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Since the military coup in Thailand on 19th September 2006 the newly installed regime has lost no time in digging out corruption in the ousted government of Thaksin Shinawatra. Evidence of corruption has not been hard to find, thus providing some justification for the coup. Ex-Prime Minister, and former policeman, Thaksin, now a wanted man in Thailand and on the run, has found sanctuary in the U.K. and in Singapore where he has business dealings. Meanwhile, his associates, cronies, officials and police in Thailand are being investigated and arrested for corruption.
Thaksin's ruthless war on drugs in recent years, with well over 2,000 killings, many of them extra-judicial killings by Thai police in which many hilltribe people lost their lives or were imprisoned, is one area where the police involved face prosecution. Drugs cases make up a lion's share of about 80% of Thailand's prison population, currently put at about 160,000 by the Department of Corrections. The U.K. has a similar population to Thailand at roughly 60 million, but with only half as many prisoners as Thailand the U.K.'s prison system is creaking at full capacity. Thai officials and other commentators have for years said that 20% or more of prisoners in Thailand are innocent, many of them victims of corrupt police and other officials. Hilltribe people are soft victims. While they comprise less than 2% of the official Thai population, they make up a far larger proportion of the Thai prison population, with estimates in some institutions of 50% or more hilltribe inmates.
The new, military backed government has made recent efforts to assess and release innocent prisoners. About 8,000 prisoners registered for consideration, out of which 560 were selected for further investigation and possible release. The government is also reported to be considering the release of prisoners who have already served more than 10 years.
The post-coup government obviously realizes that there are serious problems in the justice, police and prison systems that need to be addressed urgently. Deep-seated corruption in these institutions has contributed to the problems Thailand has in the south of the country, as well as to the suffering of hilltribe people in the north. However, recent bombings in Bangkok and the south indicate that the cleaning up of corruption in Thai institutions may not be so easy, and that there is a danger of the country falling back into military dictatorship.
The future of Thailand now hangs in the balance, while history affords little confidence that a clean, functioning, democratic government will emerge. Meanwhile, the King remains very popular and appears as an island of stability in the midst of a troubled state. Having celebrated 60 years on the throne as of 9th June 2006, the King is the longest reigning monarch now living in the world. Prisoners in Thailand are eagerly awaiting the King's 80th birthday on 5th December 2007 in hope for a big amnesty.
The present political turmoil in Thailand provides a window of hope for innocent victims of corrupt police and officials, and for those suffering extremely long sentences for drugs offences. Such draconian sentencing and use of the death penalty urgently need to be reconsidered as part of general law reforms. The treatment of hilltribe minorities and prisoners particularly deserve attention, because they have been soft targets for corrupt police and officials in Thailand.
Hilltribe people have been made foreigners in their own land, with little or no effective political representation. Many are without ID papers for full citizenship, or are issued special hilltribe ID which does not allow them to travel freely. Karen running from a ruthless Myanmar military who burn down their villages with impunity, Hmong escaping persecution in Laos, and other ethnic minority hilltribes who find themselves in the state of Thailand are exposed to the wiles of Thai officials, army and police.
Disenfranchisement and dire poverty pressures many hilltribe people to seek escape in drugs or trafficking, in which officials, police and army personnel are involved. Hilltribe minorities often end up as victims in the murky drugs business because they lack any effective recourse to defend their rights and have little or no political representation. Thus they fill up the prisons, serving long sentences. This further impoverishes their families who often do not have ID papers or funds to travel and visit relatives in prison, or to pay bribes to officials, or to provide food, clothes and other necessities to their relatives and friends in prison.
Conditions at the women's prison in northern Bangkok have caused particular concern in recent years. A letter dated 31st July 2006 to the head of that institution detailing some concerns has gone unanswered, despite a promise by one director there that ?all letters are answered.?
Contaminated, overflowing water and poor food at Bangkok women's prison causes sickness, stomachache or worse. The hospital rooms there are usually full with women sleeping on the floor. Only serious cases are allowed to stay in the hospital cells. HIV and TB are common. Medicines must be paid for by prisoners. Thai prisoners can obtain a 30-baht national medical insurance card which covers some treatment and medicines, but foreigners and many hilltribe inmates cannot obtain this medical cover and so must pay prison officials for any treatment or medicines.
Last year there were 143 women, including hilltribe women, in one cell reserved for inmates aged 60 and over. More than 30 women with their babies were held in another cell reserved for those who had given birth in prison. However, prison officials now do all they can to have the babies sent out to relatives or orphanages.
One 20-year-old Lahu girl arrested on 7th July 2006 gave birth to a son in the prison on 23rd October 2006. Her baby was sent out to relatives only one week after birth.
Another 25-year-old Lahu girl arrested on 3rd May 2006 gave birth to a son on 7th December 2006. Her home and relatives are far away in northern Thailand and so they face great difficulty to visit her at the Bangkok prison.
A young Akha girl gave birth to a son at the prison on 10th April 2006. She and other hilltribe women have been forced to send their babies out of the prison despite the difficulties in doing this. There appears to be no consideration at all on the part of prison officials to allow these women out of the prison on medical or humanitarian grounds.
A typical hilltribe inmate's case at Bangkok women's prison is provided by a 28-year-old Karen girl. She was arrested on 4th November 2004 after her husband's friend had brought yaba (methamphetamine pills) to the house she was staying in. Her husband and daughter escaped to Myanmar. She received a sentence of 33 years and 7 months. Her relatives and friends cannot visit her in faraway Bangkok. She has no support or funds to pay for lawyers. In court she suffers disadvantages in her defense against police prosecutors due to her hilltribe identity, lack of Thai language skills and lack of understanding of the Thai justice system.
