Source: CNN

Civil society rights groups on Thursday (15 October) criticised the Thailand government’s move to introduce a new emergency decree that effectively allows the authorities to thwart pro-democracy protests and other forms of peaceful assembly and expression in the country.

Under the decree, gatherings of five persons or more are prohibited. Authorities are also given under the order the power to arrest and detain people without charge for up to 30 days for reasons as vague as “supporting” or “concealing information” about the protests.

The decree also bans the publication of news and information “which may instigate fear amongst the people” or that “affect national security or peace and order”.

The recent pro-democracy protests in Thailand, primarily led by the youth, focus on pushing for the dissolution of Parliament, the enactment of a new Constitution and reforms to the monarchy.

Tens of thousands gathered at the Democracy Monument on 14 October to commemorate the student uprising in 1973 that briefly ended the decade-long junta rule in Thailand.

Protesters raised a three-finger salute as a Thai royal motorcade passed through. The salute, adopted from a dystopian sci-fi movie, is a symbol of defiance in Thailand’s democracy movement.

Many individuals have since faced illegal assembly charges, including those under an earlier COVID-19 emergency decree that authorities have routinely extended, despite the number of confirmed coronavirus cases being minimal nationwide, according to ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR).

“What’s happening now in Thailand is an outright blatant abuse of emergency powers to crack down on fundamental freedoms and shield those in power from any form of legitimate criticisms,” said APHR chairman Charles Santiago in a statement today.

The Malaysian Member of Parliament said that the “thousands” of protestors who “have taken to the streets in Bangkok, and nationwide, have done so peacefully, and are fully entitled to raise concerns about the current state of democracy in Thailand”.

Mr Santiago also called on “fellow parliamentarians in Thailand to immediately exercise their oversight powers, by providing prompt and independent review of the necessity for the use of emergency powers and ensuring that people’s fundamental rights are protected”.

APHR urged the Thai authorities to disclose the names of the individuals who have been arrested “and ensure that they are given access to lawyers, their families and medical assistance if injured”.

The timing of the announcement of a ‘severe’ emergency in Thailand — in the wee hours of the morning — is a means of “centralising the Thai government’s power and preventing the legitimate expression of dissent”, according to the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA).

In a statement today, FORUM-ASIA said that declaring a state of ’emergency’ is aimed at deterring “thousands of protestors who descended into central Bangkok from exercising their right to fundamental freedoms while instilling fear”.

“The state of emergency, arbitrary arrests and crowd dispersals have no grounding in international human rights law, which respects the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly,” said the rights group, citing such rights under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

“Under international human rights standards, emergency decrees should be legal, necessary, proportionate and time-bound. Thailand’s state of ‘severe’ emergency fails to meet these principles. It instead reinforces a system where dissent is continuously stifled,” added FORUM-ASIA.

FORUM-ASIA also observed that the ’emergency’ state “comes after months of intimidation against protesters which have included the widespread use of judicial harassment against activists and human rights defenders”.

“Authorities have arbitrarily arrested activists and filed charges against them under the country’s slew of repressive laws that carry hefty sentences. In recent months, more than 60 protest leaders have faced charges for organising and/or participating in protests,” said the group.

FORUM-ASIA noted that police arrested 21 protesters yesterday, including pro-democracy leader Jatupat ‘Pai Dao Din’ Boonpattararaksa. Police were also recorded manhandling protesters in crowds, according to the group.

The group stressed that it is the Thai government’s duty to ensure that protestors’ “demands for widening civic space and push for fundamental freedoms” are met, as it is obliged to do so based on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Subscribe
Notify of
4 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

APF a chance for civil society to engage region’s governments

More than 1,400 participants from civil society and high-level government officials to engage actively…

受雇前人力部客服员后挨打不断 女佣不堪受虐爬下15层楼逃

一名前人力部客服职员涉嫌虐待她家的女佣数个月,将后者锁在公寓内,甚至打耳光至脸部出血,女佣被吓得爬下15层楼逃跑。 31岁的被告努尔奥迪达(Nuur Audadi Yusoff)今天(9月28日)面对六项伤害女佣的控状,她对此表示认罪,另外还有九项控状将在判刑时列入考量。 据法院文件指出,被告和家人自2017年12月1日至2018年5月1日,雇佣24岁的印度尼西亚籍女佣,月薪为580元。但是女佣在工作了一个月后,就开始遭到雇主虐待。 据《亚洲新闻台》报导,被告于2018年1月时曾在晚上被女儿的哭声吵醒,发现女佣忘记为女儿涂上婴儿药膏,就质问女佣,对着她吐口水并打了对方耳光两次。 事后的数周,被告因女佣没准备早餐而朝她甩玻璃杯盖;因女佣没有帮孩子洗澡而抓着对方的头发,将她拖到浴室,更抓着女佣的头发要求她为孩子唱歌。 控方指出,女佣在经常被责骂、偶尔被吐口水等各种虐待后,哭着要求转换雇主。被告因此答应不再打她,而女佣就留下来继续工作,因为她需要寄钱回乡养孩子。 被告在2018年4月11日,还曾将女佣带到人力部,帮助她向其前雇主提出欠薪通报。据法庭文件指出,女佣当时非常感谢被告的帮助。 上传孩子照片导致再被虐待 但,在同年的4月21日,被告发现女佣持有一副手机,于是就点开并游览其聊天记录和储存照片。当被告发现自己孩子的照片被上传到脸书时,她感到不高兴,并用手机拍打女佣的脸部,导致女佣脸部红肿出血。 被告没收了手机,并在接下来的一周中,几乎每天都扇女佣耳光,并抓她的头发。…

起诉许渊臣诽谤诉讼 总理将出庭供证

总理李显龙将在起诉《网络公民》总编许渊臣的诽谤诉讼,选择出庭供证。 总理新闻秘书张俪霖是在昨晚(10日)发文告如是表示。 张俪霖称,如案件开审,总理会选择出庭供证,是因为对他的指控是不实的。 她表示总理弟妹也可与许渊臣一起决定,届时是否一同作证,在法庭上重复对总理的指控。之后由法庭来辨明事实。 在本月1日,总理新闻新闻秘书张俪霖,代表总理向本社总编许渊臣发函,指本社英语站在8月15日刊登的一篇评论,复述针对总理的不实指控,要求本社撤下并在三日内道歉。 许渊臣则在9月4日答复总理,认为有关评论文章不含诽谤性,而是根据可能对事件知情的总理家人此前发表的公开声明,也有鉴于涉及公共利益问题,为了能避免造成疑虑,只能重新复述总理弟妹曾说过的话。 本月5日起诉本社总编许渊臣,后者在当天收到代表总理李显龙的达文星律师楼( Davinder Singh Chambers LLC)寄来的原告诉状和法庭传票。 诉状中对本社英语站发表的有关文章提出异议,指该文章作出不实和无根据,并且贬低和诋毁总理。 不过,针对要求移除文章和无条件作出道歉,以及承诺不在《网络公民》刊登类似的指控,许渊臣则婉拒了这些要求。…