16-1-2024 (BANGKOK) The Department of Corrections has issued a request urging the public not to label former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra as a “prison inmate” in order to facilitate his eventual reintegration into society, despite his current incarceration while receiving medical treatment.
The department’s statement, released on Tuesday without an attributed spokesman, highlighted the practice of using the term “inmate” only when individuals were physically within prison confines, aligning with the Corrections Act.
The press release emphasized that the term “inmate” should not be employed when referencing individuals outside the prison setting, as such usage could impact their societal reintegration and potentially infringe on their human rights.
In medical records, individuals receiving treatment at external hospitals were identified with honorifics such as Mr, Mrs, and Miss, rather than the term “inmate,” the department clarified.
The concern raised was that categorizing individuals as “inmates” could lead to long-lasting consequences, as such references often endure in social media systems.
Thaksin Shinawatra, aged 74, returned to Thailand on August 22, 2023, following 15 years of self-imposed exile, re-entering the justice system. He faced conviction and sentencing in absentia for corruption and abuse of authority during his tenure in office prior to the 2006 military coup that ousted him.
Upon his return, Thaksin was promptly detained, sentenced to eight years in prison (later reduced to one year by royal clemency), and transferred from Bangkok Remand Prison to the Police General Hospital on the same day for purported health reasons. Reports suggest he has remained at the hospital since then.
While a senator anticipates Thaksin’s potential release next month.
