Executions have restarted in Bang Kwang Prison

It has recently been reported that Thailand has restarted executions of Death Row prisoners. The two that were executed were friends of mine that lived with me here in the same building. The two men Bundit Charoenwanich, 45, and Jirawat Phumpruek, 52, were taken in the night and only given 60 minutes to write their last wills and have a one minute phone call to their families before being executed by lethal injection. This was the first executions carried out by Thailand since 2003.

As prisoners, some of us were aware that the lethal injections had been delivered to Bang Kwang prison, but it seems that the decision to execute both men from D2 building was the sole decision of Natee Jitsawang, the Director-General of the Department of Corrections. It was not, so it seems, the decision of the Thai Government, a fact also reported by the BBC World Service.

Now that the prisoners have been shown that executions can happen at any time “Life Insurance” is now being paid to the Building Chief, Bunlom Conwichet by most of the 24 names listed below. This is a bribe paid so that the poor unfortunates names are not next on the list for the lethal injection. The bribe is anywhere from 1000Baht to 5000Bhat per month (between GBP18 and GBP100) depending on the perceived wealth and nationality of the person on Death Row.

This is probably true in other buildings as well, but it is very difficult to find out any news. The screws make it virtually impossible to communicate between buildings and Death Row inmates are not allowed to attend the Mosque on Fridays, or any other day come to that. They are also not allowed to leave Death Row to pray at the Monday Buddhist sessions.

Some will say that these men all deserve what is coming to them as they are Drug dealers and therefore deserve to die. There are many reasons that this is wrong but we can leave it to the official Thai figures quoted by the Head of the Thai Supreme Court, Pramarn Dongsue, that 30% of the inmates are in fact innocent of the crimes they have been convicted for. One third. Surely even the most rabid supporters of the death penalty have to recognise that 6 – 8 of those on the following list will be murdered and not executed.

It should also be remembered that all on Death Row are permanently shackled with the shackles welded on. Once the sentence has been carried out it is far easier to remove the poor unfortunates’ feet than to try to cut the shackles to remove them.

The following is a list of the men currently on Death Row in D2 Building in Bang Kwang Prison.

Kamjan Ananta (Thai) Drug
Sevan Mahamonthol (Thai) Drug
Chart Vatcharanugosnvisith (Thai) Drug
Manop Janthima (Thai) Drug
Anan Temusak (Thai) Drug
Janthib Panya (Thai)
Dit Manamethavee (Thai) Drug
Chor-Kor-Por-Moo X (Myanmar) Drug
Suphong Laoviriyathanachai (Thai)
Ayo Ayi X (Chinese?) Drug
Laokee Saelao (Thai) Drug 10 yrs on DR
Proyong Kweaparb (Thai) Drug
Somchai Voy-Yue (Thai) Drug
Supachai Kajaejan (Thai) Drug
Sarapad Thamsongsrisan (Thai)
Sawat Vichiwong X (Shan State) Drug
Sanan Sornpetch (Thai) Drug
Tuon Siriporn (Thai)
Ijob X (Shan State) Drug
Lapho X (Myanmar) Drug
Arthong Kaekai X (Myanmar) Drug
Saknarin Mahamonthol (Thai) drug
SSWichian Saejang (Thai) Drug
Khan Namthong (Thai)
X indicates full name not known.

