Death Penalty Thailand ; Lethal Injection Unacceptable

In the United States, Thailand's model in introducing execution by lethal injection, evidence for the unacceptability of the method becomes stronger and protest against its use increases.
The following is an extract from an editorial in "The New York Times" of April 26th, 2006:

'In lethal injection, three different chemicals are administered in sequence. The first is an anesthetic, another paralyzes the muscles and stops breathing, and a third stops the heart. Improper administration of the anesthetic can have the ghoulish effect of leaving the prisoner able to feel the tremendous pain of being killed by the poison that is injected into him while rendering him unable to communicate his agony by sound or gestures.

In a "friend of the court" brief, Physicians for Human Rights warned that if the chemicals weren't used correctly, they could "cause an inmate to suffocate, while consciously experiencing the blinding pain of" a coronary arrest. Meanwhile, it said, "onlookers believe him to be unconscious and insensitive to any pain."

Lethal injection is used today in nearly every death penalty state, but it is facing increased criticism. In a recent report, Human Rights Watch declared that "there is mounting evidence that prisoners may have experienced excruciating pain during their executions."'

Thailand need wait no further to suspend the use of this very questionable method of execution