Human Rights

[penzman]

HUMAN RIGHTS

Washington slams Thai record

Extrajudicial killings, corruption and media intimidation mar Kingdom's image

Thailand's human-rights record has "significant problems" due to extrajudicial killings and restrictions on freedom of expression, says the US government.

In the annual human-rights report by the US State Department, which will be released today, Washington took the Thai government to task for violations, especially in the Malay-speaking South.

For the first time the report mentions the high-profile corruption allegations at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport.

This year's assessment is far more extensive and details cases of extrajudicial killings and lawsuits against the media by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The report is part of the global assessment of human rights in more than 120 countries, which have been carried out annually since 1979 and are reported to the US Congress.

Numerous human-rights violations last year in the South are recorded especially after the imposition of the controversial emergency law in July, which replaced martial law.

The report highlights the death of Satopa Yusof, an imam at a village mosque in Narathiwat, who apparently told relatives on his deathbed that security officials gunned him down.

Another high-profile case involved the disappearance of Phra Supot Suwanjano, an environmental activist in Chiang Mai. The government refused to comment on either incident.

The authorities were criticised for failing to follow up many disappearances, with 35 cases without a progress report documented.

As in the previous year's report, the US officials criticised the tendency of individuals and the government to target the media with lawsuits. It also mentioned the government's increased censorship in the broadcast media, citing the forced closure of 17 radio stations, including community radio 92.25, which was targeted because of its critical content, the report said.

Websites attacking the government were also regularly shut down by the authorities, the report added. The high-profile US$50 million (Bt1.96 billion) lawsuit against Sondhi Limthongkul, of the Manager Group, by Thaksin was cited as an attempt to tame the media and stifle freedom of expression. The lawsuit was withdrawn last December following intervention by His Majesty the King.

The report commented on the government's effort to eradicate corruption, which it said did "not appear to have been effective" because of the widely reported scandal involving the bomb scanners at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport. Other corruption cases relating to catering services and car park charges were recorded.

Thaksin reacted angrily to last year's State Department report but observers say this year's study is much more severe.

Kavi Chongkittavorn

The Nation

[britmaveric]

Usual yearly event - however this time around I wager they will agree!

[Kerryd]

Usual yearly event - however this time around I wager they will agree!

Good timing on the release of the report, just after the PM gets his butt in a sling over the Shin sale and just before an national election.

Purely a coincidence though. I'm pretty sure they didn't release the report, detailing the Human Rights situations in 120 different countries, now in an attempt to discredit the PM.

I doubt as well that the report looks at any "alleged" Human Rights abuses in their own country.

[marquess]

HUMAN RIGHTS

Washington slams Thai record

Extrajudicial killings, corruption and media intimidation mar Kingdom's image

Thailand's human-rights record has "significant problems" due to extrajudicial killings and restrictions on freedom of expression, says the US government.

In the annual human-rights report by the US State Department, which will be released today, Washington took the Thai government to task for violations, especially in the Malay-speaking South.

For the first time the report mentions the high-profile corruption allegations at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport.

This year's assessment is far more extensive and details cases of extrajudicial killings and lawsuits against the media by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The report is part of the global assessment of human rights in more than 120 countries, which have been carried out annually since 1979 and are reported to the US Congress.

Numerous human-rights violations last year in the South are recorded especially after the imposition of the controversial emergency law in July, which replaced martial law.

The report highlights the death of Satopa Yusof, an imam at a village mosque in Narathiwat, who apparently told relatives on his deathbed that security officials gunned him down.

Another high-profile case involved the disappearance of Phra Supot Suwanjano, an environmental activist in Chiang Mai. The government refused to comment on either incident.

The authorities were criticised for failing to follow up many disappearances, with 35 cases without a progress report documented.

As in the previous year's report, the US officials criticised the tendency of individuals and the government to target the media with lawsuits. It also mentioned the government's increased censorship in the broadcast media, citing the forced closure of 17 radio stations, including community radio 92.25, which was targeted because of its critical content, the report said.

Websites attacking the government were also regularly shut down by the authorities, the report added. The high-profile US$50 million (Bt1.96 billion) lawsuit against Sondhi Limthongkul, of the Manager Group, by Thaksin was cited as an attempt to tame the media and stifle freedom of expression. The lawsuit was withdrawn last December following intervention by His Majesty the King.

The report commented on the government's effort to eradicate corruption, which it said did "not appear to have been effective" because of the widely reported scandal involving the bomb scanners at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport. Other corruption cases relating to catering services and car park charges were recorded.

Thaksin reacted angrily to last year's State Department report but observers say this year's study is much more severe.

