Amnesty surprised by public hatred
Amnesty International left reeling by hate-filled backlash against its death penalty protest
Last month, the Thai state executed Theerasak Longji, 26, who was convicted of brutally murdering 17-year-old Danudej Sukmak in the southern province of Trang in 2012. Following the execution by lethal injection, Amnesty International Thailand organised a protest outside Bang Khwang Central Prison to demand the abolition of the death penalty.
But the swift and extreme reaction from a section of the public, the majority of which supported capital punishment, has put Amnesty International in hot water. Online opinion slammed the NGO for its naivete and for “siding with the criminals”. Amnesty’s call for respect of the rights of the convict was met with scorn and the counter-argument that they should instead respect the rights of the murdered victim and his family.
The case has stirred up a debate on the legitimacy of the death penalty, and while Amnesty understood the ramifications of its stance on the contentious issue, it was caught by surprise by the strength of the reactions. And it’s not just online hate speech; the NGO’s office was vandalised and its staff threatened.
“While I knew this would draw a lot of heat, I was not prepared for the tsunami that it turned out to become,” said Piyanut Kotsan, executive director of Amnesty International Thailand. “What ensued included death threats, cyber bullying and an effort to harass staff in all possible manners. In short, it left everyone involved emotionally rattled.
“It is hard for me to get my head around just how severe the backlash has become. In short, it has become personal. There have been all forms of death threats against not just me but my staff and others involved.”
Piyanut, who has been a part of the Amnesty International Human Rights global movement as member, staff, volunteer, board member and adviser since 1999, said the extent and hostility of the public’s response exceeded anyone’s expectations. One of Amnesty’s missions is to oppose the death penalty in all cases. Recently, it issued a statement against the execution of 13 convicts in Japan relating to the 1995 sarin gas attack which killed 13 people and injured thousands. It also criticises countries such as China and Iran, which execute more people than any other country. But the reactions in Thailand were unprecedented.
“The onslaught has lessened with time, but it’s still there. I do not dare to read most of what is posted online because it is so vile. Barely a few hours after we posted our stance on the death penalty, we had 6,000 disgruntled people abuse us in the worst possible manner. That number quickly swelled to millions,” Piyanut said.
“Slanderous messages accusing us of being slaves of the West and more have also been circulating. Women, in particular, have been targeted in this backlash. Most disturbing was one threatening our female staff who speak up with rape. Some posts online encourage people to hunt us down and attack us. People placed funeral wreaths in front of our office and posted a photo of it online. It has become pretty bizarre.”
A Facebook page put up by haters of Amnesty International has had thousands of followers. Some posts threatened family members of the staff saying: “If you have a daughter, I would like to rape her!”
“As director of Amnesty Thailand I felt very accountable [for what happened],” remarked Piyanut candidly. “My biggest concern was firstly for the safety and well-being of my staff, and then for the organisation. The last thing I want is for my staff to feel guilty that they could have done things differently to bring about a more positive outcome. The hate speech was so strong that we had to cancel a number of events.”
Right after the June execution, online polls revealed that over 95% of respondents preferred to keep capital punishment. In an academic survey in 2014, only 8% of those sampled wanted to abolish the extreme penalty while over 40% wanted to keep it. Executions have become rare in Thailand in recent decades even though the number of crimes punishable by death has increased. Before the execution of Theerasak Longji, it was last used in August 2009 when two drug traffickers were put to death on the same day at Bang Khwang prison. There are currently about 450 condemned prisoners, according to the Corrections Department.
Besides all the hate speech, the pro-death penalty faction stresses the importance of setting an example for those who commit extreme crimes. Extreme punishment is necessary to keep society safe, they say.
Piyanut said her mother, too, holds a different view from her on the issue. “But it’s fine because it is important to have freedom of expression in all situations. Diversity is a good thing, and I desire to see Thais from all walks of life embrace such a mindset.”
On a positive note, Piyanut said this crisis has brought Amnesty Thailand to reflect on its methods. They have set out to improve staff security and adjust their public communication strategy.
Asked what she would say to family members of the murdered victim, she replied: “I would tell them that I was sorry for their loss and could not come close to understanding the grief they have experienced. I would tell them that if I was in their shoes, I would want justice to be served. We are on the same page on this. However, where we see things differently is the end result of the punishment. Amnesty does not believe the death penalty is the answer, because it does not help to resolve the situation.
“The answer lies in revamping the entire justice system, so that it goes hand in hand with convicts serving their sentences in a constructive manner.”
Some posts threatened family members of the staff saying: ‘If you have a daughter, I would like to rape her!’