Prayut touts efforts to promote human rights, ensure equity
The government is working to enhance safeguards protecting human rights in Thailand, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said on Wednesday.
The new measures range from improving public health and pensions to reforming prisons, and deterring sexual assault and forced disappearance, the prime minister wrote on Facebook.
Human security is crucial for the future of Thailand, Prayut said.
The Cabinet has approved a project to improve the public health system using cloud computing, which will enable all hospitals to track every patient's history, including diagnoses and treatment.
"This will enable all Thais to receive treatment anywhere and improve the efficiency of patient transferring [between hospitals]," he said.
Prayut said the Cabinet has approved ministerial regulations to increase the National Savings Fund's pension scheme to encourage people to save more for retirement.
"The monthly pension for people who start saving at 15 years old and retire at 60 years old has doubled from 7,387 baht [per month] to 16,779 baht," he said.
The government has also passed legislation to increase penalties for repeat sexual assault offenders and another law that increases penalties for those linked to forced disappearances. Both pieces of legislation will take effect in the middle of this year, the prime minister wrote.
"These laws aim to ensure safety in society and protect human rights in line with international principles," he said.
Prayut also said other reforms to the judicial system were being made. Court hearings will be accelerated, while people convicted of minor offenses will receive fines or community service rather than jail terms, he said.
"Prisons are not for detaining the poor. All people make mistakes," the prime minister wrote.
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