Thai Execution

[kurgen]

I've always wondered how they did it

http://www.richard.clark32.btinternet.co.uk/bangkwan.jpg

[Axel]

In Thailand, any person sentenced to death shall be shot to death. Before 1935 it was beheading.

Interesting picture, though, protecting the excutioner.

[bkkmadness]

Its not shooting anymore, its been lethal injection for a few years now.

[Patsycat]

Well, he seems to have a big syringe in his hands!

[Totster]

Interesting picture, though, protecting the excutioner.

Ha.. the executioner has not guts..

totster

[Axel]

Its not shooting anymore, its been lethal injection for a few years now.

Yes, sorry.

You are right. Changed in 2003.

http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/engAS...open&of=eng-392

[kurgen]

Interesting picture, though, protecting the excutioner.

Ha.. the executioner has not guts..

totster

nor did the poor sod, after they shot him

[Diablo Bob]

Edited by Diablo Bob

[Sir Burr]

I always thought a Thai execution involved a sharp knife and a handy duck....

[GuestHouse]

In Thailand, any person sentenced to death shall be shot to death.

And therein lies the problem. Who gets sentenced to death and who does not.

[Patex]

Well, he seems to have a big syringe in his hands!

Doog Boa, a single, white Lotusflower no syringe...

[AmeriThai]

I always thought a Thai execution involved a sharp knife and a handy duck....

The sentence of involuntary sex change an angry Thai mia executes on her pua after convicting him of being a two-timer.

[samran]

It looks like a wax model display really.......

[dvk1951]

Not only is the executioner screened, but the accused has his back to the ' high velocity syringe'. Adds a whole new twist to "back to the future".

[mittheimp]

Has nobody got anything more profound and intelligent to say on this subject than lame jokes? The rate of execution in Thailand is one of the highest in the world - often after a speedy (unfair?) trial and disproportionally administered to the poor and powerless?

How does this fit in with the Buddhist precept of not taking the life of living beings!

Is there any kind of capital punishment abolishionist pressure group in Thailand?

[jackr]

How does this fit in with the Buddhist precept of not taking the life of living beings!

Simple. As long as they make merit they're in the clear

[elkangorito]

I suppose that before Buddhism was transformed into a 'religion', there was probably no way to 'make merit'. As in some other countries that use the death penalty, religions are manipulated & distorted to make the murdering of individuals a morally acceptable act.

I don't buy this...the death penalty has, in no way, prevented or even reduced any of the crimes it stands for. Therefore, it is nothing less than cold blooded murder.

It also confuses society. Getting sentenced to death for murdering someone is hipocritical.

Some governments seems h el_l bent on teaching hate & in the next breath, demand compassion & tolerance.

[Farma]

Many years ago the Bangkok Post had a 2 page story on a retiring executioner. I think it was in Outlook. The procedure/ritual was very complex leading up to a shooting execution as it was in those days.

The idea of the screen between the executioner and the condemned man was to fulfill the Buddhist belief in not killing. In theory the executioner is only shooting a screen and not the person behind the screen.

[Diablo Bob]

I don't buy this...the death penalty has, in no way, prevented or even reduced any of the crimes it stands for. Therefore, it is nothing less than cold blooded murder.

It also confuses society. Getting sentenced to death for murdering someone is hipocritical.

I must agree and disagree.

I agree that the Death Penalty has not prevented or reduced any of the crimes. I don't really see that the Death Penalties purpose is to teach other people a lesson, but to teach the person receiving the penalty the ultimate lesson. Anybody who is converted along the way is just iceing on the cake.

I also don't see much confusion from my society (USA), again you are given this penalty for pre-meditated murder and treason (Which has basically been a life sentance the past 50 yrs.) There is no hipocracy involved. The penalty for murder is death.........

[elkangorito]

Hi Bob. My comments in blue.

I don't buy this...the death penalty has, in no way, prevented or even reduced any of the crimes it stands for. Therefore, it is nothing less than cold blooded murder.

It also confuses society. Getting sentenced to death for murdering someone is hipocritical.

I must agree and disagree.

