Thailand's failed bid for UN rights seat a 'wake-up call'

Country must show real commitment to human rights and abandon military rule, analysts say.

(Photo: rappler.com)

Bangkok:  Thailand's failure to gain a seat on the UN Human Rights Council should send a clear signal to its military government that it does not meet international standards on human rights, analysts said on Friday.

Thailand failed to secure one of four seats available to Asian nations on the council in voting that took place at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday.

"The loss in the [Human Rights Council] election is a major embarrassment and should serve as a wake-up call to Thailand's leaders that spin and public relations are not going to enable them to gloss over their severely worsening human rights record," said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division.

Thailand was defeated in voting for 15 new members to the 47-seat council. India, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Qatar were elected to the four seats available to Asian countries. New members will serve three-year terms beginning January 1.

"This vote was a negative judgment by Thailand's peers at the UN General Assembly, saying to Bangkok that we think you're not the right government to be sitting at the council and talking about human rights at this time," Robertson told ucanews.com.

Some analysts said the vote was sending a message to Thailand's military government that it needed to return the country to civilian rule. Several countries that won seats to the council have been admonished in previous years over their human rights records.

"Bangladesh at least has a deconsolidated democracy, while Qatar has possessed municipal elections since 1999. A choice of Thailand would have signaled that the UN directly backs countries moving away from democracy," said Paul Chambers, director of research for the Institute of Southeast Asian Affairs in Chiang Mai.

"What the UN did should be seen as a direct message to Thailand's military dictators that most of the international community does not support the country's move to tyranny and will not legitimize the current dictatorship there," Chambers told ucanews.com.

Thailand's military government seized control of the country in a May 22 coup, deposing a democratically elected government. Shortly after, the junta dissolved Parliament, announced martial law, suspended basic rights to freedom of speech and assembly and began rounding up and detaining journalists, academics and other critics of military rule.

Robertson said if Thailand wants to claim it has a stronger human rights record than other new members of the council, "then it's leaders should start taking some serious steps to actually improve human rights — like lifting martial law, dissolving the NCPO, ending trials of civilians in military courts, and respecting basic civil and political rights".

Prior to the vote, HRW wrote junta leader Prayut Chan-ocha insisting that he lift martial law and dispand the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO).

"So long as martial law is in effect, the rights of the Thai people are being undermined. The NCPO should immediately lift martial law across the entire country and take concrete steps to restore and enforce the provisions of law that protect human rights," the letter read.

Representatives from the government could not be reached for comment.

Source: ucanews.com