UN rights council comes down heavily on junta

THAILAND came under severe criticism over the human rights situation in the country with international delegates of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) raising serious concerns in Geneva yesterday.

At the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR) session, the Thai delegation led by Justice Ministry permanent secretary Chanchao Chaiyanukij toed the official line in responding to the questions and recommendations made by the UNHRC members, saying the junta needed to “limit” people’s rights and freedom to maintain peace, law and order during the transition period.

The delegate from Greece suggested that Thailand end martial law and stop the trial of civilians in the military court. The British delegate raised concerns on the same issue and also asked what plan the Thai government had to end the prosecution of civilians by the military court and their detention in military facilities.

US representatives raised a number of concerns over the role of the military court, the restriction of people’s freedom in the referendum law, the lese majeste law, freedom of expression, and Article 44 of the interim constitution. 

A judge from the military court, who was a part of the Thai delegation explained to the UNHRC the need to prosecute civilians in a military court. 

The judge explained that the court only tries civilians who commit serious crimes with war weapons, disobey the junta’s orders or are accused of lese majeste. The defendants in the military court have their right to appoint lawyers and seek bail. They have all the rights for a fair trail in accordance with international standards, he said. 

A Foreign Ministry official in the Thai delegation explained that the lese majeste law was badly needed for Thailand to protect the monarchy. She said the NCPO Order 13/2559 was issued to have military officers help police in cracking down on mafia and narcotic traffickers. Article 44, which bestows special power to the junta chief, was not new in Thai political history, she added, and noted it was exercised with caution.

The session was telecast live yesterday on UN Web TV.

In Thailand, key Pheu Thai Party figure Chaturon Chaisang tweeted that the UPR report on Thailand was the most embarrassing one, as it placed the country in the international spotlight for human rights violations. “Thailand not only failed to pass the test at the UN session, the country also became a laughing stock,” he said. 

“As a Thai citizen, who feels violated by all the government’s measures and actions, I confirm what international communities have raised in the forum that human rights violations in Thailand are a matter of grave concern,” he said. 

Chaturon was prosecuted in the military court for resisting summons by the junta soon after the 2014 coup. He is banned from travelling abroad and his passports have been revoked. 

Sunai Phasuk, a researcher at Human Rights Watch in Thailand, said that in the eyes of the international community, Thailand is a military state and abusing human. 

Sunai slammed Thailand’s responses in the UPR regarding the use of a military court to try civilian cases. He said it was false and insincere. The representatives said that only a small number of civilians had been tried before the military court. Sunai said, in fact, at least 1,000 civilians had been tried by the military court according to UN records. 

Thailand’s report on human right to the UN body and its presentation yesterday was evaluated by human rights organisations as “hypocrisy”.

“The Thai government’s responses to the UN review failed to show any real commitment to reversing its abusive rights practices or protecting fundamental freedoms,” said John Fisher, Geneva director at Human Rights Watch, in a statement issued shortly after the end of the session on Thailand. “While numerous countries raised concerns about the human rights situation in Thailand, the Thai delegation said nothing that would dispel their fears of a continuing crisis.”

Chanchao told the UN yesterday that his government would take recommendations from the members in accordance with the capacity to implement. Thailand fully respected human rights but in the context of local circumstances, norms, and culture, he said.