I agree that the Death Penalty has not prevented or reduced any of the crimes. I don't really see that the Death Penalties purpose is to teach other people a lesson, but to teach the person receiving the penalty the ultimate lesson. I'm sure that after the 'criminal' has been 'dealt with' (murdered), he/she will not commit the same crime again. Obviously, they have learnt their lesson. Anybody who is converted along the way is just iceing on the cake.

I also don't see much confusion from my society (USA), again you are given this penalty for pre-meditated murder and treason (Which has basically been a life sentance the past 50 yrs.) There is no hipocracy involved. The penalty for murder is death......... Can't you see anything hipocritical in this act?

[Diablo Bob]

elkangorito,

I am sorry, but I truly do not see any hipocracy in the death penalty.

But I must tell you why, I had a very good friend of mine murdered 11 years ago in a rather brutal way...... She was married with 4 children. The murderer was (In his own words) just having a "Little Fun".....

This piece of trash is still waiting for his sentence to be carried out, I for one will have no tears for this animal.

Maybe the only hipocracy I see is that his death will not be as brutal as his slaying of my friend..... sad, isn't it.

[Toni]

Many years ago the Bangkok Post had a 2 page story on a retiring executioner. I think it was in Outlook. The procedure/ritual was very complex leading up to a shooting execution as it was in those days.

The idea of the screen between the executioner and the condemned man was to fulfill the Buddhist belief in not killing. In theory the executioner is only shooting a screen and not the person behind the screen.

CRUEL and unusual

Inside Bangkok’s very own museum of torture

Story by Ian Neubauer

It’s hard to imagine the terrors that took place on the lush green lawns of Bang Lamphu’s Romanirat Park. Until 1991, this inner-city sanctuary housed the infamous Bangkok Remand Prison, one of the institutions former farang inmate Warren Fellows wrote about in his bestselling book The Damage Done.

Fellows was jailed in 1978 after being caught in a Bangkok hotel room with a large amount of heroin he was intending to smuggle to his native Australia. During his 12 years of incarceration here, Fellows witnessed, experienced and eventually wrote about many of the elaborate torture techniques used by Thai prison guards to discipline and maintain order among inmates.

Introduced into law in 1435, many of these tortures were later outlawed under the penal code of 1908. Yet, according to Fellows, some of these tortures continued to be employed with impunity by some of the prison officials charged with his care.

The Corrections Department says these practises are now no longer used. To prove the point, they’ve even built a small museum in Rommanirat Park illustrating the tortures being carried out on wax dummies and dubbed it, appropriately, the Corrections Museum.

Located in the northeast corner of the park, the museum’s displays have been cleverly installed inside individual prison cells in the prison’s last surviving ward. This way visitors are forced to step inside these cells, which still reek of dampness, and experience for a short time what is like being on the “inside”…………

………..Fellows (imprisoned 1978 for 12 years AU) describes how guards used shackles to punish and routinely restrain inmates – a practice that contravenes the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment…………

…………The Bangkok Corrections Museum is not for faint-hearted. Nonetheless it offers fascinating insight to a part of Thailand’s darker past and impetus to support reforms that are slowly making Thai penitentiaries more humane and geared toward rehabilitation instead of pure punishment…………

One photo showing an execution with the text: “Superstitious executioners preferred to machine-gun people in the back.”

Source: International Herald Tribune THAI DAY; August 26, 2005, Thailand

[techie]

Has anyone got any statistics on the amount of executions in the last few years, i get the feeling hardly any have taken place...

Even though the death penalty is in place in thailand, which i dont personally agree with, it doesnt carry out as many as other countries......

just be glad you dont live in China, iran, saudi arabia or the great usa........

[elkangorito]

elkangorito,

I am sorry, but I truly do not see any hipocracy in the death penalty.

But I must tell you why, I had a very good friend of mine murdered 11 years ago in a rather brutal way...... She was married with 4 children. The murderer was (In his own words) just having a "Little Fun".....

This piece of trash is still waiting for his sentence to be carried out, I for one will have no tears for this animal.

Maybe the only hipocracy I see is that his death will not be as brutal as his slaying of my friend..... sad, isn't it.

