EU urged to 'take a clear position' against Thai military junta policy on 'attitude adjustment'

The European Union has been urged to take a clear position about Thailand's military regime and have the “perpetrators of inhuman and degrading treatments” prosecuted before the International Criminal Court.

The demand, from a respected Brussels-based rights group, comes with the Thai government coming under fresh pressure to scrap its "attitude adjustment" programme following criticism  of the "Orwellian" policy.

The country's military-run administration, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has continued to use “attitude adjustment” as its political weapon to force and suppress people who are expressing political opposition to them.

But the junta policy has come under increased scrutiny after Thai journalist Pravit Rojanaphruk was recently detained by Thailand's military rulers for "attitude adjustment" in what appears to be a fresh crackdown on dissent.

Rojanaphruk, a columnist for the English-language Nation newspaper, was detained because statements made by him violated junta policies on information.

Rights groups have long called for reform of Thailand's Lese Majeste law that impose harsh penalties for defaming the country's royal family and the military has increased prosecutions under this legislation.

Far less has been reported about the "attitude adjustment" policy but, since the May 2014 coup, numerous politicians, journalists and citizens have been required to attend "attitude adjustment" sessions.

These sessions are essentially brief periods of incarceration by the military and can last up to a week.

A briefing paper on the policy, seen by this website, is highly critical of the programme, stating that it "clearly contradicts" international human rights treaties which Thailand is a party to.

The document goes on: "Since the coup, the junta has summoned hundreds of activists, journalists and academics to participate in its attitude adjustment mechanism in order to neutralize its critics and opponents."

Anyone who fails to attend a session can be fined €1,000 or imprisoned for up to two years, it says.

Before being released, an individual must agree "not to be involved with any political movement opposing the junta".

Several international human rights groups have now raised concerns about the policy, including the Brussels-based NGO Human Rights Without Frontiers International which says it "strongly condemns the sessions.

Its director Willy Fautre told EU Reporter: "The so-called ‘attitude adjustment’ practised by the military junta is nothing more than a disguised form of enforced disappearance and arbitrary detention that leads to torture behind closed doors.

"The EU should take a clear position about the regime and have the perpetrators of inhuman and degrading treatments prosecuted before the International Criminal Court."

Fraser Cameron, of the Brussels-based EU-Asia Centre, was equally scathing, saying: "There are numerous stories about the junta seeking to ‘re-educate’ civil society activists and academics who do not agree with government policy. This has been condemned by the EU and rightly so.

"Tolerance and respect for the rule of law are the key requisites for stability in Thailand and the re-establishment of EU-Thai relations."

Further condemnation came from Brad Adams, executive director of Human Rights Watch's Asia Division, who said: "The Thai junta not only wants to control all formal power, it also thinks it has the right to control the thoughts of the Thai people."

The New York-based Adams said: "It’s as if they watch too many sci-fi movies or think that George Orwell’s ‘1984’ was an invitation to thought control instead of a warning against its evils. Fortunately, the Thai people can think for themselves and this monstrous effort will fail.”

Other political analysts said they expect further political turbulence in 2016, including increasing divisions within the ranks of the military.

Other political analysts said they expect further political turbulence in 2016, including increasing divisions within the ranks of the military.

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