State officials behind 90% of rights violations

By PRATCH RUJIVANAROM 
THE NATION

 

 

NHRC blames difference in understanding; expert puts it down to abuse of power.

 

OVER 90 per cent of the human rights violations in Thailand were committed by state officials, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) revealed yesterday, adding that it is getting worse. 

 

Human-rights activists said that violations by Thai authorities are increasing as government opponents are regularly prosecuted, arrested and even tortured.

 

What Tingsamitr, NHRC chairman, said yesterday that despite being one of the first nations to ratify the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and having a Constitution and laws that guarantee the protection of the rights, liberty and dignity of all persons, human-rights violation still remains a problem in Thailand. 

 

He was speaking at an event held in Bangkok yesterday to mark International Human Rights Day.

 

He said rights violations in the country continue because the five key stakeholders – the authorities, citizens, civil-society organisations, NHRC and international human-rights agencies – all have different definitions.

 

He said that even though state officials commit 90 per cent of human rights violations against citizens, each of the five primary stakeholders have violated the rights of other stakeholders and created conflicts due to a lack of mutual understanding about where rights end and duties begin. 

 

What said all stakeholders should refrain from violating the rights of others, so the country can go down the path of sustainable development in harmony. 

 

However, Cross Cultural Foundation director Pornpen Khongkachonkiet argued that the root of the problem did not lie in misunderstandings, but came from the abuse of power and an absence of the rule of law.

 

“It is clear that most of the rights violations in Thailand occur in the same pattern – officials violating the rights of people. We have witnessed that again and again. When someone opposes the government and their policies, state officials turn on these people,” Pornpen said.

 

She cited the oppression of environmental and political activists as the clearest examples of human-rights violation by the state. For instance, she said, forest communities were forcibly evicted by the military because they opposed the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO)’s reclamation operation. Also many political activists who campaigned against the junta have been arrested and taken into military custody without charges.

 

Disappearances

 

She further noted that rights violations against those who oppose the authorities are far more severe in cases related to the stability of the state and the monarchy.

 

“We have found that several suspected insurgents in the South have been arrested, detained in a military camp and even tortured, while many prominent rights defenders, such as Somchai Neelapaijit who worked as lawyer for those accused of southern insurgency, were forcibly abducted and disappeared,” Pornpen said.

 

She emphasised that the key problems include a lack of proper investigation, court litigation and punishment against officers who commit these crimes. 

 

She put this down to a partisan culture within the justice system, which allows so many offending officers to walk free and even keep their job in official agencies.

 

“The not-so-free atmosphere under the NCPO dictatorship, the problem of human rights violation by the state, is worse than ever,” she said. “I only hope the upcoming election will bring us a more open society and freedom, and fix this grave issue.” 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30360204

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2018-12-12

 

"...NHRC blames difference in understanding; expert puts it down to abuse of power..."

 

Add my vote to the abuse of power column.

 

"...It is clear that most of the rights violations in Thailand occur in the same pattern – officials violating the rights of people. We have witnessed that again and again. When someone opposes the government and their policies, state officials turn on these people,” Pornpen said..."

 

I read the newspapers daily; there isn't even an attempt to hide this fact. What is "Attitude Adjustment"? Open, blatant violation of Human Rights. There are others, but I do not feel comfortable mentioning them; nuff' said.

 

"...What Tingsamitr, NHRC chairman, said yesterday that despite being one of the first nations to ratify the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and having a Constitution and laws that guarantee the protection of the rights, liberty and dignity of all persons, human-rights violation still remains a problem in Thailand..."

 

What a load of crap! By the way, Kh Tingsamitr, the international community knows that your organization is a toothless terrified tiger; that is why it faces international ridicule.

 

Look on the bright side , ......still looking ..........still searching.........I got nothing!!!

2 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

Add my vote to the abuse of power column.

 

I second that. However, how do you change a society that does not allow its employees to criticize or even make suggestions to their bosses? At my job I was told that it was not my place to talk to the management. In my opinion, if such a mentality rules in a small circle like the work environment how does anyone expect it to be any better on a large scale.

 

We are not allowed to denounce anything here (unless we go to the extreme of using social media, which I don't like) and the result is "abuse of power" because nothing ever changes and the ones in power, be they managers or government official, know this very well.

 

“I only hope the upcoming election will bring us a more open society and freedom, and fix this grave issue.”  

 

King Rama 5, in his wisdom, abolished slavery around 120 years ago yet the vapors of its stench still run rampant with no hope of it ever dissipating in my lifetime, I fear.

 

Open society? Freedom? Pipe dreams!

Edited December 12, 20187 yr by LazySlipper

3 hours ago, webfact said:

She emphasised that the key problems include a lack of proper investigation, court litigation and punishment against officers who commit these crimes. 

Unless their crimes are documented on Facebook.  Then action will be taken. 

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

NHRC blames difference in understanding; expert puts it down to abuse of power.

