- Joined
- Jul 17, 2008
- Messages
- 13,369
- Points
- 83
Authoritarians gain ground in Thailand
Authoritarian forces are gaining ground in Thailand and undermining the country's democratisation, according to the latest assessment by an international rights group.
The Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission (AHCR) states in its annual report for 2010 that the human rights situation in Thailand has been in a state of crisis since the start of the year, with emergency rule in effect in many areas of the country.
The report released on the eve of International Human Rights Day today also states that forces opposed to human rights and their allies had re-emerged to take control of key national institutions. These forces were digging in to fight for political control of the country.
The resurgence of an "internal security state" in Thailand was following a similar pattern to the past but with "an original authoritarian style, with more refined public relations and a sharper concern for new types of political and technological threats to its authority", the report says.
The regional rights group identified the features of the internal security state as including an "expanded use of emergency regulations to legitimise all state actions while also producing impunity; failure to meet obligations under international human rights law; the obfuscation of truth and curtailment of justice; and failure of the country's human rights institutions to perform according to their mandate".
The 21-page report also expresses concern at the elimination of "any middle ground in which citizens might express their views without fear of criminalisation or violence".
The report focuses on the events of April and May this year when clashes in Bangkok between government forces and red shirt protesters left more than 90 people dead and at least 1,400 injured.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/210575/authoritarians-gain-ground-in-thailand
The AHRC describes as "arbitrary" the use of the emergency decree to order people to report to the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation for questioning. Such a practice, it says, "has been associated with gross and widespread human rights violations in Thailand".
It also draws attention to how the emergency regulations in Thailand clearly violate international law and are contrary to the state's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This, it says, means the government has not been complying with treaties and agreements to which it is a signatory.
The report also takes to task the National Human Rights Commission for its failure to address "serious obstacles to the enjoyment of human rights in Thailand" in general and to attend to the consequences of the political confrontation in particular.
The AHRC called for the Thai human rights body's international standing to be downgraded and its right to participate in United Nations forums removed.
Human rights commissioner Niran Pitakwatchara responded to the criticisms yesterday by saying the NHRC had always performed its duty in examining and guaranteeing human rights for people, including those who were jailed as a result of recent political rallies and those who had allegedly violated the emergency regulations.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Authoritarian forces are gaining ground in Thailand and undermining the country's democratisation, according to the latest assessment by an international rights group.
The Hong Kong-based Asian Human Rights Commission (AHCR) states in its annual report for 2010 that the human rights situation in Thailand has been in a state of crisis since the start of the year, with emergency rule in effect in many areas of the country.
The report released on the eve of International Human Rights Day today also states that forces opposed to human rights and their allies had re-emerged to take control of key national institutions. These forces were digging in to fight for political control of the country.
The resurgence of an "internal security state" in Thailand was following a similar pattern to the past but with "an original authoritarian style, with more refined public relations and a sharper concern for new types of political and technological threats to its authority", the report says.
The regional rights group identified the features of the internal security state as including an "expanded use of emergency regulations to legitimise all state actions while also producing impunity; failure to meet obligations under international human rights law; the obfuscation of truth and curtailment of justice; and failure of the country's human rights institutions to perform according to their mandate".
The 21-page report also expresses concern at the elimination of "any middle ground in which citizens might express their views without fear of criminalisation or violence".
The report focuses on the events of April and May this year when clashes in Bangkok between government forces and red shirt protesters left more than 90 people dead and at least 1,400 injured.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/210575/authoritarians-gain-ground-in-thailand
The AHRC describes as "arbitrary" the use of the emergency decree to order people to report to the Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation for questioning. Such a practice, it says, "has been associated with gross and widespread human rights violations in Thailand".
It also draws attention to how the emergency regulations in Thailand clearly violate international law and are contrary to the state's obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. This, it says, means the government has not been complying with treaties and agreements to which it is a signatory.
The report also takes to task the National Human Rights Commission for its failure to address "serious obstacles to the enjoyment of human rights in Thailand" in general and to attend to the consequences of the political confrontation in particular.
The AHRC called for the Thai human rights body's international standing to be downgraded and its right to participate in United Nations forums removed.
Human rights commissioner Niran Pitakwatchara responded to the criticisms yesterday by saying the NHRC had always performed its duty in examining and guaranteeing human rights for people, including those who were jailed as a result of recent political rallies and those who had allegedly violated the emergency regulations.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
