One of Bangkok’s law enforcement officers
Faced with criticism from human rights groups, Thai police earlier this week defended their practice of forcing criminals to re-enact their alleged crimes in front of the press.
Thai police commonly call on suspected criminals to re-enact their crimes in front of judges and the press, prior to the rendering of a guilty verdict. Pol Colonel Chalotorn Sitthipanya stated that re-enactments of crimes are necessary, as police officials and the public have “the right to know.”
However, human rights lawyer Somchai Hom-loar, who is also the chairman of Amnesty International Thailand, stated that suspected criminals should be treated as innocent until proven guilty by the court.
The Nation reports that human rights groups put some blame on the media as well, which they hold accountable for dramatizing crimes prior to the rendering of a verdict.
Photo: Pornchai Kittiwongsakul / AFP