Kavi Chongkittavorn

The Nation

A case of the kettle calling the pot black! Though having said that humans rights have gone down south under Mr T, as he knows best!

[sriracha john]

"The U.N. {insert U.S.} is not my father."

[Carmine6]

Usual yearly event - however this time around I wager they will agree!

Good timing on the release of the report, just after the PM gets his butt in a sling over the Shin sale and just before an national election.

Purely a coincidence though. I'm pretty sure they didn't release the report, detailing the Human Rights situations in 120 different countries, now in an attempt to discredit the PM.

I doubt as well that the report looks at any "alleged" Human Rights abuses in their own country.

Human rights allegations in the US fall under the FBI, not the Department of State, which deals with international issues. But don't worry, the media does more than it's fair share of monitoring things in the US.

[britmaveric]

Pretty sure the Nation usually criticizes the yanks for this report, least they have in past years. Something along the lines - take care of your own backyard before you report about our country. Interesting deviation - I wonder why the turn around?

[Donz]

The US have no got a good record either

[rcm]

HUMAN RIGHTS

Washington slams Thai record

Extrajudicial killings, corruption and media intimidation mar Kingdom's image

Thailand's human-rights record has "significant problems" due to extrajudicial killings and restrictions on freedom of expression, says the US government.

In the annual human-rights report by the US State Department, which will be released today, Washington took the Thai government to task for violations, especially in the Malay-speaking South.

For the first time the report mentions the high-profile corruption allegations at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport.

This year's assessment is far more extensive and details cases of extrajudicial killings and lawsuits against the media by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The report is part of the global assessment of human rights in more than 120 countries, which have been carried out annually since 1979 and are reported to the US Congress.

Numerous human-rights violations last year in the South are recorded especially after the imposition of the controversial emergency law in July, which replaced martial law.

The report highlights the death of Satopa Yusof, an imam at a village mosque in Narathiwat, who apparently told relatives on his deathbed that security officials gunned him down.

Another high-profile case involved the disappearance of Phra Supot Suwanjano, an environmental activist in Chiang Mai. The government refused to comment on either incident.

The authorities were criticised for failing to follow up many disappearances, with 35 cases without a progress report documented.

As in the previous year's report, the US officials criticised the tendency of individuals and the government to target the media with lawsuits. It also mentioned the government's increased censorship in the broadcast media, citing the forced closure of 17 radio stations, including community radio 92.25, which was targeted because of its critical content, the report said.

Websites attacking the government were also regularly shut down by the authorities, the report added. The high-profile US$50 million (Bt1.96 billion) lawsuit against Sondhi Limthongkul, of the Manager Group, by Thaksin was cited as an attempt to tame the media and stifle freedom of expression. The lawsuit was withdrawn last December following intervention by His Majesty the King.

The report commented on the government's effort to eradicate corruption, which it said did "not appear to have been effective" because of the widely reported scandal involving the bomb scanners at the new Suvarnabhumi Airport. Other corruption cases relating to catering services and car park charges were recorded.

Thaksin reacted angrily to last year's State Department report but observers say this year's study is much more severe.

Kavi Chongkittavorn

The Nation

Thank you America for checking on it.....how about your own Country ? How about this little Base in Cuba? or the Iraq War??

rcm

[sriracha john]

Pretty sure the Nation usually criticizes the yanks for this report, least they have in past years. Something along the lines - take care of your own backyard before you report about our country. Interesting deviation - I wonder why the turn around?

hmm... their reporting seems fairly consistent, at least by the reports I found on their website

2005

US report lambastes Thailand's rights abuses

Published on Feb 28, 2005

The US State Department will today release a critical assessment of Thailand's human rights situation over the past year including two violent incidents in the South, the disappearance of lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit and government interference with the media.

The annual report, which has been prepared by the State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labour since 1979 will examine human rights in Thailand from January to November of 2004.

The Nation has learnt that the latest report will be different and more critical than those of previous years.

The report last year noted that human rights violations were worsening due to extra-judicial killings and arbitrary arrests. The US said there had been a significant increase in killings of criminal suspects. It noted also that the government failed to investigate and prosecute vigorously those who committed such abuses, contributing to a climate of impunity.

---------------------------------------------

2004

HUMAN RIGHTS: US report slams war on drugs

Published on Feb 27, 2004

State Dept says nearly 1,200 died in police custody

The US State Department's 2003 Human Rights Report on Thailand is particularly critical of the Thaksin administration's war on drugs.

Released yesterday, the report lists many areas of concern, such as the role of police, the killing of separatists, and freedom of expression.

In February to April, the police made no arrests nearly all 1,228 narcotics-related deaths, leading "many observers to believe police were responsible for most of these deaths".

