Thai leader shuns UN human rights chief

Apparently in an effort to avoid human rights scrutiny, Thailand’s prime minister, foreign minister and other senior government officials did not meet with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk during his June 5-6 visit to Bangkok.

Tuerck’s visit was therefore downgraded from an official visit to a “Stopover”, unlike his other regional destinations such as Malaysia, where he met with government leaders and commented publicly on the human rights situation.

But avoiding Turkey will not make Thailand’s human rights problems go away. Nor will it address the many concerns of UN member states about human rights violations in Thailand, including the UN Human Rights Council’s recent human rights assessment of Thailand in the Thai parliament. Universal Periodic Review (Universal Periodic Review).

Since pro-democracy protests began in July 2020, Thai courts have prosecuted at least 1,954 people, including 286 children, for exercising their rights to free expression and peaceful assembly.

Anti-monarchy activists have died recently Nettipon SanetsangkornHe began a hunger strike in January while in pretrial detention on suspicion of lese majeste (insulting the monarchy), drawing worldwide attention to the Thai government’s strict enforcement of the law, which infringes on free speech and carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison.

more than 270 people Some have also been charged with vague computer-related crimes and sedition. Even former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra faced lese majeste charges for media comments he made in 2015.

The ruling Pheu Thai Party and its coalition partners repeatedly Oppose amnesty for those charged with lèse majeste or amendment of the law to bring it into line with international human rights standards.

Meanwhile, in January this year, the Constitutional Court of Thailand rule An attempt by the opposition Kadima party to amend the lèse-majesté law would amount to treason, which could lead to the party’s disbanding and its leaders being banned from politics.

As Thailand ActivityTo seek a seat on the UN Human Rights Council from 2025 to 2027, their government should recognize that all Council members have an obligation to “uphold the highest standards in the promotion and protection of human rights” and to “cooperate fully with the Council.” This means actually addressing human rights issues, not just talking about them. promise and evade scrutiny by the United Nations human rights system.