FORUM-ASIA called on the National
Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRCT) to advocate the Thai government to
review the use of death penalty, and move toward its abolition, in a letter on
28 August 2009.

The letter came after two convicts were executed in Thailand, the first
executions in the country since 2003. The two inmates were given only 60-minute
notice before the executions, on 24 August.

While expressing that the death penalty is a "form of cruel and inhumane
treatment and a deliberate violation of the right to life", FORUM-ASIA
also pointed out that the 60-minutes notice was a violation of Article 7 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The article prohibits
torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.

The organisation questioned the transparency of the executions, since there was
no public information beforehand.

The two were executed for drug trafficking, which is not classified as a "most
serious crime" by the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial, Summary, or
Arbitrary Executions.

The letter urged the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand to
"advocate for an urgent review on the use of death penalty", and
ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights (ICCPR-OP2).

To read the letter, please click here (pdf).