Aug 25

Executed Prisoners Leave Bang Kwang

By Richard Barrow Email

Tuesday 25th August, 2009 | 276 words | Category: Thai Prison Life | 6 feedbacks »

For the second time yesterday, Thailand executed prisoners by lethal injection. Six prisoners have now been executed in this manner. Up until December 2002, the method of execution was by machine gun. In 2003 this was changed to lethal injection and the first execution of four prisoners took place in December of that year. For the following six years there have been no executions despite the fact that there are now 832 prisoners on death row. Out of these, 127 prisoners have exhausted their rights of appeal and could be executed at any time with little or no notice. They are given a chance to telephone relatives but can only speak for one minute.

Early this morning, relatives of the two executed prisoners came to collect the bodies from the execution chamber. For some reason, 80 students from a local Junior High school were allowed into the prison. The teacher said that she wanted to show the students the consequence of doing bad things. The small parade, led by a monk, left the morgue next to the execution chamber and headed towards Wat Bang Praek Tai. The only way that prisoners on Death Row can leave Bang Kwang is through a small red door behind the execution chamber. They leave here in coffins. This door hasn't been opened for a while so they had to spray oil on the hinges and use a crowbar to get it open.

Visit Thai Prison Life for more information about prisons in Thailand. Also, click here to see newspaper pictures of the two prisoners praying before their execution. This was on the front page of Daily News this morning. These pictures were from Manager Newspaper.

Do you have any questions about Thailand? Maybe you are planning a holiday or just want to learn more about Thai culture. Have all of your questions answered for free at ThailandQA.com. These forums are part of the family friendly Paknam Web Network.

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Comment from: Khun Don
*****
That little red door is also known as the "Ghost door" as it is believed the dead prisoners ghost "escapes" through it with the coffinand body.
26/08/2009 @ 01:02
Comment from: Sved
Seeing the monks I wonder how they view the death penalty?

Or perhaps they consider it part of the wordly business which they shall not interfer in? After all they considered the Burmanese monks to be nothing more then ordinary people who happened to have a shaved head after they demonstrated.
26/08/2009 @ 07:05
Comment from: Richard Barrow Email · http://www.richardbarrow.com
The monk was once interviewed by the BBC for a documentary. This is what he has to say:

"Giving last rites to a prisoner is not easy but I have become used to it. I tell him that he is lucky that he knows his destiny and able to clear his conscience, unlike myself. If a car hits me right after this, I might not have a chance die with a pure mind. It's a blessing in disguise."

He thinks execution is like the king slaying enemies in wars past. Both, he says, are sinful, but done to protect the country and therefore allowed.
26/08/2009 @ 08:12
Comment from: Stephen Cleary
That teacher needs a lesson in morals. Howabout every time there is a fatal motorbike road crash where the moto driver was in the wrong and unfortunately died - should school teachers bring a bunch of kids to see the corpse and say "This is what happens if...."
As i wrote earlier, as the new govt has only just stated their very own 'war on drugs' - these executions broadcast all over the local media, look like a copycat version of 2003. A popular way to win hearts and minds of the locals and so win votes in a new election.

Going on from what Sved asked: According to an ABAC poll carried out a few years back, 70% of monks supported Thaksin's 'war on drugs' where 2,500+ people died.
26/08/2009 @ 08:18
Comment from: david
*****
celui qui execute une personne est un criminel même si cela est la loi ou l'autoritée, ont ne peut executer aucune personne dans le monde entier sinon ont devient des criminels la seule chose possible pour condanner une personne c'est la prison avec possibilité de réinserré cette personne un jour dans la vie normale car tout le monde à le droit de pouvoir se sortir d'un mauvais passage de sa vie ; donc avis à tout les pays du monde et magistrats, ministres,chef d'états,rois,reines / VOUS êtes les gardiens de la vie et de la paix sur cette terre c'est votre respossabilité qui est en jeu ne l'oublié pas car vous subirez à chaque fois le même sort dans votre vie actuelle ou dans la seconde vie. ne soyez plus des assassins
30/08/2009 @ 15:21
Comment from: hans zegers Email · http://www.gevangeninthailand.nl
*----
Incredible that this can go on in today' s world. Goverments should boycot thailand.
I now a lot of people inside and they don' t deserve to die.
It is a violation of human rights, the excecution and the way the prisoners are held
06/09/2009 @ 19:50

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