--------------------------------------------------------------

2003

Didn't find a specific report on the U.S. report, but the U.N. got involved with their High Commissioner for Human Rights being extremely upset with abuses in the War on Drugs campaign, which prompted Thaksin's infamous, "not my father" quote. Also, Thailand's own Human Rights Commission took flak for reporting the truth to the U.N.

'I was just doing my job': NHRC's Pradit

Published on Mar 7, 2003

Dr Pradit Charoenthaitawee, a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), yesterday said he was merely doing his job by reporting Thailand's human-rights violations to the United Nations.

"The NHRC assigned me to do so," Pradit said at a press conference.

Pradit also demanded his critics stop making intimidating phone calls to him and his family, saying he had received threatening calls following reports that he raised Thailand's spate of drug-related killings with the UN.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The other thing consistent is the appalling and abysmal human rights record Thaksin has year after year....

Edited March 9, 2006 by sriracha john

[Donz]

How many innocents have the US killed???

[TokyoT]

Something worth noting is that while the US is certainly not void of human rights abuses, there are people working hard to reduce/eliminate them. There is a free press that helps to get the word out, and a number of groups/agency that work towards correcting the problem or getting the government to help correct the problem (or stop creating the problem).

Is the US a utopia lacking ANY human rights abuses- absolutely not. But there are many forces at work there attempting to alleviate the problems. Something that is certainly lacking in many cases here in Thailand.

[aaaaaa]

now, what exactly ARE human rights ?

Human rights controversies

There are a number of controversies regarding human rights including:

1) Are human rights political, moral or legal entities (or all three at the same time)?

2) Is there or should there be a hierarchy of human rights?

3) Do human rights impede on state sovereignty? What if the state itself has ratified international conventions?

4) Should human rights be used as a context for economic or military intervention? (Often leads to a worsening of the human rights situation in the target country)

5) Questions of cultural relativism—e.g. "Political participation is not a part of African culture. Who are you to say that we should have political participation?" These arguments can also be made on religious basis: e.g., "In our religion marriages have always been arranged; why should we not continue this practice?" Some arguments claim that human rights policies are a form of cultural imperialism in which powerful countries dictate which rights they consider most important to less powerful countries. The increasing number of third-world states that are party to international human rights treaties has made these arguments weaker, but they have not disappeared altogether.

6) Who should hold the moral duty to uphold rights? For civil and political rights, many would answer 'the state'. But in practice, it is frequently one's fellow citizens and civil society who need to shoulder this responsibility. It is not quite so clear who should be responsible for promoting economic, social and cultural rights (do we have a global duty?). This debate mirrors debates between communitarianism and cosmopolitanism.

7) Which rights should be defined as fundamental human rights? Should all human rights be considered equal?

8) Are countries guilty of human rights violations when their governments substantially support foreign governments that do not adhere to the established principles of human rights (within their own countries or in other countries)?

please consider particularly points 4, 6, 8 from above mentioned.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights

I think last Article 30 of this original Declaration is quite related to points 4 and 8 from above.

and then, as one poet and thinker of 19th century said once : "And who are the Judges ?"

there are plenty of sourses on net for Human Rights. Google gave 248mln results for brief search, without narrowing down to particulat subject or "search within results".

here are some of them, with reference to "Judges" themselves, onlly in present time (not even mention long and well known genocides and slavery history) :

http://www.hrw.org/doc/?t=usa

human rights in the United States

"Certain practices of the United States military, civilian agencies such as the CIA, and private contractors are widely criticized, with some practices allegedly amounting to torture..... (see for example : Congress Would Allow Evidence Obtained by Torture or U.S. Sends Mixed Messages on Human Rights Council Membership)

Torture and abuse is strictly illegal and punishable within US territorial bounds. The legality of abuse occurring on foreign soil, outside of usual US territorial jurisdiction, is however somewhat murky...

Both United States citizens and foreign nationals are occasionally captured outside of the United States and transferred to secret US administered detention facilities, sometimes being held incommunicado for periods of months or years. Overseas detention facilities are known to be or to have been maintained at least in ..... [long list there ! about such alleged secret prison here in Thailand has been discussed already. Guantanamo is also known and is considered the biggest HR set back for USA. here is another article about Afganistan: U.S. Operated Secret ‘Dark Prison’ in Kabul or U.S.Detainees Disappeared into Secret Prisons: Illegal under Domestic and International Law - I think this last article is a good read ! ]

“Fighting terrorism is central to the human rights cause,” said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. “But using illegal tactics against alleged terrorists is both wrong and counterproductive.”

....

