- By Tammy, Thai Intel’s humanity journalist
According to Yingluck‘s foreign minister, Surapong, he is planning to address the 19th United Nations Human Rights Council at the end of this month-to, quote: “Reaffirm Thailand‘s strong push on promoting human rights in Thailand.
The statement from Thailand’s foreign ministry follows:
นายสุรพงษ์ โตวิจักษณ์ชัยกุล รัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงการต่างประเทศ มีกำหนดจะเข้าร่วมการประชุมคณะมนตรีสิทธิมนุษยชนแห่งสหประชาชาติ (Human Rights Council – HRC) สมัยที่ ๑๙ ในวันที่ ๒๗ กุมภาพันธ์ ๒๕๕๕ ณ นครเจนีวา เพื่อยืนยันบทบาทที่แข็งขันของไทยในการส่งเสริมสิทธิมนุษยชน และความพร้อมที่จะร่วมรับผิดชอบในการคุ้มครองสิทธิมนุษยชนกับประชาคมระหว่าง ประเทศ
Unfortunately for Surapong, Human Rights Watch, just issues a statement on Thailand, saying the lese majeste judgement in Thailand is unfair.
What HRW stated, is more indicative of Yingluck’s government drift away from Human Rights, as what HRW said relates to the Red Shirts, who strongly supported Yingluck during the election campaign.
Thai Intel just wants to remind readers, that UN HRC earlier made several calls on Thailand to amend the lese majeste laws, however, Surapong-drifted from first saying Thailand needed more time to study lese majeste usage, then in latter statement from Thailand, said lese majeste is an internal affair of Thailand.
If Thai Intel’s readers need an analysis:
The first theory on Yingluck’s cold position towards human rights, is that it widely believed in Thailand, is that Thaksin and Yingluck have cut a deal with the Thai establishment-to allow Yingluck to govern Thailand, without using the well-known “Judicialization” of Thailand-to kick out Yingluck, or in the worse case, another coup.
Another theory, is that Yingluck is facing a set of challenges, and can not attack all issues at once-as another Thai political crisis could erupt. The two main issues that confronts Yingluck is the re-draw of the Thai constitution to be more Democratic, and another one is the future of the Thai monarchy system, as it relates to lese majeste-and thus human rights.
Yet another theory, is that there is very little different, fundamentally, between Yingluck and Abhisit-in that both are fundamentally, far right in philosophy-and thus human rights is a non-issue. This theory is supported by the rationale, that Thailand is run by competing oligopolies, and the competition, is not about philosophy.
- The following is from DPA:
Red shirts treated unfairly, says rights group
Published: 26/02/2012 at 03:57 PM
Newspaper section: News
Thai courts have systematically denied bail in lese majeste cases involving red shirt supporters behind the 2009-10 protests, Human Rights Watch said on Sunday.
The New York-based group said bail was denied in 12 cases involving members of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship (UDD), while bail was granted for a leader of the rival yellow shirt People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in July 2010.
The UDD protested against the government of former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva in Bangkok in 2009 and 2010, resulting in street battles that left scores dead and buildings ablaze.
The PAD led protests against a previous government that backed fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra, culminating in the seizure of the capital’s two airports in 2008.
“Bail appears to be systematically denied to members of the red shirts while they await trial for lese majeste,” said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
A verdict is expected on Tuesday in the case of Surachai Danwattananusorn, a prominent political activist charged with lese majeste in February 2011. His bail requests have been denied five times.
The lese majeste law was seldom enforced before the September 2006 coup that toppled Thaksin, but there has since been a surge in cases, largely directed at Thaksin’s followers, who have become increasingly outspoken in their public criticism of the establishment.
A movement to amend Article 112 of the Criminal Code, the lese majeste law, backed by some prominent royalists who claim that abuses of the law have harmed the institution’s reputation, have been rejected by both government and opposition politicians.
“The new government of Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has shown little interest in ending lese majeste crackdowns,” Human Rights Watch said. dpa
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- Thai Royalism: How is the Thai Royalty reputation hoilding up amid local & global out-cry on lese majeste (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
- Journalism: Chiranouch’s lese majeste trial hit “Most Popular” at “All Top” Thailand news amid Bangkok terror (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
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- ASEAN Defense: Blog comment “Thai military establishment must get down to business of defending Thailand not lese majeste nonsense” (thaiintelligentnews.wordpress.com)
