Regional News
Thailand’s Ministry of Justice Looks to Abolish Death Penalty
The last execution in Thailand in fact took place in April 2009
BANGKOK – Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Justice Chanchao Chaiyanukit has said Thailand’s death penalty may soon be abolished in the near future. His statement came after delegates from around the world overwhelmingly supported the UN’s proposal for suspension of death sentence.
Chanchao Chaiyanukit, said “The Ministry of Justice has drafted its plan for national human rights. The goal of the plan is to abolish death penalty”
He continued, “It is possible for us to abolish death penalty, if we manage to accomplish the national human rights plan and convince the public to be confident that the Ministry can still punish wrongdoers without death penalty.”
Chanchao Chaiyanukit’s comments came after Bowornsak Uwanno, the head of the junta-appointed Constitutional Drafting Committee (CDC), suggested that it is time for Thailand to do away with death penalty. Bowornsak said he planned to push ahead with his proposal by adding a clause in the new Constitution to explicitly ban death sentence in Thailand.
Chanchao told Khaosod yesterday that such constitutional clause “can be done.”
Current Thai laws allow execution for those convicted of serious crimes such as premeditated murder, armed robbery or rape that leads to deaths, and insurrection against the state. Read More….
