AN INTERNATIONAL non-profit organisation has added Thailand to its watchlist of countries experiencing rapid declines in civic freedoms on alleged grounds of targeting of activists, critics and the opposition by the government of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
Thailand is now among 50 countries rated “Repressed” by Civicus Monitor. This rating is typically given to countries where civic space is heavily contested by power holders, who impose a combination of legal and practical constraints on the full enjoyment of fundamental rights.
Civicus Monitor, a global alliance dedicated to strengthening citizen action and civil society around the world founded in 1993 with 8,500 members in more than 175 countries today, said in recent months, the government has continued to use the lese majeste law, or Section 112 of the Criminal Code, to arrest and convict activists, critics and politicians.
“Courts routinely deny bail to individuals charged or impose strict conditions in cases where bail is granted. According to Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), since early 2020, more than 270 people have been charged with violating the law and at least 17 are being held in pre-trial detention,” Civicus said.
Prominent human rights lawyer and democracy activist Anon Nampa was sentenced to a further two years imprisonment in April 2024, while in May 2024, an opposition lawmaker and activist Chonthicha Jangrew of the Move Forward Party was sentenced to two years jail.
Activist Netiporn ‘Bung’ Sanesangkhom, who had been campaigning to repeal the lese majeste provision, died in custody in May 2024, after suffering a cardiac arrest. No one has been held accountable for her death, the international NGO said.
Despite recently legalising same sex marriage, human rights groups have also raised concerns about women and LGBTQI+ activists being unlawfully targeted with digital surveillance, including Pegasus spyware and online harassment, by state and non-state actors, in an effort to silence them, said Josef Benedict, Civic Asia researcher.
The Civicus is also concerned about transnational repression in Thailand. Human rights groups have reported an upsurge in repression directed at foreign nationals seeking refugee protection in Thailand.
Foreign governments have subjected exiled dissidents and activists to harassment, surveillance and physical violence, often with the cooperation and knowledge of Thai authorities. Most recently, Vietnamese activist Y Quynh Bdap was detained in Thailand on June 11, 2024 and is at risk of deportation, where he could be subjected to severe persecution.
“It is extremely worrying that a country that is seeking a place on the UN Human Rights Council is facilitating harassment, surveillance, and physical violence of activists from abroad seeking refuge in Thailand. The authorities must end such actions and instead create a safe haven for activists fleeing persecution from neighbouring countries,” added Benedict
The opposition Move Forward Party – that won the highest number of seats in parliamentary elections in 2023 – is at risk of being dissolved by the Constitutional Court and its executives face a 10-year ban on political activity for their pledge to amend Section 112 of the Criminal Code. The petition to the courts was filed by the Election Commission.
Disbanding the Move Forward Party would violate the rights to freedom of association and undermine the progress made to restore democracy following the coup and military rule, Civicus added.
CAPTIONS:
Top and Front Page: Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin.
First insert: Well-known political activist and human rights lawyer Anon Nampha.
Second insert: Lawmaker and activist Chonthicha Jangrew. All photos: Thai Rath
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