In his introductory essay to the World Report, Roth writes that it became clear in 2005 that U.S. mistreatment of detainees could not be reduced to a failure of training, discipline or oversight, or reduced to “a few bad apples,” but reflected a deliberate policy choice embraced by the top leadership.

Evidence of that deliberate policy included the threat by President George W. Bush to veto a bill opposing “cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment,” Roth writes, and Vice President Dick Cheney’s attempt to exempt the Central Intelligence Agency from the law. In addition, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales claimed that the United States can mistreat detainees so long as they are non-Americans held abroad, while CIA Director Porter Goss asserted that “waterboarding,” a torture method dating back to the Spanish Inquisition, was simply a “professional interrogation technique.”

yeah, that's why they'll legalllize torture - which obvioously and clearly against Article 5 of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" ! which says: "No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment." talk after that aboout Human rights and teach others to be good !

further,

Freedom of expression

In 2005, the United States territory was ranked 44th [Thailand is 107th] in the annual Worldwide Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders."

as you can see, USA is quite behind UK, France, Canada, Germany, Italy, Australia, NZ and many other Europian countries. in fact even behind such former regimes as S. Africa (apartheid) or El Salvador, few republics of former Yugoslavia as Slovenia, Bosnia and Macedonia, and other East Eropian ex-comunist states (Slovakia, Czeck, Hungary, Baltic countries). definetely it is NOT among those countries ranking #1

also there is so called chilling effect which technically can and I bet does limit speech :

A chilling effect is a situation where speech or conduct is suppressed or limited by fear of penalization at the hands of an individual or group. For example, the threat of a costly and lengthy lawsuit might prompt self-censorship and have a chilling effect on free speech..... a "chilling effect" can exist even when there is no explicit prohibition of speech in the law at all.... In general, "chilling effect" is often used in reference to laws or actions that do not explicitly prohibit legitimate speech, but that impose undue burdens.

I think it helps a lot to understand why many americans appear to be "brainwashed" or staunchly and bllindly bellieving everything what they are fed and instantly outraged by expression of almost any alternative opinions or points of view ! because while seemingly they do have certain (mind you - some, not complete as they want to believe, and as shown in statistics above) freedom of speech - they grow up "pre-programmed" and always aware of such pressure from law enforcement entities. which makes them at least carefull regarding what and how they say, and of course quite strong reaction to those who disagree with them.

then, according to the List of indices of freedom Thailand has :

Freedom House - partly free

Economic Freedom - mostly free

Press Freedom - satisfactory situation

Thailand's Press freedom according to this bulliten is of same color grade as in US - satisfactory situation. in fact onlly few countries in that list have green color in all 3 columns.

According to the rankings of the table above, the most free (the "all-green") countries are (in alphabetical order):

Canada

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

Iceland

Republic of Ireland

Netherlands

New Zealand

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

actually even these statistics might be considered not entirely independent or totally objective, like

for example "Freedom House is still primarily an American organisation..." - as mentioned in the article itself.

Economic Freedom of the World Index "is published by the Fraser Institute, a Canadian think tank. The Index measure how far a country's policies and institutions support competition, property rights, personal choice, small government and sound money policies."

according to it Thailand is ranking 54th which is not bad , at least judjing by those countries with same or lesser ranking. well, yeah USA ranks 3rd after HK, Singapore, NZ ...

even Reporters Without Borders although NGO and international is ..... financed by USA State Department - surprising how they let USA have 44th ranking ! or may be rather they could "help out" that much only - otherwise may be real ranking could be much lower

I'm sure there are much more facts which can be found and quoted here if anyone wants to. for me this is more than enough to be able to understand that not everything so plain and smooth with "Judges" own following HR in their own domains as well as on global scale.

[aaaaaa]

U.S. Holding at Least Twenty-Six “Ghost Detainees”

“President Bush speaks about bringing terrorists to justice, yet not one of these suspects has actually been brought to justice,” said John Sifton, terrorism and counterterrorism researcher for Human Rights Watch. “The Bush administration has severely compromised the chances of prosecuting terrorist suspects by holding them illegally, and reportedly subjecting some of them to torture and other mistreatment.”

List of Detainees Published by Human Rights Watch

...list of persons believed to be in U.S. custody as “ghost detainees” -- detainees who are not given any legal rights or access to counsel, and who are likely not reported to or seen by the International Committee of the Red Cross. The list is compiled from media reports, public statements by government officials, and from other information obtained by Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Watch does not consider this list to be complete: there are likely other “ghost detainees” held by the United States.

Under international law, enforced disappearances occur when persons are deprived of their liberty, and the detaining authority refuses to disclose their fate or whereabouts, or refuses to acknowledge their detention, which places the detainees outside the protection of the law. International treaties ratified by the United States prohibit incommunicado detention of persons in secret locations.

