UN Human Rights Council – 49th session
Item 6: Adoption of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) outcome of Thailand
24 March 2022
Mister Vice-President,
FIDH is disappointed by the Thai government’s failure to accept key human rights recommendations during Thailand’s third UPR.
Particularly disappointing is the response to the recommendations on the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, with non-acceptance of all 12 recommendations concerning Article 112 of the Criminal Code (lèse-majesté), a recommendation on the amendment of criminal defamation provisions of the Criminal Code, and half of the recommendations on freedom of assembly. This means authorities will continue to have a free hand in criminalizing peaceful dissent and repressing legitimate free speech, including online.
While the government claims it is committed to making progress towards the abolition of the death penalty, all 13 recommendations that would contribute to that achievement - including those that called for the abolition of capital punishment, the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the establishment of a moratorium on executions, were not accepted.
We are also dismayed by the failure to accept recommendations that called for the recognition of same-sex marriages and for investigations into the disappearance of Thai political activists -including Wanchalearm Satsaksit- and by the poor justifications given for their non-acceptance.
On a positive note, we welcome the government’s commitment to revise the draft legislation on the operations of non-profit organizations, to protect human rights defenders, and to improve prison conditions.
FIDH once again calls on the government to implement all recommendations (including those it has not accepted) that are consistent with Thailand’s international human rights obligations.
Thank you.