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Majority Of Thais Still Back Death Penalty


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Majority of Thais still back death penalty

Pravit Rojanaphruk

The Nation

BANGKOK: -- The Thai chapter of Amnesty International (AI) wrapped up its three-day campaign by marking the International Day for the Abolition of the Death Penalty yesterday with a sober reminder that up to 80 per cent of Thais still support capital punishment according to surveys.

A panel speaker explained that the widespread support for the death penalty might have something to do with the Thai beliefs in revenge and retribution - which are both barbaric and undemocratic.

Political scientist Sirote Klampaiboon said Thai people were trapped in the revenge mentality despite the fact that there was still no verifiable correlation between the death penalty and a reduction in crime. He added that many people were still clinging to the undemocratic belief that the state had the right to kill in order to maintain law and order.

However, opponents of the law insist that capital punishment is both against the fundamental right to life and does not reduce the crime rate, he said.

"The debate is not going anywhere," said Sirote, who is a human-rights lecturer.

Pol Major Anek Ananthawan, also a human-rights lecturer at the Police Cadet Academy, said the struggle to end the death penalty in Thailand would be a long and difficult one because it depended on changing people's hearts and minds.

According to AI, Thailand is one of 57 nations to still have capital punishment. The director of AI's Thailand chapter, Parinya Boonridrerthaikul, said two-thirds of the world's nation states have already done away with the death penalty as it is deemed cruel and could lead to the accidental execution of an innocent person.

"We cannot solve violence by using violence," Parinya concluded.

According to AI, no state should be given the power to take anybody's life; the death penalty is discriminatory and often used disproportionately against the poor, the mentally ill, racial and ethnic minorities or because of sexual orientation or religion; and it inflicts pain on the families of those on death row.

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-- The Nation 2012-10-13

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It's not surprising that Thaivisa.com members would agree with the anti-progressive, brain-dead opinions of Thais on this subject...disregard for human life and lack of any sort of compassion are characteristics both of many Thais and the racist right-wing farang cabal which makes up much of the membership here. Yaaaawwwwwn.

Hold It right there,if a rapist attacks a woman his take away her right to go about her business unmolested.If a murder takes the life of a member of my family he takes their right to life.If you take away someones rights you must forfeit your own.
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As a deterrent, I don't think the death penalty works as at the time of committing a criminal act, consequences are rarely considered, nor is getting caught. As vengeance, killing the person responsible for a crime can work in helping some victims recover.

Edited by adrock212
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As a deterrent, I don't think the death penalty works as at the time of committing a criminal act, consequences are rarely considered, nor is getting caught. As vengeance, killing the person responsible for a crime can work in helping some victims recover.

I'm sure most Thai's abide by the "kill no living thing" teaching. rolleyes.gif

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The world would be a much better place if all the scum that walk this earth were executed. If someone brutally raped and murdered your girlfriend or mother, do you think we should all show them some compassion? I don't think people like that deserve any compassion whatsoever. They are scum and should be executed ASAP.

The statement is that the majority of Thai's back the death penalty, therefore relating it to Thailand, I think the death penalty is not sound in a country where people are forced to confess.

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Amnesty International needs to put their thinking cap on. I bet if someone killed one of their relatives they would believe in the death penalty. I a, glad Thais believe in the death penalty, it should be 100% backing not 80%

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The British Parliament voted to suspend the death penalty for murder in 1965, as the first step towards total abolition, against the evidence of opinion polls that the majority of the public still supported it. I wonder what percentage of the British public support it today.

I think it has been a common situation around the world that the general public is slow to support abolition but, once they get used to it, they don't want to return to the bad old days.

Edited by Arkady
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It's not surprising that Thaivisa.com members would agree with the anti-progressive, brain-dead opinions of Thais on this subject...disregard for human life and lack of any sort of compassion are characteristics both of many Thais and the racist right-wing farang cabal which makes up much of the membership here. Yaaaawwwwwn.

Bahahaha! cheesy.gifcheesy.gifcheesy.gif

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The British Parliament voted to suspend the death penalty for murder in 1965, as the first step towards total abolition, against the evidence of opinion polls that the majority of the public still supported it. I wonder what percentage of the British public support it today.

I think it has been a common situation around the world that the general public is slow to support abolition but, once they get used to it, they don't want to return to the bad old days.

The British Parliament voted to suspend the death penalty for murder in 1965, as the first step towards total abolition, against the evidence of opinion polls that the majority of the public still supported it. I wonder what percentage of the British public support it today.

I think it has been a common situation around the world that the general public is slow to support abolition but, once they get used to it, they don't want to return to the bad old days.

Thailand only 47 years behind the UK in having a forward thinking civilised society. I think you are being a tad generous squire

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Does the belief in reincarnation influence the Buddhist mindset into seeing the death sentence more as a compassionate and forgiving act, rather than life imprisonment as an alternative? If so, the harsher life sentence would contradict the western train of thought on this topic?

Just a thought as fortunately we all think differently.

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Personally I agree with the death sentence for certain offenses, however it should only be given where there is irrefutable evidence, and all proper appeals have been exhausted. With that in mind Thailand has a far too corrupt judicial system in place to safely hand out death sentences, the common statement of, "Because 'he/they' admitted the offense he/they will be spared the death sentence" in it's self stinks of the admissions being unlawfully obtained thus making the whole process unsafe.

That said I am sure hope trust maybe the Thai's who support the death penalty do so with the knowledge of the inherent corruption?whistling.gif

Edited by lizardtongue
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Does the belief in reincarnation influence the Buddhist mindset into seeing the death sentence more as a compassionate and forgiving act,

Don't know about 'the Buddhist mindset' whatever that is, but it's certainly something Buddha would not ascribe to

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