Rights groups criticise Thailand over alleged torture victim
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In a rare move, three major human rights groups yesterday jointly criticised Thailand for denying redress to an alleged victim of torture from the deep South.
Human Rights Watch (HRW), Amnesty International (AI) and the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) issued a joint statement Monday calling for the Prayut Chan-o-cha government to comply with its international human rights obligation to provide remedies and reparation to victims of torture or other ill-treatment.
On October 7, Pattani Provincial Court ruled that Hasan Useng, an alleged victim of torture and other ill-treatment by the state was not entitled to judicial remedies and reparation under Article 32 of the Kingdom’s 2007 Constitution because the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) terminated the charter after the May 22 coup.
The petition was filed by Hasan Useng’s sister on May 2, before the coup took place, however. The allegation involved Hasan Useng being taken to the Inkhayuthaborihan Military Camp in Pattani in April where “military personnel allegedly kicked him and ordered him to do several hundred push-ups and jumping jacks on the hot concrete with his bare feet”.
The Nation
