Women, Imprisonment and the Death Penalty in Thailand

                                                                    

งาน “ผู้หญิง การจำคุก และโทษประหารชีวิตในประเทศไทย เวทีนำเสนอยุทธศาสตร์เพื่อการยกเลิกโทษประหารผู้หญิง ได้รับการสนับสนุนจากสถานเอกอัครราชทูตสวิตเซอร์แลนด์ประจำประเทศไทย โดยมีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อยกเลิกโทษประหารชีวิตผู้หญิงในประเทศไทย เนื่องจากสถานการณ์การลงโทษด้วยโทษประหารชีวิตในประเทศไทยในปัจจุบันเลวร้ายลงอย่างมาก เพื่อที่จะยุติโทษประหารชีวิตประชาชนทั้งหหมด สามารถเริ่มจากยกเลิกโทษประหารในผู้หญิงก่อน วิธีการนี้ได้รับแนวคิดมาจากประเทศที่ยกเลิกโทษประหารชีวิตสำเร็จ โดยยกเลิกโทษประหารชีวิตผู้หญิงก่อน เช่น ประเทศฝรั่งเศส ประเทศมองโกเลีย และอีกหลายประเทศ เพื่อนำเสนอและอภิปรายถึงแนวทางดังกล่าว นอกจากนั้นแล้วภายในงานยังมีการอภิปรายถึงเหตุผลสนับสนุนเฉพาะที่ผู้หญิงไม่ควรถูกลงโทษด้วยโทษประหารชีวิต

ก ําหนดกําร

งาน“ผู้หญิง กํารจําคุก และโทษประหํารชีวิตในประเทศไทย”เวทีระดมความคิดเห็นข้อเสนอเพื่อการยกเลิกโทษประหารของผู้หญิงจัดโดยสมคมสิทธิเสรีภาพของประชาชน ในการสนับสนุนของสถานเอกอั

เอกอัครราชทูตสวิตเซอร์แลนด์

09.30 -10.00 ลงทะเบียน

10.00-10.10พิธีเปิด โดย ปิแอร์ฮักมันน์ หัวหน้าคณะทูตสวิสประจ าประเทศไทย

10.10 -10.15ฉายฉาก การประหารชีวิตผู้หญิงจากภาพพยนต์ เพชฌฆาต

10.15 -10.45ข้อเสนอยุทธศาสตร์กํารยกเลิกโทษประหํารในผู้หญิงโดย ดร.แดนทอง บรีน สมาคมสิทธิ

และเสรีภาพ

10.45 –10.55 พัก

10.55-11.25สถํานกํารณ์ผู้หญิงที่ได้รับโทษประหํารในประเทศไทยโดย อังคณา นีละไพจิต

คณะกรรมการสิทธิมนุษยชนแห่งชาติ

11.25 –11.50สถํานกํารณ์เรือนจ ําไทยโดย กรกนก ค าตา นักกิจกรรมทางการเมือง

11.50 –12.20สิทธิตํามกฎหมํายของเด็กที่จะได้รับกํารเลี้ยงดูจํากแม่โดย ณัฐาศิริ เบิร์กแมน นักกฎหมาย

สิทธิมนุษยชน

12.20 –12.50เปิดอภิปราย

12.50–13.00 สรุปและปิดการประชุม โดย ดร.แดนทอง บรีน สมาคมสิทธิและเสรีภาพ

เลี้ยงอาหารว่าง

Seminar on the Death Penalty for Women in Thailand on 14th January

The aim of the seminar, in Thai language, is to promote abolition of the death penalty for women. Abolition of the death penalty in Thailand is opposed by over 80% of the Thai population, blocking a government intention to respond to a UN declared moritorium.  In such a case there is precedent, such as in the case of Mongolia, of Belarus, and of some European countries several decades ago, of abolishing the death penalty for women as a first step, which is more easily accepted by people in general. Women are rarely involved in violent crime; their crime is usually opportunistic to meet needs inherent in their special caring relationship ties with their children and families, in a society where their earning opportunity is limited. They are often enticed or tricked into crime by a male. Even facing a death penalty, their primary preoccupation is anxiety for their family rather than the horror of their own fate. The seminar will explore such arguments and propose that execution of women is especially inappropriate. The photograph above is the cover image of a study to be distributed to those attending.

Programme

10.00 – 10.10 Opening remarks, Pierre Hagmann, Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Switzerland in Bangkok

10.10 – 10.15 Scene of Woman Execution in The Last Executioner: the film directed by Tom Waller

10.15 - 10.45 Abolition of Death Penalty for Women, Dr. Danthong Breen, Union for Civil Liberty

10.45 - 10.55 Coffee and tea break

10.55 – 11.25 Death Penalty in Thailand, Angkhana Neelapaijit, National Human Rights Commission

11.25 – 11.50 Prison Condition of Women prisoners, Kornkanok Khumta, Political activist

11.50 – 12.20 Legal Right of Child to be Reared by Mother: Judgment of South Africa Constitutional Court 2007, Natthasiri Bergman, Human Rights lawyer

12.20 – 12.50 Reflection and discussion

12.50 – 13.00 Closing remarks, Dr. Danthong Breen, Union for Civil Liberty

Senator Leila M. De Lima

Senator Leila de Lima of the Philippines is imprisoned in the Philippines for her opposition to extra-judicial killings, a death penalty without legal procedure. She has expressed support on this website for total abolition. The following message is released from her isolated imprisonment.

