Amnesty-Rung submitting nearly thirty thousand signatures to PM demanding an end to human rights violation against dissenters

1 November 2021

Amnesty International Thailand

AmnestyInternational Thailand’s activists together with Panusaya ‘Rung’ Sittijirawattanakul have submitted 28,426 signatures of the people in Thailand who participate in the AmnestyInternational’s Urgent Action and Change.org online campaign to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha via his representative urging him to adhere to his pledge made to the public to stop human rights violation by the Thai authorities.

 

 

Piyanut Kotsan, Director of Amnesty International Thailand,reveals that the AI International Secretariat in London, UK, has issued an Urgent Action to invite its members, activists and supporters around the world to write and send their letters to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha expressing their concern about the relentless suppression of peaceful protesters in Thailand. Until now, Human Rights Defenders and activists have been put under arrest and punished arbitrarily even though they have peacefully been exercising their freedom of assembly and freedom of expression offline and online. The police are found to have used excessive and unnecessary force to disperse the demonstrations as well.  

“The protest leaders including Lawyer Anon Nampha, Jatupat ‘Pai’ Boonpattararaksa, Panupong “Mike” Chadnok, and Parit “Penguin” Chiwarak, should not have been detained again. They are also denied the right to bail or have their previous bail revoked since 9 August.  

According to their lawyers, these activists have been incarcerated in a dismal condition and we are gravely concerned about their health and wellbeing. Both Jatupat and Parit have caught Covid-19 while in custody. In addition, we are concerned about the prosecution against other peaceful protesters including Panusaya ‘Rung’ Sittijirawattanakul who has been pressed with more criminal charges from taking part in a peaceful assembly on the past 22 September.”  

Amnesty Thailand’s Director further reveals that at present, there are at least 1,634 individuals including 257 children and youth under 18 years of age who have been criminally charged for exercising their human rights including the right to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly since last year. Many of them risk being jailed for a long time and some may even face a life imprisonment. In addition, the police have retaliated against the demonstrators using the crowd control tactics which tend to violate their rights. They are found to have used excessive and unnecessary force to disperse the crowds firing at them with tear gas, water cannon laced with chemicals and rubber bullets and beating them.

For over the past one month in Thailand, Amnesty International Thailand has been campaigning to invite people to sign on a global Urgent Action in response to the relentless suppression of peaceful protesters in Thailand. An online campaign has been launched on AI Thailand’s website and the Change.org until nearly thirty thousands signatures have been compiled.  

“We demand the Thai government stop the cycle of suppression of dissenters and adhere to its international obligations as well as respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression and freedom of peaceful assembly. It should ensure that the police’s response to the public assemblies including an unpeaceful one comply with the requirements of necessity and proportionality. The authorities shall refrain from using excessive force which has been the mainstay during any public assembly since 2020 until now. The police must protect the rights of peaceful protesters and prevent any interference or violence abetted by a third party” said Piyanut.

 

 

AmnestyInternational Thailand has these demands for the Thai government.  

1. Immediately stop criminalizing target individuals who have simply exercised their human rights and release those being held arbitrarily until now 

2. Allow people to express their thoughts and assemble peacefully and refrain from imposing excessive bail condition which may constitute an arbitrary restriction of the exercise of their rights  

3. Promptly, thoroughly, impartially and transparently investigate any reported use of excessive and unnecessary use of force by the police while holding individuals in custody and while policing a public assembly. Suspected perpetrators should be brought to justice and the guidelines adhered by the police should comply with international standards and the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials.