Nothing to gain in execution

EDITORIA

Published: 8 Oct 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

A former Thai student sits on death row in a Ho Chi Minh City prison this morning, with her chances of living much longer hanging by a slim thread. A few years ago, Preeyanuch Phuttharaksa was a normal Bangkok university student, caught up in her studies and internet social media. But she made a bad choice when she began smuggling drugs for a Benin-based drug gang. She was caught in Vietnam on her third trafficking trip. She may not deserve leniency, but she also does not deserve to die.

Preeyanuch's last chance to live is an appeal to the mercy of Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang. As in most countries, the head of state in Vietnam has the power to award clemency. As in most countries of Southeast Asia, however, neither the people, the government nor the head of state is particularly sympathetic to those on drug charges.

Southeast Asia, including Thailand, imposes the harshest penalties in the world on those caught trafficking illicit drugs. Almost every country retains the death penalty for those convicted. This policy has prevailed since the 1960s, when Singapore and then Malaysia imposed mandatory death penalties for possession of even minute amounts of drugs _ even for personal use. Laws and precise penalties have been refined in the past 50 years, but penalties have seldom been reduced.

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spiceman
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Discussion 17 : 10 Oct 2012 at 02.0917
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Khun Bern #16, as I understand, both Malaysia and Singapore have even tighter death penalty for drugs traffickers than Vietnam, and infinitely tighter than Thailand. So, how is drugs problem in those two countries, compared to Thailand? Law and punishment must go hand-in-hand, otherwise, the law has no meaning. Besides, it is so easy to avoid the death penalty in Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam, just don't smuggle illegal drugs into their countries! What's so hard about this?
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bern1005
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Discussion 16 : 09 Oct 2012 at 12.3816
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Many commentators here seem to believe that the death penalty is a useful deterrent
so presumably they welcome the death of this young woman and believe that ALL those
who get the death penalty here should also die, even though we all know our 'justice'
system is so very very far from perfect).
If 'strong punishment' works so well, then why do we have so many drug users here?
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justfacts
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Discussion 15 : 09 Oct 2012 at 09.0515
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there is an old saying "if you can't do the time ...don't do the crime" althou the death penalty has a time of forever it still rings true.
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fundeena
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Discussion 14 : 08 Oct 2012 at 21.4514
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Well, the death penalty on the books in Vietnam did not deter her did it?
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felixqui
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Discussion 13 : 08 Oct 2012 at 17.3313
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Does making a popular recreational drug illegal reduce consumption and addiction rates? No. The US experience with prohibition proves that.

Does decriminalising a popular recreational drug of addiction increase consumption and addiction rates? No. The Dutch and Portuguese experience with decriminalising proves that.

Is there any morally relevant reason for treating alcohol production, dealing and use differently to heroin or yaa baa production, dealing and use? No. It is unjust and irrational discrimination based on nothing better than prejudice.

Is there any good reason for treating differently supply and demand deals between informed, consenting adults which do not directly harm others, such as a doctor heart surgery, a cleaner mopping a yard, a heroin dealer providing a hit, a barman selling a glass of red wine or a lawyer giving legal advice? No. Again, it is nothing but prejudice and utterly immoral.
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tony_n
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Discussion 12 : 08 Oct 2012 at 15.0812
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I wonder if this case would have deserved an editorial if the drug-runner was a male Isan rice farmer rather who attended the red shirt protests, rather than a female university student. I totally disagree with the death penalty or with excessive sentences for drug crimes, but the fact is the outrage is motivated by her apparent status, not the merits of the case. And I can think of many examples where Thailand's 'justice system' fails to make the punishment commensurate with the crime.
I wonder what planet the author has been living on when I read this: "Prosecutors, courts, the prison system and the appeals structure all work to the end to punish those who threaten society, while trying to make the punishment fit the crime." SMS's spring to mind....
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bangmodken
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Discussion 11 : 08 Oct 2012 at 13.4411
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Potential drug-couriers should enter politics instead. It's much more profitable and you are rarely caught and never punished.
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spiceman
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Discussion 10 : 08 Oct 2012 at 12.2210
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Khun Mitrapaap #3, although, this Vietnamese death penalty law failed to stop this Thai student from smuggling illegal drugs into Vietnam, do you think it will encourage or rather discourage other would-be drug smugglers from doing the same? If the latter is the case, the purpose of this law is fulfilled. You know, the most valuable thing for every person is his or her own life, which is what death penalty is all about. Witnessing how illegal drugs plaguing Thai society, Vietnamese Govt has every right to prevent the same problem from ever doing the same to Vietnamese society.
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ronniec
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Discussion 9 : 08 Oct 2012 at 11.009
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We like to think of our societies as "civilized", and yet we are unable to look beyond punishment as an answer to crime.
Until we finally connect the dots and realise that our societies are in need of a major overhaul, we will continue to be mired in suffering - starvation, poverty, inequality, racism, planet degradation, crime, corruption, abhorrent behaviour, etc.
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kkup
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Discussion 8 : 08 Oct 2012 at 10.428
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Obviously she deserves to be punished, but it doesn't do anything to stop the gangs recruiting people and luring them with attractive cash offers. She is disposable and the culprits simply hire new people. It would be nice if they put more effort into tracking the source instead of shooting the messenger. It's actually not that hard to find out who hired her with a bit of investigation and brain power.
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Nothing to gain in execution | Bangkok Post: opinion