During its 100th session in late August 2024, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention issued its opinion (Opinion No. 28/2024) on the detention of human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa under Section 112 (lèse-majesté) of the Thai Criminal Code. The Working Group concludes that the deprivation of Mr. Nampa’s liberty is arbitrary as it violates […]
In October, at least one new Section 112 case was filed, although no additional detainees were held pending trial. Five prisoners who had been convicted were released, including two individuals convicted under Section 112. Last month, during the witness examination in Section 112 trials, there were instances where the defendants could not be contacted. The […]
On 23 October 2024, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights submitted an input to the United Nations (UN) Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls in preparation for the Working Group’s upcoming country visit to Thailand from 2 to 13 December 2024. The Working Group’s country visit will focus on issues related to discrimination against […]
On 9 October 2024, Thailand won a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) following the election for the 2025-2027 term. Alongside Thailand, successful bids for a seat on the Council by other countries in the Asia-Pacific region include Cyprus, the Republic of Korea, Qatar, and the Marshall Islands. Thailand will begin its […]
The current state of human rights in Thailand remains grim. Since Thailand’s 2006 coup, at least 5,027 individuals have been prosecuted for exercising their rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Almost a third of these prosecutions occurred between 18 July 2020 and 31 January 2024, during which at least 1,947 individuals were politically […]
(This article was first published in Thai on 20 September 2023. The statistics in this article have not been updated since then.) In a cabinet resolution in 1985, the Thai government announced the celebration of “National Youth Day” every year on 20 September. As Thailand enters 2024 with a new government led by the Pheu […]
In commemoration of National Children’s Day in Thailand on 13 January 2024, Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) is releasing a report on children’s rights, From Classroom to Courtroom — The Criminalization of Children’s Speeches and Peaceful Assemblies in Thailand. This report reveals that the criminalization of the rights to freedom of expression and assembly […]
On 5 March 2022, “Tawan” Tantawan Tuatulannon, a then-20-year-old pro-democracy activist, did a livestream on Facebook in front of the UN buildings in Bangkok where a royal motorcade was scheduled to take place. The authorities told her to stop and leave the area. She didn’t. So she was arrested and is now being prosecuted for […]
Columbia Law School On June 13, school administrators expelled 15-year-old Thanalop “Yok” Phalanchai from Triam Udom Suksa Phatthakan School. She is the youngest child known to have been charged with Thailand’s lese-majeste law to date. In a statement later released by the school, Yok’s expulsion was solely because she failed to enroll by the agreed […]
Tawan (Tantawan Tuatulanon) and Bam (Orrawan Phoopong) are two young women currently facing Article 112 charges for peacefully protesting in Thailand. Although they were granted bail, they remained concerned about other politically detainees being denied the right to bail. On 16 January 2023, they revoked their own bail and have been on a dry hunger […]
In 2022, the state of harassment against activists and individuals by government officials continued and intensified, ranging from intimidation tactics such as visits at residences, workplaces, and educational institutions, surveillance and photographing, to summons for talks at private and governmental premises without a warrant or any documents. In November and December 2022, 69 more individuals—4 […]
#ForgetMeNot Sombat “Num” Thongyoi, a former 53-year-old Red Shirt guard has been behind bars at the Bangkok Remand Prison since 28 April 2022, after the Court of the First Instance ordered a jail sentence of six years without suspension for the offenses under Section 112 of the Criminal Code (lèse majesté) and Section 14 (3) […]