Fifteen Questions for the U.S. Government

Questions and Answers: U.S.Detainees Disappeared into Secret Prisons: Illegal under Domestic and International Law

What laws apply to the cases of U.S. detainees "disappeared" into secret prisons?

Does holding someone without trial violate international human rights law?

Does holding persons in secret violate international human rights law?

Do the laws of war apply to these detainees?

Does secret detention without trial violate the laws of war?

What is the connection between secret incommunicado detentions and torture?

What international laws prohibit torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment?

Does rendition to a country where a person is likely to be tortured violate human rights law?

Can U.S. officials be held criminally responsible for these violations?

“Every act of torture within the meaning of the Convention is illegal under existing federal and state law, and any individual who commits such an act is subject to penal sanctions as specified in criminal statutes. Such prosecutions do in fact occur in appropriate circumstances. Torture cannot be justified by exceptional circumstances, nor can it be excused on the basis of an order from a superior officer.”

Are these offenses under domestic laws of the host countries?

U.S.: License to Abuse Would Put CIA Above the Law

... last week, Vice President Dick Cheney and CIA director Porter Goss met with Sen. McCain to propose a presidential waiver for the proposed legislation. The proposed waiver states that the measure “shall not apply with respect to clandestine counterterrorism operations conducted abroad, with respect to terrorists who are not citizens of the United States, that are carried out by an element of the United States government other than the Department of Defense. . . if the president determines that such operations are vital to the protection of the United States or its citizens from terrorist attack...

Human Rights Watch said the waiver would also open the door for outright torture, as interrogators would find it impossible to draw lines between illegal and “allowable” mistreatment. Bush administration officials, under questioning from members of Congress in the past, have failed to clearly define differences between torture and lesser forms of mistreatment. They have also made inaccurate statements about the definition of torture; for instance, administration officials have claimed that “waterboarding” (suffocating a person until he believes he is about to drown) is not a form of torture. "

Rice Miscasts Policy on Torture

Rice Response Inadequate

and here is fresh article, evidently proving the fact that USA tries to remain the main "Judge" of HR and / or control who else can be or not in Human Rights Council :

U.N.: Intransigence of U.S. Endangers Rights Council

March 8, 2006

The United States should not block the overwhelming consensus that favors adoption of the proposal.

Instead, looking forward, the United States should work to elect the best possible membership and get the new council up and running with strong new rules and procedures. Specifically, Human Rights Watch urges the United States and all U.N. Member States to:

Work to elect the best possible candidates from each region of the world, including by insisting that regional groups present their nominations to the council at least 30 days prior to election, to allow for public scrutiny of their human rights records and pledges.

Create a depoliticized agenda that does not single out any one country for scrutiny.

Work with the new council to develop an effective, robust universal review procedure that will provide neutral, objective scrutiny of the human rights records of all countries in the world, and culminate in appropriate conclusions and recommendations.

“The moral authority of the United States depends on its working effectively with other countries to advance human rights protection – not blocking a consensus proposal that makes so much progress for human rights,” said Roth. “The current resolution can be made to work if the United States joins with other democracies to establish the new council and make it function effectively.”

about duplicity in HR polocies:

Pakistan: US human rights record

March 2, 2006

Musharraf is hosting Bush to bask in the glory of a renewed alliance with the United States and to strengthen his faltering grip on power. Nowhere is human rights on the agenda.

In the run up to the trip, Bush has praised general Musharraf’s “vision for a democratic Pakistan” and his commitment to “free and open elections” Unless Bush knows something that Pakistanis do not, it appears that the continued disregard and undermining of the Pakistani Constitution, the marginalization of mainstream political parties, and the failure to hold a credible election is an odd formula for a democratic Pakistan and the Bush administration’s broader commitment to “fostering democracy in the Muslim world.”

But rather than the shared value of democracy that Bush likes to speak about, what Musharraf and Bush have in common is a shared commitment to the priority, above all else, of the ‘war on terror.’

As Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo, and Bagram have shown, the US has not lived on the edge of legality, it has clearly and frequently crossed it into territory previously thought to have been the preserve of rogue governments....

In January 2005, the Bush administration began claiming the power to use cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment so long as the victim was a non-American held outside the United States. In December last year, under political pressure, President Bush was forced to withdraw his opposition to legislation sponsored by Republican Senator John McCain banning cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment of terrorist suspects. However, the US is the only government in the world known to have claimed this power openly, as a matter of official policy, and to pretend that it is lawful...