Please think about them and if appropriate, pray for them

Gary

Comments

  1. Unknown5 January 2011 at 04:18

    Dear Dr. Garry Jones,

    I hope that you can survive in Bang Kwang Prison,because I know how it was there for the last 9 years.Corruption,torture and other dirty business are daily thing there. The Prime Minister of Thailand said a year ago:
    The prisoners, that"s the last thing to think about. I do not care this people: He said:
    He and his gang think only about himself and how can I destroy my competition Ex: Prime minister Chinnawat.
    With the very dirty game he plaid a year ago, to shoot a Friend of Ex.Prime minister .Chinnawat dead for the camera"s of CNN. Life for the Thai TV !
    And than tell the stinking lies to other countries. He forgot to say, that he start all those dirty games and many Thai pour people DIE.
    I saw for many months, all old people demonstrating against the New Thai Government and when it became to HOT for this DIRTY PRIME Minister , he find a DIRTY PLAN to betrayed his own Thai people.
    Also my girlfriend did not came back to the prison that time ( She have bring me 2 time's a week for 9 years , my dieet food, to servive and never came back after the shootings. This damn LOVE, have brake me till in my boons !
    She was shot DEATH by the dirty criminal POLICE of Thailand. Nam-oi Nakcharoen is not anymore there: My love DIE , because of a dirty criminal:
    The Prime minister of Thailand.
    It was also this Thai Government send me INNOCENT with a dead sentence to a Thai prison,because the Thai Police receive a big amount of money from the DEA from the USA to catch people how are involved in drugs. The more people they catch, the more money the police received. Me, Mr. Marinus H. Parlevliet and Nam-oi Nakcharoen where send to prison totall INNOCENT and also the real English criminal: who took drugs to Taiwan.
    But I find out there was no any evidence against me and my wife.By the Thai ,only my wife got home after one year concentration camp and me ?
    I got death the sentence changed in a live sentence. They said: I admitted this crime. The Thai POLICE hit and kick me in my kidneys and for many years the prison AND The Dutch Embassy in Bangkok refused to give medical help, They did not want to pay for the hospital,because I had CANCERS in the left kidneys.
    Today the Dutch Government find out that in the time that the Bangkok shootings where there, the Ambassador and a very DIRTY Dutch local employer from the Royal Dutch Embassy took money (Corruption) They where send back to Holland and I never say theme again.. But me ? Nothing, I got my treatment in Holland and still I am not safe from the CANCERS in my body.
    So, I know Garry ? I know how it is te live in a corrupt regime and a concentration camp like Bang Kwang (Bangkok Hilton)
    My wife ( Namoi Nakcharoen) told me: Those guards in the woman prison are very dirty and corrupt, I HATE THEM. After one year she release and All here personal things were destroyed by the same dirty guards and prison director of the Bangkok Woman Prison.
    If you see all those films and documentaries, they are all fake,because the reality is totall different. I know, I was there for 9 years and I live more than 15 years in Thailand. I wrote those things all down,but I can not look again in those books,because It will brake me.

    Rien Parlevliet (rienp02@gmail.com)
    Zoetermeer
    The Netherlands (Holland)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Unknown18 April 2015 at 12:08

      hELLO RIEN,

      I read your blog to Gary Jones, I was there too in Bangkwang for 10 years, luckily due to my illness, I got king pardon. I got life sntence too, I was arrested 1998 and my King Pardon was granted due to my illness that I got from prison. We the only ones that came inside bangkwang understand what really bangkwang is. ONCE YOU CAME FROM BANGKWANG ALIVE, YOU ARE FIGHTER TILL THE END, NO ONE IN THE OUTSIDE WORLD CAN BREAKS YOU.BECAUSE THE EXPERIENCE WE HAVE INSIDE IS NOTHING TO COMPARE. CONSIDER YOUR SELF A WINNER BECAUSE YOU CAME OUT BANGKWANG ALIVE...CHRISTBUDLAM

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    2. Adrika Borna1 October 2015 at 01:49

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    3. Bhaamini Umisha7 October 2015 at 18:03

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    4. Bhaamini Umisha29 October 2015 at 15:07

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  2. Tom22 August 2012 at 14:49

    Gary

    I am coming to Thailand in November for the 5th time. I have watched a BBC documentary on the prison, and want to get involved with the prisoners from a support standpoint. I am 47 years old and ready to start giving my time and energy to something besides my own selfish pursuits. Can you help me get connected with those in need? My email is tmwbgnooe@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete

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