Old enough for crime, but not punishment?

COMMENTARY

Old enough for crime, but not punishment?

Published: 11/01/2012 at 02:12 AM
Newspaper section: News

The second Saturday of January is the annual day when children and the youth in Thailand are celebrated. But not all of them have a chance to enjoy Children's Day. Some of them are locked up in de facto prisons, officially known as the Juvenile Observation and Protection Centres. These youths should have the opportunity to live a normal life after they serve their terms. Surprisingly, some of them choose to commit the same crime or offence again and again. Should society still give such untamed youths the opportunity for freedom again _ only for them to become recidivists?

Opportunity comes just once, is what people generally say. When the opportunity comes, one should grab it. But this would not be applicable to certain gangs of youths who are detained several times for the same reasons.

What is the cause of such illegal behaviour? Is it the innate nature of these youths that stimulates them to do bad things? I watched a television interview of Pol Maj Gen Wichai Sangpraphai, commander of the Metropolitan Police Bureau's Division 1, who raised an interesting question: "If a youth commits a crime, should he or she be punished as an adult?"

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About the author

: Writer: Somporn Thapanachai; Position: Reporter

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abbub
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Discussion 9 : 12/01/2012 at 07:30 AM9
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MUS D8: Well stated and where to start with such a vast subject is almost impossible to answer.

Youth grow up in a corrupt society led by corrupt people and run by corrupt people and as you say, the judiciary itself favors the well off and rules according to what appears corrupt cohorts. Even the military carries out illegal coups and then absolves itself by granting itself immunity.

At almost every turn there is bribery. Cops and local government officials fill their pockets. Politicians take bribes for favors and pay people t vote. In a country where bribery has become the norm and the real crooks are high up on the social ladder protected by their own self-serving system how can anybody imagine youth will somehow magically be decent and avoid the corruption IMPOSED on them?

But the society refuses to acknowledge this and so, needs to blame people and groups instead of going through the almost impossible re-structuring that needs to happen. A good and intense collective look in the mirror is what should happen.
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musashi
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Discussion 8 : 12/01/2012 at 02:07 AM8
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The Thai restorative justice system is in itself a victim of systemic failures that have plagued us for several decades. So it is difficult for me to even find a starting point on this topic. Hopefully this well written commentary by K. Somporn will lead to more discussions that will help us make the society better.

For the locals, and some long stay foreign friends, I am sure they know that Thailand has a huge vibrant underground economy. The eco-system that supports this underground economy has woven itself into the very fabric of our society, and we are not just talking about under-aged sex workers, student drug addicts, drug dealers, thugs who carry guns to school, international money laundering syndicates and crime gangs, petty car thefts, illegal football betting syndicates with teenage bookies.. etc.

Our lives are overshadowed by the self-serving political structure, the participation in crime by the very people who should enforce law and order (army and police), the big legal conglomerates who has a hand in some grey and black matters in every economic sector. The old adage “a fish rots from the head” is never more true in Thailand.

As a result, the Thai justice system has been corrupted with so many loopholes that serve the rich and the ruling powers, but forces the poor to remain poor and susceptible to crime and punishment. Poverty, broken families that result from criminal activities and infidelity, moral education that embraces spirituality..etc. are just some of the things we have to consider if we really want to eradicate youth crimes. Let's not just talk about how to punish the kids.
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med142
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Discussion 7 : 11/01/2012 at 08:04 PM7
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Parents can not be held responsible for their childs actions alone. its a failing of the whole system.A child should be held responisble for their actions, they do know right from wrong.
Some play the system knowing that they will get little or no punishment. Children are very clever at turning things to there advantage.This report is very good but also appalling.
Many things influence a childs behaviour.Yes sometimes the parents or family are to blame.
Education and strict schooling could be one of the answers. But yes if the child does not know they are doing wrong and repeatedly offends then they should be punished.
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abbub
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Discussion 6 : 11/01/2012 at 07:11 PM6
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BEN D5: "Motive needs to be channeled, and often stimulated as it lacks as a result of spiritual starvation."

Or just starvation.

Most crime is poverty-related. You can see the statistics of prisoners and their social backgrounds. It is very rare to see wealthy people or their children behind bars. That is not a coincidence and probably has nothing to do with some sort of genetic predisposition.

Living in a society that pushes material possessions as a goal on its population and then depriving a large part of that population of the means by which to acquire these goods is creating the problem.

Money has replaced the gods and the have-nots want what the haves have.
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bennu
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Discussion 5 : 11/01/2012 at 05:03 PM5
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Casting votes in elections doesn’t stimulate you to become a criminal. There are plenty of adult criminals who are voting; there are other complaints as well, to take away the right to vote from prisoners for example who are convicted for murder or who have life sentences, or sentences longer than a certain amount of time, in several countries with advanced laws, and there are many attempts to streamline the law and take away so-called exceptions. We must understand the genesis of crime, the pattern of people's lives to be able to redirect. Motive needs to be channeled, and often stimulated as it lacks as a result of spiritual starvation.
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Eric
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Discussion 4 : 11/01/2012 at 11:00 AM4
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There is never an universal uniform age for the juvenile court. Each country has its own and perhaps Thailand should consider lowering the age for juvenile conviction to 18 and to trial serious crimes like murder as adult just like in USA. Personally I consider above 18 years as adult and fully comprehensible and accountable for their actions.
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ex-pet
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Discussion 3 : 11/01/2012 at 10:55 AM3
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It is not only the parents responsibility.
schools...and provincial governance too
lets take the bull by the horn......
in how many of our respected forum readers are there any (protected!) playgrounds for kids????
Millions are spent for the OTOP hype...but less or nothing to provide our children with safe playing grounds.
Parental supervision is in most cases 'transferred" to the former generation...grandparents.
And IF parents want to be with their kids in a safe environment..there are to few choices to make.
invest in youth rather then roads!
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Aussie John
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Discussion 2 : 11/01/2012 at 10:02 AM2
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There's a great imbalance in Thailand between families that have and families that have not. Many poorer parents can not afford to care for their children so they are sent home to be cared for by their own aging parents, who themselves struggle to maintain discipline.Thousands of Thai children live without they're parents and are given free rein by their grandparents to do as they please as the generation gap causes a widening of communication and respect for ones elders and what they teach.
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khunbj
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Discussion 1 : 11/01/2012 at 06:45 AM1
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Parents are responsible for their children's action and should held responsible too and yes also punished .... then there is a chance the Youth criminality will drop .... just leaving kids to take care of themselves or dump them at the nearest internet cafe to play games does not make kids balanced individuals.
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Old enough for crime, but not punishment? | Bangkok Post: opinion