In Pakistan, the US has also found a willing partner to employ what the FBI describes as “locally acceptable forms of interrogation.” The routine use of torture in Pakistan by both civilian law enforcement and military agencies is well documented. What is surprising is the use of torture by the Pakistani security and intelligence services to interrogate both US and other foreign citizen suspects in the country.

For example, during eight months of illegal detention in Pakistan, Zain and Kashan Afzal, US citizens of Pakistani descent, were repeatedly tortured, allegedly by Pakistani authorities. During this period, FBI agents questioned the brothers on at least six occasions without intervening to end the torture. Instead, they threatened the men with being sent to Guantanamo Bay if they did not confess to involvement in terrorism. They were released in April 2005 only after Human Rights Watch intervened in their case.

Instead of publicly condemning this behaviour President Bush is coming to Islamabad to grant legitimacy to the “democratic” vision of his Pakistani counterpart and award him a Bilateral Investment Treaty. The promotion of trade and commerce between the United States and Pakistan is commendable. But Bush’s silence on human rights and the US government’s outsourcing of torture will bring nothing but a poverty of dignity to both.

"Judges" condemn Burma and N. Korea for their military dictatorship, but not Pakistani:

Pakistan: Bush Should Urge End to Military Rule

Musharraf Must Not Delay or Manipulate 2007 Elections

(New York, February 25, 2006) – U.S. President George Bush should press his Pakistani counterpart, General Pervez Musharraf, to step down as army chief, hold free and fair elections, and restore civilian rule in Pakistan, Human Rights Watch said today...

“Turning a blind eye to Musharraf’s ongoing power grab undermines the Bush administration’s aim of fostering democracy in the Muslim world,” said Brad Adams, director of the Asia division at Human Rights Watch. “President Bush must tell Musharraf that he can no longer count on U.S support to subvert the Pakistani constitution and block genuine elections.”

The Pakistani military continues to exercise tight control over both the judiciary and the ruling party in the national assembly, and military-backed civilian politicians have repeatedly stated in recent months that Musharraf may stay on as army chief and as president beyond the date set for elections in 2007. They have also suggested that he can be “re-elected” president by the outgoing parliament, which may unilaterally extend its term by one year to 2008 in order to do so. On February 14, the Pakistani Supreme Court’s acting chief justice suggested that postponing the elections would be lawful.

“Statements from pro-government politicians appear to be setting the stage for Musharraf’s continued rule past 2007,” said Adams. “The United States should not be a silent spectator and allow Musharraf to exploit his alliance with the U.S. in the ‘war on terror’ to entrench himself further in power.”

Human Rights Watch noted that the military is Pakistan’s leading violator of human rights. Under Musharraf, military impunity for abuses has increased dramatically. These abuses include extrajudicial killings, torture, arbitrary arrests, and the persecution of political opponents. In April 2004 the president of an opposition party, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, of the Alliance for the Restoration of Democracy, was sentenced to 23 years in prison for reading out an anti-Musharraf letter to assembled journalists. He remains in prison.

“The military’s rampant abuses and Musharraf’s refusal to cede power demonstrate that the human rights of Pakistanis can only be protected by a genuine civilian government,” said Adams. “On his visit to Pakistan, President Bush must tell Musharraf just that.”

I bet that situation here in Thailand is definetely not the same as in Pakistan - government is democratically elexted, not usurped by military as it used to be. however as indicated in the title of this thread and OP - "Washington slams Thai record"

in Press freedom Pakistan also is ranking as 150th - compare that with Iraq being 157th and China 159th. by Economic Freedom - 98th

Freedom House (PR - Political Rights CL - Civil Liberties) indicates Pakistan ranking - NOT free, while Thailand - Partly free, which still much better.

so, my Q here is: why Washington would NOT slam Musharraf and Pakistan record, but instead - Thailand ? Pakistan is clearly and obviously military regime and dictatorship by definition.

immidiate answer seems to be: for political reasons, which excuses duplicity. US calls Pakistani HR - "poor" ! hahahaha - what a joke !

US calls Pakistan's human rights record 'poor'

Thursday, 09 March , 2006, 12:11

Pointing to electoral malpractices, the report observed, "During elections for local governments in 2005, international and domestic observers found serious flaws, including interference by political parties, which affected the outcome of the vote in parts of the country."

"Police detained approximately 10,000 Pakistan People's Party activists in April prior to the arrival for a rally of Benazir Bhutto's husband, Asif Ali Zardari," it added.

now, what outcry would be raised if Thai police has detained 10'000 participants in latest anti-T rallies ?

as HRW has mentioned before Bush's visit to Pakistan (see quoted above article dated Feb 25), Human right were not on the table, but only "war on terror" and slight rebuke in form of No nuclear deal for Pakistan

Posted on Sun, Mar. 05, 2006

... At his final stop, the president told Pakistan’s president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, that his country shouldn’t expect a civilian nuclear power deal like the one Bush had reached with archrival India, and he praised Pakistan’s halting steps toward democracy only hours after police had rounded up opposition leaders and anti-Bush protesters.

