Discussed: 20 Jan 2025 at 04: 30
Thailand needs to improve its effectiveness on promotion and protection of human rights in order to adhere to international standards, according to a Thai animal rights advocate.
Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch ( HRW), spoke with the Bangkok Post on Friday at the Foreign Correspondent Club of Thailand, ahead of the launch of HRW’s country-by-country annual report.
He said Thailand’s human rights methods do not meet the standards required to earn a seats during the 2025–2027 name.
According to him, member nations of the government should now have a strong record of human rights protection and mechanisms to safeguard those in danger in the legal, political, and cultural domains. More importantly, their techniques in respecting human rights may be steady.
Thailand may have spent time promoting its human rights standards while it has been a member of the UNHRC for the past ten times, he claimed. Thailand’s word commenced on Jan 1.
He cited the Move Forward Party’s ( MPF ) dissolved last year and the lifetime ban on 44 of its MPs for attempts to reform the monarchy.
He even made a special mention of the demise of political activist Netiporn Sanesangkhom, who died while on a hunger strike while requesting the release of political prisoners ‘ loan.
According to Mr. Sunai, more people have been found guilty of rebellion and lèse-majesté, and their loan has frequently been refused.
Legal society has proposed including lèse-majesté claims in the Amnesty Bill. No member of the parliament, however, had support a move that would put some political prisoners still imprisoned.
He added that under international human rights rules, Thailand is also required to uphold the rule of non-refoulement. However, authorities routinely send social asylum seekers to encounter consequence back to their home countries, he said, citing new cases of UNHCR-recognised Thai political refugees.
As a UNHRC member, Mr. Sunai said,” It’s ironic for a state to seek worldwide acknowledgment for its work in individual right.”
The state has failed to advance and defend human rights both domestically and internationally.
Mr. Sunai claimed that Thailand had worked hard to secure the UNHRC seats and that it is now gloating over its victory, but that it had failed to actually show a strong track record.
He questioned Thailand’s ability to raise its human rights standards and justify its status with the UNHRC. He suggested that Thailand should be closely scrutinized under UN guidelines, such as the Universal Periodic Review ( UPR ). Thailand would be able to identify areas where it needs to improve if another part state reviewed it, he said.
Sunai: Record never up to scratch