The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, a joint programme of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Thailand.
Brief description of the situation:
According to the information received, on December 1, 2006, Mr. Thares’ house maid went to the police station to report his disappearance. Indeed, she reportedly left him on the evening of November 30, 2006 and the following day, he was missing although some lights were still on inside the house.
Police officers, while searching evidences at Mr. Thares’ home, found several traces of blood, three used handgun cartridges, two bullets and tire prints on the front lawn of Mr. Thares’ house.
On December 2, 2006, the police raided several locations in Ban Kha district and confiscated pistols, a blood-strained truck and clothes, to be examined by forensic services. When interrogated, Mr. Thares’ wife stated that a few days before these events, their three dogs had been poisoned.
Besides, two weeks before these events, Mr. Thares had submitted a video to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, showing illegal forest destruction by a local political leader, in Ratchaburi, which is under a royally-initiated project for forest protection. He was also to testify in court against several suspected persons in a forest encroachment case.
Mr. Thares has also conducted a campaign against illegal forest encroachment projects in Ban Kha sub-district over the last ten years, and has led villagers to protect their forest from local influential persons, seeking to illegally exploit it.
The Observatory expresses its deepest concern regarding this enforced disappearance, which occurs in the context of persistent violations of fundamental freedoms in Thailand.
Actions required:
Please write to the Thai authorities and ask them to:
i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Thares and of all human rights defenders in Thailand, including environmental activists;
ii. Take prompt action in order to locate Mr. Thares, make public his whereabouts, and ensure his immediate release;
iii. Conduct an immediate, independent and impartial investigation into Mr. Thares Sodsri’s enforced disappearance in order to identify those responsible, bring them to justice and sentence them according to law;
iv. Put an end to any kind of reprisals against human rights defenders in Thailand;
v. Conform with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, especially its article 1 according to which “everyone has the right, individually or in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels”, article 6(b), which states that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others (...) to publish, impart or disseminate to others views, information and knowledge on all human rights and fundamental freedoms”, and its article 8(2), which provides that “everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, to submit to governmental bodies and agencies and organisations concerned with public affairs criticism and proposals for improving their functioning and to draw attention to any aspect of their work that may hinder or impede the promotion, protection and realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms”;
vi. Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms in accordance with international human rights standards and international instruments ratified by Thailand.
Addresses:
– General Surayud Chulanont, Interim Prime Minister, c/o Government House, Pitsanulok Road, Dusit District, Bangkok 10300, Thailand; Tel: +662 280 1404/ 3000; Fax: +662 282 8631/ 280 1589/ 629 8213; E-mail: spokesman@thaigov.go.th
– Mr. Charnchai Likitjitta, Interim Minister of Justice, Office of the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Justice Building, 22nd Floor Software Park Building, Chaeng Wattana Road, Pakkred, Nonthaburi, Bangkok 11120, Thailand; Tel: +662 502 6776/ 8223 ; Fax: +662 502 6699/ 6734 / 6884 ; Email: ommoj@moj.go.th
– Mr. Pachara Yutidhammadamrong, Attorney General, Office of the Attorney General, Lukmuang Building, Nahuppei Road, Prabraromrachawang, Pranakorn, Bangkok 10200, Thailand; Tel: +662 224 1563/ 222 8121-30 ; Fax: +662 224 0162/ 1448/ 221 0858 ; E-mail: ag@ago.go.th
– Prof. Saneh Chamarik, Chairperson, National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, 422 Phya Thai Road, Pathum Wan District, Bangkok 10300, Thailand; Tel: +662 2219 2980 ; Fax: +66 2 219 2940 ; E-mail: commission@nhrc
– Ambassador Mr. Chaiyong Satjipanon, Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations in Geneva, rue Gustave Moynier 5, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland, Tel: + 41 22 715 10 10; Fax: + 41 22 715 10 00 / 10 02; Email: mission.thailand@ties.itu.int
– Embassy of Thailand in Brussels, 2 Sq. du Val de la Cambre, 1050 Ixelles, Belgium, Tel : + 32 2 640.68.10; Fax : + 32 2 .648.30.66. Email : thaibxl@pophost.eunet.be
Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Thailand in your respective countries.
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Geneva-Paris, December 11, 2006
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
The Observatory, a FIDH and OMCT venture, is dedicated to the protection of Human Rights Defenders and aims to offer them concrete support in their time of need.
The Observatory was the winner of the 1998 Human Rights Prize of the French Republic.
To contact the Observatory, call the emergency line:
Email : Appeals@fidh.omct.org
Tel et fax FIDH : + 33 1 43 55 20 11 / 33 1 43 55 18 80
Tel et fax OMCT : +41 22 809 49 39 / 41 22 809 49 29