DEATH FOR ANOTHER 14 TRAFFICKERS

C-8 Woman Official Cleared Of All Charges

The Criminal Court sentenced 14 convicted drug traffickers to death
yesterday and refused to commute the death penalty despite their confessions.

The sentences came hot on the heels of the death terms passed on Wednesday
on 19 convicted drug traffickers. The government adopted a get-tough policy
on drug traffickers but human rights organisations such as Amnesty
International Thailand have slammed the death penalty as "assembly line
execution".

The court yesterday acquitted Jirawat Charoenvanich, a C-8 Government House
official, and Wilawan Khayehkaew, due to lack of evidence.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra immediately ordered prosecutors and
police to re-examine the case against Mrs Jirawat, 47, since an appeal
would have to be filed within 15 days. Though Mrs Jirawat and Ms Wilawan,
25, were spared, three of their co-defendants were found guilty and given
the death penalty.

They were Chirawat Poompruek, 36, Bundit Charoenvanich, 44, and Somkhuan
Phayakruang, 29.

The five were charged with possession of 114,215 speed pills with intent to
sell on March 29 this year.

Bundit was also found guilty of illegal possession of a32mm pistol and
ammunition and conspiring with his sister, Mrs Jirawat, to forge passes
allowing access to three vehicles into Government House.

The court acquitted Ms Wilawan and Mrs Jirawat of all the charges but
reserved the right to detain them pending appeals.

Ms Wilawan told the court she accompanied her boyfriend, Chirawat, to
Chiang Mai but did not know there were drugs hidden in his car.

Statements by Mrs Jirawat's superiors and neighbours showed the part- time
accountant was not unusually rich since she just owned a car.

In the second case, four men and three women were sentenced to death for
possessing 142,000 speed pills and 3.038kg of heroin with intent to sell.
They were arrested in Chom Thong district, Chiang Mai, on Feb 21 this year.
The seven were Pichai Chompoo-ngam, 49, Tiew Chompoo- ngam, 47, Duangchan
Chaiwasilp, 30, Poonthawee Chompoo-ngam, 23, Yupin Piengchanta, 48, Tham
Piengchanta, 55, and Somros Puangmatha, 43.

In the third case, the court sentenced to death three Burmese men found
guilty of possessing 190,000 speed pills in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai, in March
2000. They were Samchuen Tasaeng, 27, Boonraud Nanthawong, 26, and Soi
Tahwong, 57.

In the fourth case, Wallapa Sriwilai, 29, was sentenced to death for
possessing 26.801kg of heroin with intent to sell in Din Daeng district on
March 11 this year.

Meanwhile, a representative of Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development
(Forum-Asia) said the judicial branch should not act in unison with the
administrative branch.

Responding to yesterday's death sentences, Somchai Homla-or conceded human
rights groups were not powerful enough and had no influence on the
authorities. Forum-Asia released a statement last week calling on the
government to review its policy after sentencing 19 drug traffickers to death.