sleep; pancuronium bromide, which stops breathing;

and potassium chloride, which stops the heart.

He said 20-30 convicts would be executed by shooting this year with about 300 others on death row appealing against

the death penalty.

``We want to deal with them in a non-violent way,''

Sure! everybody knows this, killing someone is a non-violent act!

I have never agreed with any kind of death penalty  

it's like we become ''almighty soul judges' ...

kill a killer and become a killer yourself!

just like GWB, serial killer before to be named president  

no mercy! no forgiving!

where are our human's values?

gone in the name of a superficail society sticked to profit and greed  

it's always cheaper to kill someone than to keep this person behind bars for life .... no comment!

sad sad world