I guess that what I'm trying to say is that on the one hand, a government says that it is illegal for a human to kill another human. On the other hand, the government is saying that it's ok to kill a human because it's a morally correct killing.

To me, killing is killing. There is no 'correct' or 'incorrect' killing of a human. To me, there is no 'right' or 'wrong' killing of a human. I don't believe in 'payback' & nor do I believe in killing another human to make the 'living' feel better. I don't believe that each human life is of any different value to that of any other human life. We are all the same in this respect.

I will beg to differ as I believe that the death penalty is sick & hipocritical.

[Diablo Bob]

I guess that what I'm trying to say is that on the one hand, a government says that it is illegal for a human to kill another human. On the other hand, the government is saying that it's ok to kill a human because it's a morally correct killing.

To me, killing is killing. There is no 'correct' or 'incorrect' killing of a human. To me, there is no 'right' or 'wrong' killing of a human. I don't believe in 'payback' & nor do I believe in killing another human to make the 'living' feel better. I don't believe that each human life is of any different value to that of any other human life. We are all the same in this respect.

I will beg to differ as I believe that the death penalty is sick & hipocritical.

This is your right to believe as you do.......

I just disagree with reasoning developed from personal experiences but also from a culture that overwhelmingly supports the death penalty. I think that your beliefs are flawed and ignore the rights of the victoms.

Again, I respect your right to believe in your philisopohy.

[dvk1951]

QUOTE from mittheimp POST 15,

Has nobody got anything more profound and intelligent to say on this subject than lame jokes? The rate of execution in Thailand is one of the highest in the world - often after a speedy (unfair?) trial and disproportionally administered to the poor and powerless?

END QUOTE

I can not decide what is more profound, lame jokes or lame statistics............

As quoted from Amnesty International website: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAC...open&of=ENG-392

Death sentences and executions in 2005

During 2005, at least 2,148 people were executed in 22 countries. At least 5,186 people were sentenced to death in 53 countries. These were only minimum figures; the true figures were certainly higher.

Executions are known to have been carried out in the following countries in 2005:

BANGLADESH

BELARUS

CHINA

INDONESIA

IRAN

IRAQ

JAPAN

JORDAN

KOREA (North)

KUWAIT

LIBYA MONGOLIA

PAKISTAN

PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

SAUDI ARABIA

SINGAPORE

SOMALIA

TAIWAN

USA

UZBEKISTAN

VIET NAM

YEMEN

Death sentences are known to have been imposed in the following countries and territories in 2005:

AFGHANISTAN LEBANON

ALGERIA LIBYA

BAHAMAS MALAWI

BAHRAIN MALAYSIA

BANGLADESH MALI

BELIZE MONGOLIA

BARBADOS MOROCCO

BURKINA FASO NIGERIA

BURUNDI OMAN

CHINA PAKISTAN

CONGO (Democratic Republic) PHILIPPINES

EGYPT QATAR

ETHIOPIA SAUDI ARABIA

GHANA SINGAPORE

GUINEA SOMALIA

INDIA SRI LANKA

INDONESIA SUDAN

IRAN SYRIA

IRAQ TAIWAN

JAMAICA TANZANIA

JAPAN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

JORDAN UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

KAZAKSTAN UZBEKISTAN

KOREA (North) VIET NAM

KOREA (South) YEMEN

KUWAIT ZIMBABWE

LAOS

As in previous years, the vast majority of executions worldwide were carried out in a tiny handful of countries. In 2005, 94 per cent of all known executions took place in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the USA.

Based on public reports available, Amnesty International estimated that at least 1,770 people were executed in China during the year, although the true figures were believed to be much higher. A Chinese legal expert was recently quoted as stating the figure for executions is approximately 8,000 based on information from local officials and judges, but official national statistics on the application of the death penalty remained classified as a state secret.

Iran executed at least 94 people, and Saudi Arabia at least 86. There were 60 executions in the USA.

END QUOTE

Seems the above lists are missing the one country we are discussing...........THAILAND. Even with the disclaimers, it would appear that Thailand does not rank amoung the highest in the world as you stated.

How does this fit in with the Buddhist precept of not taking the life of living beings!

