To mark the 17th World and 12th European Day Against the Death Penalty, the European Union in Thailand is pleased to invite all to the exhibition of photography by Japanese photographer and anti-death penalty advocate Toshi Kazama at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT).
The exhibition runs from 7 – 10 October, in conjunction with Mr. Kazama’s special “End Crime, Not Life” presentation at the FCCT on Thursday, 10 October, 2019 at 7:15pm.
A victim of a murder attempt over a decade ago, Mr. Kazama has used his photographic skills to capture the intimate portraits of juvenile offenders on death row, their crime scenes, the relatives of the victims of the crimes, and their execution chambers. With these compelling photographs and the accompanying stories that inspired them, Mr. Kazama has lent his voice to many anti-death penalty campaigns across the globe.
Southeast Asia’s use of capital punishment has moved against global trends. While the reported number of executions fell to 690 in 2018 – the lowest level in a decade – almost 100 of them were carried out in Southeast Asia last year.
Although some countries still consider the death penalty necessary, there is a growing understanding of its ineffectiveness as a crime deterrent and being a gross violation of human dignity. Despite evidence suggesting the death penalty does not lead to lower rates for violent crimes and numerous cases of wrongful verdicts leading to the end of life for defendants, public opinion in some countries still overwhelmingly supports its use.
The exhibition and the special presentation are part of the European Union’s global efforts to foster a constructive dialogue on this divisive issue.