THAILAND was elected by the UN General Assembly as one of 18 new members of the UN Human Rights Council on Wednesday even though questions have arisen over human rights issues in the country with many violations committed by state officials, Thai Rath newspaper said yesterday (Oct. 10).
Thailand received 177 votes by secret ballot to serve on the 47-member Human Rights Council for a three-year term beginning Jan. 1. 2025.
Aside from Thailand the other countries elected to this council are Benin, Bolivia, Colombia, Cyprus, Czechia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Iceland, Kenya, Marshall Islands, Mexico, North Macedonia, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Spain and Switzerland.
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra who is attending the an Asean summit in Laos when news arrived posted a message on social media platform X as follows:
“I would like to thank the Asean leaders and many dialogue partners who came to congratulate me on Thailand being elected as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council for the term 2025-2027, with the highest number of votes in the Asia-Pacific region during the Asean Summit today.
“I have confirmed that the Thai government will prioritise the promotion and protection of human rights in the country and will work with other countries to promote international human rights.”
Thailand was previously elected a member of the UN Human Rights Council on May 13, 2010 the very day Maj. Gen. Khattiya Sawasdiphol, or Seh Daeng, was shot in the head during the dispersal of Red Shirt protesters at Ratchaprasong Intersection.
This military crackdown on the culmination of months of protests that called for the Democrat Party-led government of Abhisit Vejjajiva to dissolve parliament and hold elections led to more than 85 people being killed among them two foreigners and two paramedics. More than 2,000 were injured, an undisclosed number of arrests occurred, with several people missing.
This failure in terms of human rights led to Thailand not being elected to the UN Human Rights Council in the following terms.
However former prime minister Srettha Thavisin again applied for membership to this council on Sep. 21, 2023 amid a wave of questions about the country’s suitability especially since several activists have gone on hunger strike to demand bail and reform of the justice system.
Tragically a young woman activist, Netiporn Sanesangkhom, or Bung. who had been charged with violating the draconian lese majeste law, also known as Section 112 of the Criminal Code, died during her hunger strike on May 14 this year.
In addition, many people have been threatened, silenced, and human rights lawyer Anon Nampha too has been imprisoned without bail under Section 112.
“Thailand should not be on the Human Rights Council,” was one of the demands of Ms. Tantawan Tuatulanond, or Tawan, an activist who went on hunger strike early this year.
According to the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights, as of Sep. 6 this year, at least 273 people have been prosecuted under Section 112 in 306 cases. At least 42 people are still detained in political and Section 112 cases, 28 of whom are under Section 112.
Pertinently, under Freedom House’s 2023 Freedom of the World rankings Thailand received total score of 36/100 with the score for political rights being 12/40 and civil liberties 24/60.
Even so the other 17 countries elected to the UN Human Rights Council received varied scores with some having almost 100% freedom and almost no freedom in others as follows:
– Benin, 61/100, political rights 19/40, civil liberties 42/60;
– Bolivia, 66/100, political rights 27/40, civil liberties 39/60;
– Colombia, 70/100, political rights 31/40, civil liberties 39/60;
– Cyprus, 92/100 political rights 38/40, civil liberties 54/60;
– Czechia, 94/100, political rights 36/40, civil liberties 58/60;
– Democratic Republic of the Congo, 19/100, political rights 4/40, civil liberties 15/60;
– Ethiopia, 20/100, political rights 10/40 , civil liberties 10/60;
– Gambia, 50/100, political rights 22/40 , civil liberties 28/60;
– Iceland 94/100, political rights 37/40, civil liberties 57/60;
– Kenya, 52/100, political rights 22/40, civil liberties 30/60;
– Marshall Islands 93/100, political rights 38/40, civil liberties 55/60;
– Mexico 60/100, political rights 27/40, civil liberties 33/60;
– North Macedonia 67/100, political rights 28/40, civil liberties 39/60;
– Qatar, 25/100, political rights 7/40, civil liberties 18/60;
– Republic of Korea 83/100, political rights 33/40, civil liberties 50/60;
– Spain 90/100,political rights 37/40, civil liberties 53/60;
– Switzerland 96/100, political rights 39/40 , civil liberties 57/60.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Philemon Yang (at podium and on screens), president of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly, addresses the opening of the Summit of the Future on Sep. 22, 2024.
Front Page: A wide view of the General Assembly Hall during the opening of the Summit of the Future on Sep. 22, 2024.
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