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January 12, 2006

Thailand: Disappearance of Muslim Lawyer - Policeman Convicted

On January 4 we mentioned the publication of a report by Amnesty International on alleged torture and mistreatment of Muslims in the south of Thailand by the authorities. The report, entitled "Thaliand: Locals trapped by escalating violence in the south" included details of a Muslim lawyer who "vanished":

On 12 March 2004, Somchai Neelapaijit, a prominent Muslim lawyer who was representing some of those arrested in relation to the violence and had initiated a campaign calling for the lifting of Martial Law in the South, "disappeared" in Bangkok. His whereabouts are still unknown and Amnesty International is concerned at the lack of progress in the investigation. His "disappearance" has had a profound impact on the work of other human rights campaigners in the South, who feel they lack recourse with regard to threats they face.

Today, Voice of America reports that a senior policeman has been convicted in connection with the disappearance of Somchai. Four other officers were acquitted, but Maj. Nguen Thongsuk (pictured) was sentenced by a Bangkok court to three years' imprisonment. A witness at the trial claimed to have seen Nguen bundle the Muslim lawyer into a car in a Bangkok parking lot in March 2004. Somchai, who had been defending Islamist separatists, who had been accused of fatal assaults, but has not been seen since. His family believes he is dead.

VOA states that "the case has drawn expressions of concern from human rights groups, the U.N. Human Rights Commission and the Organization of the Islamic Conference."

And today, Amnesty International has released a statement, which says the verdict leaves unanswered questions, the most obvious being the fate of the missing lawyer.

One police officer was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for coercion, while the other four were acquitted. As forced "disappearance" is not a criminal offence under Thai law, the five police officers suspected of involvement in his "disappearance" were charged with lesser offences of theft and coercion.

Somchai Neelapaijit's "disappearance" is an important test case of Thailand's ability to provide redress and remedy for all human rights violations, and to protect those, like him, who have endeavoured to defend human rights in the country.

Thailand must demonstrate its commitment to ending "disappearances" by making forced "disappearances" an offence under Thai criminal law, and ratifying the UN International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearances.

One cannot disagree. And three years is a paltry sentence, if, as is probable, the lawyer was killed as a result of Nguen Thongsuk's actions.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at January 12, 2006 4:05 PM

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