Seven international human rights organisations have written an open letter to Thailand’s Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong, urging him to conduct a transparent investigation into the death of hunger striker Netiporn Sanesangkhom and to end “unlawful” detention of political offenders.
The organisations claim that imprisonment of or denial of bail for political activists and protesters, especially those under 18, amounts to an unlawful use of judicial proceedings and are violations of Thailand’s commitment to international standards of human rights.
Citing information from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR), at least 1,954 people, including 286 who are under 18, were charged for their involvement in peaceful protests, or for expressing their political views offline or online, between July 2020 and May 2024.
Moreover, at least 424 people under 18 have been charged with national security offences, 272 with lèse majesté and 202 others with violating the Computer Crime Act.
They also call for amendments to the lèse majesté and insurrection laws (§112 and §116 of the Criminal Code).
Signatories to the open letter include Amnesty Internal, the International Commission of Justice, Fortify Rights, Forum Asia and the Observatory for the Protection of Hunan Rights Defenders.