Recent reports say that Lao women prisoners were transferred in January 2007 from Bangkok to prisons closer to the Lao border. About 130 Burmese women held at the Bangkok prison now also anticipate transfer to prisons closer to the Myanmar border. However, they fear that their relatives will still be unable to visit or support them at all, while they will lose the visits and support of missionaries in Bangkok. Myanmar and Lao embassies in Thailand have little or no interest in helping hilltribe prisoners from their states.
One Lahu woman from Myanmar who had spent 10 years in Thai prisons was released at the end of June 2006 after the King's amnesty reduced her sentence. She was taken to the border town of Mae Sai at the northern tip of Thailand where Thai police demanded she pay them money to release her. She pleaded with them about how they could expect that she had any money to pay them after 10 years in Thai prisons and with no one there to help her. So they locked her up again in a tiny, hot, insect-infested police cell. Next day they took her to a quiet place on the border where she had to wade across the river to Myanmar. Back in her homeland she and other released prisoners like her have great difficulty surviving and finding work. The poverty trap is exacerbated by imprisonment. Thus present policies do nothing at all to solve the drugs problem. Rather, wrong policies are largely to blame for exacerbating and even for causing the drugs problem.
Conditions at Klong Pai Central Prison in Nakhon Ratchasima are also cause for concern. Many hilltribe and Burmese prisoners are held there. In 2006 there were about 130 inmates in the hospital at the men's prison, many of whom are hilltribes or Burmese. The hospital held about 50 cases with HIV, 30 with TB, and one with leprosy. At least six Burmese inmates died in the prison hospital during 2006.
Moses Saengpo, a Burmese man, died with HIV on 6th October 2006.
Kyaw Soe Naing, another Burmese man, also died with HIV on 24th November 2006.
Rattanachai Kiatshie, an Akha hilltribe man, became seriously ill, vomiting blood, and was moved to an hospital outside the prison on 2nd February 2007.
Adequate medical treatment and medicines are severely lacking at Klong Pai Central Prison, as at other prisons in Thailand. Hilltribe prisoners usually do not have funds or outside support to pay for medicines and treatment. Thus they are left to suffer, without let or remorse from Thai prison officials who seem never to consider releasing sick and dying prisoners to be with their families and friends.
There is some good news: The quality of food at Klong Pai Central Prison is reported to have improved since January 2007; And a charitable American organization has been allowed to visit with doctors, dentists and medicines to treat sick prisoners. However, is it not Thai officials who are responsible for the provision of basic human necessities such as decent food, clothes, toiletries and medical treatment to those whom they hold under their care?
Another concern is the use of coerced prison labour in Thailand. Prisoners who cannot pay their way in Thai prisons carry out menial work for many companies, including some well-known western firms. Those who do such work often complain of extremely meagre rewards, very late payment, or no payment at all. Although working, they often cannot afford sufficient food, clothes, or toiletries, while prices of these basic commodities are usually inflated inside the prison. Amongst the companies which appear to exploit forced prison labour in Thailand are MacDonald's, Thai Airlines, Woolworths, Camel cigarettes, and many others.
Thailand has not signed the U.N. Convention Against Torture. It appears to have been held up in the Foreign and Justice ministries. Let us encourage the post-coup regime to consider signing it, and making a thorough review of practices which go on in Thai prisons.
Those inclined towards charity, and not merely paying ?donations? in the hope that others will do it for them, may consider the following requests from hilltribe prisoners in Thailand who would appreciate letters or visits:
Inson Charoenporn, room 424,
ChiangMai Central Prison,
142 Chotana Road, T. Chang Peuk
A. Muang,
ChiangMai 50300
THAILAND
Mr. Inson is an Akha man from Myanmar [Burma]. He is proficient in English, Thai, Burmese and Akha. He and the many other hilltribe inmates with him would appreciate letters, visits, any assistance with basic necessities, magazines and books. He moved from Room # 507 where he said 57 mostly young men were holed up in very crowded conditions. Room # 424 is for inmates over 60 years old, and he said there are presently 37 men in there with him. He's relieved at his greatly improved (living?) conditions: In his new room they each have 80 centimetres width for sleeping!
Mr. Arka Becheku is an Akha man who works in the prison kitchen at Chiang Mai Central Prison. Write to him at '# Kitchen' with the same address as above. He understands English, Thai and Akha. He is asking for a Bible College correspondence course.
Mr. Asok Wei Yee, # 1 / R 25
Youth Central Prison,
22/4 moo 3, T. Klong 6,
Klong Luang,
Pathumthani 12120
Asok is a young Akha man from Myanmar. He understands English, Thai, Burmese and Akha. He requests English magazines and English study materials.
Mr. Apha Mopogu is a young Akha man from China. He understands Chinese, Thai, Akha, and a little English. He asks for Chinese magazines. He is held in Youth Central Prison # 1 / R 22.
Ms. Bu Mue Emily Soe, # 4 / R 6
Central Women Correctional
Institution,
33/3 Ngam Wong Wan Road,
Lard Yao, Chatuchak,
Bangkok 10900
Bu Mue is an Akha woman from Myanmar. She understands English, Thai, Burmese, Akha and other hilltribe languages. She would appreciate letters, visits, help with basic necessities and stationary for herself and the many other hilltribe women with her in Bangkok women's prison.
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Note: Previous reports about prison conditions in Thailand have drawn sharp criticism from certain quarters that permission was not obtained to post personal details about prisoners on internet. May readers be assured that such permission has indeed been granted by the prisoners who have asked for this information to be posted on internet. This report, and the work to compile it, is not done by, or for, any secret service, government agency, NGO, missionary, charity or any other group. It is for free distribution to all concerned. The individual has the primary right to all their own personal details and how these are used, not officials of any government or other organization.
Sources For Further Research:
Author: Paul Hunt -
Foto provided by Paul Hunt
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