Indonesia, Thailand ready to help PNG on death penalty

THE governments of Indonesia and Thailand are ready to help the PNG inter-agency committee set up by Cabinet to implement the death penalty this year, Correctional Services Minister Jim Simatab says.
Indonesia will provide advice and technical assistance on the “death by firing squad” method and Thailand on “hanging”.
The National Executive Council had approved three modes of execution – death by firing squad, hanging and administration of anaesthetics followed by lethal injection.
The committee comprises Government agencies and co-chaired by the Commissioner for Correctional Service and Secretary for the Department of Justice and Attorney-General.
The committee will meet this week and report to Cabinet on what they have come up with. “After the committee meets, we should be able to carry out this Government decision to implement the death penalty,” Simatab said.
He said the death penalty would deter the small number of people “who have no value for human life”.
Serious crimes which attract the mandatory death sentence include treason, piracy and attempted piracy with actual violence, wilful murder that are of the worst categories as determined by case law precedent, aggravated rape and robbery with violence. Department of Justice and Attorney-General Secretary Dr Lawrence Kalinoe said serious crimes which had been included were sorcery-related killings and rape of children under the age of 10. PNG Today/ The National