Thai government gives the OK for executions

Laos News.Net
Wednesday 26th August, 2009

The government of Thailand has resumed its former practice of executing certain prisoners.

After a six-year amnesty against capital punishment, two men were executed by lethal injection at Bang Khwang prison on Monday.

Bundit Jaroenwanit, aged 45, and Jirawat Poompreuk, aged 52, were convicted of drug trafficking on 29 March 2001 and subsequently sentenced to death.

Although Thailand continued to hand down death sentences, the authorities have been swayed since 2003 by the abolitionist movement.

The last executions in Thailand were carried out in 2003, when four people were executed by lethal injection, a method which replaced execution by shooting.

In the last 10 months, the UN General Assembly has voted for a moratorium on executions.

During the period, Burundi, Togo and the US state of New Mexico have abolished the death penalty.

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