The murder of Hanna Backlund has been doing the rounds on the Thai Visa forum, but now things are getting ridiculous. I logged onto Thai Visa this morning to find a thread titled “No Less Then Death Penalty For Hanna’s Murderer, Show of force at the hearings”. The post reads like this:

It is possible to see that justice is done. Will anyone help me to attend hearings, show a cohesive presence and attempt to lobby the court so as to assure the death penalty in this case?

Also from the original poster:

I also know that doing nothing is not an acceptable alternative. If we can’ t get into courtroom, we can stand outside. If we can’t stand outside we can write letters, we can appeal to the press.

Maybe a bikini rally where we all wear bikinis, men and women! And then mockenly stab each other, eh?

That will get some action !

I know who the original poster is, although I don’t know her personally. The problem I have with this is that I have no doubt that the poster will go through with what she is preaching, making a mockery of the whole trial.

The man police arrested may or may not be the killer. He is yet to be convicted either way. There is a chance that he is a scapegoat. Some of the details I have learnt about corruption in Thailand show me that nothing is clear cut. There are things I can’t write about on this blog, but corruption exists and scapegoats are used. Innocent people are arrested while the guilty walk free.

By Thai law, the man accused of murdering Hanna Backlund cannot receive the death penalty. He gave himself up in a “deal” with the police. If convicted, he will get life imprisonment. By lobbying at the court, the poster and her clan will be attempting to change Thai law.

Yes, a farang was killed, but people are killed in Thailand every day. Were those who will lobby at the court demanding the death penalty for people suspected of killing Thais, Burmese, whoever. Have these same people been pressuring police to find the killers of other farangs who have been murdered in Phuket?

Really, who is the original poster doing this for? Is she working on behalf of Hanna’s family? I suspect that Hanna’s family would want to distance themselves from this type of action. I am strongly against the death penalty. If the poster wants to change Thai law, this is not the place to call for it. This crusade for “justice” is bad news. The case already has a high enough profile without turning it into even more of a media circus.

I’d love hear other people’s thought about this because the thread on Thai Visa made me extremely uncomfortable.