Photo - BBC Thai

Amnesty Sent a Letter to the Prime Minister of Thailand
Expressing Concern about Human Rights during the Referendum

27 July 2016

 

Amnesty sent the sealed letter to the Prime Minister of Thailand expressing the concern about human rights prior to the referendum to be held on 7th August, as well as publishing the report on restriction of freedom since the coup in 2014.

 

The Office of Secretariat, International Amnesty, London, United Kingdom submitted the sealed letter to General Prayuth Chan-ocha, Prime Minister of Thailand, expressing the concerning about restriction of freedom of people prior to the constitutional referendum to be held on 7th August 2016.

 

Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International, stated in the letter that the measures taken by the military claimed to be temporary leading to the political transition were unacceptable acts of human rights violation, especially the ones that restricted the freedom of expression, association and assembly, which are the right that Thai people are entitled to and need to be respected and protected according to Thailand’s international obligations.

 

Salil Shetty urged the Prime Minister of Thailand to ensure that people can exercise their rights freely and peacefully, receive and publish information freely, participate in public debates and campaigns related to the drafting of the constitution and express conflicting opinions to the government without fear of being threatened, arrested or prosecuted.

 

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The Secretary General of Amnesty also encouraged the Thai authority to dismiss the lawsuit against at least 113 people and correspondents who have been arrested after they were involved in the activities or campaigns about the drafting of the constitution.


In addition, Amnesty published the report on restriction of freedom in Thailand during the political transition which covers information about notifications, orders and laws concerning restriction of rights, arrest, control, prosecution and obstruction of public debates and referendum verification and Thailand’s obligations under the international law.