THAILAND: Suspected attempt to abduct National Human Rights Commissioner 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is outraged at a systematic attempt to intimidate and possibly abduct a member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of Thailand. Vasant Panich has informed us that on June 28 his vehicle was followed and that there was a clear pattern of surveillance on him and his family. He has said that he is afraid for his life and security. The AHRC urges all concerned persons in Thailand and abroad to speak out against this crude attempt to silence a very active and outstanding member of Thailand’s NHRC and demand that the incident be investigated and the prime minister give unequivocal support to the NHRC and its members against such threats.

Vasant Panich, a member of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, is the head of the Subcommittee on Legislation and Administration of Justice. He is a very active commissioner who in recent times has worked on many cases of gross human rights abuse in the south of Thailand, including the proposed exhumation of over 300 unidentified bodies there (see comments in AS-133-2006) as well as the case of abducted human rights lawyer Somchai Neelaphaijit (www.ahrchk.net/somchai).

In the morning of Tuesday, 27 June 2006, Vasant received around four calls to his main mobile phone number while going for a meeting at the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, nearby the Democracy Monument. When he answered the phone, there was no reply, and no number was showing on the telephone. So he turned off the phone. Later in the day, the same thing began happening to his second mobile phone. That number is known only to a few people, and is for his personal use. So he also switched off the second telephone.

In the morning of Wednesday, June 28, there were more calls on his wife’s telephone. She did not answer the phone. Then there was a call to the house telephone. A woman asked if Vasant had already left home or not.

Vasant decided not to travel in his own car. He sent the driver ahead. He then spoke to the driver on his phone and the driver confirmed that the car was being followed by a red vehicle. But when the following vehicle identified that only the driver was in the car, it did not go further.

Vasant and his wife then hailed a taxi waiting in the small street outside his house. However, the taxi driver complained that the area they were going to would be jammed. He also drove on a congested route a different way from what Vasant asked and seemed to be slowing the vehicle as if waiting for something or someone. So they changed to another taxi before reaching the expressway. The second taxi also took congested lanes and kept his caution lights blinking the whole time. Soon after, a silver-bronze minivan with tinted windows came alongside. At Central Chidlom, Vasant asked the driver to stop and they crossed the road before taking a third taxi. He asked to go to Chulalongkorn University and told the driver to stop near the NHRC office. When they got down at the office, Vasant saw the same minivan parked about 30 metres from the office with its caution lights on.

Vasant has said that because he worked on the case of Somchai Neelaphaijit in detail, he recognised the use of phone calls and vehicles to track a target. Somchai was forcibly disappeared from his car by police officers on 12 March 2004. Vasant has said that he believes that the operation was a planned attempt to abduct and kill him also. There can be little doubt that whatever intention, the persons responsible were state agents.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Vasant Panich was among the active NHRC members during the killing of at least 2500 persons in the first “war on drugs” in 2003. At that time also there were attacks and death threats on commissioners, including Dr Pradit Charoenthaitawee who was warned by anonymous callers to “stop speaking to the United Nations or die” (see further “Extrajudicial killings of alleged drug dealers in Thailand“, article 2, vol. 2, no. 3, June 2003).

The National Human Rights Commission of Thailand is an official body with a mandate established by legislation, in accordance with the United Nations-endorsed “Paris Principles” on national human rights institutions (see further: Asia-Pacific Forum of NHRIs). However, it has consistently lacked support from the current administration, and has also been attacked at times by the prime minister and members of cabinet.

The AHRC has been among groups expressing serious concerns about threats to, and attacks on, human rights defenders in Thailand and the lack of effective investigations that follow these. It has recently joined other concerned persons in calling for the removal of the director of the Department of Special Investigation for failing to properly investigate these cases and as a consequence for allowing continued impunity to be enjoyed by the perpetrators: http://thailand.ahrchk.net/dsi_petition.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the Caretaker Prime Minister to demand an immediate investigation into this incident and a strong public expression of support for the work of Vasant Panich and the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand from his administration.

 

 

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