State of emergency & martial law

THAILAND: AHRC condemns renewal of emergency rule in south, revival of cold war “death squad” command (Hong Kong, January 12, 2007) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on Friday condemned the announcement that Thailand’s military regime will again renew emergency rule over the southern provinces on January 20. “The worsening violence in the south of […]

[NOTICE: The AHRC have developed a new automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of some of the Cambodian authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the Cambodian authorities are […]

A policeman in the south of Thailand speaking confidentially one day to a human rights defender explained how he gets assigned to kill people. The superior officers do not give direct orders. Rather, they may call him to an informal meeting after work, and share some drinks. They bring him into their confidence, and treat […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is pleased to inform you that a court in Thailand has identified three army officers as responsible for the killing of 28 persons inside the Krue Se Mosque on 28 April 2004. The court verdict, in a post mortem inquest, now opens the way for criminal charges […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) writes to inform you about the prolonged detention of two farmers in Davao Oriental province, the Philippines. Both of them have been detained for almost three years without any progress in their case because the prosecution witnesses failed to appear in court on six occasions. One of […]

The Nation newspaper of November 22 has published a summary of the full reasons to be given by the military junta in Thailand for its September 19 takeover. According to the newspaper, the justifications for the coup, due to be published shortly, include the following: corruption and conflict of interest; abuse of power; violations of […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE November 10, 2006 AHRC-OL-064-2006 An Open Letter to the interim prime minister of Thailand by the Asian Human Rights Commission General Surayud Chulanont Interim Prime Minister Government House Pitsanulok Road, Dusit District Bangkok 10300 THAILAND Fax: +662 282 8631/ 280 1589/ 629 8213 Dear General Surayud THAILAND: Serious questions about “blacklists” demand […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is writing to draw your attention to important developments in the case of 78 persons killed in the custody of the Royal Thai Army after being arrested at Tak Bai, Narathiwat on 25 October 2004, and some six others killed in the course of a protest outside the district […]

[RE: UG-018-2006: THAILAND: UN rights bodies must act urgently to address junta; UP-189-2006: THAILAND: Illegal detention of former government ministers; UP-190-2006: THAILAND: Websites and radio stations shut down by military junta; UP-194-2006: THAILAND: Join protest for media freedom and 1997 Constitution] ———————————————————————- UP-204-2006: THAILAND: Please attend important event on threats to civil rights under military […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  AS-269-2006 November 1, 2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission THAILAND: Somchai, Tak Bai, secrets & lies The head of the military junta overseeing the interim government in Thailand, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, on October 31 reportedly said that he has information that the mastermind of the 12 March 2004 disappearance […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  AS-266-2006 October 25, 2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission THAILAND: Prime minister ignorant of the Philippines & the south The Bangkok Post of October 24 quoted the interim prime minister of Thailand, General Surayud Chulanont, as saying that he will adopt methods used by the Philippine government to deal […]

Dear friends, The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) regrets to inform you of two recent killings of the human rights defenders in the south of Thailand. Both had worked for justice to assist victims of state violence in the area. Their deaths come at a time of worsening violence in the south that is set […]

It is now one month since the armed forces of Thailand under General Sonthi Boonyaratglin took power on September 19. Since that time, the coup group and government officials have been creating a fictional version of what they have done, are doing and will do. To mark this occasion, the Asian Human Rights Commission lists […]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  AS-255-2006 October 18, 2006 A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission THAILAND: Military junta won’t bring justice to south In the days after the September 19 coup in Thailand there was some expectation that bloodshed in the south may lessen. Like a lot of other things, this has not happened. Reports […]

The Nation newspaper of October 8 reported Professor Worachet Pakeerut of Thammasat University as saying that coups would continue in Thailand for so long as the courts there recognise the amnesties that perpetrators pass for themselves. Worachet had said that there “was a discrepancy in the Thai judicial system that recognised law written by people […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission joins with people in Thailand today to recall and celebrate the ninth anniversary of their 1997 Constitution. It was on 11 October 1997 that for the first time the people of Thailand realised their popular aspiration towards government based upon a rational set of standards applied to all persons, rather […]

A few years ago, some senior United Nations staff in Cambodia met with a government minister to discuss the state of the country’s courts. They expressed concern about their lack of independence, and asked what intentions the government had to address this problem. “Don’t worry,” the minister told them simply, “I will make them independent.” […]

When General Sonthi Boonyaratglin led the armed forces of Thailand to overthrow the caretaker government of Pol. Lt. Col. Thaksin Shinawatra on September 19, the military indicated that it would withdraw from politics within two weeks, having set in place an interim constitution and premier. Interim constitution and premier are now there as promised. And […]

There has been a lot of misunderstanding about the September 19 coup in Thailand. Many foreign correspondents, tourist bloggers and other casual observers have written that the local market is still busy, people are smiling politely as usual, and life seems to be going on like normal. The coup has been described as “courteous” and […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission condemns the military coup in Thailand and calls for immediate restoration of civilian government. At approximately 10pm on September 19 a group of officers headed by army Commander-in-Chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin took power while Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra was attending the UN General Assembly in New York. The group, […]