Thai editorial: No confidence in the rule of law

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
No confidence in the rule of law
The Nation

There are those who are willing to bypass the law and hire contract killers because they don't believe the legal system can deliver justice

BANGKOK: -- Former national shooting star Jakkrit Panitphatikam has become the latest victim of what police believe to be hired assassins. A gunman on a motorcycle killed him in a drive-by attack last Saturday night as he was driving his Porsche. Police suspect a personal conflict could be the motive.

Local football referees have also been targeted recently by gunmen, though luckily none has been killed. There have been other recent shootings by hired hitmen - some of them unreported, possibly because the victims were not "high-profile" enough.

Personal conflict is a major reason behind gun attacks in Thailand. Clearly there are people who opt to hire gunmen to settle scores with enemies rather than seeking a personal, non-violent resolution or simply calling the cops and leaving it to the courts. The unavoidable conclusion is that these people do not trust the justice system - or view the legal process as too costly in time and money.

Hitmen in police custody have admitted to being paid Bt10,000 to Bt200,000 to pull the trigger, depending on the difficulty involved, even Bt1 million in rare cases.

A 62-year-old man who was long on the list of wanted gunmen claims to have killed 70 people in his career. He was arrested recently after murdering a married couple - not for pay but out of anger.

There have been cases, again rare, in which the masterminds were arrested after the hired killers incriminated them. According to the law, a person who hires someone to kill another person is subject to the same penalty as the perpetrator, which is death by execution. However, the rich and powerful escape this fate, assisted by legal loopholes and corrupt officials in the justice system. More often, of course, arrested gunmen refuse to finger their employer, possibly due to fear for their own safety or that of their family.

In the rarest of cases, a wealthy or powerful person behind a gun attack has been jailed. This usually only happens when the victim is a foreigner and the government of his home country places intense pressure on Thai authorities to find the culprits.

There was one case when the gunman revealed the mastermind's identity after he became aware that his victim was widely respected and not a bad person, as his employer had told him. It's difficult not to grasp at such news as a sign of hope in this sordid business.

But is there any real hope that we can reduce the number of contract killings in Thailand? It could only happen if the law was fairly and strictly enforced and officials of the justice system, particularly the police, perform their duties in an honest manner. That is a big "if". Prospective masterminds behind assassinations will only be deterred if they know that diligent and thorough police investigations will track them down. And only with that will the demand for hired guns decline accordingly.


-- The Nation 2013-10-24

[NongKhaiKid]

To balance this how about those who do have confidence in the legal system ?

These of course are those who are rich, well connected, have a family name or any of the trappings of position that VIPs and hi-so enjoy and are confident the law will not touch them because of who they are.

[slapout]

I would agree with the last paragraph, but I would offer the opinion that the problem is not a result of enforcement of the law, as proposed, but rather a way to get something real or imagined, with the least cost/effort expended by one of the parties involved.

[EricBerg]

Is there a "mastermind" behind some idiot trying to shoot a local football referee?

Improve quality and integrity of the police and the murder-rate will go down.

If the top of society (political leaders, big businessmen) is dirty, how can one expect others to remain clean? Images of the misunderstood fugitive jetting around with a passport his pm sis arranged for him, buying and selling premier league football clubs, drinking red bull are not exactly stimulating others to stick to the rules.

[edwinchester]

How can there be any confidence in the rule of law when the police are a huge part of the problem.

After a burglary at our home we had a big problem as the prime suspect enjoyed police protection as he dealt drugs for the investigating officer!

Another officer who,shall we say, didn't like what was going on offered to have the burglary suspect 'taken care' of.

Rotten to the very core.

[DocN]

Those are things, that make people loose faith in the rule of law?

Here are some more examples, that are far more easy to see: Red Bull- Santhika, Merceds & Bus Stop, 16 year old with no drivers license, guy shooting police- man in crowded nightclub....aaaaah...mai pen rai!

[Bluespunk]

'No confidence in the rule of law'

For there to be confidence in the rule of law, there needs to be rule of law.

[jpeg]

The police tried to get money out of my adversaries, they refused, the captain then sent my case to the local prosecutor who told them they were to be prosecuted. That made them sit up so they bribed said local prosecutor instead. Guess which province I'm in

[hansnl]

The police tried to get money out of my adversaries, they refused, the captain then sent my case to the local prosecutor who told them they were to be prosecuted. That made them sit up so they bribed said local prosecutor instead. Guess which province I'm in

I give up

[Lancelot]

Not always true about influential people doing prison time if the victim is a foreigner. The Saudi Blue Diamond case is an good example. After the jewel theft and subsequent murder of Saudi diplomats, the Saudi government expelled almost 200,000 Thai guest workers.

The case remains unsolved...

[Rykbanlor]

It's not a lack of confidence in the rule of law. More obviously, these shootings are carried out because the disputes that fuel them are of a criminal nature and therefore not resolvable by conventional means. However it is the lack of justice for the wealthy, as noted in the article, and the lacklustre and corrupt police force that are the real problem.

Whoever wanted this athlete dead didn't have the option of going to the Police surely? hahaha, not that I don't think they're capable of making a hit

Edited October 24, 2013 by Rykbanlor

[soi41]

Amongst primitive people violence seems to be the only way to solve disputes!!

Conclusion: ????

[Baerboxer]

Life is cheap here and plenty want money for little work. So its easy and cheap to find someone to do the deed.

Same in many countries around the world that have corrupt governments and police forces, poverty, a massive divide between the have and the have-nots, and no real interest in enforcing a fair, just society for all.

HiSo's and the well connected or protected here know they are all above the law. So they take actions against one another outside the law too.

30 years ago a potential business client was shot dead on a golf course here. Things ain't changed for the better!

[FarangTalk]

Rotten to the very core.

Quite simply this.

[Emdog]

Having "confidence in the rule of law" in Thailand is akin to believing in the tooth fairy, neither of which exists. If one had confidence, that might be grounds enough for a stay at a mental health facility.

[Halion]

How can there be any confidence in the rule of law when the police are a huge part of the problem.

After a burglary at our home we had a big problem as the prime suspect enjoyed police protection as he dealt drugs for the investigating officer!

Another officer who,shall we say, didn't like what was going on offered to have the burglary suspect 'taken care' of.

Rotten to the very core.

Can not disagree that the RTP are dysfunctional, corrupt and have an abysmal record with regard to any semblance of social justice,enforcement and control. They are to all intent and purpose utterly useless.

However, they simply represent the effect and not the cause. The real cause lies within the responsibilities of decades of Thai Governance that openly allows this fiasco to promulgate. The RTP do as they wish simply because they can. The elite and privileged of this nation have no intention of revising a system that is nothing more than window dressing with non taxable profits. When it come to 'rule of law' in Thailand two separate scenarios come into play. The rules are flexible and there is only the law of the day in question.

Legal protocol and systemic justice do not exist in any shape or form in this highly corrupted kinder-garden country.

[indyuk]

A few things to get started in cleaning up Thailand:-

1) Introduce strict gun laws and enforce them with vigour.

2) Disarm the Thai Police force and leave the serious crime resolution to the P.A.R.U. or similar.

3) Legalise all soft drugs.

- abolish the crime of 'Drug Consumer'.

4) Legalise Gambling.

5) Evaluate all Police recruits by a 'panel Interview' of three senior police officers and a Lawyer. (No exam papers).