[Media Lines] Thailand: Release arrested protestors; respect the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly
2 August 2021 6:01 pm

In response to police violence against peaceful protesters  on 1 August, FORUM-ASIA Executive Director Shamini Darshni Kaliemuthu said

As signatory to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Thailand has an obligation to ensure the freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, including by abstaining from violent means of dispersal and proactively facilitating assemblies.

Reports of police using tear gas and rubber bullets against peaceful protestors yesterday calling for the resignation of the Thailand Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, followed by the arrest of protest leader Pai Dao Din and 22 others, indicates that Thailand has fallen short of its international human rights obligations.

FORUM-ASIA urges the government to release all arrested protestors, end the intimidation and harassment of the pro-democracy movement, and take genuine steps towards addressing the legitimate concerns raised by its people.

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