On 29 April 2011, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice held a public hearing for Central and Western Thailand on the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) report of the Human Rights Council in Bangkok. The public hearing was the last of such activities after 4 hearings were held earlier to gauge public opinion from every region of Thailand.
About 260 representatives from the public and private sectors attended the public hearing and expressed points of view which were beneficial for adjustment of the UPR. Among the issues which received attention were the issues of social discrepancies, wealth gap between the rich and the poor, transgender group who need the rights to be recognized as a woman, rights of political asylums and urban refugees, enforced disappearance, judicial process, labor law enforcement, human rights violation by government officials, police reform, cancellation of capital punishment, the use of instrument of restraint with prisoners and inmates, protection of security of human right defenders, freedom of speech and freedom of expression, freedom of press, L?se majest? law enforcement, the right of peaceful assembly, rights and welfares of the elderly, access to education. In addition, there were also proposals for Thailand to become party of various international conventions, such as Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, Convention on the Protection of the Rights of Migrant Workers and Member of their Families, Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and Statue of the International Court of Justice.
Public hearings of the UPR report were held in every region in Thailand in order to collect opinions and recommendations which will be beneficial for the adjustment of the report. In addition holding discussions on issues affecting rights of the citizen is important for human rights development in Thailand.
Those who are interested in accessing Thailand’s draft UPR report, provide their points of view and seek more information can do so via the Ministry of Foreign Affair’s website, located at www.mfa.go.th/humanrights.
For further information, please contact the Press Division, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tel.02-6435170, Fax.02-6435169, E-mail: div0704@mfa.go.th