Prison drugs prompt new death calls
Latest revelations reignite debate on capital punishment
- ucanews.com reporter, Bangkok
- Thailand
- February 8, 2012
Revelations that prisoners are dealing in narcotics while behind bars have led to growing calls to implement the death penalty more widely for drug offenses.
The calls come after police general Adul Sangsingkeo, acting secretary-general of the narcotics control board, was quoted by local media earlier this week as saying that jailed drug offenders were continuing their activities behind prison walls using mobile phones.
This prompted deputy prime minister Chalerm Yubamrung to say he would back moves to shorten the appeals process for drug offenders sentenced to death and expedite their executions.
In the last week, many phones were found in a high-security jail when prisoners were removed and the entire premises searched.
A survey held by a TV station soon after the revelations suggested that public opinion remained overwhelmingly in favor of the death penalty.
The death penalty still exists in Thailand for murder and drug trafficking, but executions are rarely carried out. The last executions were of two drug traffickers in July 2009. In 2010 the country abstained in a vote on a UN resolution calling for a moratorium on capital punishment.
Rights groups and activists have condemned the calls.
At an anti-death penalty film show held yesterday at Srinakharinwirot university in Bangkok, Parinya Boonridrerthaikul, director of Amnesty International Thailand, reminded the government that its National Human Rights Action Plan (2009-2013) included abolishing capital punishment.
“I don’t agree with the death penalty. A long sentence is enough for drug offenders. What if someone is wrongly convicted?” said Attaphon Khankaew, a student at the university.
Commenting on the revelation that prisoners were still connected to the drug trade behind bars, he said: “We need to question the Correction Department since there is something amiss with the detention system.”
Sarawut Prathumraj, a rights lawyer for the Union for Civil Liberty, said “the government needs to support prisoners and turn them into useful citizens by providing vocational skills,” and not kill them.
With regard to offences taking place in jails he said: “authorities should seriously investigate if prison officers are involved too.”
The calls come after police general Adul Sangsingkeo, acting secretary-general of the narcotics control board, was quoted by local media earlier this week as saying that jailed drug offenders were continuing their activities behind prison walls using mobile phones.
This prompted deputy prime minister Chalerm Yubamrung to say he would back moves to shorten the appeals process for drug offenders sentenced to death and expedite their executions.
In the last week, many phones were found in a high-security jail when prisoners were removed and the entire premises searched.
A survey held by a TV station soon after the revelations suggested that public opinion remained overwhelmingly in favor of the death penalty.
The death penalty still exists in Thailand for murder and drug trafficking, but executions are rarely carried out. The last executions were of two drug traffickers in July 2009. In 2010 the country abstained in a vote on a UN resolution calling for a moratorium on capital punishment.
Rights groups and activists have condemned the calls.
At an anti-death penalty film show held yesterday at Srinakharinwirot university in Bangkok, Parinya Boonridrerthaikul, director of Amnesty International Thailand, reminded the government that its National Human Rights Action Plan (2009-2013) included abolishing capital punishment.
“I don’t agree with the death penalty. A long sentence is enough for drug offenders. What if someone is wrongly convicted?” said Attaphon Khankaew, a student at the university.
Commenting on the revelation that prisoners were still connected to the drug trade behind bars, he said: “We need to question the Correction Department since there is something amiss with the detention system.”
Sarawut Prathumraj, a rights lawyer for the Union for Civil Liberty, said “the government needs to support prisoners and turn them into useful citizens by providing vocational skills,” and not kill them.
With regard to offences taking place in jails he said: “authorities should seriously investigate if prison officers are involved too.”
