Invitation to Panel Discussion
“One Month after the Coup d’etat: The State of Human Rights in Thailand”
23 June 2014 at 7 p.m.
Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand
On 22 May 2014, Thailand’s Army Chief, General Prayuth Chan-ocha, announced a military coup d’etat and the establishment of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) as the new administrative body in charge of the country.
The NCPO said the military needed to take control in order to reform the political, economic and social structure of the country.
Martial Law has been in place nationwide since 20 May.
Under Martial Law, the military has power to detain people for up to seven days without warrant, charge, or trial, and is not liable to provide compensation for any damage that may result from the exercise of power of the military authorities.
Many people have been called in and arrested without official summons, particularly in provincial areas. In recent weeks, several political activists, politicians and peaceful protesters have been brought before military courts for violating NCPO orders.
But some people, tired of the political impasses that have plagued Thailand, welcomed the military’s intervention.
One month after the Coup d’etat, human rights organizations and civil society groups would like to share and express their thoughts and concerns about the human rights situation in Thailand, post-coup.
The panelists are:
--Dr. Nirun Pitakwatchara (Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand)
--Sam Zarifi (Asia-Pacific Regional Director, International Commission of Jurists)
--Yaowalak Anuphan, (Thai Lawyers for Human Rights)
