NCPO slams UN report calling Thailand 'shameful'

Sirikan Charoensiri gives an interview to the media at the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights office in Bangkok in October 2016. (Photo by Tawatchai Kemgumnerd)

Thailand was placed on the list of 38 "shameful" countries in a report issued by the United Nations assistant secretary-general for human rights because of irrelevant information, National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) spokesman Col Winthai Suwaree said on Sunday.

Col Winthai was referring to the UN report which accused 38 countries of having carried out reprisals or intimidation against people who cooperated with rights investigators.

He said the report has been used by some people to discredit the government and create a negative image of the country. Some people had picked up certain angles of the report to complement their personal opinions with intent to discredit the government and the NCPO, he claimed.

Col Winthai said the report was based on three cases of alleged mistreatment of human rights activists. The first case involved an individual named Maitree Chamroensuksakul and the second concerned female lawyer Sirikan Charoensiri. The other case concerned a lawsuit against a human rights defender in the southern border provinces.

"The three cases had nothing to do with cooperation on human rights issues because the government has attached importance to providing protection for human rights activists. Measures have been taken to ensure their safety and enable them to exercise their rights and freedom while performing their duties," he said.

The NCPO spokesman said the three cases concerned violations of the law by individuals who were treated under normal legal procedures.

As an example, he cited the case filed against a human rights activist in the southern border provinces. The case was filed by an organisation and its officials whose image had been sullied by the activist, affecting their work efficiency, he said.

Col Winthai said that the information cited in the UN report was limited and might have been obtained from only certain groups of people.

Although some groups of people had quoted the report in a negative way, the majority of people in society can make their own judgements without believing those with a political agenda, the NCPO spokesman said.