Thai editorial: Porchalee case demands urgent attention

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EDITORIAL
Porchalee case demands urgent attention
The Nation

Practice of forcibly "disappearing" defenders of human rights is growing in Thailand

BANGKOK: -- With the mystery over the disappearance of a Thai Karen human rights activist growing deeper by the day and the story becoming more entangled, agencies involved must step up their efforts to discover the truth.

Porchalee Rakcharoen, also known as Billy, was detained by park officials in Kaengkrachan National Park, in Petchburi province bordering Myanmar, on April 17. Park chief Chaiwat Limlikitaksor said Billy was detained and questioned after being found in the park in possession of wild honeycomb and six bottles of wild honey.

According to Chaiwat, the Karen ethnic leader was released after brief questioning. But he hasn't been seen since. Local and international agencies are urging Thai authorities to put more effort into discovering what happened to Porchalee.

The concern is that the disappearance is related to Porchalee's long-term role in the struggle for recognition of indigenous land rights for his fellow ethnic Karen villagers in Kaengkrachan National Park.

Porchalee was at loggerheads with the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry as well as park chief Chaiwat himself over the demolition of a local Karen village in 2011. More than 100 houses and rice stocks belonging to 20-plus Karen households were burned down by park officials for their alleged encroachment into the park.

Arguing that they had been living in the area for generations, long before the national park was established, the Karen filed a case against the authorities, charging them with violating their rights and demanding compensation for the damage to their properties. The case is under consideration at the Administrative Court and Billy is a key witness scheduled to give his testimony on May 18.

Kaengkrachan National Park has been at the centre of a number of controversies over recent years, including the shooting death of human rights defender Tassanakamol Aobeaom in September 2011. Tassanakamol was part of Billy's civil society network. A senior official at the park was accused of masterminding the alleged assassination but remains at his post, to the dismay of the local Karen villagers.

The Porchalee case demands urgent attention from all officials and agencies concerned, as the growing practice of forced disappearance in this country and in the wider region has become a serious threat to citizens who stand up to protect their rights.

The disappearance of human rights lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit while he was representing Muslim defendants in the insurgency-hit deep South a decade ago has left a deep and enduring stain on the reputation of Thai authorities. That individuals are still being "disappeared" merely for defending human rights proves we have learned little from Somchai's case.

The government, the opposition, the red shirts and the whistle-blowing protesters might be busy fighting for political gain, but police and other agencies responsible for upholding the law should perform their duty and get to the bottom of what has happened to Porchalee. Time is running out. We must do everything possible to prevent another Thai defender of public rights from being "disappeared".


-- The Nation 2014-04-29

[clockman]

Never happen, Just Thainess. In force.

[ChrisY1]

Certainly sounds as though Billy has gone.....disgusting that these events happen so frequently .....and of course, no-one knows anything...everyones innocent and the cops will be at odds on how to deal with this.....but the time old method of hoping the problem will go away, will be their first effort!

[chainarong]

Billy has join others before him , any one who speaks out on any issue in Thailand can find themselves disappeared or murdered , which is the same thing as disappeared , only disappeared, you are never found, the DSI finds itself on more important tasks than good investigating methods , the easy the task , the bigger the headlines, DSI can not solve the imported luxury parts scam , let alone solve a person disappeared the U.N. Human rights lawyer who disappeared under Thaskin Shinawatra's watch, has yet to be found , numerous attempts by the wife and others to pressure DSI have produced SFA, the Under Achievers of Asia don't seem to have a clue.

[WhizBang]

At this point, I think it is pretty obvious that officials are involved. So nothing further will happen, but expect lots of lip service and hot air. Same same, different day.

[WoopyDoo]

Everyone knows what happened and who exactly is responsible for Billy's MURDER!!

But it takes evidence for a conviction everyone equally knows that there will never be a scrap of evidence presented.

[BillyBobThai]

Nothing will change until the Thai government starts hanging some of these people by the neck until dead. A 100 baht fine deters no one, a strecthed neck will deter at least one.