Junta slammed for banning talks on violation of rights

The group’s panel discussion and report presentation on human rights violations under the military junta, scheduled to be held at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand in Bangkok yesterday evening, was cancelled after the National Council for Peace and Order issued a written order forbidding the FCCT from providing a venue for the group.

“We realise that one year on [since the coup] the NCPO still violate rights continuously and, in fact, it is getting worse,” Yaowalak told The Nation.

Yaowalak and her colleagues still planned to visit the FCCT last night to casually converse with people.

“We’ll chat and drink but there will be no [political] activity,” said Yaowalak, adding that she didn’t expect that there would be any arrests.

Earlier yesterday, police arrived at the FCCT to demand the club deny the lawyers entry. 

In response, the FCCT demanded a written order banning the event.

“We are not happy of course. We are, of course, very sorry that the event has been cancelled,” said Jonathan Head, FCCT president and the BBC’s correspondent for Southeast Asia, adding that the FCCT prided itself for being a forum for free debate.

Head said he was aware that the group would still be paying a visit.

“The club is open as usual to all members and non-members but we’re not having a public event … I understand that a lot of people who would have come tonight [for the panel discussion] will [still] come.”

The group held an impromptu press conference outside the FCCT shortly after 6pm. 

Yaowalak said Article 44 of the interim charter had “completely destroyed the rule of law”.

She added that students arrested after protesting against one year of military rule were facing charges.

The lawyer said violating the group’s right to hold a panel discussion on rights violations by the NCPO was “a bad joke”.