And in another story today:

"Mother Of Slain Nurse Charged For Constitution Day Rally"

 Phayaw Akkahad said Tuesday that police filed a charge of organizing an unauthorized gathering against her by holding the rally to demand justice for her daughter. 

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/1072736-mother-of-slain-nurse-charged-for-constitution-day-rally/

 

Need any more be said about the junta bullies.

 

14 minutes ago, yellowboat said:

Unless their crimes are documented on Facebook.  Then action will be taken. 

Even if their criminal activity was publicly documented, still nothing would come of it.

Oligarchical systems have an internal manner in which to protect their lot.

4 hours ago, webfact said:

and dignity of all persons

nothing in thailand applies to All persons; exceptions abound

54 minutes ago, LazySlipper said:

 

I second that. However, how do you change a society that does not allow its employees to criticize or even make suggestions to their bosses?

As always it will come from the younger generations who will eventually say NO & topple old habits/beliefs

that they know are not valid

Videos like the recent Prathet Ku Mee is the direction they will go. It starts with questioning the validity.

The Cambodia Syndrome yet again!!

. . .  all stakeholders should refrain from violating the rights of others, so the country can go down the path of sustainable development in harmony

 

A strange exhortation from a so-called defender of human rights.

 

"Sustainable development" are the best-known buzzwords used to promote the UN Agenda 21 and Agenda 2030 programmes  now being rolled out in Thailand and worldwide  Opponents claim the plans are a major threat to basic rights we take for granted - such as owning cars and property and living how and where we choose.

 

The international media is uniformly mute on the subject. But protests by disenchanted citizens are growing, particular in the US at the sharp end of the twin programmes.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoGPK3YQuKE

 

Hardly a surprise when untold layers of bureaucrats have spent their lives learning that pooyays can do whatever they want.

 

 

1 hour ago, HalfLight said:

Hardly a surprise when untold layers of bureaucrats have spent their lives learning that pooyays can do whatever they want.

 

 

Largely dependent on the respective community.

Many locales won't put up with this bs.

24 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Largely dependent on the respective community.

Many locales won't put up with this bs.

I wish I could have confidence that you're right. Certainly, many locales *shouldn't* put up with this bs, but that's assuming a level of intellect and principle that I really am starting to think Thais just cannot even aspire to, much less achieve. One of my 'doubting Thomas' days... of which there seem to be many more now than there used to be...

 

 

Finally a little slice of truth here.

 

17 minutes ago, HalfLight said:

I wish I could have confidence that you're right. Certainly, many locales *shouldn't* put up with this bs, but that's assuming a level of intellect and principle that I really am starting to think Thais just cannot even aspire to, much less achieve. One of my 'doubting Thomas' days... of which there seem to be many more now than there used to be...

 

 

Fair enough.

I would be suggesting that one spend some time integrating and socializing within a broad spectrum of Thai communities and their respective classes.

Might surprise you. 

 

Assumptions without real experience and exposure are akin to the usual promotion of textbook stereotype and what one has heard/read repeated over and again.

 

Most go on, protected within their little Farang circle and perspective and pretend to know and make up things along the way - almost always not reflective of real Thai society/communities/connections. 

 

35 minutes ago, zzaa09 said:

Fair enough.

I would be suggesting that one spend some time integrating and socializing within a broad spectrum of Thai communities and their respective classes.

Might surprise you. 

 

Assumptions without real experience and exposure are akin to the usual promotion of textbook stereotype and what one has heard/read repeated over and again.

 

Most go on, protected within their little Farang circle and perspective and pretend to know and make up things along the way - almost always not reflective of real Thai society/communities/connections. 

 

 

 

Agreed.

 

'I would be suggesting that one spend some time integrating and socializing within a broad spectrum of Thai communities and their respective classes.'

 

While accepting the reasonableness of the premise that mixing in Thai company might enlighten me, off-hand, I just can't contemplate anything worse. I've had my share of events and parties and conferences populated by a preponderance of Thais. What normally issues is clouds of waffle, BS and bragadoccio. If I wanted to lose my mind, or immerse myself in a blanket of weirdness, I'd swallow huge amounts of LSD and sit back to watch th lights show and contemplate my own demise. Immersing myself in serial conversations with various Somchais and Rattanaporns seems like self-inflicted cruel and unusual punishment and I doubt I've ever been so wicked as to deserve that.

 

'Assumptions without real experience and exposure are akin to the usual promotion of textbook stereotype and what one has heard/read repeated over and again.'

 

Don't agree. every judgement we make, every decision we come to - every one, relies to one extent or another upon assumptions. Broadly speaking, the smarter we are, the fewer of those assumptions turn out to be wrong. The same can be said about stereotyping; stereotyping is a skill like any other and to quote a very good film 'it saves time'. We all stereotype, only those among us who feel bad about that pretend not to.

