April 30, 2024
BANGKOK – Amnesty International is urging the Pheu Thai-led administration to drop all criminal charges against child protestors, as a recent report shows Thailand’s human rights situation remains dismal despite a change of government.
Conducted by Amnesty International, the report titled “The State of the World’s Human Rights: April 2024” showed that the rights of Thai children have been continuously suppressed, especially individuals participating in a youth-led movement during recent years.
The study, which looks into human rights concerns during 2023 in 155 countries, said Thai authorities used criminalisation, surveillance and intimidation as means to subdue the young protestors.
“Amnesty urges the Thai government to drop all criminal proceedings against child protesters charged with participating in peaceful assemblies or for the exercise of their rights to freedom of expression,” said Piyanuch Kotsan, director of Amnesty International Thailand, during the launch of the report on Wednesday (April 24).
Thai youngsters took a leading role during protests in 2020, which were held in opposition to General Prayut Chan-o-cha’s government following the disbanding of Move Forward’s predecessor, Future Forward.
According to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), since 2020, out of 1,938 people charged over their participation in protests, 286 are children.
Many of those prosecuted were charged under an emergency decree banning public gatherings, sedition, and lese-majeste, known as Article 112 of the Penal code, TLHR’s data showed.
Amongst them was 15-year-old girl Thanalop “Yok” Phalanchai who was jailed for 51 days owing to her participation in a protest in 2022 calling for the repeal of Article 112.
Other youth leading political activists behind bars are Noppasin “Sainam” Treelayapewat and Tantawan “Tawan” Tuatulanon.
The former was sentenced to one-year-imprisonment in July 2023, as he was accused of satirising monarchy when he took part in a mock fashion show in 2020.
Piyanuch said the situation of human rights in Thailand remains worrying even though the military rule has ended.
“Why do these incidents still happen during the period of what I call ‘civil government’? No matter how the government changes, people still looked threatened,” she said.
Amnesty also called on the government to ensure a consistent approach to protecting children’s rights when it comes to engaging in a peaceful public assembly.
The NGO also demands effective remedies for any child protesters victimised by the allegedly unlawful crackdown on protesters.
These petitions were also handed to a representative from the Justice Minister.
In September last year, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin told the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in the US that his government is working to advance equality and justice in the country, regarding human rights, human dignity and freedoms of speech.
“We plan to strengthen the rule of law and increase transparency within the government. We will ensure that the law is fair, strictly enforced and applied to everyone equally,” the premier said.
His administration is also currently bidding for the third time for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).