Thailand’s cabinet took a firm stance on Tuesday, rejecting a proposal from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to abolish the death penalty, as reported by Deputy Government Spokesman Kharom Polpornklang.
This decision came in response to recent calls for the abolition of capital punishment in the country.
Mr. Kharom stated that while the cabinet recognized the NHRC’s proposal, it sided with the judicial perspective that the death penalty is essential for handling certain types of crimes.
According to Mr. Kharom, the NHRC recommended ending the death penalty, describing it as a harsh punishment that many countries had already eliminated.
During a recent seminar commemorating World Day Against the Death Penalty, NHRC representatives presented a plan to phase out capital punishment in four stages.
The four steps proposed included prohibiting the death penalty in new legislation and modifying existing laws that mandate this punishment as the sole sentence, thus allowing courts to explore alternative sentencing options.
Furthermore, the proposal advocates for reviewing laws where the death penalty is disproportionately applied relative to the crime.
The final measure calls for the complete removal of the death penalty from all legislation.
Participants at the seminar agreed that advocating for the abolition of the death penalty in Thailand represents a significant challenge for human rights supporters, with the civil sector backing legislation aimed at abolishing it.
