Death Penalty Will Solve All Problems

Draco,  the Greek tyrant, who imposed the death penalty for all crimes, returns

In the hysteria of reform sweeping Thailand, the death penalty is seen as the solution to all problems

 Draconian laws refer to a traditional Athenian law code allegedly introduced by Draco in 621 BC. The Draconian Laws were most noteworthy for their harshness; they were said to be written in blood, rather than in ink. Death was the prescribed punishment for almost all criminal offenses. Whether historical fact, or a myth, the tradition lives on in the dream that crime can be solved by a sufficiently severe punishment. Who would steal a purse if they know that the punishment is death? But the question today should be, “Who would execute a citizen for stealing a purse?”

Little is known of the effect of Draco’s laws, other than that they were later regarded as intolerably harsh. In 594 BC, 27 years later, Solon, a moderate magistrate, repealed Draco’s code except for the laws on homicide. Thailand has not quite progressed to the law reform of Solon, and notably retains the death penalty for drug offences. But many Thais would return to the day of Draco and execute for all crimes which they consider abominable or harmful to society. A comment to a recent article pleading for restraint reads, “If we kill off this scum, would society be: a) the same, b) worse off, c) better off. If the answer is c) then kill him. And if we have to kill off 10,000 more such scums, might as well. Our society will be better off”! (http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/420098/for-humanity-sake-stop-calls-for-death-sentence.) We are witnessing the collection of signatures to execute rapists, and most recently a senior politician believes that Thailand can be saved only if those buying or selling votes are put to death. See the following:

A core member of the Bhumjaithai party has proposed that buying and selling votes should get death sentence. 
In voicing his opinion to the problems of vote buying and selling that has undermined the Thai democracy for several decades, the former Nakhon Ratchasimna MP said the existing laws must be amended to increase maximum penalties on vote buying and selling.

Boonchong Wongtrasirat, also a former deputy interior minister in the Samak Sundravej government, said politician who is ruled guilty of buying votes not only must be banned for life in politics, but also must get the maximum penalty for the crime, while the party involved be dissolved and also banned forever in politics.

Convicted politician must either get life imprisonment sentence or death penalty for the crime, he said.

For people who sell their votes to crooked politicians, they also should get either life imprisonment or death sentence, he said.

Such maximum penalty will effectively stamp out vote buying and selling from this country once and for all, he said.

Bhumjaithai or Thai Pride Party, was founded on November 5, 2008.