NGOs feel pressure of govt intimidation

Achara Ashayagachat

A ``climate of fear'' has gripped Thai human rights groups because of government-sponsored harassment and intimidation, a special United Nations envoy said yesterday.

UN special representative on human rights defenders Hina Jilani expressed concern over the situation in Thailand at the end of her nine-day visit.

Ms Jilani, who visited at the government's invitation, spent her time gathering information through talks with officials, non-government organisations, human rights activists, environmental groups, trade unionists and villagers.

``I have sensed a level of insecurity among human rights defenders which ranges from general unease to actual fear,'' she said at the end of her stay.

The disquiet was the result of public statements against NGOs from the highest level of government'', blatant state attempts to cut off NGO's foreign funding, and use of state security apparatus and the judicial process to harass human rights defenders through false or unjust prosecution'', she said.

``These concerns could seriously jeopardise Thailand's progress in democracy and the strengthening of human rights protection,'' she said.

Ms Jilani said although Thailand's 1997 constitution guarantees fundamental freedoms, enforcement of the guarantee had been affected by the absence of organic laws specifically protecting human rights.

The effectiveness of organisations such as the National Human Rights Commission, the Constitution Court and the Ombudsman Office had been limited by relevant state agencies' disregard of their recommendations.

Ms Jilani, a Pakistani lawyer, said the numerous complaints she heard during her visit were destroying Thailand's reputation for progress in democracy.

There was a level of openness and tolerance which seems to be diminishing,'' she said. The message is that the reputation is under threat. I think the damage is still limited.''

She commended the government for its cooperation with her mission but said a changing situation in Thailand would contribute to a re-evaluation of its reputation for openness and tolerance as a leading democracy in the region.

She refused to blame the Thaksin government but said the trend in human rights violations was recent.

Complaints included the undermining of NGO's credibility by government criticism, the use of registration procedures to curtail NGO effectiveness _ particularly foreign ones, the use of state security apparatus to intimidate and harass rights defenders, and unjust prosecutions.

She was also worried about the government's attempt to interfere with NGOs' access to foreign funding, the Senate's ad hoc committee investigation of their role, and the use of the anti-money laundering law to intimidate them and individual staff members.

Public statements by government leaders to link NGOs with mafia and dark influence was also another cause of concern, she said.

She recommended dropping prosecutions against 12 villagers and NGO workers over the Thai-Malaysian gas pipeline project protests in December.

She also urged the government to be more sympathetic to Burmese human rights defenders whose work had recently been affected by a changing relationship between Thailand and Burma, and by policies adopted towards Rangoon by a number of states in the region.

``I expect the government to give serious consideration to my recommendations since Thailand is a member of the Human Rights Commission and also a sponsor to my mandate,'' she said.

The government had reassured Ms Jilani there was no policy to curtail NGO roles, but she hoped the popularity of the government would be used to protect and promote human rights organisations rather than project a negative image of NGOs.

Foreign Minister Surakiart Sathirathai, who met Ms Jilani yesterday before her departure, hoped the impressions she conveyed to the media would not be her final conclusion on the country's human rights situation.

He believed her impression would change with the supply of more information from the government.

Thailand was the first country in the region to have invited Ms Jilani to examine the role and situation of human rights defenders.