Primetime Soap Reignites Debate Over Executing Rapists

[Coss]

BANGKOK — A primetime soap with sexual assault as a central plot point has inflamed social debate over the death penalty and rape culture.

 

Human rights activists and academics point out that while the primetime soap “Lah†(The Hunt) is sympathetic toward the view that rapists should pay the ultimate penalty, it is also hostile toward the prevalent rape culture found in lakorn, or soap operas.

 

Although sexual violence against women is a common plot points in lakorn, usually to punish morally suspect women or advance romantic relationships between protagonists and their love interests, “Lah†places the blame squarely on the attackers rather than the victims.

 

Characters in the series even explicitly argue for the death penalty for rape, the main reason being that if the rapists are not executed they will come out of jail and continue to sexually assault people....

 

In “Lah,†single mom Matusorn (Lalita “Mew†Panyopas) and her middle school student daughter Matukorn (Pornsroung “Xiang Xiang†Ruayruen) are gang raped by seven men.

 

The men escape prosecution and prison because of their social status. In the meantime, Matthayom 1 student Matukorn suffers a mental breakdown. In revenge, Matusorn dons elaborate disguises to kill off the rapists in her own form of vigilante justice.

 

The hashtag #Lah2017 has been the top trending tweet in Thailand for several days as people weigh in on capital punishment, victim-blaming and vigilantism.

 

“Some people said the lakorn is too dramatic. Hmm?†@Chocooliie tweeted. “In a country where rape happens on trains, and a whole village can gang rape one woman, and where an uncle rapes a 5-year-old niece to death, what can be too dramatic?

 

#Lah2017â€Chocoolie’s tweet was retweeted more than 42,000 times as of Thursday.

 

http://www.khaosodenglish.com/featured/2017/12/14/primetime-soap-reignites-debate-executing-rapists/

 

 

Maybe the times, they are a changing...