Critics contrast King's success, with govt failure
While the United Nations honoured His Majesty the King on Friday for his achievements in human development (see separate story: Kofi Annan honours 'Development King'), Thai human rights activists drew attention to the current government's contrasting failures.
"It is unfortunate that despite the extraordinary contribution to human development of His Majesty the King, the government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has by contrast failed to commit to the promotion and protection of human rights," said a petition signed by some 121 Thai human rights groups and well-known activists, academics and businessmen.
The petition was presented to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan who was in Thailand Friday to give an award to His Majesty for lifetime achievement in human development.
The three-page document listed a host of human rights violations committed by Thaksin's government, including ongoing violence in the majority-Muslim deep South in which more than 1,200 people have died, the government's "war on drugs" campaign in which 2,598 were killed and the unsolved murders of some 20 human rights activists.
Specifically, it drew attention to the case of the disappearance and presumed murder of Muslim human rights lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit.
Although five Thai policemen were arrested for Somchai's disappearance and murder, only one of them was found guilty of the lesser charge of kidnapping.
"At least 19 other human rights defenders have been murdered since Prime Minister Thaksin came to power in 2001," said the petition.
It added, "Thailand's once thriving human rights community now operates in an increasingly tense climate of fear and impumnity."
A UN official received the petition for Annan, shortly after the UN chief met with Mr Thaksin in Bangkok Friday, and before the UN chief flew to Hua Hin for an audience with the king.
Annan's trip to Thailand is the last leg in a two-week visit to Asia that has taken him to South Korea, Japan, China and Vietnam. He is scheduled to depart Bangkok on Saturday.
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posted by Chazzsongs at
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