The cabinet on Tuesday rejected a proposal by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) seeking to abolish the death penalty in Thailand, according to deputy government spokesman Kharom Polpornklang.
Mr Kharom said the cabinet acknowledged the NHRC’s proposal but agreed with the opinions of the courts of justice, which argued that the death penalty remained necessary due to the nature of certain crimes.
He said the NHCR suggested the abolition of the death penalty because it was a severe punishment that had been axed in many countries.
At a recent seminar to mark World Day Against the Death Penalty, representatives from the NHRC said the body came up with a proposal to be carried out in four steps, which would gradually lead to the end of capital punishment.
The four steps included not imposing the death penalty in new laws and amending existing laws that include this punishment as the only sentence so that the courts would be able to consider alternative means.
The proposal also called for the review of laws that include the death penalty in a way that is disproportionate to the crime.
The last step is to remove the death penalty from all laws.
It was agreed at the seminar that the move to abolish the death penalty in Thailand was a challenge for human rights advocates, and the civil sector would support a bill seeking to do away with it.
