Thai junta blocks human rights panel
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BANGKOK (dpa) - Thailand's military government blocked a panel on human rights in Bangkok on Thursday.
Police ordered the cancellation of the panel discussion being organised by the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights group. The event was also meant to publicise a human rights report compiled by the group which has given legal assistance to those affected by last year's military coup.
Police handed an official letter to the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand (FCCT), where the event was to be held, asking for "cooperation" in cancelling the event which was deemed "risky and politically sensitive."
A statement from the FCCT said it "regrets to announce" that the event was "cancelled on the orders of the (junta) and police.
"We will still release the report," said Poonsuk Poonsukcharoen, one of the lawyers for the body. "We will still go to the FCCT at the given time so that we can make a statement, we are not afraid because we are not doing anything wrong."
