Killing Thai prisoners-Gary Graeme Jones

[CJ Hinke FACT comments: All of us should care about our fellow human beings who happen to be prisoners. FACT readers will want to read two blogs: Thai Prison Life http://www.thaiprisonlife.com/ and I Am a Prisoner in the Bangkok Hilton http://garygraemejones.blogspot.com/. The third episode of the British reality TV show, Big Trouble in Tourist Thailand focuses on the Bang Kwang executions. Spare some time for a prisoner…]

Executions have restarted in Bang Kwang Prison

Dr. Gary Graeme Jones

I Am a Prisoner in the Bangkok Hilton: October 4, 2009

http://garygraemejones.blogspot.com/2009/10/executions-have-restarted-in-bang-kwang.html

It has recently been reported that Thailand has restarted executions of Death Row prisoners. The two that were executed were friends of mine that lived with me here in the same building. The two men Bundit Charoenwanich, 45, and Jirawat Phumpruek, 52, were taken in the night and only given 60 minutes to write their last wills and have a one minute phone call to their families before being executed by lethal injection. This was the first executions carried out by Thailand since 2003.

As prisoners, some of us were aware that the lethal injections had been delivered to Bang Kwang prison, but it seems that the decision to execute both men from D2 building was the sole decision of Natee Jitsawang, the Director-General of the Department of Corrections. It was not, so it seems, the decision of the Thai Government, a fact also reported by the BBC World Service.

Now that the prisoners have been shown that executions can happen at any time “Life Insurance” is now being paid to the Building Chief, Bunlom Conwichet by most of the 24 names listed below. This is a bribe paid so that the poor unfortunates names are not next on the list for the lethal injection. The bribe is anywhere from 1000Baht to 5000Bhat per month (between GBP18 and GBP100) depending on the perceived wealth and nationality of the person on Death Row.

This is probably true in other buildings as well, but it is very difficult to find out any news. The screws make it virtually impossible to communicate between buildings and Death Row inmates are not allowed to attend the Mosque on Fridays, or any other day come to that. They are also not allowed to leave Death Row to pray at the Monday Buddhist sessions.

Some will say that these men all deserve what is coming to them as they are Drug dealers and therefore deserve to die. There are many reasons that this is wrong but we can leave it to the official Thai figures quoted by the Head of the Thai Supreme Court, Pramarn Dongsue, that 30% of the inmates are in fact innocent of the crimes they have been convicted for. One third. Surely even the most rabid supporters of the death penalty have to recognise that 6 – 8 of those on the following list will be murdered and not executed.

It should also be remembered that all on Death Row are permanently shackled with the shackles welded on. Once the sentence has been carried out it is far easier to remove the poor unfortunates’ feet than to try to cut the shackles to remove them.

The following is a list of the men currently on Death Row in D2 Building in Bang Kwang Prison.

Kamjan Ananta (Thai) Drug

Sevan Mahamonthol (Thai) Drug

Chart Vatcharanugosnvisith (Thai) Drug

Manop Janthima (Thai) Drug

Anan Temusak (Thai) Drug

Janthib Panya (Thai)

Dit Manamethavee (Thai) Drug

Chor-Kor-Por-Moo X (Myanmar) Drug

Suphong Laoviriyathanachai (Thai)

Ayo Ayi X (Chinese?) Drug

Laokee Saelao (Thai) Drug 10 yrs on DR

Proyong Kweaparb (Thai) Drug

Somchai Voy-Yue (Thai) Drug

Supachai Kajaejan (Thai) Drug

Sarapad Thamsongsrisan (Thai)

Sawat Vichiwong X (Shan State) Drug

Sanan Sornpetch (Thai) Drug

Tuon Siriporn (Thai)

Ijob X (Shan State) Drug

Lapho X (Myanmar) Drug

Arthong Kaekai X (Myanmar) Drug

Saknarin Mahamonthol (Thai) drug

SSWichian Saejang (Thai) Drug

Khan Namthong (Thai)

X indicates full name not known.

Please think about them and if appropriate, pray for them

Gary

Gary’s post raises some real and important human rights issues and deserves to be considered. Gary can be contacted at: Gary Graeme Jones, D2, Bang Kwang Central Prison, 117 Nonthaburi Road,Nonthaburi Province 11000, Bangkok, Thailand.