World rights body warns of ‘turn for the worse’

By The Nation

 

Activist Ekachai Hongkangwan

 

New York-based Human Rights Watch on Wednesday urged Thai authorities to investigate renewed attacks on prominent pro-democracy activist Ekachai Hongkangwan and others.
 

New York-based Human Rights Watch on Wednesday urged Thai authorities to investigate renewed attacks on prominent pro-democracy activist Ekachai Hongkangwan and others

 

Ekachai’s car was torched on Monday night after he publicly called for Election Commission members to be impeached.

 

 

He accused them of seeking to ensure that junta leader General Prayut Chan-o-cha remains in office as prime minister after the March 24 election.

On Sunday two unidentified assailants broke into the Samut Prakan home of activist Anurak Jeantawanich and beat him up. 

 

Anurak, who had attended the same protest as Ekachai, suffered minor injuries.

 

“The environment for Thailand’s pro-democracy activists appears to be taking a turn for the worse,” said Brad Adams, Asia director for Human Rights Watch. 

 

“It’s crucial for Thai authorities to fully investigate these incidents, bring the attackers to justice and act promptly to end the deepening climate of fear.”

Ekachai has been repeatedly targeted for more than a year in what appear to be reprisals for his strong public criticism of the ruling junta.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30367055

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-04-03

Thanks for the heads up. We would have never thought such a thing otherwise.

29 minutes ago, webfact said:

New York-based Human Rights Watch on Wednesday urged Thai authorities to investigate renewed attacks on prominent pro-democracy activist Ekachai Hongkangwan and others

Investigate themselves? This attack was hardly done by some members of the public who are EC fanboys. 

Just now, rkidlad said:

Investigate themselves? This attack was hardly done by some members of the public who are EC fanboys. 

Its indeed unlikely that these were just random members of the public. Could be supporters of the junta or people hired by those in the EC.

It would be difficult to find someone in the current administration who would be interested in tracking down the culprits...

 

This is not a good sign!   ☠

What a surprise. Not. Steady downhill since 2014 and escalating now.

The outcome of the election seems certain...

 

The animus towards the opposing parties and their leaders is surprising considering the leader of the country will continue under the military's watchful eyes... 

 

Did I not read back in December that the laws had been loosened to allow opposing parties liberty to speak their minds about the direction of Thailand?

 

Worries me...all the threats of detention...????

2 hours ago, webfact said:

World rights body warns of ‘turn for the worse’

That turn in the wrong direction was taken a couple of years ago already.

A way over the top inflammatory post has been removed.  More post like that will get you suspended.

2 hours ago, robblok said:

Its indeed unlikely that these were just random members of the public. Could be supporters of the junta or people hired by those in the EC.

Police or soldiers out of uniform carrying out their orders?

So now the Junta henchmen begin their strike,.... you students who fight so bravely, watch your back as well. Big brother and their henchmen are coming for you as well.....

2 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Threats from head of the Army this morning too.

 

All shaping up for a reckoning IMO. 

 

See, this is what happens when you support and collude with the military and bureaucracy to undermine the democratic process because you don't get the outcomes you like or someone is becoming more popular than you because his hand-outs are more than yours. 

 

It will all end in tears and has been so predictable since 2005. 

If the EC decide to award the win to the Pro Junta party & keep Prayut in power then expect all sorts of revenge attacks to start around the country.

Many anti-Prayut people will not sit idly by & be dictated to by a rigged election!

38 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

If the EC decide to award the win to the Pro Junta party & keep Prayut in power then expect all sorts of revenge attacks to start around the country.

Many anti-Prayut people will not sit idly by & be dictated to by a rigged election!

Just a small correction "Many anti-Prayut young people will not sit idly & be dictated by a rigged election". I would say like deja vu 1992. 

Quite scary rogue and lawless dynamics,  that will definately boost tourism numbers. But for many, they will only learn the hard way, once the harm is done to the economy.

1 hour ago, hotchilli said:

If the EC decide to award the win to the Pro Junta party & keep Prayut in power then expect all sorts of revenge attacks to start around the country.

Many anti-Prayut people will not sit idly by & be dictated to by a rigged election!

I am really worried what will happend in the near future !!?? Inbetween 2 mounth !!?? 

So how long until the next coup?

 

 

The problem with the 'activists' is that don't have, and haven't for the past 4 years (as I and others have said many times) the support of the masses. The masses have stayed silent and the minority of 'objectors' have and still do, take the brunt of any consequences. If there were mass demonstrations there would have to be a mass consequence and that would show/ would have shown, the junta, and the Asia/world stage, what the masses wanted. These few brave people will be blamed and possibly 'hung out to dry' while others employ the Mai pen rai syndrome.

21 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

The problem with the 'activists' is that don't have, and haven't for the past 4 years (as I and others have said many times) the support of the masses. The masses have stayed silent and the minority of 'objectors' have and still do, take the brunt of any consequences. If there were mass demonstrations there would have to be a mass consequence and that would show/ would have shown, the junta, and the Asia/world stage, what the masses wanted. These few brave people will be blamed and possibly 'hung out to dry' while others employ the Mai pen rai syndrome.

From little things big things grow.

20 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

The problem with the 'activists' is that don't have, and haven't for the past 4 years (as I and others have said many times) the support of the masses. The masses have stayed silent and the minority of 'objectors' have and still do, take the brunt of any consequences. If there were mass demonstrations there would have to be a mass consequence and that would show/ would have shown, the junta, and the Asia/world stage, what the masses wanted. These few brave people will be blamed and possibly 'hung out to dry' while others employ the Mai pen rai syndrome.

Exactly right. Many of the vocal posters believe that everything is wrong with system. However the majority of people in my wife's extended Thai family voted for Prayuth, and trust me these are not dumb people.

The crackdown on freedoms that people express often on this forum do not , in reality, affect the average Thai living their normal everyday life.

The screams from the paragons of so called democracy simply does not translate into Thai reality. It is what it is

The antagonism from those wishing to protect the institution as it stands before their big party in May is astonishing. You would think that they would want a united population rather than threatening civil war and accusing people of sedition. The timing is odd. Do they still want to have their party next month? 

1 hour ago, dcnx said:

So how long until the next coup?

There might be enough time to pop to a 7-11 to get a couple of cold beers if you hurry.

23 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Exactly right. Many of the vocal posters believe that everything is wrong with system. However the majority of people in my wife's extended Thai family voted for Prayuth, and trust me these are not dumb people.

The crackdown on freedoms that people express often on this forum do not , in reality, affect the average Thai living their normal everyday life.

The screams from the paragons of so called democracy simply does not translate into Thai reality. It is what it is

At best.

At the absolute best, because it is abundantly clear that the numbers have been fiddled with.

8.4 million Thais voted for Prayuth.

There were 51 million registered voters.

Somewhere between 34 and 38 million Thais voted (you'll have to ask the EC about the 4 million vote grey area)

Best case scenario, Prayuth got 23% of the vote.

Now, we consider the circumstances of the election.

The rigged constitution.

The restrictive limitations on campaigning for opposition political parties.

The illegal use of government resources during the campaign by Prayuth

Military personnel forced to vote for Prayuth

Over 2 million spoiled ballots???

And of course, as previously mentioned, the rigging of the results by the EC

 

No screams from paragons are needed, the simple fact is, the majority of the people in your wife's extended family are in the minority of Thais when it comes to Prayuth's palatability.