1 November 2019
The Thai Court of Appeals increased former Lt. Gen. Manus Kongpaen’s prison sentence from 27 to 82 years. This verdict was announced approximately two years after the defendant was convicted in Thailand’s largest human trafficking case in 2017 where Lt. Gen. Manus was among 102 defendants ranged from law enforcement officers to local politicians convicted for human trafficking.
The investigation on this case was launched after multiple graves of Bangladeshis and Rohingya Muslims were discovered near the Malaysian border in 2015. On July 2017, the Rachada Criminal Court in Bangkok found former Lt. Gen. Manas guilty of five offenses and gave out a 55-year prison sentence. Combined with the previous 27-year prison term from other crimes, the total prison term is now 82 years.
Under the 2019 amendment of the Thai Anti-Human Trafficking Act, those who are convicted of trafficking can receive a prison sentence of up to 4 years and a fine of up to 400,000 Thai baht ($13,000). The most severe punishment in cases where a victim is killed is the death penalty. The new amendment to the Anti-Human Trafficking Act and the Judiciary’s increased willingness to convict and set, severe punishment reflect on the ongoing success of the Thai government’s significant efforts to combat human trafficking and prosecute criminals disregarding of their careers and ranks. In its Trafficking in Persons Report or TIP, the U.S. State Department has maintained Thailand on its Tier 2 List for two consecutive years since 2018.
Source: The Standard
Photo Credits: Nation Thailand
