August 30, 2005

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Thailand.

Brief description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed by the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum-Asia) about the assault against Mr. Wiwat Thamee, Coordinator of the Ethnic and Indigenous People's Network of Thailand, in Chiangmai, North of Thailand.

According to the information received, at around 2 am on August 18, 2005, a grenade was thrown at the car of Mr. Wiwat Thamee, which was empty at the time of the attack.

Although the car was parked next to a Border Patrol Police Post, the officers did not react as they looked at the scene. They even advised the witnesses not to file a complaint, saying that it would not lead to anything. However, on August 20, 2005, a complaint was lodged at the district police station.

According to the information received, the case was submitted to the National Human Rights Commission.

The Ethnic and Indigenous People's Network of Thailand mainly aims at assisting and educating non-ethnic Thai about their rights as citizens of Thailand. Besides, Mr. Wiwat Thamee and his colleagues often denounce corruption of local administration officials in the north of Thailand.

In addition, Mr. Wiwat Thamee had recently returned from speaking before the United Nations Human Rights Committee in Geneva, Switzerland, where he criticised government practices towards minority people in the north of Thailand.

As a consequence, the Observatory believes this attack to be an attempt to intimidate Mr. Wiwat Thamee and other members of the Ethnic and Indigenous People's Network of Thailand, and urges the authorities to guarantee under all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Wiwat Thamee and all members of the Ethnic and Indigenous People's Network of Thailand.

Moreover, the Observatory recalls that in its concluding observations on the situation of human rights in Thailand in July 2005, the UN Human Rights Committee expressed concern at "the number of incidents against human rights defenders and community leaders, including intimidation and verbal and physical attacks", and stated that "[Thailand] must take measures to immediately halt and protect against the harassment and attacks against human rights defenders and community leaders [and] systematically investigate all reported instances of intimidation, harassment and attacks and guarantee effective remedies to victims and their families"1.

Action requested:

Please write to the authorities of Thailand and ask them to:

1. Guarantee under all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Wiwat Thamee, the members of the Ethnic and Indigenous People's Network of Thailand, and all human rights defenders in Thailand;
2. Conduct a fair, impartial and independent inquiry into these events, in order to identify the perpetrators, bring them to justice and pronounce sentences proportional to the gravity of their crime;
3. Comply with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, in particular its article 1, which states that "everyone has the right, individually or in association with others, to promote the protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels", and its article 12.2, which states that "the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the present Declaration";
4. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Thailand.
   
   

Addresses:

• Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra, Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister, Government House, Pisanulok Road, Dusit District, Bangkok 10300, Thailand, Fax:+ 662 282 8631 / 280 1589 / 629 8213, Email: thaksin@thaigov.go.th / govspkman@mozart.inet.co.th
• Mr. Chidchai Wanasatidya, Minister of Justice, Office of the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Justice Building, 22nd Floor, Chaeng Wattana Road Pakkred, Nonthaburi, Bangkok 11120, Thailand, Fax: +662 502 6699 / 6734 / 6884
• Mr. Kongsak Wantana, Minister of Interior, Office of the Ministry of Interior, Atsadang Road, Bangkok 10200, Thailand, Fax: +662 226 4371 / 222 8866, Email: webteam@moi.go.th
  
• Prof. Saneh Chamrik, Chairperson, The National Human Rights Commission, 422 Phya Thai Road, Pathumwan District, Bangkok 10330, Thailand, Fax: +662 219 2940, E-mail: commission@nhrc.th
• Mr. Kantathi Suphamongkhon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saranromya Palce, 443 Sri Ayudhya Road, Bangkok 10400, Thailand, Tel: + 662 643 5333
• Ambassador, Mr. Chaiyong Satjipanon, Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations in Geneva, Rue Gustave Moynier 5, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, Email : mission.thailand@ties.itu.int, Fax: +41 22 715 10 00 / 10 02
  

Please also write to the embassies of Thailand in your respective country.

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Geneva - Paris, August 30, 2005

1 See UN Document CCPR/CO/84/THA, July 28, 2005, paragrap 19.