Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) wishes to forward to you the following press release from Justice for Peace Foundation (JPF).
Asian Human Rights Commission
Hong Kong
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A Press Release from Justice for Peace Foundation (JPF) forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
Justice for Peace Foundation
Tel. +66 (0) 2 975 9975
Email: info@wgjp.com
No. 04/2011
10 March 2011
Geneva, on 7 March 2011, Mrs. Angkhana Neelaphaijit, the chairperson of the Justice for Peace Foundation (JPF), released a statement on behalf of the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) during the presentation of the joint report of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance and the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention during meeting of the Human Rights Council in Geneva. In the statement, the JPF and the ICJ called for the Thai government accept the request to visit by the Working Groups and for the Working Groups to work with the Thai government to end arbitrary detention and to bring to light the fate of people who have been disappeared.
Two years ago, at the 10th meeting of the Human Rights Council, the ICJ welcomed the Thai government’s swift recognition of the need for perpetrators of disappearance to be prosecuted through the judicial system. However, at present, no concrete measures have been taken to bring the perpetrators of the disappearance of Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit. Simultaneously, his family has had to face harassment and threats, particularly during the periods surrounding the reading of the appeal verdict in his case.
Mrs. Angkhana Neelaphaijit spoke about the disappearance of additional people in Thailand and noted that the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance had documented 57 cases of disappearance in Thailand. She noted that the Working Group had raised these cases, which included the case of Mr. Somchai Neelaphaijit, with the Thai government but that no progress had been made.
In addition, the ICJ expressed their concern about arbitrary detention under the 2005 Emergency Decree on Government Administration in States of Emergency (“Emergency Decree”) in Thailand. The ICJ noted that the Emergency Decree erodes the principles and rule of law in Thailand. In addition, by allowing the arbitrary detention of individuals, the Emergency Decree sends a warning signal about the expansion of state power to arrest and detain citizens. The form of arbitrary detention made possible under the Emergency Decree is in contravention to Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Dr. Jeremy Sarkin, the chairperson of the UN Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance, called for states to develop national law to make disappearance a crime, including recognition of the rights of victims and families, including the right to know the truth, the right to justice, and the right to redress.
The chairperson of the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention called for the Thai government to accept the official visit of the Working Group, to investigate and examine the situation of detention of individuals in contravention to law and international conventions.
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For more information, please contact Mrs. Angkhana Neelaphaijit at 084-728-0350
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