#Thailand: EU ambassadors urge Thailand to uphold democracy

A delegation of European Union ambassadors in Bangkok has urged Thailand to uphold democratic values and branded the military regime's “attitude-adjustment” courses against critics as “alarming”.

Luisa Ragher, chargé d'affaires of the delegation of the EU to Thailand, led an 18-strong delegation of EU ambassadors and chargés d'affaires to Thailand in a meeting with Thai deputy permanent secretary for foreign affairs, Panyarak Poolhup.

In a statement afterwards,  the delegation was especially scathing of the use of attitude adjustment saying this “goes against” democratic values.

The recent announcement that this tool will continue to be used, and even for longer periods, against those expressing a dissenting view was “an alarming development.”

Attitude adjustment is a relatively new Thai policy which has ensnared numerous politicians, journalists and citizens who have been required to attend "attitude adjustment" sessions.

The sessions are essentially detention without court order or access to relatives and an obligation to sign a commitment to never “offend” again upon threats of large financial penalties.

The EU ambassadors also expressed concern over a recent order which grants soldiers from the rank of sub-lieutenant upwards broad powers to conduct inquiries, and proceed with arrests and detentions without a court warrant for offences which are “broad and ill defined.”

The statement read: “Granting powers of the police and the judiciary to military personnel increases the risk of arbitrary detentions, breaches the rule of law and deprives citizens of essential legal protection and due judicial process.”

The delegation included Finland's ambassador in Bangkok, Kirsti Westphalen, who cited the upcoming referendum on Thailand's new constitution, saying that she and her delegation colleagues had voiced concern “over the fact that the expression of dissenting opinions is now prohibited.”

The junta recently unveiled a new constitution for the country which will be voted upon in a referendum on 7 August with elections scheduled in 2017. The draft constitution has already been dismissed by rights groups as undemocratic.

The ambassadors called upon the Thai junta that has run the country since a military coup nearly two years ago to “uphold principles of freedom of expression and opinion and allow all voices to be heard.”

“This,” read the statement, “is of utmost importance for the referendum in order to be considered the result of a free and fair expression of the will of all people of Thailand and to be accepted by them as such."

The EU's concerns also included restrictions on freedom of movement, with citizens banned from leaving the country.

On this they raised the case of senior Thai journalist, Pravit Rojanaphruk, who was invited by the Finnish government to attend the World Media Freedom Day on 3 May but was then barred by the Thai junta.

Westphalen said that Finland “very much regrets” the decision to prevent Rojanaphuk from going to Finland for the  event  in Helsinki, arranged in connection with UNESCO.

The ambassadors said that it was the role of the foreign ministry is to ensure that Thailand, as a UN member and key international partner, abides by its international obligations.”

They also urged the EU and its member states to “encourage Thailand to respect core democratic principles and values” during its “period of transition”.

Ambassadors from the following EU countries are thought to have been present at the meeting: Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, the Netherlands, current holder of the EU presidency, Finland, France, Germany, the UK, Italy, Spain, Greece, Hungary, Austria, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Poland, Estonia and Belgium.

The meeting, on 7 April, came ahead of Thai New Year celebrations during which people could possibly assemble and discuss the upcoming referendum.

EU-Thai relations will again be under the spotlight next week with themuch-awaited announcement by the European Commission on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Thailand.

The EU will announce whether to hand Thailand’s lucrative fishing industry a “red card”, a potential body blow to the diminishing economic fortunes of Thailand under military dictatorship.

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