NHRC objects to drop in status level

[rooster59]

NHRC objects to drop in status level

BANGKOK: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has written a letter objecting to the Sub-Committee on Accreditation (SCA)’s proposal for the International Coordinating Committee of National Institutions for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights (ICC) to lower the agency’s status from “A” to “B”.

NHRC chairman Vas Tingsmith said yesterday that the letter was sent after the agency discussed certain issues with the Constitution Drafting Commission (CDC), including the SCA's concerns, which included protection for NHRC in performing its duties and issues relating to selection of committee members.

He said the NHRC also was pushing for quicker consideration of the draft legislation on the rights commission to meet the ICC’s requirements and that there was also an idea to amend the law, authorising the NHRC to file lawsuits on behalf of people, like in other countries.

Loss of the "A" status could mean the loss of many rights and indirect economic and social impacts to the country, he explained.

The SCA has the mandate to review and analyse accreditation applications and to make recommendations to the ICC Bureau on the compliance of applicants with the Paris Principles. An "A" status signifies that an institute is one of the best mechanisms at country level to ensure the application of international human rights norms.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/NHRC-objects-to-drop-in-status-level-30275750.html

-- The Nation 2015-12-27

[Always18]

No surprises here...................

[MZurf]

Perfectly in line with the policies of the junta. Expect human rights to become increasingly insignificant as the factions fight for position around the through.

[oneday]

Thailand isn't going to fair very well in the next US Human Rights report. They are setting themselves up for a huge failure.

[ChrisY1]

All in line with any military government' ideals.....!

[Aj Mick]

Instead of objecting, they should do something about really improving things, not just patching things up with a few largely cosmetic changes.

[nickcar]

My impression is the SCA is downgrading their view of the NHRC performance to the ICC. How can this be projected as in the interest of the country or the Junta? It seems to me to be more like a punishment for the country and the government..

[brucec64]

Take a look at this article from July and it will provide insight into this downgrade :

https://www.hrw.org/news/2015/07/24/thailand-reject-rights-commission-nominees

[Srikcir]

"lower the agency’s status from “A” to “B”

There are only three categories: A, B and C. So the change is not really significant per se as a category.

Thailand's status would change from Full Compliance to Partial Compliance as opposed to category C which is Noncompliance. Perhaps more meaningful is that the review of Thailand's status was originally due November 2013 but was deferred given the ongoing political conflict to March 2014, then again deferred to October 2014 in response overthrow of the government. So it looks like ICC decided the Prayut regime wasn't going to bring the country back to category A established in April 2008.

If changed to category B, Thailand joins such nations in the Asia-Pacific region as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Oman. But it will also share the category with Belgium, Norway and Sweden. Any consequences for Thailand's lower status comes not from the ICC or UN but individually from countries who might conclude an ideological conflict in trade and assistance.

[FangFerang]

They have the exact whinging sound of Budda Isaara complaining his stage (during Suthep the fascist's protests) was not getting enough attention.

[tomross46]

Could part of the problem be, that the NHRC is open to the highest bidder, even if they are part of the criminal element?