Bush has made promoting democracy and fighting terrorism the dual centerpieces of his foreign policy. But his ability to pressure Musharraf is limited, because Pakistan has a central role to play in efforts to contain the spread of nuclear weapons and Islamic extremism, stabilize Afghanistan and wage the war on terrorism.

Bush appeared careful to balance his enthusiasm for democracy with a recognition that Musharraf, an army general who seized power in a 1999 military coup, is its indispensable man.

Musharraf bristled at suggestions that he was moving too slowly toward democracy. He said he had “introduced the essence of democracy” by supporting a free press, empowering women and ethnic minorities, and giving local governments control of local affairs.

I'd say - hypocrasy, both on the side of who does praise military dictator and who receives them !

HRW in its Asia and particularly Thailand section doesn't bother to comment on latest events related to re-elections etc. : http://hrw.org/doc?t=asia&c=thaila

[aaaaaa]

The other thing consistent is the appalling and abysmal human rights record Thaksin has year after year....

yeah, so, why not then go to Pakistan rather than remain here - after all Bush has praised it for "democratic developments" ? I bet those who are not satisfied with freedoms in Thailand would be soooooo happy there !

HR - is usually only a TOOL , conviniently invented and implemented by US and its creation - UN- for foreign politics - and used when and how they please.

yes, HR are important, I don't argue that - only the way how judegments are passed uppon particular countries.

TokyoT, you exagerrate or over-state the point by asking "Is the US a utopia lacking ANY human rights abuses- absolutely not". as I can see nobody here said this - only that one has to look into one's courtyard before pointing finger at others. sure, US has a lot of advantages in terms of Freedoms - even if we skip arguing on the subject of criterias, definitions and sources of both criterias, definitions and statistics - BUT even according to their very own definitions, criterias and sources, they are not examplary in HR freedoms upholding - don't you agree ?

I never been to Pakistan, Afganistan or Iraq, but I've been living in Bangladesh for 5 years (former East Pakistan, which BTW got its independence against USA whishes and support - despite obvious facts of open Genoside and ethnic cleansing conducted by Pakistani troops on bengali population on such a scale which might make a Holocoust a kids play; and as I know so far NOBODY of those Pakistanis has been tried or punished for those crimes - as Saddam or Milosevic are now - neither by their own, nor by US or UN tribunals) , which is also officially considered "democratic". when there are strikes or "hartals" - country is PARALIZED for weeks sometimes (transport, offices, factories etc), those few poor felows rikshaw-drivers who dare to disobey IMPOSED strike because they wanna to make few Taka to provide food for their kids (kids don't understand politics - but do understand hunger) - these literally poor and innocent people are severly and brutally beaten up, often burned alive or killed in other ways by the members of party which calls Nation-wide strike.

I'd like to see reaction of all those who critisize Thailand here IF those recent rallies would take same forms and scale as there ! if you coulnd't be able even to walk safely to nearest 7-11 or take even "motosike" to wherever you need to (public buses etc - no any question about using them !).

if someone doesn't bellieve all this - go ahead and try it yourself, fly to Dhaka and spend some time there, wait till next "hartal".

comparing to that, what happens here now is pretty civil and democratic !

polititians almost every and anywhere in the world don't care much about ordinary people. the only difference is that in "civilized" countries it is shown in different degree and forms than in less developed.

I say again - Thailand definetely NOT so bad, comparing to many neighbouring countries.

Edited March 9, 2006 by aaaaaa

[jdinasia]

Nope ... Thailand's not so bad. Trying to re-focus the report back on the reporter is somewhat silly though. This report is to the US Congress about the state of things in the rest of the world. I would guess the US Congress gets plenty of reports about how things are in the US ... not to mention what is done in the name of the US in other places like Iraq.

You only have to wtch the news in the US to realize that things are a bit more open in reporting there. Abu Graib has been front page news and on every TV news show so many times. etc etc

Here the press is more limited ... sadly

[penzman]

"The U.N. {insert U.S.} is not my father."

I had forgotten who had said that...

[mogoso]

"The U.N. {insert U.S.} is not my father."

The UN isn't all that popular in the US., I wish the US would drop outta it. The UN could move its headquarters to Haiti. They then could transform Haiti into a paradise utiling all of the diplomatic skills that chair that august body, thus showing the world they are capable and viable.

