AI points to human rights issues in Thailand

BANGKOK, May 24 (TNA) - UK-based Amnesty International (AI) has indicated five areas of human rights violation in Thailand and urges the Thai government to replace death penalty with life imprisonment and change the Thai lese majeste law to comply with international laws and standards. AI Thailand Director Parinya Boonritruethaikul said Thusday that Thailand's section of the 2012 AI report on worldwide human rights situations has indicated, firstly violent incidents in the Thai far South have not improved with civilians having been killed, most of them are Muslims. Secondly, security authorities who violate human rights on duty have been protected, including those involving in the country's political turmoils in April and May 2010. Thirdly, the freedom of expression in Thailand has been suppressed mostly with Section 112 of the Criminal Code or the lese majeste law. Parinya said that AI might call for the unconditional release of people detained under the lese majeste law. AI has proposed that Thailand change the lese majeste law to be in line with international laws and standards by lifting permission for a party to file a lese majeste lawsuit against another party and stopping citing the lese majeste law to censor websites. Fourthly, the number of refugees in Thailand has risen to nearly 150,000 and they live in hardships, as nearly half refugee camps in the country have not been registered and the Thai government has not provided them with food and other humanitarian supplies. Fifthly, Thai courts laid down death penalty to 40 convicts last year, a slight drop and there was not any execution in 2011. However, people on death row have always been chained. AI has asked the Thai government to replace death penalty with life imprisonment right away. (TNA)