Transgender convicts had expressed concerns they could become targets for abuse if locked up with male prisoners
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BANGKOK – Thailand prisons will start a pilot program to separate transgender inmates from the general inmate population, a rights group confirmed on Wednesday.
“While the population is not a large one, this campaign is not about the numbers but about protecting individuals from abuse,” said Jetsada Taesombat of the Thai Transgender Alliance.
Transgender convicts had expressed concerns they could become targets for abuse if locked up with male prisoners, Kobkiat Kasiwiwat, the deputy permanent secretary at the Justice Ministry, said Tuesday after announcing the program.
An estimated 1.5 per cent of Thailand’s male population dress, live or identify as female, transgender or third gender, the Thai Transgender Alliance said.