A senior United Nations expert is on a private visit to Bangkok to discuss and monitor freedom of expression in the Kingdom, especially the controversial lese-majeste law. Frank La Rue, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, issued a statement last year expressing concern [ Read more ]

January 10, 2012 — UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Frank La Rue, said he will continue to pressure the Thai government to amend the lèse majesté law, as well as provide technical support for the authorities where necessary. During his visit to the Prachatai office in Bangkok on Tuesday (January 10), [ Read more ]

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Frank La Rue, who in October recommended the government amend its law on lese majeste, visited Thailand in a private capacity this week. He told ACHARA ASHAYAGACHAT why it is important that people can speak freely.

15 November 2011 We write to you to raise our concerns about the situation of human rights defender and magazine editor Mr Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, who will stand trial on charges of lèse majesté from 21 November 2011 until 4 May 2012. Somyot Prueksakasemsuk is a longtime labour rights activist and is affiliated with the Democratic [ Read more ]

17th Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council Item 3: Promotion and Protection of All Human Rights, Civil, Political, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Including the Right to Development – General Debate Oral Statement Delivered by Ms. Pooja Patel, FORUM-ASIA Monday, 6 June 2011 Thank you, Mr. President. FORUM-ASIA expresses its deep regret at [ Read more ]

Thailand and Cambodian civil society in ASEAN People’s Forum in Jakarta on Wednesday night (4 May) agreed to request ASEAN as a neutral party, to mediate border conflict resolution between the two countries. “We believe this border conflict is not what the people of Thailand and Cambodia want, but due to political problems (Prime Minister [ Read more ]

(16 June 2010) The Asian NGOs Network on National Human Rights Institutions (ANNI) expresses grave concern over numerous reports of human rights violations in Thailand during the series of violent protests that prompted the Thai government to place Bangkok and other provinces under emergency decree on 7 April 2010. The ANNI calls upon the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand (NHRCT), [ Read more ]

Although the Thai government has warrants to arrest people suspected to be involved in creating the emergency situation that ended last month, there has been no report about its update, nor identities of the arrested. Human Rights Lawyers Group in Thailand issued the letter below on 4 June 2010 calling on the Commander of the [ Read more ]

Gathered in South Korea for the Gwangju Asia Forum, 566 individuals have endorsed the statement below condemning “the brute force used by the Thai security force against civilian protesters.” The participants commemorated the courage of people who stood up against the military dictatorship in South Korea thirty years ago. (21 May 2010, Gwangju) We, the [ Read more ]

Here is the Bangkok Action Points, the outcome documents of Asia Pacific Governments at the 15th Workshop on Regional Cooperation on Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Asia Pacific Region, which were adopted by member states on 23 April 2010. Below is the Bangkok Action Points, the outcome documents of Asia Pacific Governments at the 15th Workshop [ Read more ]