Most religions have no problems justifying taking the life of a human being under the 'right' circumstances.

Is there any kind of capital punishment abolishionist pressure group in Thailand?

Try Amnesty International for starters. http://www.amnesty.org/

So it would appear that your lame attempt at statistics failed, or was it just another lame attempt at humor.

[danone]

actually, the image is not correct.

the executioner pulls a string attached to the trigger of the gun.

its the thai buddhists' whay of execution: facing judgement day, nobody can say he pulled the trigger.

it was that string pulling the trigger.

[elkangorito]

How about this;

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAS...open&of=ENG-392

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Public Statement

AI Index: ASA 39/006/2006 (Public)

News Service No: 014

18 January 2006

Thailand: Death sentences of Wichai Somkhaoyai and Bualoi Posit

Amnesty International expressed its concern at the sentencing to death of Wichai Somkhaoyai and Bualoi Posit, sentenced today for the rape and murder of UK national Katherine Horton in early January 2005.

The judge in their case stated that he was handing down the most severe punishment on the basis of the inhumanity of the crime.

Amnesty International urges that the death penalty is not applied in this or any case. The gravity and inhumanity of this crime warrants punishment --- but not the inhumane punishment of the death penalty, said the organisation.

Amnesty International opposes the imposition of the death penalty in all circumstances, as a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, and has urged the Thai authorities to impose a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the practice in law.

To Amnesty International’s knowledge no executions have been carried out in Thailand since December 2003.

Amnesty International urged that the authorities to maintain this welcome de facto moratorium and not recommence executions. The death penalty is no solution to crime, and has no uniquely deterrent effect.

For example, to have a real impact on cases of violence against women such as these, the Thai authorities will have to introduce a systematic program of legislative and practical initiatives including full and fair investigation of all cases whatever the nationality of the victim or the profile of the perpetrator.

There are more than 1,000 men and women on death row in Thailand. The sentences of 124 persons -- the majority for drug crime -- have been confirmed.

The importance that all trials meet international standards of fairness is particularly highlighted in cases, including this one, where the death penalty, the final and irreversible punishment, may be applied, said Amnesty International.

In this high profile case, the speed of prosecution raises concern that the individuals may not have had time to mount an adequate defence. Wichai Somkhaoyai and Bualoi Posit were tried, convicted and sentenced in just over a week after they were arrested. In addition, reported statements by the Prime Minister prior to the trial calling for the imposition of the death sentence have had the potential to influence the fairness of this trial and its outcome.

The pair are reported to have confessed to the crime. Amnesty International has raised concern in the past at the emphasis placed on the use of confessions as evidence in capital trials in Thailand, particularly because of the risk that torture may have been used to elicit them.

Amnesty International urged that the Court of Appeals, which will automatically review this sentence, examine these issues. The organization also urges Thai authorities to act to ensure that due process is observed in all trials, and pending abolition of the death penalty, particularly in capital cases.

Background

If suspects admit guilt in capital cases, their sentences are often reduced to life imprisonment. Those convicted also have the right to appeal to a higher court and to apply for royal clemency. Many prisoners on death row are held continuously in metal shackles, in contravention of international standards.

Amnesty International has raised concern with Thai authorities over a number of years at endemic weaknesses in the criminal justice system. Among the concerns raised have been the slow pace of investigations into human rights violations and abuses, and long delays in trials. Torture or ill-treatment has frequently been used as a means of extracting information or confessions from criminal suspects.

[Diablo Bob]

Amnesty International opposes the imposition of the death penalty in all circumstances, as a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment, and has urged the Thai authorities to impose a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the practice in law.

Sorry, but where is the victims rights addressed here? Didn't they have a right to life? Didn't they have a right to breathe and enjoy life. How can you stoop so low as to say these criminals are being denied their rights?

The only problem I see in the Thai execution method is that the criminal doesn't get to see his executioner and I don't think the families of their victims get the opportunity to enjoy the show.

I shed no tears for these sub-humans and only wish that in my country we increase the rate of carrying out the sentence.

[elkangorito]

I guess that 2 'wrongs' = 1 'right'