Thais urged to ratify pact against torture

BANGKOK: -- A Hong Kong-based NGO yesterday urged the Thai government to ratify the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment in order to eliminate the fear of torture and extrajudicial killing in the country.

Basil Fernando, executive director of Asian Human Rights Commission, believes that if the Thai government ratified the convention, it would do much to address fear and its attendant problems.

``The fear of violent reprisal such as torture, forced disappearance or extrajudicial killing still looms large in Thailand,'' said Mr Fernando.

He said the fear stemmed from the murder of 18 human rights defenders and environmentalists in the last few years, the killing of more than 2,500 alleged drug dealers in 2003 and disappearances last year in the South.

``Reports of torture are also on the rise, but no law exists to punish the perpetrators,'' said Mr Fernando. ``People believe that powerful persons who commit or order violence are free to get away with it. This belief limits the possibility of reform both in the state and wider society.''

Victims of torture in Thailand can't petition higher courts on the basis of a constitutional rights violations, he said, adding that torture is not an offence under Thai criminal law. Other Asian jurisdictions have introduced legislation making torture a crime, he said.

``By ratifying the convention, Thailand will have the opportunity to do the same,'' said Mr Fernando.

Meanwhile, Chaiwat Satha-anand, lecturer of Thammasart University, said Thai society should regard violence as everyone's problem.

He said 40% of married couples were involved in violence, which illustrated that violence is part of Thai culture because society accepted it.

``If we see that torture is a wrong thing, violence will be diminished. The issue now is not whether Thailand should ratify the convention because if the culture [of violence] has not changed in the Thai society, it is useless [to ratify it],'' said Mr Chaiwat.

--Bangkok Post 2005-06-04

Does torture include the school blaring out distored pop 'music' every morning for the locality to enjoy?