Thailand 'must prove it merits Human Rights Council seat'
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Thailand 'must prove it merits Human Rights Council seat'

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After being elected a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), Thailand needs to raise its performance on promotion and protection of human rights to meet international standards, says a Thai human rights defender.

Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch (HRW), spoke with the Bangkok Post on Friday at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand, ahead of the launch of HRW's country-by-country annual report.

He said Thailand's human rights practices do not meet the standards required to merit a seat during the 2025–2027 term.

Member countries of the council should already have a solid record of human rights protection and mechanisms to protect those at risk in the civil, political and cultural realms, he said. More importantly, their practices in respecting human rights should be consistent.

Thailand should have spent time while campaigning for the last 10 years for a seat on the UNHRC, which it was finally awarded in October, improving its human rights standards, he said. Thailand's term commenced on Jan 1.

He cited last year's ruling to dissolve the Move Forward Party (MFP) and the lifetime ban for 44 of its MPs for attempting to reform the monarchy.

He also highlighted the death of Netiporn Sanesangkhom, a political activist who died in prison on hunger strike while demanding the right to bail for political detainees.

Mr Sunai said the number of people convicted of sedition and lèse-majesté has been increasing and their bail was often denied.

Civil society has proposed including lèse-majesté charges in the Amnesty Bill. However, no one in the parliament would dare to back such a move, which would leave many political convicts still behind bars.

He added Thailand also has an obligation to abide by the principle of non-refoulement under international human rights law. However, authorities regularly send political asylum seekers to face punishment back to their home countries, he said, citing recent cases of UNHCR-recognised Cambodian political refugees.

"It's an irony for a government seeking international recognition in human rights work as a UNHRC member to act like this," Mr Sunai said.

"The government has failed to promote and protect human rights domestically and internationally."

Mr Sunai said Thailand had worked hard in negotiating and lobbying [for the UNHRC seat] and is now gloating over its victory, but without any real achievements that demonstrate an improving record in the country.

Asked how Thailand could improve its human rights standards to deserve its position in UNHRC, he said Thailand should be scrutinised intensively under the UN mechanisms such as the Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Being reviewed by other member states would help Thailand recognise where it needs to improve, he said.

Sunai: Record not up to scratch

Sunai: Record not up to scratch

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