Dear friends,
Since the army launched its coup in Thailand on September 19, it has moved fast to curtail civil liberties and detain members of the former caretaker government. There is growing resistance to the coup inside Thailand, but vocal opponents–especially journalists and human rights defenders–face very serious risks. Although the UN secretary general has condemned the coup, the UN Human Rights Council and rights experts are yet to act on it. Please write letters calling for urgent intervention to protect lives and fundamental liberties in Thailand, and support the courageous persons now encouraging their fellow citizens to speak out against the takeover.
As has been reported worldwide, on the night of Tuesday, September 19, the Royal Thai Army led by its Commander in Chief, General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, launched a coup against the caretaker government of Thaksin Shinawatra, while he was abroad. The new junta cancelled the democratic 1997 Constitution and introduced martial law.
The situation in Thailand is changing daily. But as of today, September 21, there are a number of key issues for special concern:
1. Growing restrictions on public information & assembly
The junta has instructed the Ministry of Information & Communications Technology to “control, block and destroy” mass media news that is considered harmful to its agenda.
It has given special instructions that target popular forms of impromptu comment or opinion-giving among the public:
i. Chat websites with messages “detrimental to peace and morality” must be closed.
ii. SMS messages broadcast as scrolling text on TV programmes are banned.
iii. Talkback radio programmes are banned.
The news media has also been instructed to “cooperate” with the regime and a group of officers has been assigned to give the junta’s version of events, for public distribution.
Some 300 local radio stations in the north of Thailand, where the former caretaker prime minister has his strongest support, have reportedly been ordered to cease broadcasts.
Political gatherings of five or more persons have been banned, as have all political activities.
2. Extralegal arrests and detentions
At least six persons have been taken into indefinite army detention without charge, most of them former senior government members. But at least two persons who protested against the regime are also reported to have been detained. Also, many other former government members have fled the country or gone into hiding within Thailand.
The six persons reportedly under detention are:
i. Dr Pommin Lertsuridej, former caretaker deputy prime minister (September 19); believed held at Army Headquarters
ii. Pol. Gen. Chidchai Wannasatidya, former caretaker deputy prime minister & caretaker justice minister (September 19); believed held at Army Headquarters
iii. Mr Tavee Kaikub, protester at Democracy Monument (September 20); held in unidentified location
iv. Mr Charad Worachath, protester at Democracy Monument (September 20); held in unidentified location
v. Mr Yongyuth Tiyapairat, former caretaker natural resources & environment minister (September 21); believed held at Army Headquarters
vi. Mr Newin Chidchob, former prime minister’s office minister (September 21); believed held at Army Headquarters
3. Situation of human rights defenders
Many human rights defenders could be in serious danger in coming days, if tension over the coup escalates and the military seeks to identify and arrest opponents. Already, some groups have said that they will defy orders by the junta, and one has announced plans for an imminent protest.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
There is an enormous amount of internet news on the coup in Thailand that is being updated hourly.
Statements by the AHRC on the coup can be read here:
AS-219-2006 “Restore civilian government immediately”
AS-221-2006 “Junta poses grave dangers to lives and liberties”
AS-222-2006 “What is benign?”
Press releases, including statements by groups in Thailand, can be read here:
AHRC-PL-081-2005 “Rights groups demand return to constitutional rule”
AHRC-PL-082-2006 “AHRC supports call of prominent senator for immediate return to constitutional rule”
AHRC-PL-084-2006 “Media group calls for defence of free speech, end of martial law”
AHRC-PL-085-2006 “Resistance to junta growing inside Thailand; media blackout ‘impossible'”
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to key UN human rights officials listed below calling for their urgent intervention into the situation in Thailand.
Please also adapt this letter as necessary and send it to your own national government and regional political body or rights body (i.e. Association of South East Asian Nations, European Union, African Union, etc.)
To support this appeal, please click:
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ____________,
THAILAND: Your intervention is urgently needed to rescue lives & liberties
I am writing to you to express my very serious concern over the threats to lives and fundamental liberties in Thailand since the military coup of September 19.
As you will be aware, the armed forces under control of Commander in Chief General Sonthi Boonyaratglin took control of the government in Thailand from Wednesday night (19 September 2006), abrogated the 1997 Constitution and declared martial law. It has ceased the functioning of the Constitutional Court, and placed all government ministries under senior bureaucrats that are answerable to its directives. The fate of independent public institutions, including the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand and the Ombudsmen, remains unknown.
