Original Story



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4 die in first executions by lethal   injection
The Nation : Section: headlines Date : Dec 13,2003 

4 die in first executions by lethal injection
Published on Dec 13, 2003 

Four convicted prisoners made history yesterday  when they became the first to be
executed by lethalinjection since the country outlawed firing squads.
 
The four, who were executed at Bang Kwang Prison in Nonthaburi, comprised three drug
traffickers and one convicted murderer.
 
Boonlue Nakprasit, Panpong Sinsang and Wibul Panasuttha were sentenced to death in
1998 for  trafficking 115,800 methamphetamine tablets in Samut Prakan.
 
Phanom Thonchanglua was sentenced to death in  2000 for carrying out the contract
killing of Saenchai Thongchua in Chumphon.
 
Thailand switched its execution method from firing squad to lethal injection in October,
said Natthi Jitsawang, director-general of the Department of Corrections. 
 
Natthi said the lethal injections comply with international standards, which state
that executions must not be carried out in public, that subjects die instantly,
 and that no blood be spilled in the process.
 
He said the first injection puts the subject to sleep, the  second relaxes muscles, 
and the last arrests the heartbeat. More than 980 convicts are
currently on  death row, he added. 

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