Reports of complaint by European Buddhist group denied
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The Royal Thai Embassy in Bern, Switzerland, and the Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations in Geneva have confirmed that the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) did not receive any complaint from a European-based Buddhists’ group, according to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Thai Foreign Ministry’s Department of Information.
The clarification followed news reports that the group had submitted a complaint to OHCHR head Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein during the 34th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, in a bid to pressure the Thai government to cancel the order against Pathum Thani-based Dhammakaya Temple, which was issued by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha under special powers given by Article 44 of the junta-imposed interim charter.
The statement also said the Thai Embassy in Bern and the Permanent Mission of Thailand would follow the situation closely and would explain to relevant parties that the case stemmed from a violation of Thai law and that law-enforcement officers were attempting to bring an alleged wrongdoer into the justice procedure.
