Beaten human rights watchdog turns against itself

By The Nation

 

 

Buckling under a five-year assault, the National Human Rights Commission has turned on the most prominent of its own members 

 

To call it failure would be an understatement. Hypocrisy would be a better word to describe the current course of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Thailand in pleasing its political masters.

 

After coming into being over a decade ago, the Commission had stood up to repeated interference from successive governments. Initially it was deemed a model for national human rights bodies in Southeast Asia. 

 

Now, though, the NHRC appears to be caving in to political influence by permitting one of its own, Angkhana Neelaphaijit, to be pushed around by the junta.

 

Just a week ago, the NHRC launched a disciplinary inquiry against Commissioner Angkhana, who has spoken out repeatedly about the deteriorating condition of human rights under the military regime.

 

The inquiry was triggered by comments from Tuang Attachai, a junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly member, and a complaint filed with the commission by Surawat Sangkharuek, a pro-junta activist.

 

The inquiry focuses on Angkhana’s role in observing legal proceedings and documenting rights violations against opposition politicians and critics of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). She faces possible impeachment.

 

“Thailand’s rights commission is sinking to a new low by seeking to punish Angkhana for doing her job by exposing rights abuses and demanding accountability,” said Brad Adams, Asia director of Human Rights Watch. “The commission’s leadership has repeatedly failed to hold the military government to its human rights obligations, but it appears now to be doing the junta’s dirty work.”

 

Tuang and Surawat’s motivation for attacking Angkhana is dubious, given their role as loyal servants to a military regime which seized power from an elected government and dismissed an elected Parliament. 

 

Tuang sits in the National Legislative Assembly and bills himself as a lawmaker. But the label fools no one: the question of legitimacy hangs heavy over all such military appointees as well the junta they serve so heartily. 

 

Surawat has no such status, but it is sad to see an apparently rational adult citizen commit himself so passionately to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), the fancy name the junta has given itself, without providing justification for his conviction.

 

Apparently, these men were upset at Angkhana’s role in documenting rights violations against NCPO critics, including their prosecution in military courts. Perhaps also motivating their action was a strong desire for a place in the regime’s good books. 

 

In 2015, a year after the junta came to power, the United Nations Human Rights Council downgraded the commission from “A” to “B”. This effectively revoked Thai commissioners’ right to present their views during council sessions.

 

The downgrade stemmed from the government manipulating the selection process for commissioners, as well as serious questions about the commission’s pro-government bias.

 

Since then, the junta has taken further action to weaken the Commission, stripping away its independence and attempting to turn it into a de facto government mouthpiece – one among many of the regime’s spin doctors.

 

In doing so the Thai regime defied UN principles relating to the Status of National Institutions (the Paris Principles).

 

“More than ever, Thailand needs a credible national rights agency, led by dedicated commissioners, to address the country’s worsening rights crisis,” Adams said. “The commission should drop its inquiry of Angkhana and ensure she can work in a secure environment without fear of reprisals.”

 

Angkhana is the wife the outspoken human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit, thought to have been forcibly “disappeared” by state forces in 2004. If anyone knows the importance of guarding human rights, it is her.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/opinion/30368951

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2019-05-07

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This should not come as a big surprise to anyone who has been following Thai politics... 

1 hour ago, webfact said:

the deteriorating condition of human rights under the military regime.

human rights and military regimes are oil and water

34 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

This should not come as a big surprise to anyone who has been following Thai politics... 

And neither to anyone who understands the nature of Thailand and Thai social systems. 

 

There can be no impartiality under a system operated almost entirely on fuedalistic patronage. 

 

Shame the brainwashed masses can't come together to protest against the injustices of the elite.

They seem to have rallied in the last few days even if most were forced to do so.

 

the human rights part in thailand is for THAIS only, or since when do we have any basic rights ? like the right to be with your family, the right to buy a home in your name, the right for a job ?

Abuse of human rights is a worldwide phenomena. People of conscience will always try to raise awareness of this issue so that over time this blot on our basic humanity is erased.  

The 'body' you have when you haven't a 'body'!

 

The Department of Really Good Air Brushing, or the Sweeping under the Table one.

5 hours ago, webfact said:

National Human Rights Commission has turned on the most prominent of its own members 

The NHRC lives in fear of the junta so a sacrificial lamb has to be offered up to appease the junta gods.

The previous bunch at the NHRC were not much better. They supported the red shirts killing during the Abhisit government and saw no problem with the restrictions imposed by the Junta right after the coup.

Edited May 7, 20197 yr by candide

7 hours ago, webfact said:

Since then, the junta has taken further action to weaken the Commission, stripping away its independence and attempting to turn it into a de facto government mouthpiece

Weaken the Commission?

More like devastate it.

The junta's new constitution requires any report by the THRC to be reviewed by the government prior to publication and allow the government to make any unilateral changes to the report. THRC's reports also must not damage the nation's reputation, security and international standing.

It's no wonder the UN decertified THRC and remains so.

Yet the government holds itself out as the ASEAN champion of human rights.

8 hours ago, webfact said:

punish Angkhana for doing her job by exposing rights abuses and demanding accountability,

 

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Tuang and Surawat’s motivation for attacking Angkhana is dubious, given their role as loyal servants to a military regime which seized power from an elected government and dismissed an elected Parliament.

she must have stepped into somebody's toes.....junta cronies all around, better be careful

We have mobilized our forces to meet the enemy of the people...and discovered we are they...????

Surawat is a really nasty piece of work.

Any subject this vile piece of excrement touches on is always filled with bile and vitriol.

This guy would like nothing better than to take Thailand back into the 18th century, serfs, peasants and all.