The prestigious seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council that the Thai government recently secured comes with great responsibilities. It means the government must live up to the standards set by the council to prove that it deserves a seat on it.
It also means the government must be ready to answer questions about abuses committed by government officials and clear any doubts surrounding its human rights record.
The latest claim to hit the government is contained in a report titled "Death at the Thai-Myanmar Border: the Detention, Torture and Killing of Myanmar National Aung Ko Ko in Thailand", which was published by Fortifying Rights, an advocacy group, earlier this month.
The report, which is based on the group's investigation and interviews with dozens of witnesses, claims Thai soldiers beat the 37-year-old Myanmar citizen to death earlier in the year.
The incident took place on Jan 12 in Mae Sot district in Tak province, a known hub of border trade between Thailand and Myanmar that hosts one of the largest Myanmar communities in the country.
The group said the soldiers carried out the beating as they felt offended by Aung Ko Ko, who was wearing a Chor Ror Bor border security volunteer uniform at the time. They accused him of being an impostor despite the fact that Thai security forces are known to induct Myanmar citizens in Mae Sot and other border areas as volunteers.
The Thai police turned a blind eye when presented with evidence against the soldiers and instead arrested Sirachuch, a 24-year-old Myanmar citizen who was an eyewitness in the case, named him a suspect and charged him with manslaughter. Then, the Tak provincial court in September found Sirachuch guilty and sentenced him to three years in jail.
Of course, the police in Tak have a different story to tell.
Deputy superintendent of Mae Sot Police Station, Pol Lt Col Teerawat Moopayak, told the Post that the police have summoned and questioned all witnesses in the case, and none of them implicated the soldiers. He insisted that investigators had enough evidence, which included a clip of the purported assault by Sirachuch, to convince prosecutors to file charges against the 24-year-old.
While the report was published long after the case was closed by the court, it raises questions about the fairness and transparency of the investigation. The report places further doubts over the Thai justice system, which has faced accusations of miscarriage of justice and an unprofessional investigation.
Without trust, any accusations against law enforcement officials will sound credible, regardless of the nature of the claim.
The government and the army must initiate a fair probe to clear up any doubts stemming from the report. Spokesperson Maj Gen Thanathip Sawangsang has promised to look into the matter, but a public denial won't be enough.
As this accusation is about Thai soldiers torturing civilians -- a violation of the Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act -- the Thai government, especially the Ministry of Justice, must take the report seriously and conduct an immediate probe into the matter.
Remaining idle won't bode well for the start of Thailand's term on the council.