PRO DEATH PENALTY QUOTES OF THE WEEK [SUNDAY 3 JUNE 2012 TO SATURDAY 9 JUNE 2012]

QUOTE 1: Monday 6 February 2012 - Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung is backing an amendment to the Narcotics Act to shorten the appeals process for drug offenders sentenced to death and expedite their executions.

Mr Chalerm, who oversees the government's narcotics suppression drive, said on Monday he was discussing the idea with Achporn Charuchinda, secretary-general of the Office of the Council of State.

His proposal covers drug offenders given the death penalty by the Criminal Court. They will no longer be allowed to file an appeal to the Court of Appeal in Regions 1-9 but only to the main Court of Appeal. 

If the Appeal Court rules in favour of the lower court’s decision to execute the defendants, a clear time frame will be given for when the sentence is to be carried out, he said.

“In drug cases, when the lower court and the appeal court agree [with the death sentence], the execution date can be scheduled immediately. There will be no need for extensions,” Mr Chalerm said. 

QUOTE 2: Thursday 22 March 2012 - He said that if the drug convicts were simply jailed, they could deal drugs from behind bars and mingle with other criminals. "Criminal meeting criminal equals arch-criminal. I won't listen to National Human Right Commission or NGOs, because I answer to the country and the public."

AUTHOR: Police Captain Dr. Chalerm Ubumrung (Thai: เฉลิม อยู่บำรุง, RTGS: Chaloem Yubamrung, Thai pronunciation: [ʨʰà.lɤ ̌ːm jùː.bam.ruŋ]) (born June 10, 1947), is a Thai politician. He is a Member of Parliament representing the Pheu Thai Party, and currently one of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Yingluck Shinawatra. His past political appointments include chief MP for Pheu Thai Party, brief terms as Health Minister under Somchai Wongsawat, Interior Minister under Samak Sundaravej, Justice Minister under Banharn Silpa-archa, and Leader of the Opposition from 2009 to 2011.

APPLICATION: Chalerm Ubumrung is a kind of leader who is tough on crime and is someone I respect and admire. In Quote 1, he wants a speedy execution and not to let criminals have too many appeals. In Quote 2, he stated that he has the moral guts to send those criminals to death and he will never get pressured by those death penalty opponents.