ITEM 11: Civil and Political Rights, including the Questions of Diapperances and Summary Executions

In the document (E/CN.4/2003/3) under the paragraph 81, the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions points out that her mandate includes taking appropriate action concerning individuals and groups facing death threats, and concludes under concluding remarks that death threats against human rights defenders have been reported in a number of countries(para 86) particularly those who expose human rights violations.

Pax Romana is seriously concerned about Dr. Pradit Chareonthaitawee, a National Human Rights Commissioner in Thailand, who along with other Commissioners, publicly expressed their concerns about the killings of over 1,000 drug suspects in the Royal Thai Government’s campaign against drug trafficking which began on 1 February 2003. ^[1]He received death threats from anonymous callers on March 5 and 6. He has been under pressure that he may be impeached by the parliament. He is currently in Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

According to recent information, the total death toll may be as high as 2052. In its war on drugs, the Royal Thai Government has exerted strong pressure on the police and provincial authorities to produce quick results. In response, police appear to have used lethal force in arresting the drug suspects. So far, police have admitted to 46 killings.

The high number of extra-judicial killings demonstrates that the Royal Thai Government has failed to take effective measures to ensure the right to life. The Royal Thai Government, being a State party to ICCPR, must conform to its international treaty obligation by protecting the right to life, the right to a fair trail and the presumption of innocence, which are non-derogable. The two Sub-Committees set up by the Thai government to investigate all drug-related killings has failed to play its role.

Failure to investigate signals a deterioration of the rule of law and creation of a culture of impunity.

In this connection, Pax Romana, noting that the Royal Thai Government has been cooperating actively with all thematic mechanisms under the civil and political rights, appeals to the Royal Thai Government to facilitate the visit of the Special Rapporteur on Summary Executions at the earliest possible date.

It would also be equally helpful to issue a standing invitationto all the thematic mechanisms.[2]

[1]Dr Pradit faced a similar threat in 1992.

[2]Till date, nearly 35 member-States have issued open (standing) invitation to all thematic mechanisms established by the UN Commission on Human Rights.