STAND UP FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: THE POWER AND DUTY

TO MAKE THE WORLD SAFER, JUST AND HUMANE

MESSAGE FOR THE 70^th ANNIVERSARY

OF THE UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Today, 10 December 2018, the world celebrates the 70^th anniversary of that extraordinary document, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).  Born from the havoc of the Great Depression, World War II and the Holocaust, the UDHR was proclaimed by the UN General Assembly as “a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to be promoted by education, and, more optimistically, by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance.”

For 70 years since its adoption, the UDHR has been a bedrock of freedom and equality all across the world, lifting the lives of billions of people in the planet, influencing almost a hundred national Constitutions and inspiring numerous international, regional and national laws, institutions and mechanisms. For all its gains and achievements, the UDHR, as Eleanor Roosevelt (chair of the committee that drafted it) had prophesied, “might well become the international Magna Carta of mankind.”

Seven (7) decades since the birth of the UDHR, the work that it has set out for all of us to do is far from over. And, it will never be over as the world now faces an almost endless barrage of attacks on human dignity and freedom. 

UDHR proclaims that we are born free and equal, but millions do not stay free and equal as their rights have been trampled upon on a regular basis. We see this in various conflict-stricken places, like Syria, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, Sudan, and a number of countries in Central America.

UDHR promises that  we are all “entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms …can be fully realized”, but institutions and systems established in many countries to protect the dignity and liberty of human persons have either been mangled or undermined. We witness this in the decimation of democratic opposition in Cambodia, in the massive displacement and violence against the Rohingya minority in Myanmar, and the unabated killings and disappearances of thousands of poor Filipinos under Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody and sham “war on drugs.” 

            Now, more than ever, the 30 pathbreaking articles of the UDHR and the principles behind them have become relevant. And, it is the duty of every one – every individual and organ of society, as the UDHR puts it – to promote and protect our common rights and freedoms.

            There is observation about the growing absence of human rights leadership in the world today. There are dissension and discord in major liberal democracies. Some governments themselves, led mostly by populist demagogues and autocrats, have actually attacked their own people.  And, far too many politicians and so-called leaders – including those in my country, the Philippines – seem to have forgotten the UDHR.

            But, causes for continued optimism remain. Still intact are the admirable legacy of the UDHR, the endurance of some relevant conventions, treaties and international law, and the resilience of a vibrant global human rights movement. Hope springs eternal for human rights.

            The momentum and progress on the areas of human dignity and freedom now largely depend on the action and solidarity of some enlightened inter-government bodies, a number of progressive governments, and countless civil society organizations, including activist groups and individuals. This new movement for human dignity and equality has the advantages of reputational standing, institutional resources, and renewed passion. It is impervious to the partisan narrow-mindedness, selfishness and neglect of our leaders.

            We must then come together in our common defense of human rights. We cannot remain quiet and rely passively on governments. We the people ourselves have to act – act urgently and in solidarity with one another. We must be able to demonstrate, now and always, what the UDHR’s preamble declares that indeed the “the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world.”                  

            Let us all shine our light for dignity, freedom and equality of every one. Each has the power and the duty to make a difference – to make our homes, communities, countries, and our world safer, just and more humane for all of us.

#Stand up for human rights!

                                                                                               LEILA M. DE LIMA

PNP Custodial Center, Camp Crame

10 December 2018

World Majority Against Death Penalty Increases Further

                                                                               

In a two yearly vote on a world wide moritorium on the death penalty, those in favour increase further

Today the international community offered unprecedented support to a UN call to halt executions when the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly considered a draft resolution on a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.

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 A total of 123 UN member states – the highest number on record to date – voted in favour of the proposal, mirroring recent increases in the number of countries that have abolished the death penalty in law or practice globally.

A minority of countries, 36, voted against the proposal and 30 abstained at the vote. For the first time, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominica and Malaysia positively changed their vote to support the resolution, while Antigua and Barbuda moved from opposition to abstention. Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Mauritius, Rwanda and Seychelles once again voted in favour of the call for a moratorium on executions, after they did not do so in 2016. Only two countries negatively changed their votes compared to December 2016, with Bahrain switching from abstention to voting against and Suriname from voting in favour to abstention.

The increase in the support for the draft resolution offers yet another indication that the world’s direction on the death penalty continues to be in favour of its eventual abolition. Since the adoption of the last UNGA moratorium resolution in 2016, indefinite stays of execution were put in place in Gambia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea and several other countries have taken important steps to move in this direction. In 2017 Guinea and Mongolia each abolished the death penalty for all crimes and Guatemala became abolitionist for ordinary crimes only. Burkina Faso was the last country to have removed the death penalty from its Criminal Code last June, while Gambia ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, last September. The weight of the death penalty is carried by an isolated group of countries. In 2017 executions were reported in 22 UN member states, 11% of the total. Of these executing countries, only 11, or 6%, were “persistent” executioners, meaning that they carried out executions every year in the previous five years.
Amnesty International & Comunità di Sant'Egidio published on November 16th, 2018