Public ‘must fight for human rights victims’

“Human rights defenders also need defence,” said Poonsuk Poonsukcharoen, a lawyer at the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR).
“In being vocal about the crime, it enables rights defenders to work more safely in bringing the truth |to society,” Poonsuk said. “It is not just the responsibility of human rights lawyers or the victims, but everyone.”
She was referring to the issue of torture and forced disappearance among human rights activists that occur constantly in Thailand. 
Such a protection law is a topic of debate. Rights defenders call for legislation to protect rights workers while opponents argue that it could be substituted by normal criminal law.
Poonsuk said yesterday that the issue was more complicated than general crimes or violence, because the perpetrators of torture and forced disappearance were state officers. 
“[State officials] have resources as well as authority to detain |people. And in the process, it |sometimes leads to crimes against the people who only have bare hands,” the human rights lawyer said.
What made it so difficult to |get justice, she said, was the fact that the wrongdoers and the in-vestigators were often of the |same clique. Also, the offenders were military officers who could only be tried in a military court to which civilians could not bring a case.
To turn the situation around, Poonsuk urged victims and their families to be strong and have the courage to fight against such crimes. It would have more re-|percussion and the issue could become a national agenda as it has been with the Neelapaijit family’s case. 
Poonsuk said the victims, the civil society, and the people had to be vocal in addressing the issue to prevent future offences as well as to pressure responsible agencies not to protect the human rights offenders, and bring them to justice. 
The symposium was part of the annual Somchai Neelapaijit Award ceremony held at the Pridi Banomyong Institute by the Somchai Neelapaijit Memorial Fund in remembrance of the human rights lawyer Somchai Neelapaijit, who was the victim of a forced disappearance 13 years ago.
This year’s award was given to human rights lawyer Pawinee Chumsri, also from |the TLHR, in recognition of her outstand-|ing performance in |protecting the human rights.
Besides working at the TLHR to defend those prosecuted under the coup-installed regime, Pawinee has been working in the cases in southern border areas where |martial law was imposed. Her award came with a prize of Bt30,000.
Three other short-listed rights defenders were recognised for |their work in protecting human rights and awarded Bt 15,000 |– student activist Jatupat Boonpatararaksa, or Pai Dao Din; the Loei-based Raks Ban Kerd group, and a group of 14 Myanmar labourers.
Activist Jatupat is well-known for his fight against dictatorship. The two other were recognised for protecting community rights against a big mining corporation and fighting for migrant workers’ rights respectively.
As Jatupat is currently detained on a charge of lese majeste, his mother Prim Boonpatararaksa represented him at yesterday’s ceremony.