Call poll, improve rights to resume full ties, EU tells Thai officials

By Kas Chanwanpen 
The Nation

 

 

Despite the junta leader’s recent visits to London and Paris, the European Union is still looking for Thailand to hold an election and to show increased respect for human rights before a full resumption of ties is possible, according to the chair of a European parliamentary sub-committee on human rights.
 

The committee discussed a broad range of human-rights issues on a three-day visit to Thailand that ended on Wednesday, including labour rights, the fisheries sector, migrant workers’ rights, issues related to human trafficking and the upcoming election.

Coup-related human-rights failures since 2014 and several rights issues related to the fisheries sectors had led to a suspension of diplomatic relations that lasted until last December, when the junta promised to hold an election.

 

UK PM Theresa May and French President Emmanuel Macron also agreed to meet with junta leader Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha on recent visits to London and Paris. The contact was hailed by junta supporters as evidence that Prayut, having promised an election for early 2019, had garnered acceptance by the free world.

 

But the human rights subcommittee chairman Pier Antonio Panzeri repeatedly stressed in press conference before leaving Thailand that full restoration of ties depends on further progress.

 

Thailand must first meet prerequisites, including organising a free and fair election based on recognised international standards, he said.

 

At repeated meetings with Thai authorities, the delegation had repeatedly stressed the importance of the election as a fundamental pre-requisite for the resumption of bilateral relations, including any development of a free trade agreement, said Panzeri

 

The diplomatic ties related to Prayut’s recent visit to Europe, are completely different from the full resumption of the economic, social and political cooperation with Europe, said Panzeri. That step would require the country aligned with the core principles of democracy and organising free and fair elections, he told the media.

 

During the visit, the delegation met with the two main political parties – Pheu Thai and Democrat. Panzeri said he noticed that both parties were aware of the need for democratic reforms and changes in order to get over past problems and allow the election to be properly organised.

 

The subcommittee’s chair also expressed concern over the ban on political assembly. He urged the junta to lift it ahead of the national vote and reconsider its disproportionate use of criminal and sedition laws against human-rights defenders.

 

The delegation also visited Samut Sakhon province to discuss rights issues in the fisheries sector. Panzeri said he had noticed a slight difference from the first visit around two years ago.

 

A new inspection system to trace fishing products had been put in place, he said. Due to the time limit, it was impossible for the delegation to see if it was properly implemented, he added. But the fact that the new system was there was already significant to the subcommittee.

 

The EU issued the yellow-card warning against the Thai fisheries three years ago. Thailand had since struggled to resolve the illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing issues. The EU has said that the country needed a better system to trace products as a solution to the IUU problems.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/breakingnews/30350393

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-07-19

5 minutes ago, webfact said:

Thailand must first meet prerequisites, including organising a free and fair election based on recognised international standards, he said.

What? No cheating? No buying votes? How very unusual these demands are?

 

6 minutes ago, webfact said:

The diplomatic ties related to Prayut’s recent visit to Europe, are completely different from the full resumption of the economic, social and political cooperation with Europe, said Panzeri. That step would require the country aligned with the core principles of democracy and organising free and fair elections, he told the media.

Unlikely to happen in my lifetime then! Must be a grim morning in Prayuts office today.

I think they will struggle to come to terms with the prerequisites to enter the 21st century.

Surely the EU knows that any "election" will be in name only, certainly not free and fair from what we have seen.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

A new inspection system to trace fishing products had been put in place, he said. Due to the time limit, it was impossible for the delegation to see if it was properly implemented, he added.

We will wait patiently for the appropriate government office to respond with their evidence. I have time, but it may be a long wait.

And with every NGO report, same same, no improvement on human rights.

4 hours ago, PatOngo said:

I think they will struggle to come to terms with the prerequisites to enter the 21st century.

Surely you mean 20th Century as seen at local cinemas? Butterkist and Kia Ora spring to mind.

18 hours ago, darksidedog said:

What? No cheating? No buying votes? How very unusual these demands are?

 

Unlikely to happen in my lifetime then! Must be a grim morning in Prayuts office today.

Waiting for the statement: "like Bill Gates, the EU is not my uncle!"

On 7/19/2018 at 8:16 AM, webfact said:

The EU issued the yellow-card warning against the Thai fisheries three years ago. Thailand had since struggled to resolve the illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing issues. The EU has said that the country needed a better system to trace products as a solution to the IUU problems.

Since when has Thailand been a member of the EU and subject to it's rules and regulations ?

 

Have I missed something here ?

7 minutes ago, hidbehindthesofa said:

Since when has Thailand been a member of the EU and subject to it's rules and regulations ?

 

Have I missed something here ?

No, but the EU has an official policy to restrict trade with countries violating human rights

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/thinktank/en/document.html?reference=EPRS_BRI(2018)621905

EU should have thrown full blown sanctions in from day 1 and not feebly ask "how about you do some window decoration, pretty please with a cherry on the top". Hit them where it hurts, in the wallet, and you'll finally see elections.

Edited July 20, 20187 yr by DrTuner
Typo

Election? Never heard of it? Definition please? Don't the Europeans know that Thai's are not smart enough to pick their own leaders and run their own lives? The Toad and Big P are the only ones intelligent enough to lead these poor people forward to a position where they will be able to give everything they have to the junta!! Only then can they find true happiness!!! 

The junta was hoping that talking up a bit of business would help its cause, but it found that Europeans are not interested in gum flapping.  Sadly, Prayuth thinks he can hold off political campaigning up until the eve of elections, so nobody can scrutinize his junta rule, and he can become grand hooha via the back door.  Too bad the EU does not take offense to the appointed shills he has in parliament.

I must confess that I got this one somewhat wrong: I predicted that the EU representative would only mouth weak little platitudes about democracy and then swiftly move on to talking about trade deals.

 

Instead, it seems that the military junta got quite a dressing down from this EU rep. Good! I hope that this will intensify in coming months, when it becomes blindingly obvious (even to the EU) that the autocratic junta is NOT going to allow meaningful, free and fair elections either in the near or distant future.

Ah!....a little ray of light strikes the ever clouded peaks of Shangri-La.