The military junta has in a series of announcements curtailed basic rights to free speech and assembly, and has indefinitely detained persons without charge.
I am particularly concerned that the junta has instructed the Ministry of Information & Communications Technology to "control, block and destroy" mass media news that is considered harmful to its agenda. Following from this instruction, it has most recently ordered the closure of chat websites with messages "detrimental to peace and morality" and the prohibition of talkback radio and TV broadcasts that include scrolling SMS messages. Some 300 local radio stations have reportedly been ordered to cease operating altogether. Needless to say, all of these steps are blatant violations of freedom of speech and expression.
In addition, I am aware that political gatherings of five or more persons have been banned, as have all political activities.
The junta is also known to be ordering the arrest of political opponents and protestors. To date, six persons, four former caretaker ministers and two protesters, are said to be held incommunicado in army detention. They are:
i. Dr Pommin Lertsuridej, former caretaker deputy prime minister (September 19); believed held at Army Headquarters
ii. Pol. Gen. Chidchai Wannasatidya, former caretaker deputy prime minister & caretaker justice minister (September 19); believed held at Army Headquarters
iii. Mr Tavee Kaikub, protester at Democracy Monument (September 20); held in unidentified location
iv. Mr Charad Worachath, protester at Democracy Monument (September 20); held in unidentified location
v. Mr Yongyuth Tiyapairat, former caretaker natural resources & environment minister (September 21); believed held at Army Headquarters
vi. Mr Newin Chidchob, former prime minister's office minister (September 21); believed held at Army Headquarters
This situation also obviously poses a very grave threat for human rights defenders, journalists and any other persons in Thailand who are outspoken on their fundamental rights.
In view of this drastic and worsening situation, I call for your urgent intervention. Please do not hesitate to communicate your concerns over the current situation in Thailand to the military junta there, in accordance with your mandate, for the sake of the lives and liberties of all people in Thailand.
I look forward to your much-needed intervention.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Kofi Annan
Secretary General
Office of the Spokesman for the Secretary General
United Nations
S-378 New York
NY 10017
USA
Tel: +1 212 963 5012
Fax: +1 212 963 7055 or 2155 (ATTN: SECRETARY GENERAL)
E-mail: ecu@un.org
2. Mr. Luis Alfonso de Alba
President
UN Human Rights Council
c/o OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9012 (ATTN: PRESIDENT HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL)
E-mail: hrc@ohchr.org, jdiaz@ohchr.org
3. Ms. Louise Arbour
High Commissioner for Human Rights
OHCHR-UNOG
8-14 Avenue de la Paix
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917-9012 (ATTN: HIGH COMMISSIONER)
E-mail: larbour@ohchr.org, hchr@ohchr.org
4. Ms. Hina Jilani
Special Representative of the Secretary General for human rights defenders
Attn: Melinda Ching Simon
Room 1-040
C/o OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9388
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS)
E-mail: mchingsimon@ohchr.org, urgent-action@ohchr.org
5. Prof. Leandro Despouy
Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers
Attn: Sonia Cronin
Room: 3-060
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9160
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR INDEPENDENCE JUDGES & LAWYERS)
E-mail: scronin@ohchr.org, urgent-action@ohchr.org
6. Mr. Ambeyi Ligabo
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
c/o J Deriviero
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Tel: +41 22 917 9177
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FREEDOM EXPRESSION)
Email: jderiviero@ohchr.org, urgent-action@ohchr.org
7. Ms. Leila Zerrougui
Working Group on arbitrary detention
OHCHR-UNOG
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9006 (ATTN: WORKING GROUP ARBITRARY DETENTION)
Email: wgad@ohchr.org, urgent-action@ohchr.org
8. Prof. Saneh Chamarik
Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission of Thailand
422 Phya Thai Road
Pathum Wan District
Bangkok 10300
THAILAND
Tel: +662 2219 2980
Fax: +66 2 219 2940
E-mail: commission@nhrc.or.th, saneh@nhrc.or.th
9. Forum Secretariat
Asian Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions
GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 1042
Tel: +61 2 9284 9845
Fax: +61 2 9284 9825
E-mail: apf@asiapacificforum.net
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ahrchk@ahrchk.org)
