Un Congress Kicks Off In Bangkok

[george]

UN congress kicks off in Bangkok

BANGKOK: -- The 11th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice opened in Thailand this morning amid tight security, with Thai Justice Minister Minister Suwat Liptapanlop elected to chair the conference.

The UN conference started with the mourning of the recent death of the late Pope John Paul II and Monaco's Prince Rainier, according to TNA reporter.

More than five thousand police are on guard around the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok, where the meeting is being held.

Major roads in the vicinity, including Rama IV, Sukhumvit, Northern Sathon and Southern Sathon Roads are partly closed during the eight-day congress.

His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, representing His Majesty the King, will inaugurate the congress this afternoon.

More than 4,000 participants from all over the world, including government delegates, representatives from international and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and experts are expected to attend the eight-day congress.

The main theme of the congress is "synergies and responses:strategic alliances in crime prevention and criminal justice."

The Bangkok Declaration, which will be adopted on the last day of the of the congress, 25 April, will include references to the prevention and suppression of organised transnational crime, terrorism, economic and financial crimes, and human trafficking.

The Executive Secretary of the Congress, Eduardo Vetere, dismissed newspaper reports that the UN had complained about the security measures at the congress site.

"We are extremely satisfied with the level of security and cooperation, and everything is going smoothly here," Mr. Vetere told a press conference on Sunday.

He also expressed his appreciation to all those who had been working hard arranging the UN congress.

More than 4,000 people have so far registered to attend the week-long meeting, according to the justice minister.

This will be the largest ever Crime Congress. More than sixty ministers are participating.

Thailand is the second Asian country, after Japan, to host the UN congress, the second most significant UN conference after the annual UN General Assembly.

The UN crime conference is held every five years.

Mr. Suwat told TNA on Sunday that Thailand would present the country's creative solutions to a number of crime-related issues at the conference, including sustainable economic development under the 'sufficiency economy' principle initiated by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej and a royally-initiated programme on crop substitution to eradicate poppy plantations.

Thailand would also ask for more effective international cooperation in suppressing chemicals used for narcotics production, halting human trafficking and developing of a joint judicial system, the justice minister disclosed.

--TNA 2005-04-18

[Abandon]

got to mention here that Thailand is giving life sentances to first offense drug offenders who plainly are not the real drug dealers but only foolish mules and their families. Many of the Akha women are being exectued for this. Foreigners get an 'easier' time of it and have chance of release after 8 years (apart from the British).

Prisoners quickly find their only recourse of sentance reduction is a Royal Pardon - which is a difficult and almost random process. The punishments bear no relation to the crime; which is bourn out by all nations releasing the prisoners upon transfer back to their home nation. Thais, especially hill tribe folk not recognised as citizens of Thailand have very little chance at all.

[RDN]

...Foreigners get an 'easier' time of it and have chance of release after 8 years (apart from the British)....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Do you know why (about the British)? (Just curious - not much sympathy from me).

[Abandon]

Most foreign prisoners are allowed to transfer back to their own country after 8 years (depending on the treaty between the countries). Once there the courts will re-sentence them according to what time the person would have gotten for that offence in their own country. It's a kind of back door thing that is generally kept quiet, but basically developed nations do not see any benefit in keeping someone in prison for 99 or 45 years - even for murder.

The 'by-the-book' British insist that the prisoner serve at least half their sentence - half of 99 or 45 years. That is the wording of the treaty. I believe, but am not 100%, that some other nations also have the same wording but re-sentence and release quite quickly. The US even give written guarntees (because generally US prisons are far worse than Thai ones - this is discussed before :- http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/index.php?sh...iting+prisoners )

The good Ole Brits do things by the book.

From my visits to the prisoners in Thai prison, they feel that people should know about the sentencing policy. They are not claiming innocence, nor that they don't deserve prison, but that the crime and the punishment bear no relation to each other. Especially since they are stooges fed to the police, while the real drugs go through unabated. (In all the arrests the police are waiting, never a chance discovery)

Thai's get the real short end of the deal, as they have no real recourse other than a chance Royal Pardon. Especially the Hill tribe women who are routinely executed or kept for 45 years/life in prison and forced into slave labour to buy soap and food etc... Anyway, the other thread has most of the details so I won't go into it further here.