Arbitrary detention of Messrs. Anon Nampa and Panupong Chadnok, aka Mike

Arbitrary arrest

Thailand

August 7, 2020

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, apartnership of FIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), requestsyour urgent intervention in the following situation in Thailand.

Description of the situation:

The Observatory has been informed by the Thai Lawyers for Human Rights(TLHR) about the arbitrary detention of Messrs. Anon Nampa, a prominenthuman rights lawyer, and Panupong Chadnok, aka Mike, a student activistmember of the group Eastern Youth for Democracy, in connection with theirparticipation in a peaceful pro-democracy demonstration at Bangkok’s’ DemocracyMonument on July 18, 2020[1].

According to the information received, on August 7, 2020, eight policeofficers arrested Mr. Anon in front of his residence in Bangkok. Later the sameday, Mr. Panupong was arrested by police officers in front of RamkhamhaengUniversity in Bangkok. Messrs. Anon and Panupong were taken to Bangkok’sSamranrat police station. Mr. Anon was later transferred to Bangkok’s Bangkhenpolice station.

Arrest warrants for Messrs. Anon and Panupong were both issued by theBangkok Criminal Court on August 6, 2020, for alleged violations of: Article116 of the Criminal Code (“sedition”); Article 215 of the Criminal Code(“assembly intended to commit acts of violence”); Article 385 of the CriminalCode (“obstructing public way”); Article 9(2) of the Emergency Decree(“assembly or gathering of persons […] which may cause unrest“); Article 114 ofthe Land Traffic Act (“obstructing the traffic”); Article 4 of the Control ofthe Use of Amplifier Act (“use of loudspeakers without permission”); Article 19of the Maintenance of the Cleanliness and Orderliness Act (“placing object onroad”); and Article 34 of Communicable Disease Act (“participating in the actsthat increase the risk for infection”).

The Observatory recalls that Mr. Anon Nampa has been subjected tonumerous acts of judicial harassment at the hands of the authorities since theMay 2014 military coup in Thailand[2].

The Observatory expresses its utmost concern about thearbitrary detention of Messrs. Anon Nampa and Panupong Chadnok, which seems tobe only aimed at punishing them for the legitimate exercise of their rights tofreedom of peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, and calls on Thai authorities to immediatelyand unconditionally release Messrs. AnonNampa and Panupong Chadnok.

Actions requested:

Please write to the authorities of Thailand asking them to:

i. Guarantee in all circumstances the physical integrity andpsychological well-being of Messrs. Anon Nampa and Panupong Chadnok and allother human rights defenders in Thailand.

ii. Immediately and unconditionally release Messrs.Anon Nampa and Panupong Chadnok, since their detention is arbitrary and itseems to be merely aimed at punishing them for the legitimate exercise of theirrights.

iii. Put an end to all acts of harassment, including at thejudicial level, against Messrs. AnonNampa and Panupong Chadnok and all other human rightsdefenders in Thailand, and ensure in all circumstances that they are able tocarry out their legitimate activities without any hindrance and fear ofreprisals.

iv.Comply with all the provisions of the United Nations Declaration on HumanRights Defenders adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 9, 1998, inparticular Articles 1, 5, 6 and 12.

vi.Ensure in all circumstances respect for human rights and fundamental freedomsin accordance with international human rights standards and internationalinstruments to which Thailand is a State party.

Addresses:

· Mr. Prayuth Chan-ocha,Prime Minister of Thailand, Fax: +66 (0) 2 282 5131

· Mr. Don Pramudwinai,Minister of Foreign Affairs of Thailand, Fax: +66 (0) 2 643 5320; Email: minister@mfa.go.th

· Mr. Somsak Thepsutin,Minister of Justice of Thailand, Fax: +66 (0) 2 953 0503

· Pol Gen ChaktipChaijinda, Commissioner-General of the Royal Thai Police, Fax: +66 (0) 2 2515956 / +66 (0) 2 251 8702

· Mr. Wat Tingsamit,Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission of Thailand, Email: help@nhrc.or.th

· H.E. Mr. ThaniThongphakdi, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations inGeneva, Switzerland, Fax: +41 22 715 10 00 / 10 02; Email: mission.thailand@ties.itu.int

· Embassy of Thailand inBrussels, Belgium, Fax: +32 2 648 30 66; Email: thaibxl@pophost.eunet.be

Pleasealso write to the diplomatic representations of Thailand in your respectivecountries.

***

Paris-Geneva, August 7, 2020

Kindly inform us of any action undertakenquoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

The Observatory for theProtection of Human Rights Defenders (the Observatory) was created in 1997 byFIDH and the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). The objective of thisprogramme is to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rightsdefenders. FIDH and OMCT are both members of ProtectDefenders.eu, the European Union Human Rights Defenders Mechanism implemented byinternational civil society.

To contact the Observatory, call the emergencyline:

· E-mail: Appeals@fidh-omct.org

· Tel and fax FIDH +33 (0) 1 43 55 25 18 / +33 1 43 55 18 80

[1] On July 18, 2020, approximately 2,000protesters peacefully gathered at Bangkok’s Democracy Monument to demand theParliament’s dissolution, a new Constitution, and an end of the authorities’harassment of activists and government critics.

[2] See the Observatory Urgent Appeals THA 001/ 0315 / OBS 017 published on March 12, 2015, THA 001 / 0116 / OBS 008.2published on May 3, 2016, THA003 / 0518 / OBS 072 published on May 24, 2018, THA 004 / 1118 / OBS 135 publishedon November 16, 2018 andTHA 002 / 0118 / OBS 015.2 published on September 20, 2019.