[TokyoT]

aaaa:

The article that starts this thread is from The Nation. A Thai newpaper - not the Washington Post, or NY Times that would have a more broad based readership that might care more about other countries. The Nation has little interest in the fact that the new US Human Rights report also reflects poorly on all the countries you mention (Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bangladesh). As a matter of fact the new report is harder on all of those countries than it was on Thailand.

From the new report:

Thailand:

The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens; however, there were significant problems in some areas.

Afghanistan:

Afghanistan's human rights record remained poor due to weak central institutions, a deadly insurgency, and the country's ongoing recovery from two decades of war. While the government struggled to expand its authority over provincial centers, a few areas remained under the control of regional commanders. There continued to be instances in which security and factional forces committed extrajudicial killings and torture. Extensive reporting of human rights abuses led to increased action against abusers.

Bangladesh:

The government's human rights record remained poor, and the government continued to commit numerous serious abuses.

Iraq:

During the year unsettled conditions prevented effective governance in parts of the country, and the government's human rights performance was handicapped by insurgency and terrorism that impacted every aspect of life. In such an environment and supported by elements of the population, three groups with overlapping but largely different memberships violently opposed the government: Al Qa'ida terrorists, irreconcilable remnants of the Ba'thist regime, and local Sunni insurgents waging guerrilla warfare. The ongoing insurgency, coupled with sectarian and criminal violence, seriously affected the government's human rights performance; elements of the security forces, particularly sectarian militias, frequently acted independently of governmental authority.

Pakistan:

The government's human rights record was poor, and serious problems remained.

The above quotes are obviously only a small piece of the report. And as you can see Thailand was given credit for generally respecting the human rights of its citizens. You must keep in perspective where the article came from and who the target market is.

In regard to the list of US human rights abuses – again I agree the US has plenty problems to deal with. However this particular report is a yearly report (required by law) compiled by the US State Department to report on the human rights situation in countries around the globe – but not including the US. There are forces at work that are attempting to correct the inappropriate actions that have been take by the US government – only time will tell how effective they will be.

[APK]

Ah well, since everybody's throwing links all over the place, I've got one as well:

http://www.4me.nl/petition.html

It's about two Dutch citizens who went to Thailand and rented a floor in a private house. The (owners of the) place got raided by the police and they found a stash of XTC (?) pills where the owners lived.

Of course the two farang on the 2nd floor must've been involved, though there were no drugs found anywhere near or on them.

The owners of the place said the two farang had nothing to do with it, so the outcome of the first courtcase was that they were innocent.

Apearently it's normal to appeal so they went to Bankkwang again.

The appeal(s) was (were) funded by the Dutch government, but the outcome is that they're on deathrow now.

They've got about 10 days left. Only the petition to The King, which has been handed to the Thai ambassador 2 days ago, might save their lives.

I know I'm -sort of- in the wrong topic.

I know I've posted in a topic about another case about a Dutch citizen before, where it would've been more appropriate, but I can't find it.

Sorry.

PS. I don't know if they're guilty or not. It's very hard to find info on the net (I'd give them the benifit of the doubt) and I'd feel sad if two innocent people would get the lethal injection if they were innocent.

[rainman]

Thailand's human-rights record has "significant problems" due to extrajudicial killings and restrictions on freedom of expression, says the US government.

...says a country that's holding detainees without access to a lawyer or any kind of trial, some of them surely innocent, for 5 years.

[1Lucky]

The US criticising others for human rights abuses???? Cracking - you couldn't make this kind of stuff up.

Am sure such a fine country will continue to take the human rights movement forward in impressive fashion.

[Donz]

what about all those photo's of the iraqi insurgents and civillians??

Or doesnt that count hehheheheh

[the gent]

.........or take the case of Donald Beardslee who spent 21 years on death row before being terminated in California earlier this year by the groping Austrian. What better example of human rights in action?

[Donz]

the hole worlds a sick place, no use pointing the finger at anyone.

[thaipro_pattaya]

The State Department should get off Thaksin's back. He is doing what needs to be done: taking out the trash

[Miaow]

Geez, is that political circus ever gonna end? Not far from the democrats accusing Thaksin of being corrupted..

[ColPyat]

The State Department should get off Thaksin's back. He is doing what needs to be done: taking out the trash

Where are you planning to go then?

[tso310]

According to the rankings of the table above, the most free (the "all-green") countries are (in alphabetical order):

Canada

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

Iceland

Republic of Ireland

Netherlands

New Zealand

Sweden

Switzerland

United Kingdom

Norway ? Belgium ?? Luxembourg ???

[remmy]

pot calling kettle black