 

'Most go on, protected within their little Farang circle and perspective and pretend to know and make up things along the way - almost always not reflective of real Thai society/communities/connections. '

 

Can't quite get to grips with what you're saying here. Personally, I don't know any 'farangs' in Thailand (apart from in the loosest sense of saying hi if I bump into them at Tesco's), and in all save cases a very few, I think they're just as contemptible as most Thais. Likewise, I do not pretend to know hordes of Thais - a matter of my own choice. People are people. Myself, I treat most people like specimens in a jar or a petri dish and try to understand their mentality, since that used to be my profession. Understanding what motivates and drives people is nowadays less of a professional pursuit than an abiding wish to understand people. Late in life, I feel I am closer now that I ever have been to being in that happy position, but allow me to tell you that the more I understand people, the less I like them - for a lot of reasons. Man is not my brotherhood, any more than the ants in my back garden. I'm what various authors would call a definitive Outsider, and being that, I don't comply with any of the usual misapprehensions people have about people. On the bright side, for a number of reasons, I have a better understanding of people than most. It's not pretty, so it wouldn't appeal to the yuppies among us, for whom, saying the PC thing is more important than saying the true thing.

 

It's comparable to my garden, in which I have 2 septic tanks. Everything is fine until something unexpected happens and I need to take the lid off one or both and contemplate the real contents as opposed to the contents I would rather conjure up in my imagination. Assumptions if you like...

 

Longer than I meant it to be, have a nice day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 12, 20187 yr by HalfLight

Sad state of affairs 

19 hours ago, webfact said:

Human-rights activists said that violations by Thai authorities are increasing as government opponents are regularly prosecuted, arrested and even tortured.

Old news....and it isn't likely to change, other than who gets abused, unless major changes at the top take place. It's easy to agree to anything knowing that there is no plan to implement and there is unlikely to be a penalty for not implementing the required enforcement.

13 hours ago, HalfLight said:

 

 

Agreed.

 

'I would be suggesting that one spend some time integrating and socializing within a broad spectrum of Thai communities and their respective classes.'

 

While accepting the reasonableness of the premise that mixing in Thai company might enlighten me, off-hand, I just can't contemplate anything worse. I've had my share of events and parties and conferences populated by a preponderance of Thais. What normally issues is clouds of waffle, BS and bragadoccio. If I wanted to lose my mind, or immerse myself in a blanket of weirdness, I'd swallow huge amounts of LSD and sit back to watch th lights show and contemplate my own demise. Immersing myself in serial conversations with various Somchais and Rattanaporns seems like self-inflicted cruel and unusual punishment and I doubt I've ever been so wicked as to deserve that.

 

'Assumptions without real experience and exposure are akin to the usual promotion of textbook stereotype and what one has heard/read repeated over and again.'

 

Don't agree. every judgement we make, every decision we come to - every one, relies to one extent or another upon assumptions. Broadly speaking, the smarter we are, the fewer of those assumptions turn out to be wrong. The same can be said about stereotyping; stereotyping is a skill like any other and to quote a very good film 'it saves time'. We all stereotype, only those among us who feel bad about that pretend not to.

 

'Most go on, protected within their little Farang circle and perspective and pretend to know and make up things along the way - almost always not reflective of real Thai society/communities/connections. '

 

Can't quite get to grips with what you're saying here. Personally, I don't know any 'farangs' in Thailand (apart from in the loosest sense of saying hi if I bump into them at Tesco's), and in all save cases a very few, I think they're just as contemptible as most Thais. Likewise, I do not pretend to know hordes of Thais - a matter of my own choice. People are people. Myself, I treat most people like specimens in a jar or a petri dish and try to understand their mentality, since that used to be my profession. Understanding what motivates and drives people is nowadays less of a professional pursuit than an abiding wish to understand people. Late in life, I feel I am closer now that I ever have been to being in that happy position, but allow me to tell you that the more I understand people, the less I like them - for a lot of reasons. Man is not my brotherhood, any more than the ants in my back garden. I'm what various authors would call a definitive Outsider, and being that, I don't comply with any of the usual misapprehensions people have about people. On the bright side, for a number of reasons, I have a better understanding of people than most. It's not pretty, so it wouldn't appeal to the yuppies among us, for whom, saying the PC thing is more important than saying the true thing.

 

It's comparable to my garden, in which I have 2 septic tanks. Everything is fine until something unexpected happens and I need to take the lid off one or both and contemplate the real contents as opposed to the contents I would rather conjure up in my imagination. Assumptions if you like...

 

Longer than I meant it to be, have a nice day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So what your saying is that you have no friends Thai or otherwise 

37 minutes ago, brianthainess said:

So what your saying is that you have no friends Thai or otherwise 

 

Can you point to where I said that or are you using your very considerable academic power to infer that? In which case I'm sure you're perfectly well accustomed to being absolutely wrong.

 

The inclusion of the violin-playing emoji illustrates for all who have eyes to see, that your reliance upon friends, places your own psychological needs in perfect relief. This need is an artifact of pre-historic social development, which probably says more about you than it says about me.

 

Unfortunately it is an off-topic response to my own off-topic response, and should be ignored on that basis. By me, it will be.