Thread: Buddhist Thailand overwhelmingly supports death penalty

I remember on two occasions (once with a dog, the other with a cat) trying get people in Rayong to help me put an animal out of its misery. Both were mangled by cars. Both times I got versions of "we cannot, we are buddhists." One lady offered a little rice for the hapless dog but fled in terror when I crushed the dog's larynx. I horrified the small crowd which had gathered.

I was struck by their immediate and complete refusal to take life. Their spiritual beliefs forbade them from a simple act of mercy killing. So,what's with 80% of Thai people having no problem with executing people?

Majority of Thais still back death penalty
Pravit Rojanaphruk
The Nation October 13, 2012 1:00 am


The Thai chapter of Amnesty International (AI) wrapped up its three-day campaign by marking the International Day for the Abolition of the Death Penalty yesterday with a sober reminder that up to 80 per cent of Thais still support capital punishment according to surveys.

A panel speaker explained that the widespread support for the death penalty might have something to do with the Thai beliefs in revenge and retribution - which are both barbaric and undemocratic.

Political scientist Sirote Klampaiboon said Thai people were trapped in the revenge mentality despite the fact that there was still no verifiable correlation between the death penalty and a reduction in crime. He added that many people were still clinging to the undemocratic belief that the state had the right to kill in order to maintain law and order.

However, opponents of the law insist that capital punishment is both against the fundamental right to life and does not reduce the crime rate, he said.

"The debate is not going anywhere," said Sirote, who is a human-rights lecturer.

Pol Major Anek Ananthawan, also a human-rights lecturer at the Police Cadet Academy, said the struggle to end the death penalty in Thailand would be a long and difficult one because it depended on changing people's hearts and minds.

According to AI, Thailand is one of 57 nations to still have capital punishment. The director of AI's Thailand chapter, Parinya Boonridrerthaikul, said two-thirds of the world's nation states have already done away with the death penalty as it is deemed cruel and could lead to the accidental execution of an innocent person.

"We cannot solve violence by using violence," Parinya concluded.

According to AI, no state should be given the power to take anybody's life; the death penalty is discriminatory and often used disproportionately against the poor, the mentally ill, racial and ethnic minorities or because of sexual orientation or religion; and it inflicts pain on the families of those on death row.

Majority of Thais still back death penalty - The Nation

same same over here.

and this atheist secular state gets rid of 'social evils'!

The reason the majority of Thai support capital punishment has nothing to do with religion or revenge. If the big man is ok with it, we are all ok with it too

Originally Posted by 3leggedkitty

atheist secular state

best state in the union

I remember on two occasions trying get people in Rayong to help me put an animal out of its misery...

You asked strangers to help you jump up and down on an injured animals throat... TWICE?

No wonder they think we're bonkers... you clearly are!

Cluz, is that pix what I think it is .. a soldier shooting a man in the back while he's tied to a stake?

Thai's don't mind executing people at all. Just look back what happened a couple of years ago when they were shooting each other right and left downtown.

Originally Posted by KhunKruMark

You asked strangers to help you jump up and down on an injured animals throat... TWICE?

No wonder they think we're bonkers... you clearly are!

I have issues.

Originally Posted by cluezo

So,what's with 80% of Thai people having no problem with executing people?

Apathetic hypocrisy.