Amnesty International (Autor): „The State of the World's Human Rights; Thailand 2024“, Dokument #2124685

Parliament passed a law to legalize marriage equality for LGBTI couples. Authorities continued the crackdown on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association. Peaceful protesters and government critics were prosecuted and a leading pro-democracy political party banned. Women and LGBTI human rights defenders were targeted for surveillance and technology-facilitated gender-based violence. Impunity was further entrenched by the expiry of the statute of limitations in the emblematic case of unlawful killings in 2004 in Tak Bai district. The rights of Indigenous Peoples were threatened by a proposed law on climate change.

Background

In August, the Constitutional Court ordered the dismissal of Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin and his cabinet for “a serious violation of or failure to comply with ethical standards”. The order followed the appointment to the cabinet by the Prime Minister of an individual who was previously imprisoned in relation to allegations of bribery.

LGBTI people’s rights

On 18 June, lawmakers passed the Marriage Equality Act making Thailand the first country in South-East Asia to legalize marriage for LGBTI couples.¹

Freedom of expression, association and assembly

Authorities continued the crackdown on peaceful protesters and government critics. Trials of people charged in relation to the overwhelmingly peaceful pro-democracy protests that took place between 2020 and 2023 continued. At least 22 people faced new charges during the year for their online and offline political activism. The trials of 1,256 people were ongoing at year’s end. Most were charged with lese-majesty (defaming, insulting or threatening the monarch), sedition under the Criminal Code, provisions of the Computer Crimes Act, and an emergency decree banning public gatherings during the Covid-19 pandemic (which was lifted in late 2022).

At least 33 people remained in detention at year’s end, including one person in juvenile detention. They had been found guilty of or awaiting trial on protest-related charges or for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

According to local NGO Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), at least 1,960 people had been charged since 2020 in relation to their participation in protests, or for otherwise criticizing the government.

In January, an appeals court sentenced political activist Mongkol Thirakhot to 22 years in prison for lese-majesty, adding to the 28 years’ imprisonment handed down to him by a lower court in 2023 for the same crime. In March, three UN experts wrote to the government to raise concern that the lengthy prison sentence, the longest ever imposed for lese-majesty, appeared to be in retaliation for Mongkol Thirakhot’s political activism and his criticism of the monarchy. Nevertheless, in September the Court of Appeal sentenced him to an additional four years and six months’ imprisonment, also for lese-majesty.

On 14 May, pro-democracy activist Netiporn “Bung” Sanesangkhom died in a prison hospital following a 110-day hunger strike in protest against her arbitrary detention and that of others. The 28-year-old was charged with lese-majesty and sedition in 2022 for conducting an opinion poll about road traffic controls imposed during royal motorcades. Netiporn Sanesangkhom’s trial was ongoing at time of her death.²

Prominent human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa was found guilty by the Bangkok Criminal Court of lese-majesty in five separate trials during the year. He was sentenced to 14 years and eight months’ imprisonment, adding to the four years and two months which he was already serving for previous convictions of lese-majesty. Arnon Nampa faced another 37 lese-majesty and other charges relating to his political activity.

On 7 August, the Constitutional Court ordered the dissolution of the pro-democracy Move Forward Party and banned 11 of its executives from running for political office. The Court found that the party’s campaign to reform the lese-majesty law posed a threat to Thailand’s constitutional monarchy.

Human rights defenders

Human rights defenders faced intimidation and unlawful surveillance. Amnesty International research revealed patterns of technology-facilitated gender-based violence against women and LGBTI human rights defenders, including targeted digital surveillance and online harassment, by state officials and non-state actors.³

In June, five UN experts wrote to the government expressing concern about surveillance by Internal Security Operations Command agents of human rights defenders Angkhana Neelapaijit and Pranom Somwong. The concern related to an event in March to commemorate victims of enforced disappearance.

In November, the Bangkok Civil Court dismissed a case brought by pro-democracy activist Jatupat Boonpattararaksa against NSO Group Technologies for its failure to prevent its Pegasus spyware being used to hack his mobile phone.⁴ The court found insufficient evidence to prove that Jatupat Boonpattararaksa’s mobile phone was infected with the spyware, contrary to the findings of forensic investigations by the research institute Citizen Lab and Amnesty International.⁵

Unlawful killings

On 25 June, Roning Dolah was shot and killed by two unidentified men in Yarang district, in the southern province of Pattani. Roning Dolah worked for an NGO supporting victims of torture.⁶ There was no progress in investigations into his killing by the end of the year.

Impunity

Authorities failed to present suspects for trial in the “Tak Bai” case before the statute of limitations expired on 25 October. Eighty-five people died during and after protests in Tak Bai district, Narathiwat province in 2004. Arrest warrants had been issued earlier in October 2024 against 15 officials, including military, police and administrative officers. The failure to bring the case to trial risked further entrenching impunity.⁷

Torture and other ill-treatment

In November, the UN Committee against Torture launched its concluding observations on Thailand’s second periodic report. It expressed concerns about the inconsistency of provisions under the 2022 Prevention and Suppression of Torture and Enforced Disappearance Act with international standards. The Committee also raised concerns about excessive use of force against peaceful protesters, as well as physical and digital violence against human rights defenders.

In February, eight UN experts wrote to the government to raise concerns that detention conditions of 43 ethnic Uyghur asylum seekers in Suan Phlu Immigration Detention Centre may amount to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or possibly torture. The 43 were among a group of Uyghurs from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region who had been detained since they arrived in Thailand in 2014. At least five of the detainees, including two children, were reported to have died since then.

Refugees’ and migrants’ rights

There were concerns about the role of Thai authorities in identifying and forcibly repatriating Montagnard refugees to Viet Nam where they were at risk of torture or other ill-treatment. On 11 June, Thai police arrested Y Quynh Bdap, a Montagnard human rights defender, from his home in the capital, Bangkok, following a request for his extradition by the Vietnamese authorities. In January, Y Quynh Bdap, a UNHCR-recognized refugee, was found guilty of terrorism in his absence by a court in Viet Nam.⁸ He remained in detention in Thailand at year’s end.

Indigenous Peoples’ rights

In February, the government began public consultations on the Climate Change Bill which set out legally binding measures to achieve Thailand’s climate goals under the Paris Agreement. Civil society groups opposed the bill, including because it would enable polluting businesses to buy carbon credits in reforestation or conservation projects. There were fears this could lead to forced evictions of Indigenous and other communities living in areas designated for such projects. The law had not been adopted by year’s end.